Rebuild at Green Mountain Club visitor center undeterred by storms

September Long Trail Day fundraiser aims to power ongoing trail work 

August 17, 2024  |  By Camryn Brauns and Line-Marie Eichhorst  |  Community News Service

The Green Mountain Club is build a new visitor center that will replace the old one along Rt. 100 in Waterbury. Photo by Gordon Miller

Along Vermont Route 100 in Waterbury, the Green Mountain Club is continuing to build a new visitor center on the same spot as its current one. The new building is meant to be an updated welcoming space for hikers and visitors to learn about Vermont’s trail systems and stock up on supplies for outdoor excursions. 

“I think our goal with the new space is to be able to offer a little bit more,” said Emily Mosher, Waterbury visitor services manager for the nonprofit. “Updating our education panels and having a little bit more resources in the visitor center itself to be able to welcome people to the area.”

The current visitor center has been plagued by mounting repair needs and mold issues. Along with replacing the worn-out building, the new facility will house a gathering spot “where folks can come in and get information about all the local hiking attractions,” said the club’s executive director, Mike DeBonis, in an interview this spring.

The center includes a retail store where hikers can buy maps, clothing, guidebooks and other trail-navigation tools. “So it's the perfect place to stop on the way up to the Mount Mansfield area,” DeBonis said.

Founded in 1910, Green Mountain Club built the 272-mile Long Trail. Today it maintains roughly 500 miles of trails in Vermont including the Long Trail and its side trails, the Appalachian Trai section in Vermont and the Kingdom Heritage Lands trails in the Northeast Kingdom. 

The visitor center is also a hub for local clubs and hiking events throughout the year, including a hiking 101 class, a women’s backpacking program, wilderness first aid and more. “We’ve also had a variety of speakers in the past that have been in person here at the building; other times it’s been virtual, which has been great,” Mosher said. “So it’ll be great to have that space again to be able to host some programs like that.”

The construction has spilled into the busy summer hiking and tourist season but promises upgraded amenities for visitors when it is finished. Within the new center, a multi-use education space with historical archives will be open to the public. The ground floor of the building will house field program staff and dedicated space for the Green Mountain Club's archives.

The renovation project began last summer but ran into delays after the devastating floods of July 2023, which caused damage across the state and a subsequent lack of available contractors, DeBonis said. This spring, workers finished the foundation and stood up the timber frame. The project is now progressing swiftly, DeBonis said this spring: "We hope to have it finished and open to the public sometime this fall." 

Since then, all insulated panels have been added, the building has been mostly waterproofed with new windows and all mechanicals like plumbing, heating and electric have been installed, DeBonis said. The floods early this summer didn’t interfere with the center or construction, and the plan to open in the fall still stands, said DeBonis. 

The estimated cost of the project is $1.4 million. That includes removal of the old building and construction of the new center, as well as additional interior work for offices.

The new visitor center project is expected to be completed this fall. Photo by Gordon Miller

While the renovations are ongoing, the visitor center remains open, albeit with a smaller space inside the building. Visitors can still come in for information, purchase guidebooks and maps, and meet staff. The public also has access to the short hiking trail on the property, but guests might find the main parking area closed at times due to construction. In those cases, visitors can park on the road on Cabin Lane. For the most part, a majority of foot traffic on the property is that of the construction crew and employees of the center. 

"We're excited about the project because part of our mission is to make the mountains of Vermont a larger role in the life of the people,” DeBonis said. “We do that by providing education and information and introducing people to the mountains of Vermont. And the visitor center is a great place to do that because people can physically go there."

Mosher also hopes to rebuild relationships that stood at the visitor center prior to the rebuild.

“I think we can create a lot of good connections here as a community space,” Mosher said. “Whether it’s an outside group coming in and utilizing this space for an event or us hosting something, there’s a lot of opportunity there to build into the community and bring people in.”

Sept. 21: Long Trail Day aims to raise $80K 

To continue powering the Green Mountain Club's work, the organization hopes the hiking community will participate in its September fundraiser, Long Trail Day. The fifth annual event will raise money to pay for trail maintenance and infrastructure which needs attention each year, particularly given the impacts of storms and flooding, club spokeswoman Chloe Miller explained.

This year, the club has begun an ambitious project to rebuild the Burrows Trail on Camel’s Hump top-to-bottom. 

“The Green Mountain Club has been doing this work for the past several years, but the scale and scope necessary to upgrade the entire trail system to climate-resilient standards will take many years and a lot of financial support from the hiking community,” the organization says in its recent fundraiser announcement. 

After raising over $70,000 in 2023, this year’s goal is $80,000. Hikers are encouraged to sign up online to create an individual fundraising page and to then hike a favorite section of the 272-mile Long Trail on Saturday, Sept. 21. 

Club Deputy Director Alicia DiCocco suggested that supporters consider raising $1 per mile of the Long Trail’s length. “By participating in Long Trail Day and committing to raising $272, folks are invited to be part of the solution of managing trails for climate resiliency in Vermont,” she said. 

Participants seek pledges from friends and family members and they receive some swag for taking part including a Green Mountain Club sticker and beanie and a pair of Darn Tough socks if they reach their goal. Registration can be by individuals or teams. 

Those taking part are encouraged to hike on Sept. 21 and the club will have volunteers around Vermont on various trail sections leading hikes and handing out cold drinks and snacks. More information and registration is online at greenmountainclub.org/longtrailday.