Backpack Trail Guide

Trails / Vermont / Southern Green Mountains

Long Trail: Stratton Mountain and Stratton Pond (Kelley Stand Road to VT 11/30)

Long Trail/Appalachian Trail, Green Mountain National Forest and Lye Brook Wilderness (Stratton, Winhall, Manchester; Kelley Stand Road to VT 11/30)

Stratton Mountain holds a special place in long-distance hiking. Hiking Project says James P. Taylor, who founded the Green Mountain Club, reportedly conceived the Long Trail on its slopes, and Backpacker repeats the legend that Benton MacKaye dreamed up the Appalachian Trail on the same mountain. This section climbs to its fire tower, drops to Stratton Pond, and crosses the edge of the Lye Brook Wilderness to Spruce Peak.

New England Waterfalls calls the Stratton area “one of the finest backpacking destinations in all of Vermont,” and rates its crowds “extreme.”

The hike

From the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail lot on Kelley Stand Road, the GMC’s loop description climbs north 3.8 miles to the summit of Stratton Mountain. Its 70-foot fire tower, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps and renovated by the GMC’s Long Trail Patrol in 2011, has 360-degree views. Backpacker notes a caretaker on the summit, and SectionHiker reports “spectacular fifty mile views” in clear weather. If the weather is bad, Backpacker describes a bypass of the exposed summit from USFS 71, south of Kelley Stand Road, that rejoins at Stratton Pond.

The GMC says the trail descends gradually 3.1 miles to Stratton Pond, 6.9 miles from the start, where a short spur leads to the shore at Willis Ross Clearing. Stratton Pond Shelter sits near the junction with the Stratton Pond Trail, a 3.8-mile route back to Kelley Stand Road that makes a loop possible.

Beyond the pond, Hiking Project says the trail enters the Lye Brook Wilderness and travels at a moderate grade to its northern edge. A half-mile side trip on the Branch Pond Trail leads to William B. Douglas Shelter. The trail then follows Old Rootville Road to a view at Prospect Rock and climbs to Spruce Peak Shelter. A short spur leads to the Spruce Peak summit, and the trail follows the ridge before descending to VT 11/30. A 2009 trip log counts 7.8 miles from Stratton Pond Shelter to Spruce Peak Shelter, and SectionHiker gives 10.4 miles from the pond to the highway.

The section to the south crosses Glastenbury Mountain. North of VT 11/30, the trail climbs over Bromley Mountain toward Griffith Lake and Baker Peak.

Tips

Camping

The ATC says there is no camping and no fires on Stratton Mountain. Within half a mile of Stratton Pond, camping is limited to designated sites, including the shelter’s tenting area and the Stratton View Tenting Area. Vermont Trail Finder says a GMC caretaker staffs the pond in summer and fall to protect its shoreline, which gets heavy use; the GMC says its caretaker sites now run on donations.

Elsewhere on the national forest, the ATC’s summary of Forest Service rules is to camp at existing sites or 200 feet from trails and water, and never above 2,500 feet or where trees are 8 feet or shorter. Hiking Project reminds hikers that wilderness standards apply in the Lye Brook Wilderness. Food storage in a canister, bear box, or proper hang is required on the national forest under a 2019 order. GMC limits overnight groups to 10.

Inside Intel: Spruce Peak Shelter is unusual for the southern Long Trail: Backpacker describes it as fully enclosed, with a wood-burning stove, large sleeping lofts, a dining area, and a front porch. A 2009 trip log spent nights at both Stratton Pond Shelter and Spruce Peak Shelter, and SectionHiker’s group also stayed at Stratton Pond in 2008.

Trail facts

The Lowdown

A full shelter floor at Stratton Pond:

Backpacker lists the pond's shelter at 16 sleepers, and a crowded wooden floor is where a good pad earns its weight. See the pads testers like.

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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.