A Guide to Walking Trails in Charlotte
by Elizabeth Bassett
July 15, 2010, pgs 3-A to 4-A

Melissa and Trevor Mack Trail

One day a town trail may link Mt. Philo State Park to the Town Beach via the West Village. The gravel and grass Mack Trail, between State Park Road and Lower Old Town Trail, is part of that vision. Views expand across farmland to the Adirondacks. Round trip at a brisk pace will take a half hour.

Getting there: Lower Old Town Trail is on the east side of Route 7, 0.3 miles south of the Charlotte Berry Farm. A small parking area is immediately on the left. Access from State Park Road is a half mile from Mt. Philo State Park, but sight distance is limited and the road is narrow.

Champlain Valley Cohousing Trail

Although the exact route has not been finalized, another link in the Town Trail is a grassy path that winds from Champlain Valley Cohousing to Route 7 across from Lower Old Town Trail (see Mack Trail). The town has requested a pedestrian underpass beneath Route 7.

Getting there: The town is working on parking agreements and easements with the Cohousing, Berry Farm and Charlotte Little League. Common Way is 1.4 miles south of Ferry Road on Greenbush Road. Please arrive by non-motorized means. The trail departs from the southwest corner of the Cohousing area. A stroll to Route 7 and back will take 30-40 minutes.

Charlotte Park and Wildlife Refuge

Trails for pedestrians and horses thread through 290 acres of farmland, succession woodlands and wetlands to expansive views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. From the parking lot loop trails rise more than 200 feet in elevation.

Getting there: There is a parking lot on east side of Greenbush Road 1.3 miles north of Ferry Road (no access from Route 7). Open daily from 8 a.m. until a half hour after sunset. No pets. Various loops allow for a walk of at least one hour.

Pease Mountain

One of several prominent quartzite hills in the otherwise flat Champlain Valley, Pease Mountain is home to a UVM Natural Area. The trail consists of lower and upper loops. The lower loop encompasses a rich forest and several calcareous outcrops, one with seasonal views north to the lake. The upper loop has limited moisture and thinner soils with seasonal views west and south. Allow one hour per loop on a first visit.

Getting there: Park in the lot to the west of Charlotte Central School. Walk south, to the southwest corner of the playing fields. The marked trail begins at the edge of the woods. Pets must be leashed and on the trails at all times. Please clean up after them.

Raven Ridge

Straddling three towns – Monkton, Hinesburg, and Charlotte – the 362-acre Nature Conservancy preserve Raven Ridge is home to bear, otter, mink, and moose as well as the endangered Indiana bat. The property encompasses wetlands, bobcat dens and migration corridor, nesting areas for ravens, three state-significant forest communities and an anticline – a unique geological feature known locally as The Oven. Vernal pools provide breeding habitat for wood frogs and spotted salamanders. Did I mention fabulous views?

The Nature Conservancy will work this summer to create walking trails and install signage.

Getting there: Drive south on Roscoe Road (either from Lewis Creek or Prindle Roads) until it ends. Turn left on Rotax Road. Continue 0.6 miles A sign for ToDo Institute is on the left. Walk up this gravel road and shortly a grassy path forks to the right. A Nature Conservancy sign marks the access to Raven Ridge Natural Area. No pets.

Burleigh Farm and Forest

The late Arthur Burleigh conserved 201 acres of farmland and forest on Spear Street where the family continues to operate a dairy farm. Lewis Creek runs through the forest that features vernal pools and rock outcrops. Rich soils support nut-producing trees and provide habitat for bobcat, mink, bats, deer, migratory songbirds and salamanders. Trails have not yet been identified.
Getting there: From Spear’s Corner drive 1.9 miles south on Spear Street. Park on Upper Meadow Lane, across the road from the property. No pets.

Williams Woods

A Nature Conservancy preserve, Williams Woods is an island of trees amidst farm fields. A boardwalk keeps visitors above often waterlogged soil and the tangle of roots that grow above ground. The trail weaves beneath giant hemlocks, oaks and white pines, among others.
Getting there: From Thompson’s Point Road, drive south 1.0 mile on Greenbush. A wooden Nature Conservancy sign is on the right. Pull to the side of the road. No pets.

Mt. Philo State Park

Vermont’s oldest state park, Mt. Philo offers year-round access to views, recreation and geology. The park sits on a 968-foot sheepback mountain that rises abruptly from the Champlain Valley. Both an asphalt road and hiking trails climb to the summit where picnic tables, benches and chairs look toward Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks.

Getting there: The park is on Mt. Philo Road at State Park Road. Admission is charged mid-May to mid-October, 10 a.m. to sunset. Pets must be leashed. Farmers Market on Fridays, 3-6 p.m.

Plouffe Trails

Trails for mountain biking and walking thread through wooded land at the site of the old town dump.
Getting there: The town is in litigation over parking. For the moment arrive only by non-motorized means. Plouffe Lane is off Carpenter Road, east of Spear Street.

Barber Hill

A five-acre meadow rises above the Old Lantern to views of Pease Mountain and Church Hill. Seasonal views to north and northwest. There are no trails, so try to visit just after mowing.

Getting there: Park at the Old Lantern, which is on Greenbush Road 0.4 miles south of Ferry Road. Walk uphill south of the private driveway.

Several of these Charlotte walks are included in Nature Walks in Northwest Vermont and the Champlain Valley, by this author, as well as the Green Mountain Club’s The Walker’s Guide to Vermont.