Mount Abraham via the Long Trail from Lincoln Gap Hiking Guide
Mount Abraham is one of Vermont's five 4,000-foot peaks, and the Long Trail north from Lincoln Gap is its standard route. Starting high in the gap leaves a steady walk to Battell Shelter and a scrambly finish onto an open summit that looks out over the Champlain Valley to the Adirondacks.
Gap to Summit
The Green Mountain Club lists the hike at 5.2 miles out and back with 1,600 feet of gain and rates it difficult. From Lincoln Gap, follow the white-blazed Long Trail north 1.7 miles to Battell Shelter, then another 0.9 miles to the 4,006-foot summit. The club notes a few rocky scrambles north of the shelter before you break above the trees, and Trail Finder describes slippery rock faces with occasional footholds chipped into the stone. Return the same way.
Lincoln Gap Parking
The trailhead is at the height of land on Lincoln Gap Road, reached from Lincoln to the west or from Route 100 in Warren to the east. There are dirt pull-offs and a designated lot just past them. The club warns that the lot fills quickly and the gap road is hard to drive through on busy weekends, and it asks hikers not to park along the road if the lots are full, because the road is extremely narrow with poor sight lines. Go on a weekday if you can. There is no fee.
Seasonal Road Closure
Lincoln Gap Road is closed each winter, and the Green Mountain Club gives the closure as mid-October to mid-May. While it is closed, hikers can park at the bottom of the road and walk up, which the club says adds about a mile. Combined with mud season, when the state and the club discourage high-elevation hiking until about Memorial Day weekend, this is a summer and early fall hike for most people.
A Very Small Alpine Zone
Abraham's summit holds less than an acre of alpine tundra, by the Green Mountain Club's estimate, the smallest of Vermont's three alpine areas. Walk only on rock; the plants are permanently damaged by foot traffic. Trail Finder adds that camping and wood fires are prohibited on the summit. Dogs are permitted on the trail, but Trail Finder and the club both ask that they be leashed above treeline.
Going Farther
The Long Trail continues north from Abraham along the Monroe Skyline toward Mount Ellen, and the Battell Trail comes up from the west near Battell Shelter. Trail Finder calls Abraham Vermont's fifth highest peak. If you want a longer day, a car spot and a good map make a traverse possible; for most hikers the out-and-back from the gap is plenty.
Hiking tips for Mount Abraham via the Long Trail from Lincoln Gap
- Hike on a weekday; Lincoln Gap's small lots fill early on weekends.
- Never park along the narrow gap road; drive on and find another hike.
- Plan for the road walk from mid-October to mid-May, when Lincoln Gap Road is gated.
- Use the scrambles above Battell Shelter as a turnaround test in wet weather.
- Leash your dog above treeline and stay on bare rock at the summit.
Nearby trails to explore
- Burrows Trail (Camel's Hump)
- Mount Philo Western Loop
- Mount Hunger via the Waterbury Trail
Hike this trail with TrailMates
Mount Abraham is a 4,000-footer with a high start and a big view. Use TrailMates to find Burlington-area hikers heading to Mount Abraham. Download the TrailMates app to connect.