Monroe Trail

The Monroe Trail begins at the end of Camel's Hump road in North Duxbury, on the eastern flank of the mountain. A small cemetery at the start of the trail contains the final resting place of UVM professor Will Monroe, his sister Catherine, and many of their dogs. In the nineteen-teens, Will was instrumental in the "lifting" of the Long Trail from its then low-lying course to its current scenic route across many peaks of the Green Mountains, from Camel's Hump to the Middlebury Gap. Also at the trailhead is a plaque commemorating the lives of nine people who died when their B-24 Liberator bomber crashed on the mountain in 1944. The remnants of one wing of this aircraft are accessible just off the Alpine Trail, which intersects with the Monroe Trail at the 2.5-mile mark. The Monroe Trail climbs westward at a steady incline, intersecting with the Dean Trail at 1.3 miles and the Alpine Trail (as noted above) at 2.5 miles. There are several small stream crossings and seasonally muddy sections along the trail; all are navigable without much difficulty. The trail ends at Hut Clearing, where it joins The Long Trail (Division 9) to ascend to the Camel's Hump summit. The ascent is steep, exposed, and more technical, and ends in an amazing view from the rocky apex.