Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Vermont / Northern Green Mountains

Long Trail: Johnson to Jay Pass (Belvidere Mountain and Hazen's Notch)

Long Trail through Long Trail State Forest and other state and private land (Johnson, Eden, Belvidere, Lowell, Montgomery, Westfield; VT 15 to VT 242 at Jay Pass)

From the Lamoille River at Johnson, the Long Trail climbs over Prospect Rock and a string of wooded mountains to Devil’s Gulch and the fire tower on Belvidere Mountain, then crosses Haystack Mountain and Hazen’s Notch on the way to Jay Pass. SectionHiker describes notch-to-summit climbs that often exceed 2,000 feet, with slick rock, roots, and mud.

New England Waterfalls splits the section at VT 118 in Eden: 21.1 miles to the south and 16.8 to the north.

The hike

Hiking Project describes the trail leaving the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail at West Settlement Road, crossing a field and VT 15, and crossing the Lamoille River on a bridge. It then climbs past Prospect Rock, where the GMC moved the trail away from the cliff in 2026, and Roundtop Mountain to Roundtop Shelter, which Hiking Project calls “a nice shelter with an awesome western view.” Beyond Plot Road, the trail follows a stream toward Laraway Mountain. SectionHiker also names Corliss Camp along this stretch.

Past the Spruce Ledge Shelter spur comes Devil’s Gulch, which Hiking Project describes as a small boulder canyon with narrow crevices. SectionHiker calls it “a dramatic gap filled with car-sized boulders,” and the Weirs Times writer found it cold between the rocks. The trail reaches VT 118 in Eden, then follows the new 2026 route up Belvidere Mountain. The GMC says a short side trip on the Forester’s Trail leads to the summit’s 70-foot fire tower, and the Weirs Times writer calls it “well worth a visit.”

North of Belvidere, the trail passes Tillotson Camp and, according to Backpacker, climbs Tillotson Peak and Haystack Mountain before dropping to Hazen’s Notch on VT 58. SectionHiker describes the Haystack climb as about 1,400 feet in under 2 miles with “many tricky climbing problems,” and the Weirs Times writer found the descent to Hazen’s Notch steep and long. A side trail leads to Hazen’s Notch Camp. Backpacker then lists Sugarloaf and Buchanan Mountains, Chet’s Lookout, a boulder overlook facing north, Domey’s Dome, and Gilpin Mountain before the descent to VT 242 at Jay Pass.

To the south is Sterling Pond and Whiteface. North of Jay Pass, the trail climbs Jay Peak to Journey’s End.

Tips

Camping

The GMC says its overnight sites are free and first come, first served, each with a composting privy, and that tenting is prohibited above 2,500 feet. GMC says the Long Trail from Mount Ellen to Canada is on state land, where Vermont’s rules prohibit camping above 2,500 feet unless designated and require primitive sites to be at least 200 feet from trails and property lines, 100 feet from water, and 1,000 feet from roads, with a three-night limit. Parts of the trail cross private land; the GMC says the Belvidere relocation moved a quarter mile of trail off private land into Long Trail State Forest.

The GMC strongly encourages a bear canister or other approved container on all Vermont overnights and limits groups to 10, including leaders.

Inside Intel: SectionHiker calls Corliss Camp “an incredibly nice shelter,” recently refurbished with glass windows and a sleeping loft, and spent a night there in 2008. He also stayed at Tillotson Camp, which he found “extremely dark” inside but otherwise nice, with bunks and a table, and hard to get into because of a door held shut by an eye hook.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

Haystack's tricky climb to Hazen's Notch:

SectionHiker describes the Haystack Mountain climb as about 1,400 feet in under 2 miles with many tricky climbing problems, and the descent to Hazen's Notch is steep and long. Our pole tips cover both directions.

Read the pole tips →

Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.