Inclusive Recreation

Ballard Pond Finger Lakes National Forest

Ballard Pond on a foggy spring day. USDA Forest Service photo.

National Forests are for everyone. On the Green Mountain & Finger Lakes National Forests, and throughout the Eastern Region, we’re looking at recreation through many lenses to help all users feel welcome. We’re thinking about users with different mobility requirements, different comfort levels, and different desires. We’re thinking about solo versus group travelers as well as those with years of experience versus those just dipping their toes in new outdoor adventures. “Inclusive recreation” means “do-able” with respect to all of these factors.

Not every recreation area can accommodate every need; we’re always working to balance modern amenities with the natural “wildness” that is expected of your National Forests. However, with over 400,000 acres on the Green Mountain National Forest and 16,000 acres on the Finger Lakes National Forest, we like to think there’s a little something for everyone.

Sites Featuring Accessible Amenities

View from the boardwalk at Robert Frost Interpretive Trail. USDA Forest Service photo.

A picnic table at the Backbone Horse Camp. USDA Forest Service photo.

Chittenden Brook Hut Green Mountain National Forest

The ramp leading to the Chittenden Brook Hut. USDA Forest Service photo.

We recognize that what is “accessible” for one, may not quite meet the needs of another. We offer a range of experiences from boardwalk trails designed to meet national accessibility guidelines to trails with a rocky, uneven surface – and even those in-between that have a firm and stable dirt surface. Our recreation sites include campgrounds with accessible site amenities as well as day use areas that offer universally accessible restrooms, overlooks and fishing piers. Accessible is not a blanket term for what to expect at every accessible site, but we’ve compiled a list of sites with accessible features to help every visitor decide which sites meet their individual needs. We hope it helps in finding the sites that are right for you!

Our friends at the Green Mountain Club have also compiled a list of Accessible Trails around Vermont.

Remember, weather conditions can vary, and many sites are not “accessible” to anyone once enough snow falls.

Site Name	Accessible Amenities	Additional Information
Backbone Horse Camp	Restroom, Horse Camping	Open Season: Memorial Day through November Campsites feature accessible picnic tables and fire rings as well as hardened, flat camping surfaces. Non-potable hydrant for livestock; Site fee.
Blueberry Patch Campground	Camping, Restroom, Picnic Area	Open Season: Memorial Day through November Campsites feature accessible picnic tables and fire rings as well as hardened, flat camping surfaces. Blueberry picking in season; Site fee.
Potomac Group Campground	Group Camping, Restroom	Open Season: Year-Round; Limited Winter Management Campsites feature accessible picnic tables and fire rings as well as hardened, flat camping surfaces. Contains short, accessible pathways with hardened, native surface. Future accessible trail construction planned. Reservations Accepted; Site fee.
Ballard Pond	Fishing, Wildlife Viewing	Open Season: Year-Round Hardened, graveled surface; access to pond views and fishing 0.1 mile.

Site Name	Accessible Amenities	Additional Information
Chittenden Brook Campground	Camping, Restroom, Rental Cabin	Open Season: Year-Round; Limited Winter Management Identified accessible campsites feature accessible picnic tables, fire rings and tent pads. Note: tent pad renovations planned; some exhibit a height gap (<6"). Cabin designed to comply with Architectural Barriers Act including sleeping quarters, living areas and meal-prep areas. Reservations Accepted; Maximum RV Access = 18"; Site fee.
Chitty Bang Bang Trail	Biking, Hiking	Open Season: Year-Round; Limited Winter Management Trail is built to accommodate adaptive mountain bikers and is located adjacent to Chittenden Brook Campground as well as Vermont Huts’ ADA accessible Chittenden Brook Hut.
Moosalamoo Campground	Camping, Restroom	Open Season: Memorial Day - Columbus Day Identified accessible campsites feature accessible picnic tables, fire rings and tent pads. Hand pump water source planned for 2023 replacement to meet accessible standards. Reservations Accepted; Site fee.
Silver Lake Campground	Camping, Restroom	Open Season: Year-Round; Limited Winter Management Campsites feature accessible picnic tables and fire rings as well as hardened, flat camping surfaces. Access to campground via a gated service road that exceeds grade and does not meet accessible standards. Reservations Accepted; Access via 0.6 mile trail hike or 1.5 mile road hike/bike; Site fee.
Bingo Brook	Camping, Hiking	Open Season: Year-Round; Limited Winter Management Campsites feature accessible picnic tables and fire rings as well as hardened, flat camping surfaces.
Robert Frost Wayside	Restroom, Hiking, Picnic Area, Interpretive Site	Open Season: Year-Round Accessible pathways lead to multiple accessible picnic tables. Site contains over a mile of accessible trail, including a boardwalked loop and a native surface loop. Limited braille signage installation planned for 2023. Boardwalked overlook; Blueberry picking in season.
Warren Falls	Hiking, Picnic Area, Viewpoint	Open Season: May - December Boardwalked overlook accessed via a short (0.1 mile), native-surfaced hardened trail; Accessible picnic table located adjacent to parking area.
Texas Falls	Restroom, Hiking, Picnic Area, Viewpoint	Open Season: Year-Round Accessible pathways lead to multiple accessible picnic tables. Accessible upgrades planned for 2023 construction to provide pathways and overlooks. Pavilion Reservations Accepted.
Lefferts Pond Area	Restroom, Fishing, Viewpoint	Open Season: Year-Round Hardened, graveled surface; access to pond views 0.1 mile Accessible upgrades planned for 2023 construction to provide pathways and overlooks. New accessible fishing access area planned for 2023 construction.
CCC Camp	Hiking, Wildlife Viewing, Viewpoint, Interpretive Site, Historic Site	Open Season: Year-Round Accessible pathway provides access to stream overlook and multiple interpretive signs. Hardened, graveled surface; access to overlook 0.1 mile.
Voter Brook Overlook	Hiking, Picnic Area, Viewpoint, Wildlife Viewing	Open Season: May - December Accessible pathway provides access to overlook and interpretive signage. Hardened, graveled surface; access to overlook 0.1 mile.

Site Name	Accessible Amenities	Additional Information
Hapgood Pond Recreation Area	Camping, Restroom, Hiking, Picnic Area, Shower, Fishing	Open Season: Memorial Day to Columbus Day Campsites feature accessible picnic tables and fire rings as well as hardened, flat camping surfaces. Campground has accessible potable water spigots. Accessible pathway to bath house and grassy areas. Bath house contains zero-threshold shower access. Improvements to restore/improve accessibility at fishing access area planned for 2024 construction. Contains short, accessible pathways with hardened, native surface. 2024-2025 accessible trail construction planned. Campsite and Pavilion reservations accepted; Site fee.
Grout Pond Recreation Area	Camping, Restroom, Hiking, Rental Cabin	Open Season: Year-Round; Limited Winter Management Campsites feature accessible picnic tables and fire rings as well as hardened, flat camping surfaces. Access path to individual sites planned for 2024-2025 accessible improvements. Current native surface exhibits some rutted, soft areas when wet. Cabin designed to comply with Architectural Barriers Act including sleeping quarters, living areas and meal-prep areas. Contains short, accessible pathways with hardened, native surface. 2024-2025 accessible trail construction planned. Hand pump water source planned for 2023 replacement to meet accessible standards. Reservations Accepted; Site fee.
Greendale Campground	Camping, Restroom	Open Season: Year-Round; Limited Winter Management Campsites feature accessible picnic tables and fire rings as well as hardened, flat camping surfaces. Winter access via snow trail; Site fee.
Somerset Airfield	Restroom	Open Season: Year-Round; Limited Winter Management
Big Branch Overlook	Restroom, Picnic Area	Open Season: May - December

Beginner Friendly Hikes

Walking the boardwalk to Thundering Falls. USDA Forest Service photo.

Never hiked a day in your life? Been hiking all your life but slowly recovering from an injury? Used to hike often until the little one came along, now you’ve got tiny legs to account for? Or maybe your puppy isn’t exactly a puppy anymore and could use a flatter hike? These trails are 5 miles or less round-trip and under 500 ft elevation change. Keep in mind, not all beginners are ready for 5 miles and what is not steep to some may be trouble for others. It’s important to be aware of your own abilities, to plan a trip with the least experienced member of your party in mind, and to TURN BACK if you need to. Like most things in life, it’s about the journey, not the destination…and we’ve all had to turn back before!

Site Name	Approx. Round-trip Length	Approx. Max Elevation Change	Potential Obstacles
Burnt Hill Trail	5 miles	134 feet	Some muddy spots found during the wet times, tree roots and rocks in the trail surface.
Ravine Trail	1.5 miles	280 feet	Can also get steep in some spots but the trail surface is solid, though its skinny in places and does have numerous tree roots in the trail.
South Slope Trail	1.5 miles	N/A	Probably one of the easier sections, though the trail surface can be muddy, and it does have a couple of un-improved creek crossings.

Site Name	Approx. Round-trip Length	Approx. Max Elevation Change	Potential Obstacles
Lefferts Pond Area	Varies	250 feet	Grade exceeds accessible standards after approximately 0.3 miles. Firm, stable surface for approximately 0.7 miles with potential for small rocks. Improvements funded for 2024 to meet Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines and to construct accessible fishing overlook.
Goshen Trail	1.2 miles	270 feet	Be mindful of wet or slippery conditions at times.
Robert Frost Interpretive Trail	1.2 miles	30 feet	Be mindful of wet or slippery conditions at times.
Sucker Brook Trail	2.5 miles	380 feet	Be mindful of wet or slippery conditions at times.
Texas Falls Nature Trail	1.2 miles	70 feet	Grade exceeds accessible standards in many locations. Expect sections with loose gravel material and >1” gap between the native tread surface and some wooden structures. Trail includes multiple steps throughout.
Thundering Falls	900 feet	N/A	When ground conditions are wet, may encounter one small (< 2 foot) section that is soft and / or rutted. Potential gravel washout leaving approximate 1” gap between the native tread surface and the destination platform that overlooks the falls.

Site Name	Approx. Round-trip Length	Approx. Max Elevation Change	Potential Obstacles
Greendale Loop	4 miles	260 feet	Be mindful of wet or slippery conditions at times.
Griffith Lake from FR 58	4 miles	217 feet	Be mindful of wet or slippery conditions at times.
Grout Pond Recreation Area	Varies	N/A	When ground conditions are wet, trail can be soft and / or rutted. Improvements funded for 2024 to harden surface and meet Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines.
Hapgood Nature Trail	1 mile	33 feet	Be mindful of wet or slippery conditions at times.
Little Pond Trail	5 miles	340 feet	Be mindful of wet or slippery conditions at times.
Little Rock Pond Trail	4 miles	350 feet	Be mindful of wet or slippery conditions at times.

Scenic Drives

Forest Service Road 10 on the Manchester District in the fall. USDA Forest Service photo.

North Half of the Green Mountain National Forest:

Bingo Road: Unpaved Forest Service Road 42 is located 4.5 miles west of Rochester, off State Route 73. This country road meanders along a stream and offers the visitor a variety of opportunities to stop and enjoy nature.

Brandon Gap: East to west excursions along State Route 73 tantalize the visitor to stop for a picnic lunch or go for a walk along a cold mountain stream as the road winds in and around the rural Vermont countryside. Located just east of Brandon Gap, situated at the base of the 800-foot Great Cliff of Mt. Horrid, is the Mt. Horrid observation site. This spot provides views of the Great Cliff and a vantage point overlooking a large working beaver pond.

Lincoln Gap Road: This scenic drive, west of Warren, shows the traveler scenes of rural Vermont as it takes you up and over the Green Mountain range. Extending from Warren to Lincoln, this road is not recommended for trailers as it is a steep and winding road. (Closed in winter)

Robert Frost Memorial Drive: This Scenic Highway, Vermont State Route 125, extends from Hancock to East Middlebury, over Middlebury Gap. This route allows the motorist to savor the natural beauty that was the inspiration for some of Robert Frost’s poetry. Along the way, you may wish to stop at the Robert Frost Wayside picnic area and Interpretive Nature Trail on the west side of Middlebury Gap. On the east end of Middlebury Gap, you will find the Texas Falls observation site and picnic area. This site contains a scenic waterfall, a nature trail, and a picnic area.

White River Road: Forest Road 55 in Granville is off of Vermont State Route 100. This road wanders along the White River, taking you back several miles into the surrounding hills. Many streams and fields offer scenic views.

South Half of the Green Mountain National Forest:

Danby-Mount Tabor Road: This road is also known as Forest Road 10 and it travels east from Danby / Mt. Tabor over the Green Mountains to the Peru / Londonderry area. Along this road, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930’s, there are several vistas and a picnic area, the Big Branch Day Use Area. Plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities can be found traveling along this forested road. (Closed in winter).

Forest Road 58: Follow Mad Tom Notch Road, Forest Road 21, up into the Green Mountain National Forest from the town of Peru. Turning right onto Forest Road 58 takes the traveler higher into the mountains, affording a fine view of the Manchester Valley.

Kelley Stand Road: This gravel road runs east and west from West Wardsboro to Arlington, Vermont through the Green Mountain range. Near the Arlington side it follows and crosses over the Roaring Branch River numerous times. Watch for signs for several other attractions along this road. (Closed in winter).

Molly Stark Trail: This Scenic Highway, Vermont State Route 9, between Bennington and Wilmington, Vermont, is bordered on both sides by National Forest. Enjoyable views of the area can be seen in numerous spots along the way. Watch for signs for Woodford State Park and Somerset Reservoir.

Somerset Road: This road is also known as Forest Road 71 and it provides access to Somerset Reservoir from State Route 9. It meanders along the Deerfield River. Turning left, staying on FR 71, leads north to the Kelley Stand Road (see above). This forest road travels through the woods and offers plenty of wildlife viewing opportunities, such as Shep Meadows, an old beaver pond where moose can sometimes be observed.