Bread Loaf Mountain via Emily Proctor Trail and Vermont Long Trail

This roughly 13 km / 8.1 mi outing to Bread Loaf Mountain via the Emily Proctor Trail and the Vermont Long Trail is a solid medium-difficulty mountain hike with enough steep ground and rough footing to feel serious without becoming technical. Expect about 700 m / 2,300 ft of climbing overall, with the hardest work concentrated on the Emily Proctor Trail’s upper ascent and the final push along the Long Trail toward Bread Loaf Mountain. The route begins at the Cooley Glen–Emily Proctor Trailhead on Forest Road 201 in Lincoln, Vermont, a small trailhead in the Green Mountain National Forest with parking and a composting toilet. The Forest Service lists the trailhead at 44.04026, -72.95361, which corresponds to the Cooley Glen–Emily Proctor Trailhead on Forest Road 201 near Lincoln, rather than a street-number address. (fs.usda.gov)

The opening section is comparatively gentle. The Emily Proctor Trail follows an old woods road corridor at first, staying near the New Haven River before turning more decisively uphill. This lower stretch is useful for settling into pace, checking footwear comfort, and making sure layers are dialed in before the steeper climbing begins. Forest cover is dense, and the setting feels remote early on, with the river and smaller drainages adding moisture to the air and keeping the ground muddy after rain. The Forest Service notes that the Emily Proctor Trail reaches the shelter clearing at about 3.7 miles / 6.0 km from the trailhead. (fs.usda.gov)

Climb to the Long Trail

After the old road character fades, the route becomes more rugged. The trail leaves the easier grade and starts climbing in earnest through northern hardwood and mixed mountain forest. Roots, embedded rocks, wet patches, and short steeper pitches are the main challenges here. This is the section where hikers most often lose time, especially in damp conditions or during leaf fall when slick roots and hidden stones become more of an issue. Because wilderness signage and blazing can be minimal in this area, it is wise to have the route downloaded in HiiKER before setting out. The Forest Service specifically notes that trail blazing, maintenance, and signage are minimal in the Breadloaf Wilderness. (fs.usda.gov)

At around 6.0 km / 3.7 mi, the Emily Proctor Trail reaches the junction with the Long Trail at Emily Proctor Shelter. This is one of the key landmarks of the hike and a natural place for a break before the summit push. The shelter sits in a clearing and marks the transition from side-trail climbing to ridge travel on Vermont’s historic Long Trail. AllTrails describes the shelter as a simple backcountry shelter with room for roughly 6 to 8 backpackers, and the Forest Service places it at the end of the Emily Proctor Trail ascent. (alltrails.com)

Ridge walking and the summit approach

From the shelter, the route turns onto the Long Trail and climbs toward Bread Loaf Mountain. The character changes again here: the grade can steepen abruptly, footing stays rough, and the trail often feels narrower and more rugged than the approach below. Bread Loaf Mountain rises to 3,835 ft / 1,169 m, the highest point in the Breadloaf Wilderness. (fs.usda.gov)

Views can be intermittent rather than constant, depending on foliage and exact stopping points, so this is a hike where the forested ridge experience is as important as the summit itself. Openings along the upper mountain and nearby ledges can give glimpses across the Green Mountains, and in clearer conditions the surrounding Presidential Range of Vermont adds to the sense of scale. The Breadloaf Wilderness includes peaks such as Mount Wilson, Mount Roosevelt, Mount Cleveland, and Mount Grant, and this section of the Long Trail is known for sustained ridge travel rather than a single isolated summit cone. (fs.usda.gov)

Nature, terrain, and wildlife

This hike passes through the Breadloaf Wilderness, the largest wilderness area in the Green Mountain National Forest, designated by Congress in 1984 and covering 24,986 acres