Protecting the Trail for the Future
Since 1986, GMC has been working to secure the entire route of the Long Trail and the forested landscape it traverses, so that it can remain open for public access. Today 98% of the Long Trail is protected and GMC remains committed to conserving the last 4.5 miles through acquiring ownership or easements. As we consider the future of Long Trail protection, we are integrating a strategic approach to conserving side trails that access the Long Trail and other lands we manage through the Strategic Conservation Plan.
Conserving the Long Trail Through the Years: One Foot at a Time
Since the 1980s, the Green Mountain Club has sought to secure a permanent route for the unprotected portions of the Long Trail. In the early decades of the Long Trail, the club could rely on simple handshake agreements with landowners to secure the trail’s route of passage. But by the 1980s, a few threats of trail closure and development near the trail inspired the club to conduct a concentrated conservation campaign.
Between 1986 and 2025, volunteers and staff were able to conserve more than 25,000 acres of Vermont forest land through which the Long Trail and its side trails cross. The club has protected more than 80 miles of the Long Trail (much of the trail already existed on state and federal public land).
GMC is focused on conserving the remaining 4.5 miles of unprotected Long Trail and is using a strategic conservation plan to guide our work. By developing this plan, we were able to rank land parcels and better determine approach and tactic to conserving the remaining 16 parcels. We also secured a large three-year grant to double our land conservation capacity. We will continue this work until all miles of the Long Trail are conserved.
GMC’s Strategic Conservation Plan
Today, just 4.5 miles of the Long Trail remain unprotected. Securing permanent, legal protection for these final stretches is essential — it guarantees public access, preserves the continuity of the Long Trail, and protects our investments in sustainable trail infrastructure. GMC’s Strategic Conservation Plan, adopted in 2023, lays out a roadmap to prioritize and safeguard these last miles of the Long Trail for hikers in perpetuity.
The planning effort analyzed the quality and effectiveness of our protection campaign so far, and defined criteria for how tracts of land are prioritized. Now we can sharpen our focus on what body of conservation projects GMC should pursue in the future.
Our conservation approach is organized into four tiers:
- Tier 1: Legal protection of Long Tail and Appalachian Trail treadway
- Tier 2: Legal protection of Side Trail treadway and trail infrastructure
- Tier 3: Conservation of priority parcels within the 1,000-foot Long Trail System corridor
- Tier 4: Enhanced protection for Long Trail System that crosses leased or licensed public lands
While all tiers are important for the realization of Long Trail System protection, Tier 1 is deemed the most critical, followed by Tier 2 through 4. This system is meant to help with the allocation of resources. Tiers are worked on concurrently to curate and develop project opportunities.
Be a Part of GMC’s Land Conservation Work
Put GMC’s land conservation principles into practice every day by joining the Corridor Monitor Volunteer Program.