Foot trails have existed in our forests and mountains for hundreds of years, since the settling of the region began.
In the last hundred years, some of these trails have gained reknown across the continent. In our region, in particular, we have the grandfather of all long-distance trails, the Long Trail, which meanders over the spine of the Green Mountains, from the Massachusetts state line all the way to the Canadian border, north of Jay Peak.
When James Taylor first stood on the summit of Stratton Mountain, in the early 20th century, and envisioned a trunk-trail spanning the length of the Green Mountains in Vermont, his vision centered around turning a largely ignored resource into a center of civic pride, regional recreation, and economic development. He was a visionary and a spokesperson who was largely responsible for generating the enthusiasm necessary for the trail's development.
The actual building of the trail, however, given the variety of opinions about how it should be done, as well as private land issues and who would use it, was ultimately left in the hands of the Forest Service and a few hardy and stubborn individuals who, over decades, routed, rerouted, and cut it from the bones of the Vermont landscape.