The Green Mountain National Forest may be entered at any spot along its boundary, free of charge. The following itinerary spans three towns and highlights low-impact activities from picnicking, swimming, and walking to berrying and scenic overlooks.
Robert Frost Country in the Green Mountains
Set your dashboard mile counter at Route 7 below Middlebury. Scenic Byway 125 winds uphill into the village of Ripton and “Robert Frost Country,” so named for the poet Robert Frost, who taught at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf Campus, located at about 6½ miles. Here managed forest and old farmlands coexist with the Breadloaf Wilderness, created by the state legislature in 1984.
At about 5½ miles, the wheelchair-accessible Robert Frost Interpretive Trail offers an easy stroll through a wetlands ecosystem, including a boardwalk over a frog-pond. Aquatic and bird life abound here, as well as habitat for beaver and moose. Just ahead on Route 125, the pine-shaded Robert Frost Wayside features grills, picnic tables, an interpretive kiosk, and a vault toilet. (Bring your own drinking water.)
Adjacent to the Wayside, Frost Road leads to the secluded Homer Noble farmstead, where Frost resided and composed poems while at Bread Loaf. The property belongs to Middlebury College; summer faculty are housed here. Visitors are asked to remain at the parking area, for the sake of privacy and security.
Accessible Voter Brook Overlook
Backtrack on Route 125 about 1/2 mile and turn left onto the north-south Forest Road 32 (FR 32, also named Goshen Road). You are now in the heart of the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, established under the New England Wilderness Act of 2006. Turn onto the Moosalamoo Campground road at about 3 miles and turn left at the sign for the Voter Brook Overlook. A wheelchair-accessible path leads to the view area, with an interpretive display.
Blueberry Management Area
Wild blueberries ripen in August and are free for the picking at the 30-acre Blueberry Management Area in the town of Goshen. Cleared for farming and later as the early Hogback ski area, the open hillside was eventually colonized by native blueberries, which now form part of the Forest Service’s wildlife habitat program.
From the Campground road, continue south on FR 32 to the four-way intersection and turn left onto Flora White Rd., then left onto FR 224 to reach parking. The Forest Service recently added a wheelchair-accessible path at the main blueberry area. Less well-known areas extend along Flora White Road and FR 224, including the gravel pit (park at the gate).
Ghost Hotel at Silver Lake
By turning right at the abovementioned crossroad, onto Silver Lake Road (FR 27), you reach the trailhead for Silver Lake, a woodland reservoir that impounds water for hydroelectric power. FR 27 provides a wheelchair-friendly alternate route to the lakeside. Silver Lake has a gravel beach (no lifeguards), woodsy trails, and a resident loon. Interpretive panels show the grand hotel that once stood here; to the west, an old carriage road climbs up from Lake Dunmore.
Return to Route 7 by backtracking to Ripton and Route 125, or continue down the hill on FR 32 to Goshen center and take Route 73 west into the village of Brandon.
Travel Tips for Moosalamoo, Vermont
- Map-Quest is not recommended for this area.
- Some roads and bridges may be closed because of severe floods in 2008; the repair schedule is uncertain. For details, call the Middlebury District, 802-388-4362.
- Cell phone reception is unpredictable.
- Drive to conditions, and stay to the right, especially on curves!
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