Jay Peak - places to camp or inexpensive motels?

[jean miller]

I'm heading up to Jay Peak next week. Can anyone recommend good places to camp or an inexpensive motel?

Thanks
Jean

 

[David Metsky]

The Newport City Motel is a nice clean place off the highway that is about as good as you'll get for that class of lodging. Newport is about a 25 minute drive to the mountain. If you want really cheap you can try Grampa Grunt's Lodge in Montgomery (http://home.grampagrunts.com/) but I'm not sure of the status since he passed away last year. It's a bare bones establishment but cheap and close.

For $35/person the Pumphouse Waterpark at Jay is a fun diversion after a day of hiking.

 

[Snowflea]

There's always Atlas Valley Camp or Jay Camp right on the Long Trail on the way up Jay Peak.

 

[Daniel Eagan]

When we climbed Jay we stayed at the Black Lantern Inn (http://www.theblacklanterninn.com/) in Montgomery, a short enough drive. (It's the other side of the range from Newport.) Off-season it was pretty reasonable, plus we basically had the place to ourselves. Note: that was back in 2006, and I think it's changed hands since then.

We ate at The Belfry (14 Amidon Rd Montgomery, off Route 242 as you head out of town, 802-326-4400). A great if crowded spot with an excellent menu.

 

[Guthook]

There's always Atlas Valley Camp or Jay Camp right on the Long Trail on the way up Jay Peak.

Atlas Valley shelter, just into the woods on Rte 242, has been closed to overnight use for years. It's old and dumpy, and not really safe looking, either. Jay Camp is less than a half mile up the Long Trail from the parking area on Rte 242, though, so there's definitely a good place to camp there. Jay Camp has a reliable water source, a few tent platforms, and a fully enclosed shelter. Very nice place.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

Atlas Valley shelter, just into the woods on Rte 242, has been closed to overnight use for years. It's old and dumpy, and not really safe looking, either.

Yup, would agree with that. Stayed there one night, many years ago before it was closed, and it wasn't pleasant. Didn't have a better alternative, though. It's not designed to keep out the rain in a blow, either.

 

[Snowflea]

Aww, where's the sense of adventure? ;-)

I was kidding about Atlas Valley Shelter and would have relayed same had no one spoken up. It IS a strange little structure - more akin to a bus stop really.

 

[Guthook]

Aww, where's the sense of adventure? ;-)

I was kidding about Atlas Valley Shelter and would have relayed same had no one spoken up. It IS a strange little structure - more akin to a bus stop really.

Hehe. Bus stop indeed

When I was working at the Green Mountain Club and advising people on backpacking trips, I often had people ask about staying in a shelter I'd never heard of. Turned out they were using their 1970s or 1980s Long Trail Guide and assuming nothing had changed. The Green Mountain Club does a heck of a lot of work on the LT, which includes getting rid of shelters that turn out to be ecologically harmful or something like that. Off the top of my head, I can think of the two shelters at Little Rock Pond which were replaced by one nicer shelter a few years ago, the old hunting camp at Sterling Pond that was torn down, the two shelters on Stratton Pond that were replaced by the current lodge, and a shelter at Lake Pleiad that was taken down. There were a lot more that I heard about a few years ago but can't remember. If Jay Camp weren't so close to Atlas Valley, I wonder if they'd want to take that down, too.

 

[jean miller]

Thanks for the info, I think I'll try the lean-to on the Long Trail. Since "Inchworm" disappeared on the AT, I think twice about where I stay.

 

[jean miller]

Stayed at the Newport City Motel, terrific choice. Very clean and well cared for. The price started out high - $97 for a king, but as we dropped the bed size to full with no bathtub, it got down to $60 Thanks for the advice.