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I have no current information on scouting right now,
but here are directions to places of interest.
These are just copied out of old files, and have nothing
to do with what's happ'nen now.
Use at your own risk, and send me corrections.
webmaster@nerflings.org
Turn at the sign onto FS road 72. Go about a mile along unpaved, but well built road. There is a right turn to the campground. On the corner is a Forest Service sign. If you go into the campground and occupy an official campsite it will cost you ten dollars per night. If there is no other car I have never had any problem parking along the access road without registering or paying. If there are many cars parked there, they may receive a visit from an official.
A few yards after the turnoff to the campground FS 72 dead-ends as an automobile road, but a snow-mobile road continues on. The trail goes about half a mile generaly north-east. It then ends as the stem of a "T", the cross bar of which is VT 7. There is a sign that points the direction of VT 7N and VT 7S. (More snowmobile trails.)
VT 7N starts out going north but gradually turns north-west and then west. After about three-quarters of a mile it goes down a steep hill and across a wooden bridge over Redfield Brook. This bridge is about ten feet wide, twenty feet long and made of several layers of two-by-eight planks; do not be confused by culverts or sticks laid across wet spots in the trail.
Turn and follow Redfield Brook downstream (north), on the right (east) side. There are some trails that make it easier to walk, but they are made by moose. Do not follow a trail if it does not go the right direction. You are likely to wind up at some moose's favorite sinkhole.
The land rises and you are walking through pine forest. After following Redfield Brook for about half a mile, Little Pond Brook joins it on the other side, and it turns to the right (east). Then it enters the Big Meadow. The Big Meadow is more than a mile long and a quarter mile wide. Did you remember to bring insect netting to cover your head? If not, you may soon hate this place. It is a bit swampy in places and at certain times of the year the black flies, horse flies, and mosquitoes are vicious and so thick that you can kill four or five with one slap, not that it will do any good.
These directions bring you to the west end of the meadow. There are certainly shortcuts from VT 7N (which goes west near its end) to the middle or eastern end of the meadow. We used such a shortcut when there was a regional Rainbow gathering there, but I have forgotten where it was.
Tropical Storm Irene washed Kelley Stand Road away in 2011, so that Branch Pond could not be reached from the west. The road reopened to traffic in September 2014, so we can get there from either direction.
From West:
Take Rt.7 to exit 3, Rt.313, near Arlington.
Take Rt.313 West about 100 yards (100m) and turn North
(right) on "South Road". Not sure of the name, but who cares,
it's not marked anyway.
About half a mile (1km) North you
reach a T, go East (right) to Kansas (really). Cross on
bridge over Rt.7 and come to another T. Turn South (right)
onto Kelly-Stand. The road winds around and you soon find
you are going East, mostly. After about 7 miles (10km) on
Kelly-Stand turn North (left) on Branch Pond Road (FS.70).
From the East:
Take I.91 to exit 2, Rt.9 in Brattleboro. Rt.9
West about 16 miles (25km) to Wilmington. North (right) on
Rt.100 in Wilmington, go about 13 miles (20km) to
Stratton-Arlington Rd, following directions from the south.
From the South:
From the intersection of Rt.9 and Rt.100 in Wilmington VT,
go to West Wardsboro VT, north via Vermont 100.
Pass Mount Show at about 8.5 miles. The turn-off is
about 13 miles north of Wilmington, and you'll be making a left turn
(heading westbound) onto Arlington-Stratton Road. That's about a mile past
Podunk (really). You won't see Podunk, but if you keep your eyes open you
might see the sign. There was a yellow house on
the corner, probably still is.
Follow the directions below once you're on Arlington-Stratton road.
From the North:
From Vermont Route 30 and 100 in Rawsonville
follow VT100 South for 4.5 miles to East Jamaica VT,
then turn right to stay on VT 100, and follow for another 4.3
miles.
In West Wardsboro, turn right onto Green Mountain Rd, follow about 500 feet onto Cross Rd, follow 0.2 miles to Arlington Stratton Road. Turn right (westward) onto Arlington-Stratton Road. — Who wrote that? Why not just turn right directly from 100 onto Arlington-Stratton?
Once you find Arlington-Stratton Road, proceed West on Arlington-Stratton road about 11 miles (17km) to FS 70. About half way there, the road passes Grout Pond, loses its pavement and changes its name to Kelly-Stand. Turn North (right) on Branch Pond Road (FS.70). The corner may not be well marked, but it is the only road going north.
FS 70, (Everybody):
Branch Pond road (FS 70) dead-ends in less than two
miles. Somewhere along its length you may begin to feel at
home. Stop there. Do not stay at the end of the road
unless you want to meet local picnickers and hikers in a
hurry.
There is good parking along the road, and several drive-in campsites.
Please park with all 4 tires completely off the traveled roadway.
[obsolete update 2013-05-05:]
From West:
Kelly Stand road no longer goes to Branch Pond.
Ignore your GPS computer, and forget what you did last year.
The bridge is out; don't even try. Get to Vermont Rt.100
and use the directions below, from North or South.
From East:
Kelly Stand road has big signs that say: "Road Closed", but in fact it goes
through as far as Branch Pond. It could use a few loads of gravel, but a
Subaru has no trouble. The bridge is out futher on. Keep going for 11 miloes
total.
From the East:
from Downtown Ithaca, New York: look for signs for 96N
and proceed 6 miles out of Ithaca on 96N, to Perry City Rd.; turn left
onto Perry City Rd., continue for 5 miles, to the Stop Sign intersection,
of Rt. 227 & 228; continue straight on Rt. 227 South, for 2 miles, until
Stillwell Rd., where you turn right; continue for 3/10 mile, until a
FORK; ***** take LEFT FORK, onto Grove Rd.; ***** continue on Grove Rd.
only one block; then turn left onto Chicken Coop Rd., and go 1 & 1/2
miles, to Voorhies Rd,; turn right onto Voorhies Rd., and go 1 mile, to
the "Back Door"; one may walk 1/2 mile into the forest on a path that
continues in the same direction as the road.
From the West:
from Watkins Glen, New York: take Rt.414,
north, along the east side of Seneca Lake for 1 & 1/2 miles, until
Rt.79, on right; turn right onto Rt.79 East, continue for 6 miles;
then, bear left onto Rt.227 North, for 3 miles, until Stillwell
Rd.; take a left onto Stillwell Rd.; continue for 3/10 mile, until
a FORK; ***** take LEFT FORK, onto Grove Rd.; ***** continue on
Grove Rd. only one block; then turn left onto Chicken Coop Rd., and
go 1 & 1/2 miles, to Voorhies Rd,; turn right onto Voorhies Rd.,
and go 1 mile, to the "Back Door"; one may walk 1/2 mile into the
forest on a path that continues in the same direction as the road.
From the East:
from Downtown Ithaca, New York: look for signs for
State Route 96 North, follow a couple turns and proceed 6 miles out of
Ithaca on 96 North, to Perry City Rd.; turn left onto Perry City Rd.,
continue for 5 miles, to the Stop Sign intersection, of Rt. 227 & 228;
continue straight on Rt. 227 South, for 2 miles, to Stillwell Rd.,
where you turn right; continue for 3/10 mile, until a FORK;
***** take LEFT FORK, onto Grove Rd.; *****
continue for 2 miles to the intersection of Bower Rd.; make a
left onto Bower Rd., and go 1 mile to "Welcome Home"...
It has been suggested to that directions to the back gate of the Ithaca
site are posted. Perhaps during the weekend of council NERFers would like
to park together somewhere other than "Front Gate". Use them as you will
and enjoy.
From the EAST:: from Downtown Ithaca, New York: look for signs for 96N and proceed 6 miles out of Ithaca on 96N, to Perry City Rd.; turn left onto Perry City Rd., continue for 5 miles, to the Stop Sign intersection, of Rt. 227 & 228; continue straight on Rt. 227 South, for 2 miles, until Stillwell Rd., where you turn right; continue for 3/10 mile, until a FORK; ***** take LEFT FORK, onto Grove Rd.; ***** continue on Grove Rd. only one block; then turn left onto Chicken Coop Rd., and go 1 & 1/2 miles, to Voorhies Rd,; turn right onto Voorhies Rd., and go 1 mile, to the "Back Door"; one may walk 1/2 mile into the forest on a path that continues in the same direction as the road.
From the WEST:: from Watkins Glen, New York: take Rt.414, north, along the east side of Seneca Lake for 1 & 1/2 miles, until Rt.79, on right; turn right onto Rt.79 East, continue for 6 miles; then, bear left onto Rt.227 North, for 3 miles, until Stillwell Rd.; take a left onto Stillwell Rd.; continue for 3/10 mile, until a FORK; ***** take LEFT FORK, onto Grove Rd.; ***** continue on Grove Rd. only one block; then turn left onto Chicken Coop Rd., and go 1 & 1/2 miles, to Voorhies Rd,; turn right onto Voorhies Rd., and go 1 mile, to the "Back Door"; one may walk 1/2 mile into the forest on a path that continues in the same direction as the road.
From North:
Go on I-290 to Exit 14. Take Grafton aka 122 south-east for
about two miles to Building 19 on left.
From East:
Take I-90 to Exit 11. Follow 122 (Grafton) north-west for
about two miles to Building 19 on right.
Everybody:
Park behind Building 19 and go up the hill into the woods (head east).
If you know this is called Perkins Farm
you don't need directions.
Here's the location of the center of the site:
41° 39' 03" N
79° 14' 56" W
Directions:
Go to Sheffield PA
One tenth of a mile from the end of Route 666 (where it meets Route 6)
there is a Uni-mart gas station.
Turn onto this road and cross over the bridge. Continue onto High St (State
Road, SR2002)and follow for 11.2 Miles to Dunham Siding. (This is the
intersections of SR2002, FS116, FS119, and FS536)
Make a left onto FS116.
Seed Camp
After turning onto FS116 make an immediate right onto FS119. Follow for 0.6
miles. You will see a gated road on the left marked "Foot Traffic Only".
This trail will lead you down to the site. Follow parking guidelines below.
Long Term Parking
Stay on FS 116 for 1.8 miles. There is a quarry on the right with room for
large vehicle parking (bus/rv parking). Car parking is available all along
FS116, follow parking guidelines below. Look for marked trails to access
the site or follow along the road detailed below for site access.
Gear drop-off locations / Live in car parking
Approximately 0.1 miles beyond the quarry there is a unnumbered road on the
right. This dead end road leads to a ridge over the site. This road is an
excellent choice for those who live in their vehicles, handicap campers, or
as a place to drop off gear to load in. This road also provides good access
for emergency vehicles so it is critical that parking guidelines be
followed. Parking only on one side, all 4 wheels off the road. Do not block
access to this road. If you are only using this access point for load in
please drop off your gear and park your car along FS116.
Parking guidelines:
Park on one side of the road only. Park with all four tires completely off
the road. Cars not parked with all four wheels of the road may be subject
to towing by the Forest Service. Do not block any roads or gates or your
car may be subject to towing.
please remember to assemble peaceably
Go to Sheffield PA, One tenth of a mile from the end of Route 666 (where it meets Route 6) there is a Uni-mart gas station. Turn onto this road and cross over the bridge. Continue onto High St (State Road, SR2002)and follow for 11.2 Miles. Make a left onto FS116. Make an immediate right onto FS119, follow for exactly 5.8 miles to FS552. Follow FS552 to parking areas.
I86 East to US62 South, follow to Warren PA. Continue on Market St 0.3 miles, Turn right at Pennsylvania Ave (US6, Business Route, West), travel 0.2 miles Turn left at Hickory St Bridge, proceed 0.1 mile, slight left at Crescent Rd, 0.4 mi, Continue very briefly (150feet) on Mohawk ave, continue onto Pleasant Drive(SR3005). Follow signs toward "Hearts Content Recreation Area" Follow Pleasant Drive for 11.1 miles. Make a left on SR2002. Keep following signs for "Hearts Content". Drive 5.8 miles, passing "Hearts Content". Make a right onto FS 116, make an immediate right onto FS119, follow for exactly 5.8 miles to FS552. Follow FS552 to parking areas.
For those who want more information, maybe you will find it in the following unverified rumors.
One tenth of a mile from the end of Route 666 (where it meets Route 6) there is a Uni-mart gas station. Turn onto this road and cross over the bridge. Continue onto High St (State Road, SR-2002) and follow for 11.2 Miles. Make a left onto FS-116 (sign says Mayburg). Make an immediate right onto FS-119, Follow 119 for exactly 5.8 miles to FS-552. Follow FS-552 to parking areas.
Once you get there, parking is on FS 552, and on the side of the roads. Make sure your vehicle is off the side of the road so you don't get a ticket.
Here is a map of the area, centered about 10 miles west of Sheffield. The big road along the Allegheny River is Highway 62. The word "Content" slightly to the right of top dead center is short for "Heart's Content".
This link has the Topo Map, Terrain, Satellite Photos of the site, the mark is on the main circle.
Granville is between Hancock and Warren along Rt 100. Forest Road 55 is about the only way to leave Granville going West.
Here's a Google map of the Granville area.Find Rochester, VT on the map. It's located on Rt 100. Go north on Rt 100, through the town of Hancock, to the village of Granville. Turn left just after the "Bowl Mill" on to West Hill Rd (also known as FS 55.) The Bowl Mill is on the left (west) side of the road. It has a sign on the side that says something like "Granville Mfg Co Inc", but there are other signs that call it the Bowl Mill.
Do not go left over the bridge. Go straight up FS 55. The first right off FS 55 goes nowhere.
Update 2013-07-06: Some road damage has been repaired and the description below is accurate. In particular, the bridge around the bend is now much bigger.Here is a: Google map of Rob Ford area
Click the left pointing triangle near the top of the left panel to get rid of it and see it all. Rob Ford is the little stub of road off the North side of W Hill Rd about half way between Patterson Brook Road and Clark Brook Trailhead. If you click the satellite view you can see the clearings on either side, which are the Rob Ford farm. The little stub of road is a bit longer than it looks on the map. It goes up to a plateau where you can turn around and look for parking, and then the road goes into the forest and becomes a hiking trail.
Do not attempt to drive into the forest!
You will not be able to turn around.
Your oil pan will be ripped off.
Update 2014-06-09: This mail came:
From: Fuzzy Bunny
Subject: Permanent(?) Closure of FR 55 past "rob ford"
Hi,After attending a council at Texas Gap this past weekend I decided to drive around to the headwaters of the white river at Granville, you may know the spot - below and just past rob ford, for a swim.
I was surprised to drive past the last camp on the road to discover a new gate that I'd never seen before about 1/4 mile before the old culvert that many of us have been swimming at for years.
I knew they were replacing the culvert a couple of years ago - but was surprised to find a new gate on the road before the replaced culvert - and signage indicating the road is basically closed to all vehicles except snow mobiles during the winter months.
Seems odd they would close a road they've recently rebuilt, but they did. FR55 is now closed about 1/4 mile before it crosses the river turns into FR101.
This means, among other things, no more driving up that road - no more potential council sites on that stretch of road, and it cuts off "back gate" access to Texas Gap. Also could mean additional area with no auto access for the purposes of gathering. So could be a good thing, or a bad thing, depending on what happens with it.
Anyway, just wanted to keep y'all informed.
loving you
| 0.0 | VT-100, Hancock Hotel |
| 2.1 | Fassett Road |
| 2.7 | Texas Falls (and Gap) |
| 5.9 | Long Trail at top of hill |
| 7.8 | FS-67, Bread Loaf, Sucker Brook |
| 8.7 | FS-59 |
| Robert Frost | |
| 10.5 | FS-32, Old Goshen Rd., Widow's Clearing |
| 15.5 | VT-7 |
Texas Falls entrance is on the north side of RT.125.
You can get there from Route 7;
turn onto RT.125 in East Middlebury just south of Middlebury.
Go about twelve miles and turn left.
Or you can come from Route 100; turn onto RT.125 in Hancock
just north of Rochester. The Hancock Hotel is on the corner.
Go about three miles and turn right.
There is a big brown sign that says Texas Falls Rec area on
the south side of Route 125.
Update 2022-08-20:
The big sign is gone, but the stone pillar
that it was on is still there. The new landmark is a small sign
on the ground on the north-east of the corner.
Update 2023-08-12: The big sign is back.
Turn north into the signs that say Texas Falls, this will be #39.
Go past the falls on the right.
In less than a mile you pass a small parking lot and the road turns
to gravel.
Proceed through the double gates,
follow about a tenth mile and bear to the right, to stay off #212.
Bear right several more times to stay on the main road,
but do not make right angled turns.
Follow a couple more miles to the end and you're home. Open fields.
Hope to see ya there.
To get to Route 100, take Interstate 89 to exit 3. Go west 2.9 miles toward Bethel on 107. Just before you get to Bethel, turn left onto 12/107 go downhill under the train tracks and across the bridge. Stay on 107 about 10.3 miles, then make a sharp right onto Rt.100. Follow that 13 miles through Rochester to Hancock. Turn left onto Rt.125 at the Hancock Hotel. Go 3.1 miles to Texas Gap Recreational area.
Here is a map and inside directions for the site
Water Spring:
There is a rumor that there is a spring in the area.
To get to the spring:
From Hancock, go South on Rt 100 to Stockbridge.
You'll see a pipe with flowing water coming out of the ground on the left side
of the road.If you get to the traffic light, you've gone too far.
From the west, traveling North or South on I-87 in New York, take Exit 20, and Hwy 4 toward Fort Ann/Whitehall and Rutland Vermont. Continue north on Hwy 7 from Rutland.
From Rutland, Go North on Hwy 7 until you reach Hwy
125. (About 30 miles, to East Middlebury.
From signage, it is 12 miles from Rutland to Brandon and 16 miles from
Brandon to Rte 125, but Rutland itself is 2 miles across.)
Turn Right onto 125 and go about 8 miles to FS 67.
From the east,
Go to the Old Hancock Hotel at the corner of 100 and 125.
To get to Route 100, take Interstate 89 to exit 3.
Go west 2.9 miles toward Bethel on 107.
Just before you get to Bethel,
turn left onto 12/107 go downhill under the train tracks
and across the bridge. Stay on 107 about 10.3 miles, then
make a sharp right onto Rt.100. Follow that 13 miles through
Rochester to Hancock. Turn left onto Rt.125 at the Hancock
Hotel. Go west on 125 for 8 miles to FS 67.
Or: Highway 4 looks like a big road on the map, but it is just two lanes and goes through several towns, but if you want to take it: from White River Junction, get on Vermont Highway 4, heading west and go about 30 miles on Hwy 4, until you reach Hwy 7 near Rutland, VT. Follow directions from Rutland, above.
Finally:
You are on 125.
Look for Forest Service Road 67 on the south side. It is also called
Brook Road. A Forest Service sign on the corner says
Sucker Brook Trail and Widows Clearing Trail.
There is also a white schoolhouse on the east side of the corner.
Turn South on FS 67.
Go 3.7 miles to find Welcome Home.
It is a Dead End road, where you can drop off gear and
supplies then turn back around and park on the Right
side of the Road. Blessed be...
Almost immediately cross a bridge over a stream. Pass several private homes and businesses. At 1.9 miles from VT-125 is Widow's Clearing.
At this time, Widow's Clearing is a gravel parking lot with room for about a dozen cars. There is FS sign that tells the story of the name, with a picture of the place in the 19th century. Despite the grim name, nobody died. A woman lived here with her children but without their father; "widow" was the polite name for the arrangement.
The original sign says "Day Use Only", but an official Forest Service addendum is screwed to the signpost and it says "14 Day Limit". Trails go off into the woods.
Forest Service Road 10 is a gravel road that goes about 13.4 miles from Little Michigan Road in the south to Danby on VT-7 in the north. Along the way there are several interesting spots including Old Job, Stonewall, and the 2016 national site.
Brackets around old directions that may be obsolete. The notation @d, where d is a decimal number, denotes a distance in miles. These are not as exact as they seem, there no tenths of miles on the first odometer we used. Some distances are computed from notes on several trips from different directions years apart. Please send updates and corrections if you go there.
From south-west: If you are coming north on VT Rt.7: Follow your map to Manchester VT. From there go 13 miles north on Rte. 7 to Danby VT.
[ You will see an antique store on your right and then a lumber yard immediately after the store. There will be a sign for Danby and Mt. Tabor after the lumber yard. ] [We didn't see a lumber yard, at the corner was a brown building with no markings and next to that a Crosby True Value Hardware.]
Now it seems to be a cement plant. No matter, there seems to be only one place in town where you can go east. Along VT-7 here are little green signs with white letters that say "MILE" and a number. I compute the turn is near MILE 46.7.
Turn right or east toward Mt. Tabor. You are now on Brooklyn Rd. also called F.S. 10. Check the odometer and call this @0.0.
From north-west: If you are coming south on Rt.7, you probably know where you are and can change the above directions to avoid actually driving the 26 miles from Danby to Manchester and back.From east: Even if you are coming from the east, consider getting to VT-7 and following the above directions. If you want to get to the south end of FS-10, Go first to Little Michigan Road. Then after 4 tenths of a mile, right onto Mt. Tabor Rd also called F.S. 10.
Directions to Little Michigan are kind of an involved mess and so have been moved to a separate page.
Forest Service 10 from North to South.
Mileages are given from the North/South. Following standard conventions, north is at the top, so if you are coming from the south read the following table from the bottom up.
Keep in mind that parking is on F.S.10 on the (right/left) side only. The left side if you're coming from Weston, or the right side coming from Danby.
| 0.5/12.9 | Mt. Tabor Town office |
| 0.9/12.5 | They seem to be building a new bridge parallel to the old one, the old bridge remains open, no problem foreseen. |
| 1.0/12.4 | Steep hairpin turns going (up/down) |
| 2.5/10.9 | Big Branch Picnic Area. |
| 3.0/10.4 | Appalachian Trail head. |
| 4.6/8.8 | FS-60 on East. |
| 5??/?? | Back door to Old Job. |
| 6.2/7.2 | FS-31 on north side of road. (2016 national site) Howdy Folks Directions |
| 6.5/6.9 | Trail to NERF 2016 site. |
| 6.6/6.8 | Just south of a small bridge, Bear right / Sharp left on FS 30 West to Old Job |
| 7.3/6.1 | Park/Camp |
| 8.1/5.3 | White Rocks recreation area |
| 9.1/4.3 | Stonewall. |
| 10.3/3.1 | FS 309 on left. Closed gate and overgrown road. |
| 12.7/0.7 | Leave/Enter Green Mountain Forest. |
Forest Service 10 from South to North.
Read the above from bottom to top.
The walk into Old Job
At the trailhead, there is (grass) parking for many cars.
Across the road the sign on the left says:
Griffith Lake 3.4
Long Trail 3.5
That was written quite a while ago. The sign may be
gone, but the distances should still be the same.
Go downhill to the north.
You have to cross the river at some point.
There is a big bridge, if it is not washed out.
Stay off the big sawdust pile. Rotting sawdust may
have void pockets that can collapse and bury you.
Somebody sent me this. What does it all mean? I don't know.
You folks with the websites might want to make a notation on your scouting pages regarding the Stonewall site. I believe, though haven't confirmed yet, that this site is now within the borders of a wilderness area. The same holds true for Granville "Bus Villiage", ie Xmas Tree meadow, although I don't see reference to it on your scouting pages.
Arrive before 10am for best results (parking lot fills up) Two and a half hours travel time from Boston
From the East - From Brattleboro take 9 West 25 miles and make a right onto Forest Road 71. This is shortly after a bridge at the bottom of a wide valley. If you're coming through Wilmington it's 5.1 miles West of where RT 100 goes north in the middle of town.
After arriving at the turn for F.S.71 from the previously stated distance from Bennington or Brattleboro. you will not see a sign for 71, but directly across from F.S.71 is a sign for another road called Sleepy Hollow Rd. Also once you get onto F.S. 71 and travel 40 ft. there is a sign for F.S.71, you just can't see it from RT.9.
From the turn off from RT 9 Continue North on Forest Road 71. At about 0.2 miles from RT.9 is a fork. To the left is a gate which may be open, but don't go there. Bear right to stay on FS 71. Searsburg reservoir and Deerfield river are on the right. Pass some small houses and a cemetary at 2.6 miles. At 4.8 miles cross a bridge over Rake Branch where there is parking for one or two cars, then at 4.9 miles, Forest Road 326 is the gated road on the left a few hundred yards after the bridge. Park on 71, hike in 1 mile on 326, cross the bridge and you're there.
Because this forest offers mostly Pine we should hope to not build too many wood fires. We probaby should cook with propane and light with candles and low watt diodes. Bicycles and wheel barrels will help with loads as the trail is flat.
Turn around at the Norton co-op and go back a short way. Earth People's Park is on the right (West) side of the road. It is not easy to see, it is just a track into an empty field. Keep going until the track goes into the woods.
You can go on either I-91 or I-93. Unless you are already in Boston, and I-93 is the only way out, think about I-91 even if it looks a bit longer, because I-495 and I-93 near Boston can turn into a traffic jam that takes hours to get through.
From I-93: Take Exit 32 in North Woodstock and go west on 112. Pass the Lost River and Wildwood Campground. Go about a mile further and turn left into Tunnel Brook Road (11.2 miles from I-93 exit).
From I-91: Take Exit 17 in Four Corners and go east on 302. Cross into New Hampshire and go through Woodsville. Continue on 302 for about five miles and turn right on 112. Follow this until it joins 116. In about a mile, 116 leaves again on the left. Continue on 112 for 0.3 miles and turn right into Tunnel Brook Road.
Tunnel Brook Road: Zero your odometer, or just remember the number. Distances are now from this point. The road starts with new asphalt paving, but turns to packed gravel at 0.7 miles. At 1.2 miles there is a gated road going up to the left. This is FR 171 (see below). At 1.4 miles the road makes a sharp right and crosses a bridge.
Immediately after the bridge is a "T". To the left is the head of Benton trail to the top of Mt. Moosilauke. There is a parking lot at the head of Benton trail with room for about ten cars. Eventually the road dead-ends in a turn-around with another hiking trail marker.
Update 2013 summer: FR700, the road to the Benton trailhead is completely gone about 150 feet past the gate. Anything about driving to the benton trailhead on the nerflings scouting page is out of date.end update
To the right, (of "T") a long poor road leads back to houses and Highway 116.
From just before the bridge, a jeep track leads up and back toward the north. It would be insane to try to drive up, so we walked. At the top of the hill the track turns to the right where it is blocked by fallen (cut) trees. Do not try to push through, but turn to the left and follow the footpath northeast for a dozen meters. The footpath gets narrow and rougher, and just before it disappears entirely, it breaks through into a greenway, which is FR 170.
To the left, FR 170 goes about 2000 ft and ends at FR 171.
To the right, FR 170 goes past the main meadow of 1993. It has two
entrances from the road, with a clump of trees in between, You can still
find the circle of stones that was the Main Circle fire. Continuing on
FR 170 you pass another meadow or two, then cross over Little Tunnel
Brook, which goes through a large culvert under the road. You may not
see it, but listen for the water. It is easy to crash through the bushes
along the side of the road to get to a more open area under the trees
where you can see and follow the brook.
Continuing on FR 170 you pass another meadow with a fire circle then get into a swampy area. There is a big meadow on the other side of the swamp, and the road seems to end there.
Remember the gated road, FR 171, going up and to the left off Tunnel Brook at 1.2 miles? It's a logging road mostly overgrown, but with twin tire tracks. It might be possible to drive up, but the gate was closed, so we walked. It goes up about as steep as a drivable road can, but soon levels out. A greenway goes off to the right, which is FR 170. The main logging road continues on. After a while it crosses a very new concrete and steel bridge over a rushing stream. We followed it for quite a while, but came to nothing else but more road.
Here is a picture from Google.
The 21st National Gathering happened there in July 2023. These are the directions to spring council, 10 June 2023, following that are scouting notes accumulated over years
From Lancaster, NH]From Berlin, NH
- Take Route 3 North, roughly 9.5 miles.
- Turn RIGHT on Route 110 and continue 17.6 miles.
- Turn RIGHT on York Pond Rd. and go 1.7 miles.
- Turn LEFT on 14 mile Loop Rd./Kilkenny Loop
From Loop Road: Continue 1.5 miles to Spring Council. Welcome Home!
- Take Route 110 North, roughly 7.3 miles
- Turn Left on York Pond Rd. and go 1.7 miles.
- Turn LEFT on 14 mile Loop Rd./Kilkenny Loop
This place may have the same problem as Moosilauke; all of the streams have signs that say "Berlin Water Supply", so they may get tense if you swim there.
From 16 in Berlin: get on 110 going north-west. It only goes north-west, but it zig-zags as it goes through town, so watch the signs. Go about seven miles and turn left onto York Pond Road.
From 3 in Groveton: go east on 110 about 14 miles to West Milan. Continue on 110 another four miles, now going south-east. Turn right onto York Pond Road.
York Pond Road is marked by a street sign, and also by a larger sign that says "Berlin fish hatchery at York Pond". Go 1.6 miles and enter the National Forest. At this point the paved road goes right while a packed gravel road (FR 15) goes to the left. On my map it looks like there is a large road that goes in a big loop, and York Pond Road is a small road. In fact, the paved road is York Pond. If you follow it you come to the Fish Hatchery.
The loop around the Ammonoosuc River is mostly FR 15, although part of it is York Pond Road. The loop is 17.7 miles long from the point at the edge of the Forest that FR 15 splits from York Pond Road, back around to the same point. I will write the milage to various land marks as L/R, where L is the number of miles if you go left on FR 15 (and so clockwise), while R is the milage if you go right on York Pond (counter-clockwise). Read from the bottom if you go left.
During the 2023 National Gathering the loop was one-way. Police were there to direct you left (read from bottom). I do not know if that was a permanent change, but I suspect that it was a temporary rule change just for our “benefit”.
Another person was up there and says:
Here's my belated scouting report. Basically I've just
expanded the previous list of spots along the road
(FR15), new additions are indicated with a * , there's
still some unexplored country up there, as indicated.
We hit the most promising spots we could find based on
analysis of aerial photography and topographical map,
but this of course doesn't mean there's not something
down those trails too. There are signs of recent
logging activity in this area, so that often opens up
new spots not existing on older photographs. Also
there's still people up there scouting so this list may
expand once again.
| 17.7/0.0 | Start at fork. |
| 17.6/0.1 | Bridge over Ammonoosuc, West Milan trail goes off to the north. |
| 17.3/0.4 | FR 105 goes west |
| 15.4/2.3 | Turn left onto FR 15. or FR 15 ends with stop sign. Turn right at "T" onto York Pond Rd. |
| 13.1/4.6 | you could park here and wander into the woods. there are a lot of little places to park, not all will be mentioned. |
| *12.9/4.8 | Easy 5-10 minute walk down to nice sized clearing. |
| 11.4/6.3 | Road goes over a bridge. Kenan Brook? |
| *10.9/6.8 | Foot travel only road, unexplored |
| *9.9/7.8 | Recent logging activity here FR223, unexplored |
| *9.6/8.1 | Logging road to the west, recent activity, a few clearings all the way up the road. ~1.5M to end. Water, small meadow. Possible potential regional site |
| 9.2/8.5 | Three large rocks block a logging road. If you park and walk in a short way, you go uphill to a large flat meadow. The view to the south reminds me of Rob Ford with a similar mountain in the distance, but to the north the land goes down. |
| *8.8/8.9 | Small clearing to the west, unexplored |
| 8.6/9.1 | There is a tapped spring on the south side of the side of the road. It is a three inch white plastic pipe at about shoulder level when you are standing on the road. It comes out of the side of the hill about ten feet from the road. Water flows out at about the rate of a garden hose. |
| 8.1/9.6 | Bridge over Ammonoosuc and trail south (to the Pond of Safety?). |
| *7.8/9.9 | Road to the east before bridge crossing, unexplored |
| *7.4/10.3 | More clearing to the east |
| *7.2/10.5 | Gated clearing to east side |
| 6.6/11.1 | Head of Landing Camp trail down to Ammonoosuc. |
| *6.0/11.7 | Clearing to east, unexplored |
| *5.4/12.3 | Gated road, unexplored. |
| 4.2/13.5 | Upper Ammonoosuc trail, not maintained. |
| *4.0/13.7 | Large campsite (boston camp) |
| *3.8/13.9 | Blue gate on west side(water supply?), Gate on East side heads toward state land |
| 3.1/14.6 | On one side a gated road into swamp.
other side road to Berlin Water Supply.
*aka "Straightline Rd" We walked down the path (to the east) opposite the water supply sign, this road is actually a maintenance road for a water pipeline that runs all the way to town. About a 1/2 mile past the bog the trail goes uphill a bit, then back down across one mile brook (you can see the pipeline as it crosses the waterway), then back up again to a few very nice clearings. Were it not for the pipeline running through here this might have some potential. Unknown how the water line would affect any potential use of the area. About a 3/4-1 miles past the clearings the National forest borders state land. |
| 2.8/14.8 | Bit of meadow, with a road out the back blocked at 100meters. |
| 2.1/15.6 | Bit of meadow. |
| 1.4/16.3 | West into gravel pit, scouts gone wild. |
| 1.2/16.4 | Bridge over nothing much. |
| 0.0/17.7 | FR 15 is a dirt road to east, branching off York Pond, the paved road to the west. |
It's in the Jackson/Intervale/North Conway Area, not actually at Mountain Pond, but I'm calling it that until it gets a better name.
Here are the coordinates, in decimal degrees (like Google maps),
in degrees and decimal minutes (like DeLorme), in degrees, minutes,
and seconds (like our grandfathers),
or in spherical coordinates and pi radians (like God):
| N 44.18057° | W 71.08240° |
| N 44° 10.834' | W 71° 4.681' |
| N 44° 10' 50" | W 71° 4' 40" |
| θ = 0.25455238π | φ = -0.394902π |
From the North: from the intersection of 16 and 302 in Glen NH follow 16/302 approximately 1 mile south to 16A. Make a left on 16A. After approximately 1/2 mile make a left onto Town Hall Road. Do not turn on Thorn Hill Road!
From the South: at the intersection of 16/302 in North Conway follow 16/302 north approximately 5 miles to 16A. Take a right onto 16A follow for approximately 1 mile, make a right onto Town Hall Road.
From either the north or south you can skip the side track that is 16A and just turn from 16 onto Town Hall Rd. At the intersections of Town Hall and 16 is a sign that says 'White Mountain Golf". At the intersection of Town Hall and 16A is a bunch of signs, one of which says "Old Field House".
Follow Town Hall Road to the end, at any forks go straight. The most confusing fork is about two and one half miles from the Town Hall turn-off. There is a sign that says "Towle"; go left here and zero your odometer.
Town Hall Road becomes Forest Road 17. Follow it to the end. Here are some landmarks along the way:
| 0.3 | Roger's Location |
| 0.6 | Houses and Heard? Rd |
| 0.9 | Open Gate. Start of National Forest |
| 1.0 | Weight limited bridge |
| 1.7 | Only you can prevent |
| 2.5 | East Branch Trail to left |
| 4.1 | Mountain Pond parking lot on right, gate in main road, probably open |
| 4.6 | Road to right with closed gate. Blank sign on tree. Swamp on right. Blank Sign road leads up to meadow. |
| 4.7 | Road to left with gate leads to Slippery Brook with bridge removed. 100ft further closed gate across road, Sign says Mt. Eastman 4.9. From here on you walk. |
| 5.? | After a nice walk, a berm across the trail draws your attention to a path leading to the right. This path gets small and winding but just before you decide to turn back, it breaks through to Blank Sign Road. |
Continue on foot north on FR17 for a few hundred yards. Walk around the second gate. After a few hundred feet there's a trailhead for the "Slippery Brook" trail on the left and just a bit further there's a very nice little clearing on the right side of the road.
Turn onto W. Stoneham Rd. Go about 1.8 miles on Stoneham Road. The road turns left, right, and then left again. Take a right onto Hut Road, just before a little bridge. After about 1.1 miles on Hut Road, the pavement ends. At 1.6 miles you pass through a Forest Service gate with a sign that says "Great Brook Trail", and enter the White Mountain forest. At about 2.0 miles there is another gate, this one probably closed. There is parking for about a twenty cars scattered near the end of Hut Road before the closed gate.
If you walk on Hut road past the closed gate you soon come to a bridge over a stream and then a fork in the road. To the right at the fork is a path, parallel to the stream, that leads up to the meadow.
There are many places to swim along Great Brook, but the biggest hole is a dirt turn-off/path on your left about a quarter mile from the end of Hut Road.
Look at Stoneham Maine on Mapquest. I can't figure out how to make a link that saves the zoom factor, so zoom in a couple of times to see Hut Road.
Take route 100 to Pittsfield, VT; the Country Store will be on the west side of Rt-100. The road, also on the west next to the store, is called (upper) Michigan Brook Rd.
Follow it 2 miles to the Town Line. There is a Parking lot on the left with room for about a dozen cars. After that the road is rough for about 1 1/2 miles to the Chittendon line, then it gets better. There are two areas on left, an open one near brook - parking. [for some reason I have written 'Stanley Tools' in here, I don't recall why]
At this point the road forks, the better road is on the left, but the one on the right goes to a stream, about 1/4 mile. Across that is a meadow, council site, etc.
Update 2013-July-06 We followed the directions above and attempted to drive through the "rough" road to the better one on the other side. We made it in a Mazda, but very slowly and we scraped bottem several times. We recommend a high-clearance vehicle. There were several places along the way for car-camping with parking and a picnic table.
When we got to the better road there were signs that said "Road Closed for Repair". At that time we looked again at the map. It seems that the good road does not go anywhere. The only way to get to it without going by the bad road is to hike about five miles along the Long Trail and then downhill for two miles.
Why the good road is closed for repair, while the only way to get to it is the bad road, we don't know, but that's the way it is.
Here is a map:
https://www.google.com/maps/@43.2532303,-72.8983374,15z
About three miles from the east end, Bingo Road goes north. It looks like a farmer's driveway, FS-154 goes off to the east — don't know what's up there; the map shows a dead end. There are six to eight disignated camp sites along Bingo Road with a limit of 10 people for 14 days.
From Rt-73, about two miles west of Bingo Road, FS-42 Chitenden Brook Road goes south up the hill. After a couple of miles there are ten closely spaced car-camping sites with an outhouse latrine. They are $10/night.
Several of the descriptions contain copies of this paragraph (with the name of the Wilderness substituted in), but several did not. I moved it here, once and for all, to save repetition. I do not know whether there is any meaning to be read from the fact that some Wilderness area descriptions did not contain this paragraph. If it is important to you, you had better do your own reseach.
The "Named Wilderness" is part of the 109 million acre National Wilderness Preservation System. This System of lands provides clean air, water, and habitat critical for rare and endangered plants and animals. In wilderness, you can enjoy challenging recreational activities like hiking, backpacking, climbing, kayaking, canoeing, rafting, horse packing, bird watching, stargazing, and extraordinary opportunities for solitude. You play an important role in helping to "secure for the American people of present and future generations the benefits of an enduring resource of wilderness" as called for by the Congress of the United States through the Wilderness Act of 1964. Please follow the requirements outlined below and use Leave No Trace techniques when visiting the "Named Wilderness" to ensure protection of this unique area.
Approximately 80% of the area is forested with northern hardwoods:
birch, beech, and maple. Thickets of small spruce dot the
area. Remnants of railroad grades and old logging roads
remain. Several species of neotropical birds, black bear, moose, deer,
pine martin and bobcat inhabit these woods. There are many marshy
areas off trail and the ecological balance is quite fragile. Take care
and be prepared for muddy trails and an intense black fly season in
the spring and early summer. Hunting opportunities for deer bring many
seasonal visitors, as do snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the
winter months.
The Bristol Cliffs Wilderness, Vermont's smallest Wilderness, takes its name from the overhanging cliffs on the huge rocky slopes within the western portion of the area. From their 1,500-foot summit, you can gaze across Champlain Valley, over Lake Champlain, and into the Adirondacks of New York. A bulge of quartzite called Devil's Pulpit, probably used by early Native American toolmakers, dominates the cliff face. The face is considered unsafe for climbing. The forest of Bristol Cliffs provides habitat for beavers, white-tailed deer, black bears, and grouse. If you're lucky, you might spot a peregrine falcon on the cliffs. Two secluded ponds, North and Gilmore, are nestled deep in the interior. Numerous streams tumble musically over low waterfalls.
The area has no established trails, and the occasional footpaths to the cliffs are faint and hard to follow. But with a map and compass in hand, you can explore the area and find one of the least visited spots in Vermont.
This wilderness was named after the late Vermont senator George D. Aiken. He was a strong advocate of preservation and a leader in securing the Eastern Wilderness Act of 1975. The Aiken Wilderness is situated on a plateau rising as high as 2,300 feet.
General conditions are wet and marshy as the ground surface of the Aiken Wilderness is covered with a great deal of water. In spring and summer, be prepared for swarming mosquitoes and black flies. Wear rubber boots and gaiters to keep your feet dry.. Beavers are very active here, chewing trees down to stumps and building dams. Brook trout live in their ponds and make for excellent fishing opportunities. Bears, moose, deer, otters, and many smaller mammals and birds share the area. Although not mountainous, this land of ponds, meadows, and brushy forest is purposely managed without established trails. Old logging roads, evident in some places, disappear quickly. Bushwhacking can be tough but worth a compass adventure.
Named after Big Branch Stream, this area provides a home for wild turkeys, beavers, and moose. Hunters track the substantial populations of white-tailed deer and black bears, while trout lure anglers to Big Branch Stream and Lake Brook. Approximately 80 percent of the forest leafs out in northern hardwoods--maple, beech, and birch--and straddles the steep slopes and summits of the Green Mountains. Red spruce, balsam fir, and hemlock pretty much fill out the rest of the trees. Elbow Swamp, a large wetland, lies on the eastern edge of the Wilderness, and hikers who intend to wander there should wear rubber boots. The weather is cool from spring through fall, followed by long, snowy winters that attract cross-country skiers.
The Appalachian Trail/Long Trail crosses the area for approximately five miles and, with side trails, allows you to explore Big Branch with numerous camping opportunities. Climbing up to Baker Peak is a rewarding view. Bring a map and compass and wander off-trail for a more vivid Vermont Wilderness experience.
The Appalachian Trail/Long Trail crosses the southern end of the Wilderness for about three miles, taking in the summits of Peru and Styles Peak, both topping 3,000 feet. Styles Peak provides the best view.
The largest of the Wildernesses in the Green Mountain National Forest, Bread loaf takes its name from Breadloaf Mountain, the highest point in the area at 3,835 feet. Within the boundaries you'll be able to climb Vermont's Presidential Range: Mounts Wilson, Roosevelt, Cleveland, and Grant. Although evidence of past logging operations can still be seen, the forest is slowly regenerating and numerous wildlife species take cover in these cutover sections. Moose and black bears live here in considerable numbers. Breadloaf contains the headwaters of the New Haven and White Rivers, both well stocked with small brook trout. The Norske Trail provides a primitive cross country ski or snow shoe experience.
The Glastenbury Wilderness is northeast of Bennington, beginning just north of Route 9. Seen from Route 7, the area possesses a massive and beautifully wild ridgeline that dominates the landscape to the east. Despite the area's proximity to Bennington, it is quiet and remote. The forestland and extensive stands of mature beech trees provide critical black bear habitat, and claw-marked beech trees are a common sight demonstrating the presence of bears throughout the area. The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department has identified Glastenbury as a region "supporting relatively high densities of cub-producing females, and an area containing critical habitats necessary to bear survival." The rich forest habitat of the Glastenbury area is home to a wide variety of birds. The presence of Bicknell's thrush (designated in Vermont as rare and of special concern) has been documented as well as Swainson's thrush, yellow-rumped warbler, Cape May warbler, winter wren, dark-eyed junco, and white-throated sparrow. Glastenbury offers extensive opportunities for backcountry recreation. The hilly terrain of the area includes several summits surpassing 2,000 feet. More than fifteen miles of trails offer access to hikers, snowshoers, and cross-country skiers. The Long Trail/Appalachian Trail crosses the entire area from north to south by an old fire tower on the top of Glastenbury Mountain. Hell Hollow Brook, in the southern edge of the area, contributes to the public water supply of Bennington. The township of Glastenbury is almost entirely National Forest, but for much of the last one hundred years it was owned by one family. The timber magnate Trenor W. Park passed Glastenbury along to his grandson, Hall Park McCullough, whose grandson, Trenor Scott, sold most of his holdings to the Forest Service. A century ago, Glastenbury was completely clearcut to supply vast quantities of charcoal to the iron industry in nearby Shaftsbury and Troy, New York. Glastenbury is now a rich mosaic of balsam fir, red spruce, white and yellow birch, beech, and mountain ash. It is interspersed with patches of ferns, raspberries, blackberries, bluebead lily, and dwarf dogwood. It now supports mature forest northeast of Bennington, beginning just north of Route 9. Seen from Route 7, the area possesses a massive and beautifully wild ridgeline that dominates the landscape to the east. Despite the area's proximity to Bennington, it is quiet and remote.
The Joseph Battell Wilderness is located in the northern half of the Green Mountain National Forest, just south of the Breadloaf Wilderness. There are five mountains in the area with altitudes exceeding 3,000 feet: Monastery Mountain, Worth Mountain, Romance Mountain, Mount Horrid, and Philadelphia Peak.
The area is a rare ecological gem. It contains many patches of large,
mature northern hardwoods, the longest section of roadless and
trailless ridgeline on the Green Mountain National Forest, and the
headwaters of Bingo Brook, one of the most pristine, high-quality
trout streams in Vermont.
Because of its remoteness, the area provides critical habitat for black bear. In addition, 17 rare, threatened, and endangered plant and animal species have been identified on Mount Horrid alone.
Much of this wilderness was earmarked to be forever wild long before it was acquired by the Forest Service. The core of the area - Monastery Mountain to Worth Mountain to Romance Mountain - was bequeathed as a "park" to Middlebury College by Joseph Battell in 1915. In his will, Battell directed the trustees of these lands to "preserve as far as reasonably may be the forests of said park, and neither to cut nor permit to be cut thereon any trees whatsoever except such as are dead or down and such as it may be necessary to cut in making and repairing needful roads; it being a principal object of this [will] to preserve intact such wild lands as a specimen of the original Vermont forest."
Middlebury sold nearly all of Battell's lands to the Forest Service in the 1930s and 1950s. Despite Battell's intentions, the college sold the lands without restrictions. It was the sale of these very lands that prompted the Federal government to create the northern unit of the Green Mountain National Forest.
In a few areas some exceptions allowing the use of motorized equipment
or mechanical transport are described in the special regulations in
effect for a specific area. Contact the Forest Service office or visit
the websites listed on the 'Links' tab for more specific
information.
These general prohibitions have been implemented for all national forest wildernesses in order to implement the provisions of the Wilderness Act of 1964. The Wilderness Act requires management of human-caused impacts and protection of the area's wilderness character to insure that it is "unimpaired for the future use and enjoyment as wilderness." Use of the equipment listed as prohibited in wilderness is inconsistent with the provision in the Wilderness Act which mandates opportunities for solitude or primitive recreation and that wilderness is a place that is in contrast with areas where people and their works are dominant.
The following wilderness regulations are in effect for this area. Not all regulations are in effect for every wilderness. Contact the Forest Service office or visit the websites listed on the 'Links' tab for more specific information about the regulations listed.
Here are LINKS taken from elsewhere to great scouting information on other sites
This is my default map site. Google is your friend.
This is a pretty good one, It had Forest Service Road numbers that Google didn't, but it doesn't seem to show streams at all.
Topozone seems to require a login, maybe money.
TerraServerUSA - Topos and Aerial Photography, easily switch back and forth between the two (great for scouting!)
USGS - The mother of all US mapping sites on the net. Place multiple map overlays and build you own custom maps. (Contains most extensive trail and logging road maps I've been able to find). Nice, lots of data, but slow.
This was so slow, due to displaying a new advertisement every time you click the mouse, that I quit trying to get a map out of it. Maybe someone else will be able to get something out of it.
Also interesting to keep track of for scouting
purposes is the FS's schedule of proposed action (SPA):
For instance it looks like public scoping will be happening regarding
wildlife opening maintenance (ie, meadows) so we might expect some
brush clearing this fall or next spring.
Finally if you have a lot of spare time you can read the FS's Forest plan revision and related documents. Some of it is flat out boring but I've learned a lot:
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