Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Vermont / Southern Green Mountains

Long Trail: Killington Peak (Clarendon Gorge to US 4)

Long Trail/Appalachian Trail, Green Mountain National Forest and state land (Clarendon, Shrewsbury, Mendon, Killington; VT 103 to US 4)

This section climbs from the bridge at Clarendon Gorge to the shoulder of Killington Peak, one of Vermont’s five 4,000-foot summits, and to Cooper Lodge, which the Green Mountain Club calls “the highest shelter on the Long Trail at 3,900’.” It then follows the ridge north toward Pico and US 4 at Sherburne Pass.

New England Waterfalls lists the section at 17.4 miles and rates its “fantastic views from Killington Peak.”

The hike

From VT 103, Hiking Project describes stone stairs climbing to Clarendon Shelter, in a grassy grove. The trail continues past Lottery Road, where a small spring sits on the right, and Upper Cold River Road. Hiking Project says some sections here were relocated because of landslides, and one runs along the edge of a slide.

Governor Clement Shelter, at the base of the main climb, has a fireplace, according to Hiking Project. SectionHiker, who ate lunch there in 2008, called it “a pretty ratty shelter that’s heavily used by locals for partying in the woods.” From there, he describes a climb of about 2,000 feet in 3 miles on narrow, rooty trail with blowdowns.

The Long Trail itself skirts the summit. Near Cooper Lodge, the GMC says, the 0.2-mile Killington Spur climbs steeply to the open summit and its 360-degree views; the GMC calls it the hardest part of the climb. SectionHiker puts the summit at 4,235 feet. A 2013 thru-hiker dropped a pack at Cooper Lodge, climbed the spur, and found “wonderful” views under gusty, cool clouds; SectionHiker, in 2008, saw nothing through dense fog.

North of the lodge, the GMC’s description follows the Long Trail about 2.3 miles to Jungle Junction, where the Sherburne Pass Trail branches off toward Pico Camp and US 4. The Long Trail continues past Churchill Scott Shelter, which New England Waterfalls pairs with Pico Camp, before descending to US 4. Hiking Project calls Churchill Scott a good stop for a resupply trip into Rutland.

The section to the south passes Little Rock Pond and Clarendon Gorge. North of US 4, the Appalachian Trail splits east at Maine Junction toward Hanover, while the Long Trail continues north toward the Breadloaf Wilderness. The GMC’s 20-mile itinerary from US 4 to Brandon Gap covers the stretch in between.

Tips

Camping

The ATC says that in the Killington area there is no camping except at shelters, and no fires at Cooper Lodge or Churchill Scott Shelter; other shelters allow fires only in fire rings. The GMC says its overnight sites are free and first come, first served, with composting privies, and that tenting is prohibited above 2,500 feet.

The GMC says proper food storage is mandatory on the Green Mountain National Forest under a 2019 Forest Service order and strongly encouraged elsewhere. It limits overnight groups to 10, including leaders.

Inside Intel: Accounts of Cooper Lodge are mixed. New England Waterfalls says some hikers find it unpleasant, and SectionHiker’s companions spent a cold, damp night there in fog in 2008. Writing in 2013, a thru-hiker on the Another Long Walk blog stopped there only for lunch and the summit, then walked on to Churchill Scott Shelter, arriving just ahead of the rain.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

A foggy night at Cooper Lodge:

SectionHiker's companions spent a cold, damp night in fog at Cooper Lodge, the Long Trail's highest shelter. Our side-sleeper tips cover foam underlayers, inflation, and pillows.

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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.