Long Trail itinerary
Every mile marker on the Long Trail route, in order, with the distance and elevation change between each one, and which permit each stretch needs. To set alerts for your dates, go to the Long Trail Thru-Hike permit page.
Which permit covers this route
The Long Trail. One reservation is a trailhead or zone plus an entry date; you roam after that, issued by walk-up.
The permit is issued for a named entry point. Massachusetts state line (Southern Terminus) and Journey's End / Northern Terminus (Canada border) are the ones on this list.
- Stops mapped
- 18
- Across the markers
- 272.0 mi
- Published route length
- 272 mi
- Ascent, at least
- 8,595 ft
How long it takes: 20-30 days (3-4 weeks); GMC's End-to-End guide separately states an average of 21-25 days. That is the figure the permit publishes. This page does not divide the route into days, because no source records which stop you sleep at.
The stops below are the route's published mile markers, in order, with the elevations recorded against each one.
Distance and elevation change on each leg are the difference between the two published figures either side of it, so the legs are arithmetic on the markers and nothing more.
The Long Trail route, stop by stop
Mile 0.0
2,336 ft
Massachusetts state line (Southern Terminus)
Entry point: the permit is issued for this trailhead
The Long Trail's southern terminus, where it meets the Appalachian Trail near Clarksburg, Massachusetts.
5.6 miles · 381 ft up to Seth Warner Shelter
Mile 5.6
2,717 ft
Seth Warner Shelter
The first shelter on the Long Trail heading north from the Massachusetts line, one of three new shelters GMC built in 2023.
7.1 miles · 392 ft down to Harmon Hill
Mile 12.7
2,325 ft
Harmon Hill
Sweeping views near Bennington, at the southern end of the section the GMC Bennington chapter maintains together with the Glastenbury fire tower stretch.
12.2 miles · 1,425 ft up to Glastenbury Mountain
Mile 24.9
3,750 ft
Glastenbury Mountain
Highest and most prominent peak in the Glastenbury Wilderness, topped by a historic fire tower currently closed pending repair funding.
16.4 miles · 190 ft up to Stratton Mountain
Mile 41.3
3,940 ft
Stratton Mountain
Where James Taylor conceived the idea of the Long Trail in 1909, and where Benton MacKaye later had the vision that became the Appalachian Trail. Its 1934 CCC-built fire tower still stands.
17.2 miles · 667 ft down to Bromley Mountain
Mile 58.5
3,273 ft
Bromley Mountain
A notable peak on the section of trail the Long Trail shares with the Appalachian Trail, per the AT Conservancy's own description of the overlap.
7.5 miles · 669 ft down to Griffith Lake
Mile 66.0
2,604 ft
Griffith Lake
One of the caretaker-staffed overnight sites GMC lists on the Long Trail, inside the White Rocks area.
9.7 miles · 749 ft down to Little Rock Pond
Mile 75.7
1,855 ft
Little Rock Pond
A caretaker-staffed overnight site on the shared Long Trail/Appalachian Trail corridor in the White Rocks area.
24.7 miles · 2,374 ft up to Killington Peak
Mile 100.4
4,229 ft
Killington Peak
The second-highest summit in Vermont and in the Green Mountains, a stop on the Long Trail where it shares its route with the Appalachian Trail.
7.6 miles · 1,994 ft down to Maine Junction
Mile 108.0
2,235 ft
Maine Junction
Just north of US Route 4 near Killington, where the Appalachian Trail turns east toward New Hampshire and the Long Trail continues north alone, ending the roughly 100-105 mile shared route.
71.0 miles · 1,848 ft up to Camel's Hump
Mile 179.0
4,083 ft
Camel's Hump
Vermont's third-highest peak and one of only three summits in the state with fragile arctic-alpine vegetation, with 360-degree views to the Adirondacks and White Mountains.
18.2 miles · 376 ft down to Bolton Mountain / Nebraska Notch area
Mile 197.2
3,707 ft
Bolton Mountain / Nebraska Notch area
The stretch of ridge the Long Trail follows between Camel's Hump and Mount Mansfield.
9.6 miles · 688 ft up to Mount Mansfield, the Chin (High Point)
Mile 206.8
4,395 ft
Mount Mansfield, the Chin (High Point)
Vermont's highest point, one of Mansfield's named highpoints (Forehead, Nose, Chin) that give the ridge its face-like profile; the Long Trail hugs the highest ridgeline here.
5.2 miles · 2,235 ft down to Smugglers' Notch
Mile 212.0
2,160 ft
Smugglers' Notch
A narrow mountain pass with tall cliffs on either side, with Mount Mansfield to the south and the Sterling Range to the north; GMC rerouted the Long Trail here in 2020 to end a long road walk.
35.1 miles · 1,183 ft up to Belvidere Mountain / Jay Pass area
Mile 247.1
3,343 ft
Belvidere Mountain / Jay Pass area
The Long Trail crosses VT Route 242 at Jay Pass, 5.1 miles west of Jay Village.
15.3 miles · 506 ft up to Jay Peak
Mile 262.4
3,849 ft
Jay Peak
A steep 1.7-mile climb from the VT-242 parking area to the summit; a rigorous hike despite the short distance.
5.3 miles · 1,646 ft down to Shooting Star Shelter
Mile 267.7
2,203 ft
Shooting Star Shelter
The overnight stop 7.6 miles north of Jay Pass on the final approach to the Canadian border.
4.3 miles · 117 ft down to Journey's End / Northern Terminus (Canada border)
Mile 272.0
2,086 ft
Journey's End / Northern Terminus (Canada border)
Entry point: the permit is issued for this trailhead
The Long Trail's northern terminus at the US/Canada border, reached via a 1.3-mile hike out on the Journey's End Trail from the main trail, 4.4 miles north of Shooting Star Shelter.
Getting a Long Trail for the dates you want
Planning the route is the easy half. Long Trail dates go fast, and the ones that come back are cancellations. They return to the booking system without warning and are gone again quickly. PermitSnag checks Long Trail around the clock and alerts you the moment a date opens.