As an AT thru-hiker, you learn early on that each state along the trail has its own nickname, coined by both thru and section hikers. Vermont’s nickname is “Vermud,” and for good reason. The worst time to experience it is in the spring; I was somewhat lucky to be hiking through later in the summer.

Once you leave Massachusetts and cross into southern Vermont, you join up with the Long Trail (LT), which overlaps with the AT for about the first 100 miles. After that, the two trails split at a section known as the “Maine Junction.”

At this point, the AT heads east toward New Hampshire and becomes a bit less rugged, while the LT continues north and grows even more challenging as it winds toward the Canadian border.

The AT through Vermont covers just over 150 miles, with terrain ranging from 400 to over 4,000 feet in elevation. The landscape is a mix of dense forest, open ridgelines and occasional wetlands. I hiked it near the end of summer but could only imagine how beautiful it must be in the fall.

I found Vermont to be one of the most beautiful states on the AT ‒ especially the Green Mountains. Some of my favorite sections were the ridge hikes near the Mount Killington ski area.

Two of the towns I visited for resupply were Manchester and Bennington. Both were very hiker-friendly and fully supportive of the AT community.

As for the mud, I lucked out. Vermont had a relatively dry spring and summer compared to 2023, which I heard was extremely wet. Don’t get me wrong ‒ there was still mud ‒ but it was mostly in the early sections and lessened as I moved closer to New Hampshire.

There are several shelters along the trail in Vermont, spaced about 8 -12 miles apart. I stayed at a few, either in the shelter or camped nearby. For the most part, they were clean, comfortable and well maintained. One highlight was the Little Rock Pond Shelter, which was next to Little Rock Pond. About six of us staying at the shelter, inflated out sleeping pads and headed to the pond with our makeshift floaties.

The Green Mountain Club is responsible for maintaining the shelters and the trail itself, and they do an outstanding job of both, in my opinion.

As my AT journey through New England continued, I found Vermont, with its charming towns and lush, green forests, to be a true hiking pleasure. With only two states remaining on my adventure, I could only imagine what awaited me. As I would soon discover, the challenges grew greater but so did the rewards.