Green Mountain Club

Maintaining & Protecting Vermont's Long Trail Since 1910

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Get Outside but be Tick Smart

June 16, 2016 by Alicia DiCocco 1 Comment

Be Tick SmartDr. Harry Chen, M.D., who is the Vermont Commissioner of Health, wrote this article on being tick smart for the Summer Long Trail News. Dr. Chen is a longtime GMC member and lives with his wife Anne in Burlington. They have three children, all of whom are Long Trail end-to-enders!

Deer ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease, are becoming more common across Vermont. Ticks hide out in high grass, bushy vegetation and leaf litter throughout the warm season waiting for a warm body that can provide a blood meal to pass by. So take the precautions below when hiking, doing yard work or just playing around.

Repel. Before heading out, apply insect repellent with up to thirty percent DEET. Treat clothes and gear with permethrin. Wear light-colored clothing (the better to spot ticks), long sleeves and long pants. Tuck pants into socks or wear gaiters (factory treated gaiters are especially effective) to keep ticks away from skin.

Inspect. Check yourself often to catch ticks before they bite. Do a daily head-to-toe tick check on yourself, children and pets.

Remove. Lyme disease transmission can be prevented if a tick is removed within about thirty-six hours, but ticks are so small they can go unnoticed if you aren’t looking for them carefully. (Nymphs are no bigger than a poppy seed.) Showering within two hours of coming indoors has also been proven effective. Wash and then tumble dry clothing on high heat for about an hour (if drying clothes treated with permethrin follow instructions on label).  Also check gear for crawling ticks—these opportunists may hitch a ride and attach to skin later.

Detect and treat early. The first sign of Lyme disease is often an expanding red rash at the site of the tick bite. The rash usually appears seven to fourteen days after the bite, but sometimes takes up to thirty days to appear. Not everyone gets the rash, so be on the lookout for flu-like symptoms of early Lyme disease: fatigue, headache, fever, chills, swollen lymph nodes, muscle and joint pain. Lyme disease can be successfully treated with antibiotics, especially if given early.

Track ticks. The Vermont Department of Health has created an online mapping tool, Tick Tracker. The tool enables users to report tick bites, identify species, and see where other tick bites have occurred in the state. The more reports posted by users, the better the information the tracker can provide. You can also visit the Health Department’s website that offers extensive information about ticks and tickborne disease prevention and treatment.

Filed Under: From the Field, Hiking, News, Trail

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  1. Thru-Hiking the Long Trail with the Krebs Family: Q&A - Green Mountain Club says:
    January 27, 2022 at 3:00 pm

    […] by late July and August, bugs become more background nuisances. Hikers should expect mosquitos and ticks on any hike, and take proper […]

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Camel’s Hump: Hiker Reflections on Their Backyard Mountain

June 26, 2025

Rising from the spine of the Green Mountains, Camel's Hump is home to scenic views, a wilderness feel with its undeveloped summit, and choose-you-own-adventure hiking options. The mountain's proximity to more populated areas like Burlington and Waterbury make it a popular and well-hiked destination, … Read more

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Mission

The Green Mountain Club is the founder and maintainer of the Long Trail - the oldest long distance hiking trail in America. Established in 1910 to build this trail stretching the length of Vermont, the club now also maintains the Appalachian Trail in Vermont and trails in the Northeast Kingdom in its mission to "make the Vermont mountains play a larger part in the life of the people." Read more...

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Join a guided hike on the Short Trail this summer!

Join the Green Mountain Club’s Visitor Services Manager, Emily Mosher, for a hike on the Short Trail! Learn more about hiking in Vermont, the Long Trail and the Green Mountain Club, and tips to have a successful hike as we explore the 0.5 mile loop at GMC’s headquarters building in Waterbury Center. These hikes are open to hikers of all ages, from beginner day hiker to seasoned backpacker. Hikes take place on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 10am, and on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 2pm. Allow about an hour with plenty of stops to explore.

Wednesday, July 16
Tuesday, July 22

Wednesday, Aug 6
Tuesday, August 12
Wednesday, August 20
Tuesday, August 26
Wednesday, Sept 3

No RSVP necessary; for questions, email [email protected] or call 802-244-7037.