Camel's Hump Trail is a 6 mile moderately trafficked loop trail located near Huntington, Vermont that features a waterfall and is rated as difficult. The trail offers a number of activity options and is accessible year-round. Dogs are also able to use this trail but must be kept on leash.
dogs on leash
backpacking
camping
hiking
nature trips
skiing
snowshoeing
trail running
bird watching
forest
river
views
waterfall
wild flowers
wildlife
rocky
scramble
Camel's Hump is one of the best hiking trails in the Green Mountains. It is the third highest peak in the state. The summit offers unbeatable views in every direction. The trail can be accessed off of Camels Hump Road, where there is a small parking area. This trail can either been done as an out-and-back hike, which is 6 miles round trip via the Monroe Trail, or a loop hike via Monroe Trail, Dean Trail, and Long Trail. Camel's Hump can also be reached from the Burrows Trailhead via the Forest City Trail to Burrows Trail. This route describes the out-and-back option. You will start the hike on the Monroe trail. The Monroe trail is steep, however has plenty of leveling off during the hike. From the Monroe Trail you will reach the Dean Trail intersection, at which point you have the option to turn left onto Dean Trail and then take the Long Trail up to the summit or continue straight on the Monroe Trail to the summit. If you continue straight on Monroe Trail, you will reach the hut clearing at which point the Monroe Trail ends and becomes the Long Trail. It is then a short climb to the summit. The last part of the hike can become very steep and narrow. If you are afraid of heights this may not be for you. Once you reach the summit you have a 360 degree view of nearly every mountain range in the area. You will see Mount Mansfield to the north and Mount Washington to the east. On a clear day you can even see Canada. From the summit, take the Long Trail south back to the Monroe Trail.
Always a great time! The top can always be a bit windy so make sure to bring a windbreaker if needed! Bugs are also harsh this season, short breaks and deet helped. Great trail, great workout.
went today and it turned out great. the change in vegetation and variety of geology is impressive, along with the second half of the hike through a stream making for a tranquil experience. the overcast conditions did prevent any scenic views, however it was cool to be in a cloud. 20' patch of snow to walk through. it's packed in the center to the point of ice at times. it's loose and you'll sink along the sides which look attractive because they're pristine. a lot of people struggled but if you hold the trees near icy patches and test before you step your full weight, you'll be fine. hiking poles are a bit advantage way on this trail.
Redman Laura recorded Recording - May 05, 08:24 PM
Did this hike May 5th. Made it to the summit, however several feet of snow for the last .9 miles. Views were amazing.
Hiked on April 22, 2019. Beautiful sunny day. Hike was very muddy for first 2.3 miles then turned to deep snow. Was not able to reach summit - would have needed snow shoes. Snow covered entire trail and was 2-3 feet deep. Four other groups also had to turn back. Need to wait 2-3 more weeks for the snow to melt before being able to reach summit. Hope this is helpful to others :)
Awesome moderate hike! We took the blue blazed Burrows trail out and back. hard pack snow rail for first mile turns to hard pack snow ice rail to summit micro spikes make it enjoyable. Plenty of post holing by those who chose to climb without spikes and needed to find traction to climb. 2 to 3 ft post holes. Rock cap with 360 degree view is as good as any and well worth the climb. Great view of mount Mansfield, as well as the ski slopes of mount Abraham and Lincoln and the Champlain Valley a little too overcast to see the Adk,s but the high clouds did not disrupt the vast view. Met dogs, a very friendly local three generation familly including three girls from around 10 to teens , and mom who are ascending every month of the year,and their impressive 71 year grandpa leading the charge along with grandma made my heart warm giving me hope for myself as I approach 60. Hiking people are awesome so get out there! 2600 ft 6 miles round trip with view spots 3.0 mi.to summit 2 hours 33 mins 4/7/19
Hiked up dec 29 2018. Trail was good and packed , didn’t need snow shoes . make sure you have some spikes . Some places had lots of ice. Great hike. !!!! . First time hiking in Vermont from. Canada .
I Hiked 11-7 it was raining in the early am. Then it turned beautiful. It was Diwali and my wife put Tilak on my far head to help guide my way. I went the easy way and followed the Burrows Trail. A little challenging at the very top. But this is very doable. Fantastic view. Saw like further then I could believe. ONE MAN GATHERS WHAT ANOTHER MAN SPILLS.
Great hike with an amazing view. Very popular so the top may be hard to find privacy.
Great trail for a good work out. I would assume that is a great view of Burlington but the clouds were low when I went. Highly recommend.
great hike! I would say moderate and not hard. Took us 5 hours in total from the parking lot and back include stops... Amazing view, wet and a bit slippery forest and impressive pass from the forest to the Rocky summit. could be better marked tho
Enjoyed this hike. View are great at the top. Not much of a trail run due to boulders but a great workout. Took me 68 minutes both ways.
This is a challenging but rewarding hike. We took the Monroe Trail up and back. There are some rocky and slick spots, particularly after you’re about two miles in. The last .3 miles is very rocky and steep, but doable. It took us about 5 hours total. You cannot beat the 360 views at the top!
Incredible hike with great views but it comes with some work. I highly recommend the popular loop that combines Dean's Trail, the Long Trail and the Monroe Trail. The crowds were out for Labor Day weekend but certainly not overcrowded. The Long Trail isn't for those who aren't able to climb boulders combined with narrow trails. For a smoother climb, take the Monroe Trail both out and back.
This is a nice hike, definitely got my heart-rate up and a good sweat. The Monroe trail ascends through forest, sometimes with a decent pitch but often leveling off to allow you to catch your breath. It is consistently rocky requiring constant vigilance - and the rock can be slippery even if not wet. We were surprised to find a fair bit of water in the trail on the mid to upper part even after a dry spell. You only get views during the final ascent to the summit up the steep rocky section after the end of the Monroe. We are in our late 50’s/early 60’s in good physical shape but this was our first climb of the summer and it took us a solid 4.5 hour round trip with 15+ minute stops on the way up for lunch and at the summit. It was almost 2 full hours to get down surprisingly as we were cautious moving down the rocks. We were both tired and sore but felt good about summiting.
Challenging trail but very worth the effort!
Great hike, I really enjoyed it. We went up the long trail, which was steep in places & there was some scrambling. I rather enjoyed this as I love climbing and haven’t been for a while. The views on the way up are stunning and the summit views are incredible. We didn’t stay up for long as there was a storm due. Highly recommended!!
One of my favorite hikes! Challenging but well worth the effort once you reach the summit.
Kash K.
New hikers. we couldnt do the hike till the summit but the route was fun and scenic. met people from all age groups and enjoyed conversations.
We did this hike yesterday and went up and down via Monroe trail. Steady scent through many switchbacks. View on top was superb. It took us 2.5 hrs to go up and 1.5 hrs to come down. It would be a nice introduction to hiking to new comers to the sport.
loved this hike. pretty steep but enjoyable all the way. Looking forward to coming back to this one.
This was our first hike in Vermont and we thought this trail was fabulous! It is short but challenging. Wear good shoes because there is lots of rocks and scrambling. We ditched our packs after the first mile at the backcountry campground and I’m sure glad we did! The second two miles were straight uphill and I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much with 50lbs on my back. We made it to the summit later in the evening, so we ended up being the only ones up there. The views are amazing! Definitely recommend this hike!
Take Deans Trails to Long Trail up for a more exciting hike with some rock scrambling, then Monroe to descend. If hiking with kids or dogs, I recommend Monroe up, it’s a steady incline and not exposed. Be prepared for a lot of people at the summit during summer, unless you start the hike very early, 6am-ish.
Trails were wet and rocks were slippery. Recommend sturdy boots and trekking poles. Overall fun hike, but challenging. Not for anyone with bad knees. Beautiful views. Definitely will go back and try other approaches and trails.
great hike! challenging but worth it for the views.
this is a premier hiking trail for anyone considering hiking the green mountains. It is one of the few alpine summits offering a breathtaking 360 degree view of the surrounding Winooski valley, Lake Champlain and Green Mountain valleys. I hiked this trail in June following the Monroe trail from the Camels Hump Rd trailhead. I took the Dean trail to Allis lookout in order to ascent Ethan Allen to the south along the Long trail. At 3680 feet, this little known peak offers gorgeous views of the valley to the east along Waterbury. From there I hiked to the lodge at Montclair Glen Lodge and then followed the extremely steep ascent up the south face of Camels Hump-- not for the faint heart or those afraid of heights. The summit along the rocky west climb offers views of the Lake Champlain valley and the alpine flora there is beautiful. At the summit you have a choice to descend to the west along the burrows trail, continue on along the Long trail to the north descending 3.5 miles to Duxbury Rd, or switchback to the east along the Alpine trail to hook up once again with the Monroe trail loop back to the parking lot on camels hump rd. Overall this look was 9.8 miles in a leisurely 6 1/2 hours. have fun and happy trails. p.s. watch out for nuisance bears along the Wind Gap at the junction of Dean and the Long trail south of the Hump. Don't leave your pack unattended. ; )
Absolutely beautiful- a must hike if you’re in the area. Not an easy hike but worth the views. Trail well marked with steep inclines and leveled areas
