Dan and Whits General Store on the Vermont Appalachian Trail

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.