I have heard that the LT is not a lot of pepolpe hike it will i see people every day or so. will bpeople be at the shelters or will i bethe only on there i am going in august.
luke kaim
LT - Appalachian Trail
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#2
The LT will be crowded in August with day hikers and short distance backpackers. During the week you might get some solitude but don’t count on it.
Big B
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#3
Your question is about how many people can I expect to see while hiking the Long Trail.
It all depends on where and when you are planning to hike.
Generally speaking, there are a fair amount of hikers along the southern 100 miles of the Long Trail that coincides with the Appalachian Trail. North of Sherburn Gap, the trail becomes much less traveled.
However, there are popular destinations in the North of Sherburn Gap. These include the Camels Hump Area and Mount Mansfield Area.
Weekends are more popular than week days. This is true for almost any trail that you hike.
Will you go a day without seeing another hike anywhere on the Long Trail? Highly unlikely.
Will shelters be full during the summer? Can’t predict it. Many colleges use the LT for their outdoor orientation programs. Summer camps use the LT for their programs. Scout groups hike the LT. Also, there are other hikers doing the same thing you are doing. On the other hand, you might have a shelter all to yourself, especially during the week.
If you want solitude, then I suggest another trail such as the Cohos Trail or the Northville Lake Placid Trail
Peaks
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#4
Luke:I thru-hiked the L.T. 20 years ago and saw very few hikers;I only shared the shelters two nights.Several years ago I thru-hiked again and saw hikers ever day.Only once did I have the shelter to myself.So time changes everything.I agree it depends on the time of year.The best time to hike it is September or early October.If you wait too late in October you might see snow in the higher elevations.However,be aware that many colleges use the L.T. for outdoor orientation in September.It’s a practice I wish the schools would stop.It can be very disturbing to plan on using a shelter and have a noisy,obnoxious group take over the area.It’s still a great trail.
The Northville-Lake Placid Trail is a good valley trail if you like solitude.Many Lakes,Ponds,and good water sources.
Be aware.A friend and I hike the trail several years ago,we spotted cars at both ends.His car was broken into at the Lake Placid parking lot.State Police say its a big problem,the parking lot is rather isolated.If you want to spot a car at the North end ,find a friendly garage or gas station to park your car.
OLD & IN THE WAY
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#5
Trail is more rugged in general up north and can be hot in August. You will see folks everyday but might find an empty shelter; my guess. Great trail, towns, folks, Go for it!
Nean