There is no shortage of sights to see for those who hike Vermont’s famous Long Trail. But one of the most fascinating things you might run into is the plane wreckage from a 1973 crash. You don’t have to hike the entire 273-mile trail to see it – in fact, there’s a shorter 2.6-mile stretch that leads you straight to the Mount Abraham plane crash site.

Beginning at the trailhead off Lincoln Gap Road you can climb to the summit of Mount Abraham. The 2.6-mile trail to the peak will take you past the extraordinary plane wreckage.
AllTrails/Jennifer Robinson
The hike begins gently over rolling terrain but as you ascend, the hike becomes more difficult. At the 1.8-mile mark, you'll reach the Battell Shelter, a great place to take a breather before the most challenging portion of the hike.
AllTrails/Jean Laird
After the shelter, the last section of the trail is steep. Expect to encounter several rock scrambles and slabs to climb. Don't give up! The end is near and well worth the work it takes to get there.
AllTrails/Nikki R.
Give yourself a high five and soak in the views from the summit. Your reward is the spectacular near-360 degree views of the White Mountains, Green Mountains, Champlain Valley, and the Adirondacks.
AllTrails/Nikki R.
To see the plane wreckage, you'll have to venture about 100 yards off of the trail either on your way to the summit or on your return down.
YouTube/Bill Ackerman

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The aircraft crash occurred in June of 1973. The pilot took two friends up and got lost in the clouds. The plane crashed into the forest coming to a stop just hundreds of feet from the Long Trail. Miraculously, all three occupants were uninjured and walked out of the crash site.
YouTube/Bill Ackerman
You can see the remains of the plane although the engine, controls, and other parts are missing. The battered shell lies on the forest floor as a reminder of the accident.
YouTube/Bill Ackerman
Survey the scene and find the bent and torn parts of the single-engine Cessna 182N amongst the trees.
YouTube/Bill Ackerman
What's surprising is that the wreckage lays scattered throughout the forest under the green canopy of evergreens, the wing laying far away from the body of the plane.
YouTube/Bill Ackerman
The mangled wreckage inspires a sense of awe. It's not every day that you see a machine of modern times abandoned on the side of a mountain.
YouTube/Bill Ackerman

Have you ever hiked to the site of the Mount Abraham plane crash? Two other trails that also belong on your outdoor adventuring bucket list are this dramatic bridge hike and this unique fossil hike.

 

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Unique Hikes In Vermont

Meghan Byers | October 07, 2022

Are there any other plane crash sites you can hike to in Vermont?

There happens to be one other Vermont plane crash site you can hike to, located on Camel’s Hump, the third-highest mountain in Vermont. The result of a World War II training mission gone wrong in October of 1944, the wreckage of a B-27J Bomber plane can be found via the Alpine Trail. Most of the wreckage has been removed, but parts of a wing still remain, about 0.4 miles from the summit. It’s a fascinating glimpse at a piece of history that’s remained on the mountainside for decades.

Are there any hiking trails with ruins in Vermont?

If you want to visit more remnants of history in Vermont, there are two Vermont ghost towns to explore. Take the Bomoseen Slate History Trail and explore the ruins of West Castleton, a once vibrant industrial slate town in the 1850s that fell to ruin when the demand for slate dried up. On the trail you’ll find the remnants of houses built for the quarry workers, inactive mills, and more. Bomoseen State Park is worth exploring further as well, encompassing over 3,500 acres on the shores of Lake Bomoseen and nestled in the Taconic Mountains. Another Vermont ghost town is Ricker Basin, the remains of which are located within Little River State Park. If you take the park’s History Trail you’ll be able to see the ruins of this abandoned 1800s farming town, including an old cemetery.

What are some other unique hikes in Vermont?

The Green Mountain State is full of interesting corners to explore, and it has quite a few hiking trails that make for a unique experience. Hike up Mt. Ascutney and you’ll be climbing what used to be an active volcano - just a few hundred million years ago. In Ripton, take the road not-so-less traveled by and hike the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail, where the famous poet’s poems are mounted on plaques along the 1.2-mile long path. Visit our article to learn about more unique hikes in Vermont.

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