USFS · Vermont

Glastenbury Wilderness

The Glastenbury Wilderness is northeast of Bennington, beginning just north of Route 9. Seen from Route 7, the area possesses a massive and beautifully wild ridgeline that dominates the landscape to the...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Glastenbury Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateVermont
Size22,330 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated2006, by Congress
Center point42.9433, -73.0972
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Glastenbury Wilderness20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 2.37 inches of precipitationFebruary: 1.94 inches of precipitationMarch: 2.65 inches of precipitationApril: 2.49 inches of precipitationMay: 3.47 inches of precipitationJune: 4.05 inches of precipitationJuly: 4.65 inches of precipitationAugust: 3.86 inches of precipitationSeptember: 3.82 inches of precipitationOctober: 3.61 inches of precipitationNovember: 2.77 inches of precipitationDecember: 2.90 inches of precipitationJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 22.6°F averageFebruary: 24.8°F averageMarch: 33.4°F averageApril: 45.5°F averageMay: 56.3°F averageJune: 64.3°F averageJuly: 68.9°F averageAugust: 67.3°F averageSeptember: 60.2°F averageOctober: 48.9°F averageNovember: 38.9°F averageDecember: 29.1°F average0 in1 in2 in3 in4 in5 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Bennington Morse St AP, 8 miles from the center point at 826 feet, station USW00054781 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 39 inches a year. The station sits about 1,600 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 1 is within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

7 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 118 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Appalachian Trail/Long Trail105.2
West Ridge8.1
Bald Mountain2.4
Bear Wallow1.7
Little Pond Access Spur At/Lt0.5
Little Pond Access0.3
Bear Wallow Spur0.1

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 64 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Glastenbury Wilderness?

22,330 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Glastenbury Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Glastenbury Wilderness in?

Vermont.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Glastenbury Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 2006.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Glastenbury Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Grout Pond Campground, 5.8 miles out. 1 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Glastenbury Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 42.943, -73.097. Saratoga National Historical Park is 24 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Glastenbury Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 11 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Glastenbury Wilderness?

Saratoga National Historical Park (24 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Glastenbury Wilderness?

64 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Whitney, Cora B., School and Carrigan Lane Historic District.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.