Willoughby State Forest
Nature preserve
4,831 acres17.6 mi of trail
Moose Mountain TrailHerbert Hawkes TrailNorth TrailWheeler Mountain Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY-SA 4.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Sutton
Few parks or trails are on the map in Sutton
The biggest trail networks: Willoughby State Forest (17.6 mi). 31% of Sutton’s land is conserved, about 7,615 acres. 462 acres are parks and preserves, 584 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
31%
7,615 acres · of 38.3 sq mi of land
Trails
27 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
462 ac
584 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
10%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,657 ft
Mount Hor
Lakes & rivers
9
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Willoughby State Forest, with 17.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Calendar Brook Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
440 acres
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Mathewson State Forest
Nature preserve
98 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Who protects it
7,615 conserved acres
31% of Sutton’s land. Who manages Sutton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits2,803 ac
State conservation469 ac
State fish & wildlife417 ac
Other or Unknown Federal Land129 ac
Other state land28 ac
Not recorded5,335 ac
State Resource Management Area · 4,996 acConservation Easement · 2,636 acAgricultural Easement · 1,100 acState Conservation Area · 449 acUnknown Easement · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 2,169 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 15 of 58 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Willoughby State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 4,892 | Open |
| Calendar Brook Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 449 | Open |
| Mathewson State Forest State Resource Management Area | Not recorded | 104 | Open |
Things to do
9 places to go in Sutton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Sutton
1 playground without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Sutton
Moose mountain overlookIn Willoughby State Forest
DirectionsPlus 1 scenic view without a name on the map.
Peaks in Sutton
Mount Hor2,657 ft elevation · In Willoughby State Forest
DirectionsWheeler Mountain2,365 ft elevation
DirectionsMoose Mountain2,359 ft elevation · In Willoughby State Forest
DirectionsNorris Mountain2,270 ft elevation
DirectionsBartlett Mountain2,034 ft elevation · In Willoughby State Forest
DirectionsMathewson Hill1,667 ft elevation
DirectionsTrails & water
7 named trails and 9 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 11.3 mi
Moose Mountain Trail2.1 mi
Wheeler Mountain Trail2.1 mi
Herbert Hawkes Trail0.9 mi
North Trail0.8 mi
Wheeler Pond Trail0.5 mi
Brookside Trail0.4 mi
Boiling Spring Trail0.1 mi
When to get out
The best walking months in Sutton: May and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 25 | 28 | 37 | 51 | 65 | 73 | 78 | 76 | 68 | 55 | 42 | 30 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.7 | 3.3 | 4.0 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 3.8 | 4.5 | 3.2 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.8 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Sutton →
Next door
Sutton and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Burke | 11% | 2.8 | 1,172 | 35% | A |
| Barton | 7% | 0.3 | 135 | 53% | B+ |
| Newark | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wheelock | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Sheffield | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Westmore | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Lyndon | 4% | 1.2 | 11 | 28% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Sutton
Where can I hike in Sutton?
The longest trail networks: Willoughby State Forest, 17.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Sutton’s trails?
Willoughby State Forest and Calendar Brook Wildlife Management Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Sutton?
34,341 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Sutton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,502 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Sutton neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →