2.3 mi of trail, end to end · about 1,400 ft of climbing · 1,969 ft–3,401 ft · native material surface · trail No. 116 · trail class 2 · typical grade 12-20% · tread 12-18 inches wide · hiking, bike
TrailheadSkylight Pond Trailhead 1,963 ft Drive there
Skylight Pond Trailhead the Forest Service's write-up
Shelter Use Fee:
<ul>
<li>A $5.00 per person/night fee paid to the Green Mountain Club caretaker, helps maintain the shelter and trails, monitor impacts, and protect vulnerable soils, water and vegetation.</li>
</ul>
The Skyline Trail ascends easily from the trailhead on an old woods road, crosses two small streams, and enters the Breadloaf Wilderness. The trail continues more steeply by long switchbacks, crosses the Long Trail, and then continues to Skylight Pond and Skylight Lodge at 2.6 miles. Trail blazing, maintenance, and signage will be minimal in Wilderness Areas.
The lines are the US Forest Service's National Forest System trails layer (public domain), read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end, and the class, surface, grade and tread width are the forest's own entries where it publishes them - a forest that publishes the centreline alone has none. The trailheads and the points along the way are the Service's recreation points, and the write-ups its own recarea text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the forest's own site before you go.
