Nebraska Notch Trail

Nebraska Notch is a deep, dramatic cleft on the western slope of Mount Mansfield, carved by glacial and post-glacial erosion into a narrow rocky defile flanked by boulder fields and old-growth balsam fir. The trail approaches from a trailhead off Nebraska Valley Road and climbs steadily through a classic northern Vermont landscape of sugar maple, yellow birch, and American beech before entering the increasingly boreal character of the upper notch. The cleft itself is filled with jumbled talus — enormous angular blocks broken from the cliffs above by freeze-thaw cycles over thousands of winters — requiring careful boulder hopping to navigate. The AMC Taylor Lodge, a rustic overnight shelter maintained by the Green Mountain Club, sits at the head of the notch and provides a welcome destination for day hikers. Just beyond the lodge lies Lake of the Clouds, a small tarn at 3,850 feet elevation perched in a col between the Mansfield summit ridge and the outlying Forehead sub-peak. The lake reflects the summit cliffs above and the surrounding krummholz forest, providing one of the most scenic and remote-feeling spots accessible on a moderate day hike in Vermont. The notch route is heavily used in late September and early October when the northern hardwood forest below turns spectacular shades of orange, red, and gold visible throughout the Champlain Valley.