Located on Route 11, just a quarter mile east of the Long Trail, Kandahar Lodge became a comfortable, home‑like stop for hikers. It offered year‑round lodging, good meals, and a valuable service: hikers could have mail and packages sent there and pick them up during their trips.
For many decades, the lodge was a well‑known gathering place for the regional hiking community. Its location near Bromley Mountain and the Long Trail made it a natural stop for anyone exploring southern Vermont’s trails.
Miss Tye shared a letter from Alex Zoesch, the lodge’s proprietor, who wrote:
“Kandahar Lodge is especially desirable to folks on the Long Trail. We are only a few hundred yards from where the Trail crosses Vermont Highway No. 11, six miles from Manchester. From the rear of the Lodge we have our own ski trail, suitable for hikers, connecting directly with the Long Trail. I am perfectly willing to have hikers use our address to receive mail while they are on the trail, or help them in any other way. As in past years, we’ll have the welcome mat out for summer guests from June 15 to September 15. We would greatly appreciate your recommending Kandahar Lodge to people planning trips on the Long Trail, and you may be assured of our co‑operation in every way.
The lodge changed hands in 1993, and soon after, its restaurant was destroyed by fire. Although this was a major loss, the remaining buildings stayed in use, and operations continued under new management.
Today, the property still stands and operates as Pinnacle Lodge, carrying forward the welcoming spirit that Kandahar Lodge established over nearly fifty years.
Sources
- Long Trail News 1946 (1946). Green Mountain Club. 5.
- "Kandahar Lodge." Long Trail News 1946 (1946). Green Mountain Club. 5.
- Long Trail News 1962 (1962). Green Mountain Club. 3.
- Long Trail News 1981 (1981). Green Mountain Club. 5.
- Long Trail News 2016 (2016). Green Mountain Club. 31.
- Green Mountain Club. Long Trail Guide Book. 13 ed. Green Mountain Club. Pp. 20.
- Green Mountain Club. Long Trail Guide Book. 14 ed. Green Mountain Club, 1951. Pp. 20.
- Green Mountain Club. Long Trail Guide Book. 15 ed. Green Mountain Club, 1956. Pp. 61.
- Green Mountain Club. Guide Book of the Long Trail. 16 ed. Green Mountain Club, 1960. Pp. 69.
