George D. Aiken Wilderness

This wilderness was named after the late Vermont senator George D. Aiken. He was a strong advocate of preservation and a leader in securing the Eastern Wilderness Act of 1975. The Aiken Wilderness is situated on a plateau rising as high as 2,300 feet. General conditions are wet and marshy as the ground surface of the Aiken Wilderness is covered with a great deal of water. In spring and summer, be prepared for swarming mosquitoes and black flies. Beavers are very active here, chewing trees down to stumps and building dams. Brook trout live in their ponds and make for excellent fishing opportunities. Bears, moose, deer, otters, and many smaller mammals and birds share the area. Although not mountainous, this land of ponds, meadows, and brushy forest is purposely managed without established trails. Old logging roads, evident in some places, disappear quickly. Bushwhacking can be tough but worth a compass adventure.