Rolston Rest Shelter

Open — Open year-round for backcountry camping. This is a backcountry shelter on the Long Trail operated by the Green Mountain Club, accessible only by hiking. First-come, first-served basis with no reservations.

About

Rolston Rest Shelter is a backcountry lean-to located on Vermont's Long Trail in the Green Mountain National Forest. Originally built by the Long Trail Patrol in 1966 and rebuilt in 2004, this framed shelter accommodates 8 hikers and is named for Ben Rolston, a former Green Mountain Club guidebook editor and trail maintainer. The shelter sits along the ridge in what was once the largest unprotected inholding in the Green Mountain National Forest, now permanently protected. The shelter is situated between Route 4 near Killington and Brandon Gap on Route 73, positioned along a popular section of the Long Trail. A small brook crosses the Long Trail just south of the shelter, providing a water source that should be treated or filtered. The area is part of a 2,744-acre protected landscape that includes eight mountain summits and significant wildlife habitat. This section of trail marks a transition point between the easier southern terrain and more challenging northern sections of the Long Trail. Access is by hiking only, with the nearest road access at Brandon Gap approximately 5 miles south via the Long Trail, where trailhead parking is available on Route 73. The shelter operates on a first-come, first-served basis year-round with no reservation system, following standard Green Mountain Club backcountry camping practices.

Directions

Accessible only by hiking on the Long Trail. From the south, the nearest road access is at Brandon Gap on Route 73, approximately 5 miles via the Long Trail. From Brandon, take Route 73 east for 7.5 miles to the trailhead parking on the right, just before the top of Brandon Gap. The trail starts on the north side of Route 73.

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