There is a self-guided, 0.3 mile or 0.8 mile trail loop on the preserve. Both are easy hikes, ideal for children. From the spur trail, there is a magnificent view of Caspian Lake, which appears suspended in mid-air. Further along the loop there are views to the northwest of Belvidere Mountain and Jay Peak. Stone fire rings are available for picnickers. In winter, ski trails from the Highland Lodge in Greensboro cross the preserve. A nature trail brochure is available at the trail sign-in box.
Barr Hill is the highest point in Greensboro. From the open field at the trailhead there is a stunning, nearly panoramic view that sweeps from Spruce and Signal Mountains at Groton State Park to the southern Green Mountains, Woodbury Mountain, Camel’s Hump, Elmore Mountain and Mount Mansfield. The trail traverses fern glades and a ledge outcropping once ground down by glaciers and passes through dark, coniferous woods where you’ll find beds of sphagnum moss so thick it’s tempting to stretch out and take a nap. Barr Hill is also an excellent place for bird watching. If you have binoculars you may see hawks and northern ravens from the trail lookouts.
Visit The Nature Conservancy in Vermont online for more information or contact Lynn McNamara, Critical Lands Manager for Northern VT:
The Nature Conservancy: Montpelier Office1521 Barr Hill Rd, Greensboro, VT
Drive north out of Greensboro and turn right at the Greensboro Town Hall. The Greensboro Elementary School is on your left. Just 0.6 miles from the town hall turn left at the first fork and follow the sign for the Barr Hill Nature Preserve. You will pass a dairy farm and then a red barn just before the preserve entrance. Continue straight ahead. (The road is closed to vehicles during mud season.) Continue uphill through the preserve for 0.6 mile to the parking area on the left. The nature trail begins here.
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