The Long Trail/Appalachian Trail

TRIP CANCELLED due to COVID-19:

Located on the Long Trail/Appalachian Trail in Southern, VT, Stratton Pond is the most popular overnight backcountry site on the Long Trail. Stratton Pond is a destination for day hikers and the weekend backpacker and the pond has a long and storied history in Vermont trail development. It’s deep in the woods, approximately 10 miles from a major road crossing, and hikers frequently stop for a swim and to eat lunch while enjoying the view and the call of the loons. The Long/Appalachian Trail at Stratton Pond and the Lye Brook Trail, which leads to the Stratton View Tenting Area, were historically built on the shoreline of the pond. As a result of the high use, beaver activity, and eroding shoreline, these trails were having an adverse impact on pond ecology and water quality. The trails were also in very poor condition. In 2019 the Green Mountain Club, in partnership with the Green Mountain National Forest and Appalachian Trail Conservancy, began a multi-year project at Stratton Pond. This includes re-locating the trails away from the shoreline to a more sustainable route, hardening the surfaces at Stratton View Tenting Area, constructing a composting privy at Stratton View and de-commissioning old trails. The Green Mountain Club is requesting volunteers with the American Hiking Society to provide assistance with these tasks. Projects may include but are not limited to brushing-in old trails, constructing step-stones, rebuilding puncheon, hauling lumber or preparing a site for privy construction. Volunteers will gain experience in trail re-locations and trail design while also having a positive impact on the ecology of the pond and the experience of the hikers.