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Dan and Whits General Store on the Vermont Appalachian Trail

Appalachian Trail Sign outside of Norwich, VT
Appalachian Trail Sign outside of Norwich, VT

If you’re preparing for an Appalachian Trail thru-hike or just hiking a section, and plan on passing through Norwich, Vermont, I recommend you stop at Dan and Whit’s General Store in the center of town for a resupply. If you’re hiking northbound, make a left when you come to the village green, and the store is about a hundred yards up the road, next to the exclusive Norwich Inn.

Dan and Whit's General Store, Norwich, VT
Dan and Whit’s General Store, Norwich, VT

You could hold on for another mile and walk into Hanover, home of Dartmouth College, but it’s quite a scene there with a lot of expensive cafes, fancy restaurants and dress shops. Not exactly my cup of tea; I felt right at home in the General Store though.

Hiker Phone - Free Local calls
Hiker Phone – Free Local calls

They’ve got food and adult drink, have a hiker phone for free local calls, a deli, fruits and vegetables, clothes and toys and all kinds of other stuff. David Miller writes in The A.T. Guide, that they also give hikers day-old sandwiches for free.

Dan and Whit's General Store
Dan and Whit’s General Store

The thing I found most appealing about the place is that they call all of their regulars by their first names, and that people come by to pick up their mail there. It felt homey. Truth is, the store has been in the hands of the same family for 110 years and passed down through the generations. That’s one of the things I like about hiking the AT. It reminds you that small towns, and stores like this, still exist.

8 comments

  1. I love it! The small general stores in Vermont are one of my favorite things about the entire state. When I was working for the GMC and VYCC I got very well acquainted with two others that always made me very happy: Richmond General Store (just north of Camel's Hump on the LT) and Pittsfield General Store (up Rte 100, a quieter alternative to going to Rutland).

    An alternative to resupplying in Hanover is an especially good idea. Ah, the small towns off the trail…. they're the best.

  2. The small towns and their businesses/institutions, along the AT & LT, always restore my faith in the goodness and kindness of people when I pass through. General stores like this are just the tip of the ice berg. Libraries, churches, hostels. It's all good.

  3. Thanks for the great info- taking notes for when I make it that far!

  4. I bought an apple there (only thing I bought). It was no beauty but it was the best tasting apple I had in a long time. You know how those things go!

  5. Great place. Don't miss the back rooms: "If we don't have it, you don't need it."

    Don't miss the beer made at the Norwich Inn, either.

    And Hanover's not really all that chic. Paddle a boat at the Ledyard Canoe Club on the river. Get off the main drag and enjoy one of the most beautiful campuses in the U.S.

  6. That was pretty good beer. Nice bar too, and they have wireless in the garden.

  7. It’s a cool place! Make sure you go through the cut-thru by the deli case. There is so much store behind there. I found hardware, hiking and camping supplies, clothing, kitchen supplies, and a crazy eclectic bunch of other stuff. The place is HUGE! What a treasure!

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