This post is meant to be supplemental information for my video on YouTube highlighting this particular section of trail.
General Notes for this video & section:
- All mile markers are from the 2015 AT Guide, but distances from one point to another within this section should be relatively the same each year. You can check out the AT Guide here: www.theatguide.com Also, the Guthook’s App is useful. Take a look at it here: http://www.guthookhikes.com/apps
- “Trail North” – means heading towards Mount Katahdin, ME on the trails instead of “Trail South” which is heading towards Springer Mountain, GA. The trail obviously isn’t always pointed due North and it’s easier when on trail to make this distinction. Trail West simply means “to the left” if you are heading Trail North when you intersect another road and Trail East is to the right. I hope that isn’t too confusing. You will notice that the AT Guide is laid out this way.
- General Vicinity of Highlighted Section: About 3/4 of the way up the AT in near Bennington, VT and Manchester Center, VT.
Section Spotlight General Area
- Distance of Proposed Stretch: 40.1 miles one-way
- Can be split into 2 smaller (~20 mile) sections – see “exits” listed below
- There is an opportunity for a 7.6 mile (round-trip) day hike
- Entrances/Exits (See Maps Below for More Detail):
- Mile 1611.0: VT 9 (Parking Available) – About 5 miles east of Bennington, VT
- Mile 1631.6: USFS 71 (Parking Available) – Gravel road
- Mile 1633.6: Stratton Arlington Rd/ Kelly Stand Road (Parking Available) – Gravel road
- This is the “exit” you would take for the day hike up to Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower & the gondola ride.
- Mile 1651.1: VT 11 & 30 (Parking Available) – About 5-6 miles east of Manchester Center, VT
First Entrance – Aerial Photo
First Entrance – Map View
Second Entrance – Aerial Photo (Can’t see parking area, but parking is available.)
Second Entrance – Map View
Third Entrance – Aerial Photo (Park here to do the day 7.6 day hike to Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower and the gondola ride.)
Third Entrance – Map View (Park here to do the day 7.6 day hike to Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower and the gondola ride.)
Fourth Entrance – Aerial Photo
Fourth Entrance – Map View
- Hostels & Lodging
- Bennington:
- Autumn Inn Motel – 924 Main St, Woodford, VT 05201 – (802) 447-7625
- Best Western – 220 Northside Dr, Bennington, VT 05201 – (802) 442-6311
- Hampton Inn – 51 Hannaford Square, Bennington, VT 05201 – (802) 440-9862
- Manchester Center:
- Green Mountain House – 2480 Richville Rd, Manchester Center, VT 05255 – (802) 768-8088
- HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE!
- Green Mountain House – 2480 Richville Rd, Manchester Center, VT 05255 – (802) 768-8088
- Bennington:
- Shelters/Campsites (All shelters have water sources and sleep at least 8 people.)
- Mile 1612.6 – Melville Nauheim Shelter (only shelter in this stretch with no privy.)
- Mile 1621.1 – Goddard Shelter
- Mile 1625.4 – Kid Gore Shelter
- Mile 1630.0 – Story Spring Shelter (this would be the last shelter in the first 20 mile section if you were to split it up.)
- Mile 1633.6 – Camping Area trail north of gravel road (Stratton Arlington Road – aka Exit 3).
- Mile 1640.4 – Stratton Pond Shelter
- Mile 1645.3 – William B. Douglas Shelter
- Mile 1648.3 – Spruce Peak Shelter
- Sights to See:
- Mile 1621.4 – Glastenbury Mountain Lookout Tower
- Mile 1637.4 – Stratton Mountain Lookout Tower (where Benton MacKaye’s vision of the AT began).
- Potential free gondola ride – take 1 mile trail from summit to the Stratton Mountain Resort
- Mile 1640.6 – Stratton Pond (would be a great swimming hole in the summer!)
- Mile 1646.2 – Prospect Rock
- Original Blog Post Covering This Section (during my 2015 thru-hike): https://homemadewanderlust.com/at-update-26-dalton-ma-to-manchester-center-vt/
Thank you so much Dixie for once again taking time away from your incredibly busy life to post this update! I stand by my previous statement. Your post and especially your book should be required reading/watching for ANYONE contemplating hiking the A.T.
Awww, thank you John!
My wife and I did our first overnight hiking last summer. We choose this exact section of trail. I was wnderful. We met several thru hikers, and us being us we brought too much food. SO we made lot’s of hikers happy be just handing out bags or Sorkable, and Mountain House meals. We had the best time, and it made us catch the hiking bug.
Excellent suggested hike, Dixie. As someone who lives in Vermont I can attest that this is a very beautiful section of trail.
About 20 years ago, the day before he began 5th grade, I took my son for a day hike up Mt. Moosilauke in NH. At the summit we met an older gent who was section hiking the AT. He said he wanted to finish the Whites and Maine while he was in his 70s; that way he could tackle the “easy” sections like NJ, NY, and CT later, in his 80s. I received a very inspiring message that day, from a guy who was roughly twice my age. Now, watching your videos, I am inspired again — this time by a lovely lass who is roughly half my age. Keep up the great work!
Awww, thank you. That’s such a cool story! If you can fog a mirror, you can hike the AT 🙂 Haha. Happy Trails to you! Thank you for sharing.
Nice post, Ted. Happy to have come across it. Hope you’re still hiking the trail with your son from time to time.
Hiked this area in the 90’s with my son. Danby to North Adams,we went in August and met thru -hikers l remember Sratton Pond and Goddard shelter (great view),but the hike tore me up,Took up canoe camping. BWCA beautiful country and closer to home.
Good luck on the PCT
Thank you! It’s great that you and your son get out together! I need to do some canoeing once I finish with all of this walking.
Your feet will wear out before your seat, you should have time.
Hey Dixie
Really enjoying catching up on your back catalog. This summer I resumed my 10 year old (10 year delayed) goal of hiking all the 4000 footers in New Hampshire and I’ve decided to tackle my white whale, Mount Washington, at the end of August. Thanks to your inspiration I’m now planning to do a section hike this September – probably this one – and put a thru-hike back on my bucket list for when I retire in 3 years. Thanks for all the great info, advice and inspiration! Do you know if its OK to park at these trailhead lots for a few days while doing a section hike??
Cheers
Mitch
P.S. Bennington is now at mile 1600