What could be better than a beautiful Fall day with family out hiking in Vermont?

We have an exciting series of events coming up on September 29th to celebrate ‘Appalachian Trail Family Hike Day’ in Norwich.  The Norwich Friends of the A. T. in partnership with The Norwich Bookstore, the Green Mountain Club, the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, and the Town of Norwich would like you to join them on Saturday the 29th.  There will be hikes, a picnic, and an opportunity to meet the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s publisher Brian King.

The celebration begins on Saturday at 10am with Brian King, the publisher for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy is flying up from Harpers Ferry West Virginia to sign his book The Appalachian Trail at The Norwich Bookstore.

The foreword of the book is written by Bill Bryson, a former resident of Hanover and author of A Walk in the Woods.  For more information on the book event, please call 802.649.1114 or email info@norwichbookstore.com.  The bookstore is happy to arrange for Brian to sign a book for you if you cannot join on Saturday.

At noon, there is a bring-your-own-picnic-lunch on the Norwich Green until 1pm.  During the latter half of the hour, we will begin shuttling people up to the Willliam Tucker Trail entrance on Happy Hill Road to hike.

At 1pm, Nichole Hastings will lead the hike to the Happy Hill Shelter and discuss the new privy installation.  We will hike the A.T. back towards Norwich and down Elm Street to the Norwich Green.  For more information please call 802.332.6615 or email nichole.l.hastings@gmail.com.  The trail from Happy Hill Shelter to Elm Street is rated easy/moderate for all ages.

The events are free and open to the public; reservations are not needed.  For a simple listing of the events see the  AT Family Hike Day Schedule.

And on Sunday September 30th, the Green Mountain Club will be moving lumber to the new Happy Hill privy site.  Volunteers are welcome!  Please meet at 10am at the West Hartford Village Store on VT Route 14.  Bring work gloves and boots.  You may email Nichole for more information at nichole.l.hastings@gmail.com.

We look forward to celebrating community, a treasure in our own backyard and Autumn with you!

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Three other local hikes in celebration of AT Family Hiking Day are:

Holt’s Ledge Hike, Lyme NH – Meet 10 am at lower parking lot of Dartmouth Skiway, call Matt Stevens at 603.676.4102 or email at mstevens@appalachiantrail.org for more information.

Cossingham Road to Norwich, VT – Meet at 9am at Huntley Meadow, call Becky at (802) 649-9075 or email Becky.Lewandoski@uvtrails.org for more information.

Dupuis Hill, Pomfret VT – Meet 1 pm at far end of Billings Farm Museum in Woodstock.  E-mail Marissa_Jager@partner.nps.gov, or call 802-457-3368 x17 for more information.

*These three local hikes are sponsored by and being led by
the Upper Valley Trails Alliance, the National Park Service,
and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.