Hiking Camel's Hump Before the Crowds

Its distinctive double-humped profile makes Camel's Hump one of Vermont's most recognizable peaks, and one of its most popular hikes. Which is exactly why those who know it best set out at dawn — to have the summit, and its enormous view, mostly to themselves.

The climb is a genuine effort, several miles of steady ascent that steepens near the top, breaking above the trees into a fragile alpine zone found on only a few Vermont summits. Hikers are asked to stay on the rock to protect the rare plants that cling to life up there. The reward for the work is a panorama that on a clear day reaches to the Adirondacks and the White Mountains.

Going early buys more than solitude. Morning light is kinder, the air is cooler for the climb, and the crowds that pack the summit by midday are still in bed. There's a particular satisfaction in standing alone on that famous rock at sunrise, the valleys still filling with mist below. By the time the day-trippers arrive, the early risers are already heading down, tired and quietly triumphant.