Robert Frost Interpretive Trail

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Interpretive trail filled with Robert Frost's poetry, contemplative woods, and a beaver pond. Total time: 30-45 minutes.
Trail Activity
Accessible Experience Walking Snowshoeing
Length
1.20 miles, Network
Difficulty
Easy
Town
Ripton (VT)
Surface
Gravel/Crushed Stone/Cinder, Boardwalk/Bog Bridging
Pets
Permitted on leash
Fees
No

Description

This designated National Recreation Trail commemorates Robert Frost’s poetry; several of his poems are mounted along the trail in the woods and fields in locations relevant to the text. Blueberries and huckleberries grow in an old field at the far end of the trail. The Forest Service maintains all of the old fields along this trail with prescribed fire to preserve the scenic, open appearance of the area. 

The first loop is an accessible, 4+ foot wide boardwalk with only slight slopes and cross slopes and frequent accessible benches. It travels across a beaver pond boardwalk out to the beautiful South Branch of the Middlebury River and is suitable for wheelchairs. The surface leading to the boardwalk is 5 feet wide and surfaced with packed gravel.

The trail on the other side of the river is at least 4 feet wide with a surface of forest floor and stonedust. Although this section of trail does not meet ADA standards, it is typically 4 feet wide and hard packed. The maximum slope on the far end of the meadow is 8% for a short run (approximately 30 feet); trail switchbacks help with navigating this section. There are fewer rest spots in the meadow but a few accessible benches provide a place to enjoy the birds, wildlife, and sounds of the river.

TRAIL ACCESS INFORMATION

Trail conditions can change without warning. Trail last assessed: 8/23/2024 


Please practice Leave No Trace ethics, such as carry out what you carry in.

No horses, mountain bikes, or motorized vehicles are allowed on these trails.

 

Other Information

Please check current trail and road closures in the Green Mountain National Forest.

Trail Manager

Visit Green Mountain National Forest online for more information or contact:

Moosalamoo Association
PO Box 148
Brandon, VT 05733
Phone: (802) 989-6980
execdir.moosalamoo@gmail.com
View website
Green Mountain National Forest: Supervisor's Office - Rutland
231 North Main Street
Rutland, VT 05701
Phone: (802) 747-6700
View website

Trail Tips

Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Consider volunteering with a trails organization to give back to the trails that give you so much!

Trailhead Information

From Middlebury, travel south on Route 7 to where it intersects with Route 125. Travel east on Route 125 for 5.8 miles. The parking area is on the right.

From Rochester, travel north on Route 100 to its intersection with Route 125. Travel west on Route 125 for 9.9 miles. The parking area is on the left.

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