Owls Head Trail
Reaches Owlshead Mountain (1,814 ft).
- Length
- 1.5 mi
- Climb
- 250 ft
- Time, one way
- about 45 min
- County
- Caledonia
- Difficulty
- Easyestimated
- Surface
- dirt
Download GPX for a GPS app or watch
About this trail
Owl's Head is a granite peak in Groton State Forest, reached from New Discovery State Park. The state's trail guide lists the trail as 1.5 miles, about an hour, rated moderate, starting off the road from New Discovery toward the Osmore Pond area. It skirts a swampy area, dips and climbs to an upper parking lot, then follows stone steps built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s to a granite summit with a view over Lake Groton, Kettle Pond and the Green Mountains.
Good to know
- A seasonal road leads almost to the top, so you may meet people who drove up.
Written by VTHiking from Vermont State Parks, Groton State Forest trails guide, checked Oct 24, 2026. Distances in this text are the source's own; the figures above are measured from the mapped line and can differ.
Where to park
We haven't confirmed the fee at the lot below yet. Check posted signs when you arrive.
Walking distances follow the mapped trail network. They are not a route, they ignore slope, and they are not driving directions.
Elevation
Climb, time and difficulty are estimates worked out from the mapped line and USGS elevation data, not measurements or official ratings. Time assumes about 2.5 mph plus an hour per 1,500 ft climbed.
Other trails nearby
Trail geometry and attributes from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Elevation from USGS 3DEP. Lengths are computed from mapped geometry and are approximate. Safety disclaimer.