AboutWounded Knee Expertise I can advise on anything having to do with hiking and backpacking skills and equipment, including map and compass and orienteering skills. I cannot advise on the use of GPS devices. I cannot advise on car camping or group camping (10 or more people). My primary geographic expertise is in the US Northeast, but I know how to find information on hiking and backpacking just about anywhere.
Experience I've been hiking and backpacking for about 40 years, including ongoing section hiking of the Appalachian Trail (almost 1300 miles so far). I have hiked extensively in the New York Metropolitan Area, as well as various other areas from Virginia north, including upstate New York, New England, and Eastern Canada.
Publications New York Walk Book, 7th Ed. New Jersey Walk Book, 2nd Ed.
Education/Credentials Not applicable to this area of expertise.
Question I am looking for backpacking/primitive camping sites( w/interesting hiking) in southern Vt. or southwestern NH. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you for your help.
Joe
Answer Southern Vermont is dominated by the Long Trail and Appalachian Trail, which run concurrently until just north of Killington Peak. There's lots of side trails off of them. Most of what's "interesting" in that area are the mountaintop views -- on clear days you can see well into the Adirondacks in NY and to portions of the Whites in NH. Note that the peaks in Southern VT are generally tree-covered -- you have to climb the fire towers to see much of anything. I recommend that you visit the Green Mountain Club web site (http://www.greenmountainclub.org/) to get a sense of what hiking is like in VT. You should especially spend some time exploring the items listed under the "Take a Hike" pop-up menu.
I haven't hiked anywhere in NH outside of the AT and the Whites, so I cannot advise on what the Southwestern area of the state is like. I have heard that Monadnock and vicinity has some good hiking trails, but I do not know whether backpacking is permitted in the area. There's an AMC guidebook -- Nature Walks in Southern New Hampshire -- that you may want to look at to get some ideas.
I suggest that you look into the things listed above, and if you have any questions, send me a follow-up.
