Sterling Pond Trail

Sterling Pond at approximately 3,000 feet elevation is the highest pond in Vermont accessible by a maintained hiking trail, a mountain tarn of exceptional clarity and beauty cradled on a shoulder of Sterling Mountain immediately above the Smugglers' Notch ski resort. The trail climbs steeply from the notch road parking area through dense balsam fir and red spruce forest, the trail surface an intermittent scramble over exposed tree roots and lichen-covered boulders, before cresting a short ridge to reveal the pond surrounded by boreal forest and open bog vegetation. Common loons nest on Sterling Pond and are often visible from the shoreline, an unusual occurrence at this elevation where the small pond size and shallow water margins present challenges for the normally lake-dwelling birds. Yellow-rumped warblers, Swainson's thrushes, and Lincoln's sparrows all breed in the surrounding spruce-fir forest. The pond surface on a windless day perfectly mirrors the surrounding conifers and the sky above, creating exceptional photography conditions in early morning before the ski resort above generates any noise or activity. The ski lifts of Smugglers' Notch Resort pass directly overhead on their way to the Sterling Mountain summit, providing an odd industrial contrast to the wild character of the pond itself. The Long Trail passes nearby, connecting to Mount Mansfield's main ridge.