My husband and I are planning a SOBO hike in September, starting at the Canadian border. We’ll go as far as we can enjoyably go in two weeks. Reaching the Killington area is optimistic but possible.
I understand we are supposed to stay only at shelters. However, sometimes the distances between shelters are either too little for one day or too much. What’s the reality about stealth camping? Are there any sites that folks know about? Is it really bad to stealth camp?
Karrat
I was not aware that you are expected to stay only a shelters along the Long Trail.
Obviously there may be restrictions on the higher peaks like Mansfield and Camels Hump. But in general, the Long Trail (north of Maine Junction) does not get the use that the Appalachian Trail does. So, I don’t think there is going to be anyone out there to check up on you. And if you are truely stealth camping, you are going to be off the trail and out of site anyway.
Peaks
If you look at your LT Guide, each “Division” chapter has a little paragraph about camping within that division. I just looked at mine, and it is true that for the two northernmost sections (12 & 11) it reads that camping is permitted at designated sites only. Some of the trail in there is on private land (as it says), so perhaps this leads to the blanket prohibition for the division. Other divisions further south specifically indicate that off trail camping is allowed (sometimes with an elevation stipulation).
I’m not sure which shelter-to-shelter gap you are concerned about, but I have always found that with the shelters and campsites occuring so frequently on the LT, I was rarely hiking in excess of an hour more or less than I wished, in order to stop for the night at one.
Tramper Al
I hiked the LT nobo this July and found good stealth sites hard to come by north of Killington. It was just too thick with vegetation or unlevel etc. On the other hand, it was easy to find good sites south of Killington, on the AT portion of the trail. If you have a hammock or even a free-standing tent (for rocky areas), it will be much easier. Despite the difficulty, however, we stealthed quite a bit. If I were you, I’d just give myself plenty of time before sunset to look for good spots and be aware that some areas are off limits or are more traveled than others.
John Galt MEGA 03
Oh–one great spot is just off the trail, on the blue blaze, on the edge of Lake Pleiad. Some good spots a few miles south of Johnson also, after the road walk but well before the first shelter, near a nice stream/river.
John Galt
You may have more experience than I, me and my girlfriend did three weeks on the LT about four years ago, but we had this idea of tenting every night. We tented the first night and never again. We are planning on finishing the trail in early Sept., and we will not even bring the tent. We will be going from Smuggs to Canada, maybe we will see you.
Darren
Thanks very much for the replies. You’ve all been helpful.
Darren, we will look for you on the trail. We are starting on Sept. 10th.
Karrat