Lamoille Valley Rail Trail
Discover quintessential Vermont Along New England's longest rail trail.
Destinations – Lamoille Valley Rail Trail
Towns & Destinations along the LVRT
As you ramble along the trail, you’ll find quintessential Vermont charm in the towns and villages running through the landscape. Full of history and things to do, be sure to check out the sights along your way.
LVRT East
Cabot
Cabot is a community steeped in agricultural tradition. For more than 100 years, Cabot has been home to the Cabot Creamery, “Makers of the World’s Best Cheddar.” Although located in Washington County, Cabot’s landscape, people, and history are closely linked to the Northeast Kingdom region. The Cabot Trail Network is close to the LVRT and provides off-road connections to Cabot Village (there are plenty of hills!). A 16-mile trail that is nearing completion will connect the LVRT with the Cross Vermont Trail in Marshfield. Visit: www.cabotvermont.org.
Danville
The Town of Danville is a classic, rural Vermont community that lies along an east-west corridor connected by Route 2, Route 15, and the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. West Danville provides trailhead access to the LVRT and is home to Joe’s Pond, a gorgeous scenic and recreational resource that provides multi-season activities to residents and tourists. Further east along the LVRT is Danville’s 150-year-old train station, a historic and treasured community landmark. Miles of dirt roads, rolling hills, farms, a corn maze, and town forests are a snapshot image of what comes to mind when you think Danville. This small rural town in the Northeast Kingdom is rich with history, agricultural roots, neighbor-helping-neighbor values, and community spirit at its core.
Greensboro
Greensboro Bend is a small community within Greater Greensboro. Greensboro’s full-time population is only about 700, yet this small town is home to five landmark businesses. Willey’s General Store is one of the oldest stores in Vermont. Jasper Hill Farmstead cheese has won many awards, including best cheese from the American Cheese Society. Hill Farmstead Brewery also has won awards, including best beer world-wide. The Highland Center for the Arts is a Shakespeare-type theater that holds a variety of shows year-round. Finally, Highland Lodge has been a bed & breakfast in Greensboro since 1954. Greensboro Bend is about mid-way between West Danville and Hardwick on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.
Hardwick
Today a vibrant Historic Vermont Downtown, Hardwick Village was established around the grist and lumber mills in the early 1800s. The arrival of the railroad in the mid-nineteenth century propelled the granite trade from a local source of building material into a major industry as the railroad could transport granite from the carving and dressing sheds to building sites around the country. In recent years, the area has become a regional center for the value-added and farm-to-table agricultural movements. You will find evidence of this as you walk our bustling Main Street and choose where to eat your next meal or buy provisions for your stay.
St. Johnsbury
Discover a community rich in traditions and culture, vibrant with arts and events, and a shopping and foodie destination. Here you’ll find lodging and amenities to enhance your stay whether you’re starting or finishing your adventure along the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail at the trailhead in St. Johnsbury. At one time, four rail lines merged here, and the town’s history as a hub for the railroad industry is reflected in the grand architecture and cultural destinations around town, including the handsome late-nineteenth-century railway station that now serves as the town’s full service Welcome Center, with public restrooms, local information, and free WiFi. Attractions not-to-miss include Stephen Huneck’s Dog Mountain (an 150-acre bucolic dog park with hiking trails, gallery and the “Dog Chapel), the Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium (Victorian cabinet-of-curiosities style natural history museum, and Vermont’s only public planetarium), Maple Grove Farms of Vermont Museum & Gift Shop (showcasing the industry that made St. Johnsbury the “Maple Center of the World”), and more.
For a full list of attractions, eat, shop & stay directories, as well as itineraries and a full calendar of events to enjoy every day of your stay in “St. J”, visit discoverstjohnsbury.com
Walden
Walden is a picturesque rural town, with over 10,00 acres in the Steam Mill Brook Wildlife Management Area. These lands are open to regulated hunting, trapping, fishing, and hiking. Walden offers swimming, boating, and kayaking on both Lyford Pond and Coles Pond. Winter months bring cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling on the maintained VAST and Lamoille Valley Rail Trail.
LVRT Central
Hyde Park
The Town and Village of Hyde Park welcome all visitors. People enjoy the vibrant community nestled along the banks of the beautiful Lamoille River, surrounded by Vermont’s lush Green Mountains. Hyde Park has welcomed visitors and businesses for more than two hundred years! It was once the destination of the wealthy from New York and Boston who traveled via train to spend their summers in the country. Hyde Park is now a destination for vacationing visitors from around the globe. Visitors can stay at bed & breakfasts, visit farms, walk along Main Street, and enjoy regional recreation, food, and cultural attractions. Visitors enjoy the region’s history and Green River Reservoir in summer.
Johnson
Johnson was chartered as a town in 1792 and remains a unique gem for arts education and recreation. The community offers visitors a variety of activities in all seasons. It is a spectacular location for outdoor recreation, featuring many public parks, trails, swimming holes, and river access. In July and August, music fans can enjoy free outdoor music as local musicians perform every Tuesday night in the heart of the Village. In the winter, outdoor enthusiasts snowmobile and cross-country ski.
Morristown / Morrisville
Established in the seventeenth century with the township chattered in 1781, Morristown grew as a travel destination known for its history, art, and food. Today, Morristown continues that tradition, with a vibrant downtown with a variety of shops, eateries, breweries, and distillery as well as community assets such as an Art and History Walk Tour with 23 signed locations, River Arts Center (a community art organization), the historic Noyes House Museum (c.1796) and the Morristown Centennial Library (c.1913). During the summer and fall, the Oxbow Riverfront Park is home to evening concert and event series. During the winter, it is the start location of the annual Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Sled Dog Race organized through North Country Mushers.
Wolcott
A rural Vermont village, Wolcott is the easternmost town in Lamoille County. The town of Wolcott has three major bodies of water. The most significant is the 68-acre Wolcott Pond, followed by the 21 acre man-made Wapanaki Lake. The town’s portion of the LVRT was completed in 2023, allowing for a seamless experience from beginning to end of the LVRT. At the trailhead entrance are amenities such as a gazebo and BBQ pit, a library, and community garden. Visitors can also take a short walk through the village to visit the general store which may have any quick needed items for your journey on the trail.
Jeffersonville / Cambridge Jct.
A prime example of recreation combined with arts and culture, Cambridge Junction, on the eastern edge of the Town of Cambridge, was once an important train stop. The tracks that ran through the valley and along the river are now the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. The historic Cambridge Junction Covered Bridge is near the trailhead. The LVRT also connects to the Cambridge Greenway that goes into Jeffersonville. The Village of Jeffersonville is located at the intersection of Routes 15 and 108, the geographic center of Cambridge. The Village sits at the confluence of recreation combined with arts and culture, with two art galleries, outdoor art installations in the form of two painted silos at the entrance to town, the annual Festival of the Arts on the second Saturday in August, and a number of other summer events. In addition to cultural amenities, there are a variety of eateries, breweries, and recreational-focused businesses such as bike, canoe, and kayak rentals.
LVRT West
Swanton
Swanton Town and Village are situated on the Missisquoi River and Lake Champlain near the New York and Canadian borders. Swanton has a rich cultural heritage with evidence of Indigenous People. Swanton is a typical early settlement; the town grew around the area of the Taquahunga Falls (site of the current dam in Swanton) on the Missisquoi River. Sawmills were established along the waterways to process and transport lumber products. In 1860, a railroad was constructed through Swanton to Maquam Bay, and a facility was constructed for the interchange of goods from water to rail. Through the late 1800’s, several railroad lines provided important links to Canada and other parts of Vermont. Rail continued to be the major form of transportation until Interstate 89 was completed in the early 1970’s, but rail travel is still part of Swanton today. Swanton Village and Town also maintain several miles of sidewalks and pedestrian paths. There are several opportunities to encourage non-vehicular modes of transportation, including the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail, the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, and Swanton Fit and Healthy Recreation Trail.
Highgate
Highgate is located in the northwestern corner of Vermont in Franklin County. Lake Champlain is Highgate’s western border, and Quebec, Canada, is the northern border. The Town covers approximately 33,803 acres, or 52.82 square miles. Highgate was chartered on August 17, 1763, and at that time many businesses were located in the Town, such as sawmills, shingle and cider mills, an axe factory, carriage and blacksmith shops, a foundry, grist mills, and hotels. The Town has a vibrant diversified agricultural community including maple products, bakeries, and organic meats, cheeses, and vegetables. The LVRT crosses through town. On one side of the trail is the recreational facility, a year-round regional sports center with ice in the winter and summer activities in the summer including outdoor concerts. On the opposite side of the trail are the elementary school and playground. The many businesses offer travelers places to get food, bike repair items (at the hardware store), and places to relax and enjoy the scenery. There is a historical society museum, library, and community center with computer access.
Bakersfield
The Town of Bakersfield is located in Franklin County in the northwestern part of Vermont. Bakersfield shares borders with the towns of Fletcher, Fairfield, Enosburgh, Montgomery, Waterville, and Belvidere (in Lamoille County). Bakersfield is within 20 miles of St. Albans, the regional growth center, and approximately 40 miles from Burlington, Vermont’s largest city.
Fairfield
Fairfield was chartered August 18, 1763, and is the largest town in Franklin County, at 47,000 acres. It is situated about 30 miles northeast of Burlington and is bounded north by Sheldon, east by Bakersfield, south by Fletcher and Fairfax, and west by St. Albans and Swanton. The town lies in the rolling hills of northwestern Vermont. Black Creek, a tributary of the Missisquoi River, flows through it in a major valley formation. Fairfield is the birthplace of U.S. President Chester A. Arthur, who took office in 1881. Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail cuts across the northwest corner of town (for about 1/3 of a mile) from Swanton to Sheldon. Lamoille Valley Rail Trail runs parallel to the Black Creek for several miles through the villages of Fairfield and East Fairfield from Sheldon to Bakersfield. Other trails in town are the Chester A. Arthur Walking path and a walking path around the school.
Fletcher
Fletcher’s town charter was granted by Thomas Chittenden in 1781 while Vermont was still an independent republic. The town of Fletcher, located in the southeast corner of Franklin County among the western foothills of the Green Mountains, is true Vermont hill country. Fletcher shares its western border with the town of Fairfax, and the towns of Fairfield and Bakersfield lie to the north. The Franklin County line separates the town from Cambridge and Waterville, its Lamoille County neighbors to the south and east. Fletcher is one of Franklin County’s more uniquely configured towns, incorporating 38 square miles of rolling hills, valleys, bottomlands, and areas of steep and rugged terrain. The town’s topography lends much to its natural beauty, rural character, and the quality of life enjoyed by its residents.
Sheldon
Sheldon acquired considerable importance as a summer resort in the 1800s due to the town’s abundance of mineral springs. Spring water was bottled for distribution and marketed as a remedy for cancer, scrofula, and other diseases of the blood. Sheldon Springs became a mill town in 1894 when Joseph Shipley began producing ground wood pulp at the Missisquoi Mill. The ownership of the mill has changed throughout the years, but the mill remains a stable employer for the rural community. The LVRT parallels Sweet Hollow Road and travels through the village of Sheldon Springs. South of the village, trail users must cross VT 105. Always use extra caution on VT 105. Services are available in the village along VT 105.
May 9, 2023