Fifth Annual Peak to Peak Event Celebrates Woodstock’s Trails

With a nip in the air and colorful leaves still clinging to the trees, it’s the perfect time of year to stretch your legs and hit the trail. The fifth annual Peak to Peak event invites locals and visitors alike to explore the walking paths of Woodstock, on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 10 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
The event takes place on the Woodstock Village Green, where participants can learn about local recreation and conservation organizations, play family-friendly games, and join expert guides for specialized hikes up Mt. Peg or Mt. Tom. Walkers who make it to the top of the peaks can enjoy apple cider, cheese, crackers and art activities to reward their efforts. The event is free and open to the public. Wood-fired pizza will be available on the Green from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m., with sales benefitting Woodstock Union High School’s Earth Beat club.
You can grab a Walk Woodstock Map and explore on your own, or meet at the Green for one of these scheduled hikes:
• Peak to Peak Challenge. Summit both Mt. Tom and Mt. Peg, stopping at the village green for lunch. Departs 10 a.m. Hearty, five miles round trip.
• Mt. Peg History Hike. Explore the landscape history of Mt. Peg with a local historian, with special focus on the golf course that used to occupy its slopes. Departs 10 a.m. Easy, 1.5 miles round trip.
• Yoga Hike. A moving meditation along the gentle slopes of Mt. Peg. All levels welcome. Departs 10:30 a.m. Easy, two miles round trip.
• Mt. Tom Hike. Join a Sierra Club trip leader to hike the historic Faulkner Trail to South Peak for a panoramic view. Departs 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Moderate, 3.5 miles round trip.
• Peak at the Park: An Adventure for Young Hikers. Become a junior ranger on this family trek as you cross a covered bridge, climb a mountain and discover secret gardens. Departs 12:30 p.m. Easy pace over moderate terrain, two miles round trip.
Peak to Peak is made possible with the support of many partners, including Billings Park Commission, Earth Beat, Green Mountain Club, Holt Survey Associates, Inner Lift Yoga, Sustainable Woodstock, Upper Valley Sierra Club and Upper Valley Trails Alliance.
In addition to Peak to Peak, the weekend includes two other Boots to Boats events:
• Art, Nature and Community: Recreation in the Cornish Colony. Oct. 15, 10 a.m. at Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. What did the Cornish Colony artists do for fun outside? Join a park ranger for this walk from the shore of the Connecticut River through Blow-Me-Down Farm, and up to the home of America’s greatest sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens. Park at Blow-Me-Down Farm along Route 12A. Moderate hike, approximately two miles one way. Call 603-675-2175 ext. 106 for more information.
• Film screening of “Trail Magic: The Grandma Gatewood Story” a documentary about the first woman to through-hike the Appalachian Trail. She did it in 1955 at the age of 67. Light refreshments provided, 15-minute discussion with a through-hiker after the 45-minute film. Call 802-457-3368 ext. 222 for more information.
The Boots to Boats initiative, supported by a grant from the National Park Foundation, encourages participants to recreate on their public lands and waters in and between Vermont and New Hampshire’s only national park sites, via the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Connecticut River National Blueway. From yoga hikes to public paddle days, guided events have been offered throughout the summer and into fall. For more information, or to plan your own Boots to Boats adventure in any season, check out nps.gov/mabi/boots-to-boats-adventures.htm.