The Moss Glen Falls hike is a short, scenic hike to a waterfall, and is only about a 5-minute drive from Stowe’s historic Village. For most people, the highlight of this hike is the Moss Glen Falls, which is only about a quarter-mile from the trailhead.

The trail signage is limited, but the trail is quite obvious by following the brook upstream to the falls from the parking area. The trail comes to a fork and hikers can either go left up the steeper rooty climb to the perfect location to take some photos of the falls or to the right to follow the outer edge of the river to the base of the falls. Be careful at the falls; loose debris at the edge of the trail can be slippery and dangerous. Inexperienced hikers should stay to the left above the falls. While Moss Glen Falls isn’t the tallest waterfall in Vermont, it certainly is one of the most picturesque cascading 125 feet!

The rest of the route follows an old woods road. At about the 1.5-mile mark (just after a wooden bridge), this road turns left and begins a steep ascent, which actually reaches a viewless summit after the end of the marked route and connects to the VAST snowmobile trail. Be sure to follow the correct trail back.

The C.C. Putnam State Forest is the fifth largest State Forest in Vermont. Most of the 13,633-acre forest consists of one contiguous parcel of 12,855 acres in size. C.C. Putnam State Forest is primarily mountainous terrain extending over nine miles along the Worcester Mountains. The forest spreads into the towns of Elmore and Stowe in Lamoille County, and the towns of Middlesex, Waterbury, and Worcester in Washington County. Elevations range from 500 to 3,642 feet above sea level creating a diversity of cover types including northern hardwoods, white birch, spruce-fir, white and red pine plantations, and a variety of sub-alpine conditions on five major peaks. These peaks are the so-called third range of the Green Mountains.

A total of 4,014 acres of C.C. Putnam State Forest are a designated Natural Area. Of this area, 3,391 acres are above 2,500 feet in elevation; the remaining 82 acres surround Moss Glenn Falls in the town of Stowe.

There are 5 trailheads that access the many miles of hiking trails within C.C. Putnam State Forest. On the west side of the forest, the Waterbury Trail in Waterbury leads to the summit of Mount Hunger, the two trailheads for the Pinnacle Trail in Stowe will take you to the summit of the Stowe Pinnacle. On the east side, the Worcester Trail in Worcester takes you up to the summit of Mount Worcester, and the trailhead in Middlesex will take you to the summit of White Rocks and Mount Hunger. The summits of Mount Hunger, Stowe Pinnacle, and Mount Worcester are connected by the Skyline Trail, making this a very popular spot for hiking, snowshoeing, and backcountry skiing. Although Mount Hunger is not the highest of the five peaks, it is by far the most popular. Its bald summit affords spectacular views to the east, south, and west. Almost every peak in the Green Mountain Range is visible including Whiteface, Camel’s Hump, Killington, and Mount Mansfield on its northern end. Beyond this range, one may catch a glimpse of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. Many peaks of the White Mountains are visible on the horizon to the east.

Because of its size and rugged terrain, C.C. Putnam State Forest retains its sense of remoteness even though the forest is only one-half to one hour away from major metropolitan areas. The forest is home to many species of wildlife including bears, deer, grouse, beaver, mink, coyote, fisher, and many other game and non-game species. An ever-increasing population of moose finds the habitat within this forest very suitable to their needs as well.

The TrailFinder website has a description and map of a hike at Moss Glen Falls.