The Black Branch Boardwalk is a self-guided, 250-foot, wheelchair-accessible boardwalk. The boardwalk is 5+ feet wide. The elevated boardwalk starts at the Stone Dam Road near the Black Branch bridge and gradually meanders through a softwood forest to a large observation platform. The observation platform overlooks the Black Branch of the Nulhegan River.
The Nulhegan Basin - The Nulhegan Basin Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge consists of more than 26,600 acres of conifer and deciduous forest interspersed with forested wetlands, peatlands and shrub swamps, and contains three of the four tributaries of the Nulhegan River. These lands are nested within a working forest landscape exceeding 150,000 acres. Located just a few miles south of the Canadian border, the basin’s vegetation most closely resembles that of the northern Appalachian Mountains, interspersed with elements of the boreal forest to the north. This division is known for abundant songbirds, particularly boreal species and warblers, and has been designated an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. It is open to the public for hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography, environmental education, and interpretation.
Division roads are gravel and remote. Call the visitor contact station for the current status of the roads. Horses, non-registered motorcycles and ATVs are not allowed. Trucks and other heavy equipment have the right of way on these roads.
The Black Branch boardwalk is in the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge, which protects over 36,000 acres of the Connecticut River watershed. For more information, visit the Refuge's website or contact:
From Island Pond, head east on VT-105. After 10.9 miles, turn left on Stone Dam Road. The boardwalk is just after the bridge over the Black Branch, 2.9 miles down Stone Dam Road.
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