Could things be changing on Vermont’s Long Trail?

“Seriously?” I yelled into the otherwise peaceful woods at the base of yet another steep ravine near the north end of Vermont’s Long Trail––one of, if not the, oldest extended wilderness paths in America. Hands, feet, and patience were required on these frustratingly frequent sections of the trail. But things could be changing.

“By design, no effort has been made [on the Long Trail] to provide the artificial surfacing, switchbacks, and other amenities found on highly engineered trails,” an introductory section of the 1985 edition of the Green Mountain Club (GMC)’s Long Trail News warns. “In the tradition of other early New England trails, the Long Trail is steep, boggy, and rugged. Hikers should plan accordingly.” 

But the Green Mountain Club may be starting to change its tune. A big part of the trail’s ruggedness ties to a GMC decision made 50 years ago to decline National Scenic Trail designation for the Long Trail, which would have come with significant funding and other assistance. 

“Many officers and board members simply did not want the entirety of our rustically authentic, crudely charming, and oh-so-uniquely Vermont mountain pathway to be regulated by uniform national standards,” longtime GMC leader Preston Bristow said in Long Trail News in 2018.

But half a century later, the club has new leaders with different ideas about how best to ensure the old trail lasts and best serves its users.

As a sign of a more collaborative perspective, GMC Director Michael DeBonis pointed to the club’s acceptance of an extension of the North Country Trail into Vermont, where it connects with the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail, after years of GMC opposition. Is it time to pursue National Trails System status for the entire trail? 

“I think it’s the right question,” DeBonis said. “I don’t think there’s necessarily a firm block on it. If the vote were to come up, I think it would be thoroughly considered.”

“There is not a current conversation,” DeBonis added, as the club focuses on trail protection. Barring congressional action, reductions in federal funding for the National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service in the proposed 2027 federal budget are unlikely to hasten the GMC’s process.

— Larry Budd