Green Mountain Club releases new updated Long Trail Guide for hikers
May 8, 2025 | By Waterbury Roundabout 
The Green Mountain Club has a new version of the Long Trail Guide guidebook with trail and shelter updates from recent years. Courtesy photo
The Green Mountain Club on Saturday will celebrate the release of its updated comprehensive guidebook, the Long Trail Guide, with details for hikers to enjoy nearly 500 miles of Vermont trails.
First published in 1917, this is the guidebook’s 29th edition. The revised reference is now available for purchase from the Green Mountain Club which plans a release party and hike-planning event at its Waterbury Center headquarters on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon.
The new edition of the guide has detailed trail descriptions, updated maps and charts, hike-planning resources and current stewardship guidelines.
The last edition of the guidebook was published in 2017. “The 2025 edition reflects major shifts in the outdoor recreation world and a boom of backcountry construction, resulting in numerous new and/or improved shelters and campsites,” the club explains in announcing the new volume.
Chloe Miller, editor of the 29th edition, points out that carrying the guidebook gives hikers a resource that doesn’t rely on batteries and clear cell service on the trails. “In an age where hikers have numerous digital resources available at their fingertips, the newly printed edition of the Long Trail Guide provides an easy-to-use, one-stop shop for planning a hike on the Long Trail – whether it’s a quick jaunt in the woods or an entire end-to-end trek,” Miller said.
Purchasing the guide also supports the work of the Green Mountain Club to maintain and protect trails and public lands in Vermont, Miller noted.
The Green Mountain Club was founded in 1910 to build a long-distance hiking trail spanning the length of Vermont from Massachusetts to Canada. The oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States, the 272-mile Long Trail was completed in 1930 and it includes all of Vermont’s 4,000-foot peaks.
Today, Green Mountain Club staff and volunteers care for that and other trails totaling roughly 500 miles. The organization approaches trail building and maintenance with a goal of sustainability in the face of climate change impacts and increased year-round use of the trails. The club also supports the hiking community with education for people to enjoy Vermont’s trails.
The Long Trail Guide is available for purchase at the Green Mountain Club’s visitor center in Waterbury Center, from local outdoor retailers, and online at store.greenmountainclub.org. It’s priced at $19.95 for the paperback edition and $9.95 as an eBook. Current GMC members receive 20% off their purchase.
Bookstores, outdoor gear stores, and other wholesalers interested in carrying the book can inquire at gmc@greenmountainclub.org. Wholesale pricing is 40% off the listing price.
Saturday’s book release and hike-planning event will be held at the Green Mountain Club Rothberg-Birdwhistell Visitor Center, 4711 Waterbury-Stowe Road (Vermont Route 100) in Waterbury Center.
Miller will be in attendance to discuss the new guide’s features and answer questions. End-to-Enders (hikers who have completed the entire Long Trail) will also be available for small-group hike-planning workshops. The event is free with a suggested donation of $8. Find more details and register for the event here.