Deer’s Leap Camp was an open-front lodge built by the Green Mountain Club near Sherburne Pass, opening in 1923. The rustic shelter featured a stove, simple cooking utensils, and bunks for 20 persons, with a daily charge of twenty-five cents per person to cover fuel and maintenance costs. Blankets could be rented from the manager of the nearby Long Trail Lodge.
The camp’s early years proved challenging. By 1929, trail patrol reports noted the camp’s general condition as poor, with a broken stove, missing door screen, and no cooking utensils, observing that poor maintenance was especially problematic since the camp was visible from across the road at the Lodge. However, in 1932, a caretaker was employed for two months, the camp was repaired and painted, and the grounds were kept clean with trees removed.
Later that same year, club officials decided to convert Deer’s Leap Camp into two rooms to accommodate two persons each, with two windows installed in each room and a veranda added in front, expected to increase profits from the modest investment. By the 1932 guide, the camp’s bunk capacity had been reduced to 12 persons, reflecting this conversion toward more private overnight accommodations.
The shelter ceased operations by 1939, no longer standing in later years.
Sources
- "Green Mountain News." , no. December (1924).
- Long Trail Guide Book 1928 (1928). Green Mountain Club. 41.
- "Long Trail News." , no. August (1928).
- Long Trail News 1929 (1929). Green Mountain Club. 1.
- "Long Trail News." , no. August (1929).
- Long Trail News 1932 (1932). Green Mountain Club. 2.
- Long Trail Guide Book 1932 (1932). Green Mountain Club. 30.
- "Long Trail News." , no. June (1932).
