Description

Completed in 1930, Vermont's 273-mile Long Trail boasts the title of the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States.

Built and maintained by the Green Mountain Club, the trail dissects Vermont north to south, connecting the Massachusetts State line to the Canadian border.

The Journey's End Trail is the most common way to finish or begin a thru-hike, and a shelter lies between the trailhead and the northern terminus of the Long Trail.

For roughly the first 100 miles, the Appalachian Trail coaligns with the Long Trail, following the main ridge of the Green Mountains.

Due west of Killington, the AT departs east for Mount Katahdin, and the Long Trail continues to Canada.

According to sectionhiker.com, the entire trail takes the average hiker less than three weeks and is best hiked in the summer to early fall.

Temperatures can differ immensely between northern and southern Vermont, and another source suggests September as the best time for southbound hikers to make their journey. The official northern terminus of the trail lies along the US/Canada border and is denoted by an engraved obelisk.

The views from here are quite phenomenal, offering a spectacular finish (or start) to the 273-mile trail.

Sources: http://easternslopes.com/2010/05/08/first-steps-along-the-long-trail/ https://hikeandcycle.com/the-long-trail-5-things-to-know-when-planning-your-hike/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_Trail https://sectionhiker.com/how-to-hike-vermonts-long-trail/