Your Gateway to the Green Mountains
The Rothberg-Birdwhistell Visitor Center, a beautiful timber-frame building built in 2024, sits on scenic Route 100 between Waterbury and Stowe, Vermont, about ten minutes’ drive from Interstate 89. Visit us today for free guided hikes, introductory workshops, and specialized skill classes; to purchase merchandise, maps, and guidebooks; and to talk hiking and plan your perfect adventure with trained experts.
Guided Hikes for All
The 0.5-mile Short Trail begins just steps from the Visitor Center’s back door. This interpretive trail is designed to mimic the experience of hiking on the Long Trail, complete with a real Long Trail shelter (relocated from the trail when it was replaced), white blazes, trail structures like staircases, and a variety of landscapes to admire. GMC staff lead weekly guided hikes on the Short Trail. You can also do a self-guided hike using the Short Trail Scavenger Hunt available in the Visitor Center vestibule. The Short Trail is open to the public year-round during daylight hours. Pets are welcome; we ask that they remained leashed or under perfect voice control, and that you pack out all pet waste.
Upcoming Guided Short Trail hikes:
- Fall Schedule Coming Soon
No RSVP necessary; for questions, email or call 802-244-7037.
Workshops & Programs
The Visitor Center hosts frequent workshops to help prepare you for hiking, from learning the basics (Hiking 101, Backpacking 101, Winter Hiking 101) to more specialized skills courses taught by expert staff and partners. We aim to provide these workshops for free or low-cost to enable more Vermonters and visitors to get outside with confidence and form lasting connections to Vermont’s mountains.
We also offer community programming, such as the annual winter speaker series, which brings authors, scientists, athletes, and hiking enthusiasts to the club to present on topics of education, inspiration, and adventure.
Hike Planning Resources
Want to get out and hike but don’t know where to start? Visiting Vermont for the first time and want to make sense of all the hiking options? Planning a long backpacking trip on the Long Trail, and wondering how you’re supposed to get back to your car once you’re done? Hosting a summer camp, and wanting to know group regulations for hiking and camping on the trail? We have all the answers, and love helping out.
Call, email, or stop in to the Visitor Center anytime to get personalized hiking advice tailored to you. On site, you can browse our maps, guidebooks, archives, and library of hiking and natural history books from the comfort of the Club Room, with couches and views of the mountains.
Virtual Visitor Center
Plan your hike from afar. GMC Information Specialists are available by email or phone (802-244-7037). Contact us, or join GMC’s Facebook group to get crowdsourced information on planning your hike or visit. Emails and phone calls are returned in the order they are received, during open hours. In case of emergency, call 911. You can also shop online for GMC-published maps, guidebooks, and merchandise.
Rotating Exhibits
Ever wonder how trail crews move 500-pound rocks into place using only hand-powered tools, or what gear a backpacker needs to live and hike on the Long Trail for nearly a month? Learn about the Long Trail, Green Mountain Club history, and the work we do with engaging rotating exhibits and displays.
Plan Your Visit
Current Hours:
Wednesdays – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Find Us:
4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road
Waterbury Center, Vermont 05677
On Route 100 in Waterbury Center, near the big red coffee barn.
Visitor Center History
Green Mountain Club’s Rothberg-Birdwhistell Visitor Center, a beautiful timber-frame building made of local wood, displaying the best in renewable energy and energy efficiency, was funded by the Long Trail Legacy Campaign with a generous lead gift from Dan Rothberg and Nan Birdwhistell. Construction began in 2023 and we opened the doors to the public in January 2025. The headquarters property provides public picnic areas, a walking trail out the back door, event space, programming, and community gathering space.
GMC has had many homes over its 115-year history, from Rutland to Montpelier. The club moved into its current space on Route 100 in 1992. In 2003, the South Barn burned down, and in 2009 we completed a $1.5 million rebuilding project, opening the Marvin B. Gameroff Hiker Center to the public. As the club’s needs continued to grow and additional staff office space was deemed uninhabitable, we began the Long Trail Legacy Campaign in 2019 to rebuild a modern visitor center and staff office space.
As a first point of contact between visitors and the trails, the Rothberg-Birdwhistell Visitor Center serves as a critical link in helping all hikers have a successful and fun time in the Green Mountains, whether for the day, a full thru-hike, or anything in between.
Host Your Event at the Visitor Center
Host your event, meeting, or training at the Green Mountain Club! Available for rent on evenings, weekends, and select weekdays, the Green Mountain Club provides a beautiful backdrop for your event.
Event areas include our spacious Meeting Hall and smaller Club Room, and include tables, chairs, and technology.
For more information, contact Emily Mosher, Visitor Services Manager.
Visit our Other Visitor Centers
Visit Us Today!
The Visitor Center is open 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Stop by to pay us a visit today!