Building, Maintaining, and Protecting Trails
GMC’s field work falls into a few different categories: trail construction & maintenance; infrastructure construction & repair (shelters, privies, bridges); land conservation initiatives & stewardship upkeep; and ongoing stewardship of the plants + ecosystems that make our mountains so special. Learn more about our work.
Recent Work Highlights
Long Trail Relocation on Belvidere Mountain
In 2025, GMC trail crews began the first of two years of work relocating about three-quarters of a mile of Long Trail north of Route 118, near the climb to Belvidere Mountain. The relocation, for which planning began in 2022, has two goals: To move the trail out of a streambed and into a more sustainable grade and layout, and to move the trail from private land to the nearby Long Trail State Forest corridor, securing permanent protection for about one third of a mile of Long Trail.
In 2025, crews completed cutting new, sustainably laid out trail and installing trail hardening structure for about 0.3 miles relocation. We used a newly purchased mini-excavator to cut the new tread, following up with hand techniques. Using machinery on some portions of the Long Trail is a new construction technique designed to improve productivity and build skills in emerging trail-building technology.
The Belvidere project exemplifies many of the current strategies and challenges facing Long Trail management in the 21st century: It is a multi-year, full segment project that will result in reduced annual maintenance needs, increased longevity, and is less likely to fail from problems uphill or downhill.
It will be completed in 2026.
Flood Recovery Projects
A significant portion of our work this year is flood recovery work from 2023 and 2024 floods. These projects received primary funding through two sources: the Emergency Relief for Federally Owned Roads (ERFO) funds for projects on the AT and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds directed through VT FPR for work on state lands. We are implementing sustainable practices into all flood recovery work; namely building back bigger and more durable bridges and trail structures that can withstand future extreme weather events. Flood recovery projects include:
- Little Black Branch bridge repairs
- Lye Brook Falls Spur Trail
- Peru Peak bridge
- Homer Stone Brook Trail
- Homer Stone Brook bridge (on the Long Trail north of Little Rock Pond)
- Long Trail in Nebraska Notch
Battell Shelter Expansion
Senior Trail Technicians constructed a new, accessible shelter at the Battell overnight site in 2025. The new shelter sleeps up to 12 people and has a timber-framed, post-and-beam design. The old shelter, built in 1966, is a historical landmark and will remain on-site, increasing the capacity at this sensitive yet popular overnight camping destination. (tenting is not permitted here to protect the fragile subalpine environment).
Southern Terminus Relocation
In 2025 GMC completed the Vermont portion of a long-planned relocation of the southern terminus of the Long Trail. Volunteer Long Trail Patrol crew members brushed the corridor, cut tread, and built stone infrastructure on the Vermont side of the state line (the Massachusetts portion is slated to be completed in 2027).
This work will replace the notoriously muddy southern terminus of the Long Trail — a long-term goal of the club — moving the trail up to drier soil on a sidehill with a more sustainable layout. It also inches us towards our land conservation goals as it moves approximately 1,000 feet of the LT/AT off of a private land parcel and onto the Green Mountain National Forest.
Alpine Plant Protection and Research
Every five years, GMC conducts a photo monitoring research project to track the trajectory and growth of alpine plant vegetation coverage on Mount Mansfield. The findings help inform our management decisions along the Mansfield ridgeline. The latest installment will take place in 2026.
The Burrows Trail Project
From 2022-2024, GMC crews and partners completed the Burrows Trail rehabilitation project. Starting in Huntington, Vermont, the Burrows Trail runs 2.1 miles up the fall line of the mountain before intersecting with the Long Trail to reach the summit of Camel’s Hump.
Sunrise Shelter Move and Reconstruction
In 2023, crews completed building the new Sunrise Shelter (relocated 1.2 miles south of the existing location due to road proximity and nuisance use). Site prep, foundation, piers, floor system, and privy were completed in 2022. . The 3-walled shelter was designed by Director of Field Programs Keegan Tierney and the GMC Special Projects Crew and volunteer Chip Swanson constructed the shelter over five working weeks in 2023. Sunrise was one of five shelter construction projects completed in 2023: the new Stratton View Shelter, new Seth Warner shelter, the Jean Haigh Cabin on Wheeler Pond, and repairs to Stratton Mountain Caretaker Cabin.
Be a Part of GMC’s Work to Build and Protect Great Trail
Members support the work of the Green Mountain Club with their annual dues. Join the Green Mountain Club hiking community today.