Southern Vermont Backpack Options 3 day/2night

Doesn't anyone backpack Vermont?

I am going to focus on doing a backpack in the Southern Green Mountains in early November. I need suggestions! Here is the juice:

Drive up Friday morning from Boston via rt 2, leaving around 9 am

Possible spot a car from a trailhead and drive to starting point (hike south to north?).

Hike 3 hours into preferably a tent platform or a nice tent site.

Saturday, two options: either hike to a peak (6-8 miles rt) and return to awesome site -or- keep hiking to another awesome place to camp.

Sunday, hike to spotted car...not too far to enable a drive home and bed in order to get up Monday for work.

I am also up for a loop, with no spotted car, but that seems tough in the Greens.

Criteria:

- not super hard, I want to chill
- unpopulated as can get, no boyscouts
- NO shelters (hate them), just platforms and tent sites
- maybe some views or awesome landscape
- 2 or 3 hours from Boston
- water sources

Thanks. Look forward to your ideas.

How about park at Stratton-Arlington Road, aka Kelly Stand Road, where A.T./L.T. crosses it near Stratton Mtn. From there, you could hike south, up to Glastenbury Mtn, stay at Kid Gore, take in sunset views from firetower at one of Southern VT's highest peaks. Next day, hike back north to Stratton Pond, via Stratton Mtn or no, your choice, on a loop route from your car. Overnight at tenting area there, beautiful place, could explore trails which circle the pond. As part of loop, on Day 2 or 3, summit Stratton, highest peak in southern VT, take in its outstanding firetower views. The Stratton Loop is like 12 miles and pretty easy, compared to the Whites.

PS: On edit, just noticed that you hate shelters. I believe Kid Gore has both shelter and tenting area and know Stratton Pond does.

Driver8 said:

How about park at Stratton-Arlington Road, aka Kelly Stand Road, where A.T./L.T. crosses it near Stratton Mtn.

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That probably makes more sense than starting in Manchester, to save driving time on Friday. The hike to the Stratton Pond tenting area would be less than 3 hours. Saturday could be up and down Stratton Mtn. On Sunday, hike west on the Lye Brook trail to Bourn Pond, then go south on the Branch Pond trail, past Branch Pond and return to the Kelly Stand Rd. about 2 miles west of the LT/AT parking lot.

Thanks. All good info.