Many New England towns have some sort of trail
network that is operated by the town itself, or by a variety of other means such
as a non-profit organization, etc. It
has been my experience that these municipal trail systems are supported by a
group of dedicated people who do a wonderful job of maintaining the trail
corridors.
When only a limited amount of time is available
for hiking, I find these local trail systems to be an invaluable resource. And who knows? By promoting these hometown trail systems
through my blog, perhaps some revenue can be generated for the local and regional economies through
tourism. But admittedly, that might fall into the category of "pipe dream" thinking!
Regardless, I've recently discovered a trail
network in the town of St. Johnsbury, VT which is just a little over 20 miles
from home, most of which is travelable on Interstate Highway. Click HERE
to view a map of hiking/walking trails
within this small New England town. (I don't
know how robust this link will be in the future, but for now it seems to work!)
For my first foray on this network, I opted to
hike the trails within the St. Johnsbury Municipal Forest. The trail map is shown below. (Click to enlarge.)
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| Trail Map for St. Johnsbury Municipal Forest (click to enlarge) |
As shown on the map, there are four named
trails (Red, Yellow, Blue, Green). All
of the corridors are marked with colored blazes that corresponded to the trail
name. The pathways are a mixture of flat
terrain and hills, some of which are moderately steep. Not all of the trail junctions have signs,
but there is little danger of becoming hopelessly lost!
The Municipal Forest encompasses about 100
acres of land which is located on a hillside with elevations ranging from about
575 feet at the trailhead on Almshouse Road to just over 900 feet at the
property's high point. The woods consist
of variety of conifers and deciduous trees.
The Moose River runs along the southern border
of the property. Scenic views of this river are provided by the Blue Trail, particularly at the far eastern end of
the trail. Be aware that once you reach
the end of the Blue Trail, you need to backtrack in order to reach other trails
within the network.
The Municipal Forest was created in 1922 to
commemorate World War I veterans. It's maintained
by local Scout troops and other volunteers. No campfires, overnight camping, bikes, or motorized
vehicles are allowed. Pets must be
leashed, and trash must be taken out with you when you leave the forest.
For those who might be interested, the St.
Johnsbury Academy Community Recreation Website has an impressive MS-Word
document that contains a wealth of information about trail distances, loop hike
suggestions, etc. Click HERE to
download that document. (Once again, I
don't know how robust this link will be in the future, but for now it seems to
work!)
Here are a few snapshots taken during my
trek at the St. Johnsbury Municipal Forest in mid-May.
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| Typical scene along trail corridors within St. Johnsbury Municipal Forest |
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| Moose River as viewed from Blue Trail |
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| A picturesque patch of Marsh Marigold seen along the river bank |
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| A relic from the past along the bank of the Moose River. Perhaps it's hardware related to an old bridge? |
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Directly across the road (Almshouse Road) that leads to the trailheads
for St. Johnsbury Municipal Forest is a small plot of land known as Fred Mold
Park. From this park there is a pleasant view of the Passumpsic
River with a portion of St. Johnsbury in the background.
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~THE END~
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