The dam road is excellent for walking, biking, snowshoeing, skiing or snowmobiling, esp. when the gates are closed to cars. (Although even in the summer when the gates are open, there are not many cars and the speed limit is 25.) The road is mostly flat until the hill climb up to the top of the dam.
There are 2 trails that leave the road:
Across the green bridge, the Mystery Trail is an interpretive trail which goes by an old mill site to the left after crossing the bridge and a small pond to the right which was part of an old farmstead.
The other trail network, the Forest Management Trail, highlights the mixed forests. This trail can be overgrown.
The VAST snowmobile trail crosses through the UV Dam property.
There are 2 picnic areas within the dam and 3 swimming areas: Sandy Beach is a small, maintained beach on the Ompomanoosuc River; the Chutes is off the road, beyond the green bridge; and another swimming area on the W. Branch of the Ompomanoosuc, accessible from the dam entrance on Tucker Hill Road.
The Union Village Dam is managed by the US Army Corp of Engineers.
Two entrances to the Army Corps of Engineers Flood Control Property:
From Norwich VT on VT-132, drive through Union Village until the road ends at the dam. The gate is open in the daylight hours in the summer and you can drive the length of the property. When the gate is locked, park and walk, bike, ski, snowshoe or snowmobile from the parking area.
From Thetford Center on VT-113, look for Buzzell Bridge Road on the south of VT-113. Drive down Buzzell Bridge Road. If the gate is locked, there is a large parking lot and you can walk, bike, ski, snowshoe or snowmobile from there.
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