Does anyone use the Long Trail in the winter?

Yes, but the Long Trail is primarily a summer trail. You can snowshoe many parts of the Long Trail and its side trails but you must keep in mind that white blazes on the Long Trail are difficult to see against white snow and oftentimes, the snow is high enough to cover blazes completely!

Can you Cross Country ski the Long Trail?

Certain sections you can cross-country ski Long Trail Guide for suggestions.We recommend using to the Catamount Trail as it is maintained for skiers and it is blazed for winter time use (remember, the Long Trail is blazed in white).Check out their website at www.catamounttrail.org .

Can you stay in shelters during the winter?

Yes you can, but be aware that there are no shelters remaining with working wood stoves and shelters are not maintained during the winter. So you need to be prepared for the cold temperatures and to possibly dig out the door to the shelter. GMC does own 2 cabins near Lake Willoughby that have wood stoves, called the Wheeler Pond Camps. If you are looking for something on Mount Mansfield there is the Stone Hut run by the the Vermont State Parks 

Long Trail FAQ's

End-to-End FAQ's

GMC FAQ's