McKenzie Park is a hidden gem in Burlington, a place where wildlife roam and people do too on several long system trails. Trails border the Winooski River and are adjacent to river beaches and fishing spots. In the summer, the thick canopy and tall undergrowth of the silver maple and ostrich fern dominated ecosystem serves as a cool hiding spot from the Sun on hot days. In the winter, volunteers from the Intervale groom a loop around the big field for cross-country skiers. The field also serves as a place for research as several techniques of regenerative planting are being experimented with to expand the riparian forest.
The Burlington Wildway Trail is the trail closest to the river in McKenzie Park. Connecting from the Ethan Allen Homestead Trail system to the west through an easement through a private field, this trail connects through the shady forest to the Calkins Trail managed by the Intervale Center on the east side of the park property.
The Cycle the City Route also connects through McKenzie Park, coming from the private field to the west and linking to Intervale Road to the south.
In the winter, the Intervale Center grooms a network of cross country trails that include the Blue Trail which loops around the big field in the center of the park and connects to the Red/Calkins Trail to the southeast and the Yellow Trail to the southwest.
Please do not pick fiddleheads! Picking fiddleheads can kill ostrich ferns which are the primary native plant to this forest ecosystem, along with silver maples. The ferns and are up against large stands of Japanese knotweed which are shading out their light. We need to support the ferns by letting them grow.
Please remember:
Visit Burlington Department of Parks & Recreation online for more information or contact:
There is no vehicle access to McKenzie park. Hike or bike in from the Ethan Allen Homestead to the west, or the Intervale Center to the south. The quickest access is to follow Intervale Road passing a gate after the Tommy Thompson Community Garden and continuing on past the private farms to the sign post at the edge of the large field which marks the entrance to McKenize Park.
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