In 2006, GMC’s Board established a certification program for hikers who complete all eighty-four side trails of the Long Trail System (164.2 miles in all). The program is patterned after the End-to-End certification program for hikers who walk the whole Long Trail. There’s no time limit. You can hike all the side trails in one year or over the next fifty years. Just keep some sort of record: a diary, a journal, a photo album or an annotated map. When you finish, send your documentation to GMC and earn a patch and a certificate.
Want some inspiration? Read on…..

Side-To-Side Celebration
Here’s a message from Burlington members Jane and Reid Grayson of Shelburne: “We received our certification on completing the Side-to-Side requirements. The GMC told us that we are the 9th and 10th persons to complete this. We are really enjoying having our Side-to-Side patch next to our End-to-End patch. We found this program to be a very enjoyable way of seeing Vermont. All the side trails are great day hikes or overnight hikes. If anyone has an interest, we would be glad to share the journal of our hikes.”
Contact Jane & Reid – janeandreid@yahoo.com