Vermont Long Trail reopens Memorial Day

Backpacker’s May 20 Memorial Day hiking guide pointed to Vermont’s Long Trail as a late-May benchmark: mud season ends and access returns around the holiday weekend. The Green Mountain Club, which maintains the Long Trail, said in a May 19 release that Vermont’s 2026 hiking season begins Friday, May 22, after the seasonal mud break. The club said hikers may still encounter wet stretches from recent rain, but described trails as “relatively dry” heading into the weekend. The timing matters because Vermont’s spring mud season routinely brings closures and strong guidance to stay off vulnerable high-elevation trails. ### When does the Long Trail actually reopen this year? The Green Mountain Club said Friday, May 22, 2026, “officially kicks off Vermont’s hiking season” after mud season. Backpacker described Memorial Day as the point when Vermont’s Long Trail system reopens after spring closures, calling it the end of the club’s spring hiking moratorium. In practice, that puts the reopening at the start of Memorial Day weekend rather than on Memorial Day itself. (backpacker.com) Memorial Day weekend in 2026 runs May 23-25. The club’s trail-updates page says mud season in Vermont typically lasts several weeks until Memorial Day weekend, when trails thaw and dry enough for broader use. ### Why does Vermont close or discourage hiking in spring? The Green Mountain Club says mud season is the roughly six-week period between spring thaw and Memorial Day weekend, when hikers are urged to stay off muddy trails to prevent erosion, trail widening and damage to surrounding vegetation. (backpacker.com) Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources says closures can remain in effect for several weeks and in some places last until Memorial Day or later. (greenmountainclub.org) The club said hikers who stayed off closed trails this spring helped preserve trail conditions for the start of the season. In its May 19 release, the group said that stewardship left trails in good shape as hiking resumes. ### What part of the Long Trail did Backpacker flag for this weekend? Backpacker highlighted an 11-mile loop on the Long Trail to Stratton Mountain Fire Tower for Memorial Day weekend. The route begins along Stratton-Arlington Road and climbs nearly 1,600 feet, according to the guide. (greenmountainclub.org) The Long Trail is a major Vermont hiking corridor. The Green Mountain Club says it manages and maintains 500 miles of trails in the state, including the Long Trail, and describes the route as the oldest long-distance hiking trail in America. (greenmountainclub.org) The club says the Long Trail was completed in 1930 after it was founded in 1910 to build it. ### Are all conditions normal once the holiday weekend begins? The Green Mountain Club said trails are reopening in generally good shape, but warned hikers may still find wet stretches from recent rains. (backpacker.com) Its trail-updates page also says users should follow any remaining seasonal trail or road closures and watch for current condition reports. The club’s hiking pages say spring trips still require planning, including maps, guidebooks and attention to changing conditions. (greenmountainclub.org) Backpacker also advised readers to confirm trail conditions and parking restrictions before heading out for the holiday weekend. ### Where should hikers look before they leave? The Green Mountain Club publishes a trail updates page and a broader hiking information page for current conditions, route planning and access guidance. (greenmountainclub.org) Backpacker’s recommendation for Memorial Day weekend was to verify both trail conditions and parking restrictions before travel. Vermont’s Agency of Natural Resources also posts mud-season guidance as closures begin and lift. (backpacker.com) Memorial Day weekend begins Friday, May 22, and the Green Mountain Club said that date marks the start of Vermont’s 2026 hiking season. Hikers heading for the Long Trail this weekend can expect the seasonal reopening window to be in effect, with final access details posted through the club’s updates channels. (greenmountainclub.org 1) (greenmountainclub.org 2)