Long Trail

The Long Trail is a long-distance hiking route through the Green Mountains in Vermont, covering 272 miles (438 kilometers) from the Massachusetts border to Canada. It follows the main ridge and passes through dense forests, over rocky summits, and across alpine zones above the tree line.

The Green Mountain Club began building the route in 1910 and finished it in 1930, creating the first long-distance hiking path in the United States. Volunteers and club members have maintained and improved it ever since, ensuring its use for future generations.

About seventy shelters along the route serve as gathering points where hikers leave entries in thick logbooks, sharing trail conditions and animal sightings with others. These books become a living record of the path, showing how people experience the journey and connect with one another.

Water sources appear roughly every five miles along the way, and hikers can restock supplies in towns such as Manchester Center and Rutland. Most sections require solid fitness and proper gear, as weather and terrain can shift quickly.

Six people vanished without a trace between 1945 and 1950 in the section from Woodford to Glastenbury Mountain, including college student Paula Welden in 1946. Her case remains unsolved and has given this part of the Green Mountains a mysterious reputation.