Brewster Uplands

Location Cambridge, VT
Acreage 634
Protected Since 2006
Featured Recreation Land

Farms and trails unite beauty and public good

Brewster Uplands illustrates what is possible when we invest in both land and people. The property’s stunning forests and farms invite a relationship between visitors and the natural landscape.

The over ten miles of free public recreation trails — which now include the mile-long, accessible Pond Loop Trail — take visitors along the beautiful Brewster River and gorge to the west, as well as to vistas of Mt. Mansfield and the northern Green Mountains to the east. The property also hosts a vegetable farm and a local school’s sustainable agriculture program.

View (opens in a new tab) on Google Maps.
Visit this property.

The trails at Brewster Uplands welcome you

Originally inspired by the carriage roads of Acadia National Park, the trails at Brewster Uplands are generally broad and spacious, making them attractive for hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and cross-country skiing in the winter. The Bryans devoted years to developing a trail network for the community to enjoy. Today, Brewster Uplands expands on that vision with the newly accessible Pond Loop Trail.

The Pond Loop Trail

The Pond Loop Trail is a one-mile accessible trail that winds through an alder swamp and past vernal pools. Plant species along the trail include many ferns (royal, bracken, cinnamon, and sensitive fern), creeping snowberry, bunchberry, lady’s slipper, and mad-dog skullcap. Visitors will find benches every quarter mile along the trail, and at the pond overlook, to rest and enjoy the scenery.

The loop and trailhead parking area were recently upgraded to meet ADA requirements and U.S. Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines. Improvements were completed in partnership with local residents, the Cambridge Trails Committee, and several other statewide partners.

The Alden Bryan Brewster River Trail

The Alden Bryan Brewster River Trail is a 3.8-mile trail that meanders south through hemlock forest along the tranquil Brewster River, where there are opportunities to view the river and its cascades (and get in!).

Take note of the short spur trail that goes to the Brewster River Falls. It’s a great spot for a picnic.

Beyond the falls, the trail continues as an out-and-back along the river with a turnaround at private property. The southern sections of the trail connect with the Midlands Mountain Bike Trails of the Brewster River Mountain Bike Club and trails managed by the Cambridge Trails Committee that run south along the river to the Smugglers Notch Resort trails. You can access these sections of the trail from Clif Reynolds Road.

The West Farm Trail

The West Farm Trail is a 1.2-mile path that takes visitors through northern hardwood forest and along the edge of a hemlock-balsam-fir-black ash seepage swamp. This trail is striking in every season, occasionally emerging from the forest to open fields and stunning views of Mt. Mansfield.

Please note that the two farms on the property are not open to public recreation.

A place where you can find peace

At the northern end of the property, the Loggers’ Loop Trail network explores the quieter backwoods of Brewster Uplands. This trail network follows the corridors of former logging roads. Upgrades improved flood resilience and trail surfaces, making the trails more durable and better suited for year-round use. The network includes the Canyon Road Trail (0.3 miles), Loggers’ Loop Trail (2.2 miles), the Loggers’ Loop Shortcut (0.3 miles), and the Loggers’ Loop Spur (0.3 miles). Visitors are encouraged to explore this less-traveled area to experience a wilder side of the property.

Visiting Brewster Uplands

Public Access
Dogs Allowed On Leash
Parking

With over ten miles of trails, a gorgeous river, and scenic views of Mount Mansfield and the Greens, Brewster Uplands is a destination for you and your family. And our mile-long Pond Loop Trail and trailhead parking are accessible and ADA-compliant.

The land is open during daylight hours.

Email us with questions

Dogs must be leashed at all times; please clean up after your pet.
Park only in designated areas.
All trail are open to hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing, unless otherwise designated.
Travel at a safe speed; be courteous of others regardless of speed or skill level. Groups should travel single-file when approaching others
Stay on trails. Avoid widening the trails when conditions are muddy.
Do not disturb wildlife. Please note that northern sections of the Alden Bryan Brewster River Trail are closed December 15-April 15 to preserve the area as winter deer habitat.
No motorized vehicles allowed on trails.
This land supports active farms. Please stay off farm fields and away from equipment, fences, and buildings.
Please carry in and carry out all trash.
No alcohol allowed.
Please read and respect any signs you see directing uses or activities. Travel is at your own risk.
Wear blaze orange during hunting seasons.

Directions below lead to the main entrance of Brewster Uplands. Find additional directions in the next section on this page, “Where to Park.”

From the north: Traveling south on VT-108 towards Smugglers Notch,* you’ll reach the village of Jeffersonville. After half a mile, just past the house on the left with the old water mill, bear left onto Canyon Road. Continue through the Grist Mill Covered Bridge (you’ll see a sign welcoming you to Brewster Uplands on the right). See next section for parking information.

From the south: From Stowe and Smugglers Notch, head north downhill on VT-108 towards Jeffersonville.* As you approach the village, there is a very sharp right onto Canyon Road just before the house with the water mill. Only cars with a tight turning radius should attempt this turn. Otherwise, continue for half a mile to the village, then turn around and head back up VT-108 so you can make an easier left turn onto Canyon Road. Continue through the Grist Mill Covered Bridge (you’ll see a sign welcoming you to Brewster Uplands on the right). See next section for parking information.

*Please note: Smugglers Notch is closed all winter—as early as October and as late as May some years. There is no route from Stowe north on 108 when the Notch is closed.

There are five parking lots that serve different parts of the Brewster Uplands property.

Canyon Road

To access the Alden Byran Brewster River Trail from Canyon Road, please use the Brewster River Park lot. The lot is on the right, immediately before the Grist Mill Covered Bridge. Parking is not allowed on Canyon Road.

West Farm Road

From Canyon Road, turn right on West Farm Road. There are two parking lots on West Farm Road.

The lower lot is 200 feet from the intersection with Canyon Road. This lot includes a short climb up to the Pond Loop Trail. You can also access the West Farm Trail by crossing West Farm Road and climbing a staircase. Find the Loggers Loop Trails by following West Farm Road back to Canyon Road.

The upper lot is 400 feet from the intersection with Canyon Road. This lot is fully ADA-accessible, offers an ADA-accessible toilet, an accessible trailhead for the Pond Loop Trail, and a flatter, stair-free route to the West Farm Trail by crossing West Farm Road and following the edge of the field.

Junction Hill Road

You can access the Loggers’ Loop Trail network at the northern end of Brewster Uplands from the Junction Hill Road parking lot.

Driving on VT-108 from the south,* turn right on Edwards Road, 0.6 miles past the Smugglers Notch Resort. After 0.2 miles, veer left onto Clif Reynolds Road. After 0.9 miles, Clif Reynolds Road becomes Junction Hill Road. Continue for another 0.9 miles, then turn right to stay on Junction Hill Road. Continue for 0.5 miles to the parking lot on the left.

Driving on VT-108 from the north,* take the first exit on the roundabout to get on VT-15. In 0.9 miles, turn right on Junction Hill Road. Continue for 0.7 miles to the parking lot on the right.

Clif Reynolds Road

From the Clif Reynolds Road parking lot, access the two southern portions of the Alden Bryan Brewster River Trail. Driving on VT-108,* turn onto Edwards Road (from the south, a right turn; from the north, a left turn). Just before the intersection with Clif Reynolds Road, you will see a parking lot on your left.

This parking lot is also used for the Midlands Mountain Biking Trail, managed by the Brewster River Mountain Biking Club. To continue north on the Alden Bryan Brewster River Trail, use the trail that leaves directly from the parking lot. To continue south on the Alden Bryan Brewster River Trail along the river, walk east from the parking lot on Edwards Road past Martell’s Restaurant and you’ll see the trailhead on your left.

*Please note: Smugglers Notch is closed all winter—as early as October and as late as May some years. There is no route from Stowe north on 108 when the Notch is closed.

Trail maps can be found at the Canyon Road, West Farm Road and Junction Hill Road trailheads. You can also download and print one before you go. Click here to download a georeferenced PDF trail map and here to view winter-specific trail closures.

Download Trail Map

Brewster Uplands has been a popular hunting destination for generations. The property is posted for hunting “by permission only”.

The Brewster Uplands Story

Artists Alden (1913-2001) and Mary (1906-1978) Bryan moved to Brewster Uplands in 1939. The property sustained two dairy farms that had already been in use for over a hundred years, as well as an 18^th-century one-room schoolhouse (pictured).

A gift to VLT and the community

The land has long been admired for its natural beauty. The Brewster River runs along its western border. Further east, hardwood forests open up to incredible views of Mt. Mansfield and the northern Green Mountains.

Over several generations, the Bryan family nurtured the property, tending the working landscape and developing an extensive trail network.

In 2006, the family generously donated the Brewster Uplands Conservation Trust property to VLT for all to enjoy.

Becoming a community farm

Today the two historic dairy farms on the land are used in new ways.

Farmer Angus Baldwin owns and operates West Farm, a diversified vegetable farm.

VLT leases Robtoy Farm to the Green Mountain Technology & Career Center. Teacher Sam Rowley manages a beef cattle herd and oversees the school’s Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems program.

Please note that both properties are active working farms and are not open to public recreation. Please stay on marked trails when visiting Brewster Uplands.

We hope you get to visit

We maintain trails for year-round public recreation. Visitors can see (and get in!) the river, walk through hemlock woods, view wildlife at ponds and wetlands, and take in the scenery of the surrounding mountains.

Decades of stewardship by the Bryan family, and more recently, VLT and partners, have protected Brewster Uplands as a vital community resource. Whether traversing the land, learning from it, or savoring the food it produces, people are an integral part of Brewster Uplands’ present and future.

Meet the farmers

Providing healthy food for the community and education for the next generation of farmers, West Farm and Robtoy Farm both call Brewster Uplands their home.

Sam Rowley, Robtoy Farm

Sam Rowley is an instructor for the Green Mountain Technology & Career Center. The center leases Robtoy Farm for its Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems program.

As a teacher, Sam offers high school students hands-on agricultural experience. He teaches them to harvest, package, and sell vegetables back to the community (the center’s culinary program is a frequent buyer).

Students work with foresters and learn to fell trees as part of Brewster Upland’s forest management plan. They also care for the farm’s animals and fields and educate elementary students who visit the property on field trips each fall.

Rotational grazing is improving the farm's soil

When he’s not teaching, Sam spends his time making improvements to the land and overseeing Robtoy’s younger charges: a small herd of beef cattle, several chickens, and a gang of friendly goats.

He employs rotational grazing, moving the cattle between paddocks every 24 hours so that fields aren’t overgrazed. This type of farming improves grass and herd health and restores soil quality.

After Sam designed the grazing system, a high-tensile electric fence was installed around and between the paddocks. The system also allows Sam to quickly provide water to the herd at each station.

“It’s been really cool to watch the pasture go from a beat-down hayfield to an incredibly lush pasture, full of life and diversity, that the cows are thriving on,” he says.

It’s a lot of work to keep an experiential farm running the way Sam wants. His goal is to inspire students to get into agriculture.

“Vermont has a great capacity to feed our population and our neighbors,” he says. “The only way to do that is to spark some interest in the people who live here.”

Angus Baldwin, West Farm

Just down the road from Robtoy, Angus manages West Farm with his partner Holly Simpson.

Like Sam at Robtoy Farm, Angus is interested in improving the land and making it a better functioning system. Both farmers offer real-world examples of how to farm in a way that benefits people, plants, animals, and soil quality for generations to come.

While Angus acknowledges that these methods increase the cost of food, he also points out that they reduce the long-term negative impacts of conventional farming.

“We need to reevaluate what food is,” he says. “Food is health. It’s a component of healthcare, well-being, and the health of the community.”

Brewster Uplands

Farms and trails unite beauty and public good

The trails at Brewster Uplands welcome you

The Pond Loop Trail

The Alden Bryan Brewster River Trail

The West Farm Trail

A place where you can find peace

Visiting Brewster Uplands

Hours & Contact

Recreation Rules & Guidelines

Directions

Where to Park

Trail Map

Hunting Info

The Brewster Uplands Story

A gift to VLT and the community

Becoming a community farm

We hope you get to visit

Meet the farmers

Sam Rowley, Robtoy Farm

Rotational grazing is improving the farm's soil

Angus Baldwin, West Farm

You might also want to visit....

Bluffside Farm

Isham Family Farm

King Farm

Pratt Refuge

Let Us Find the Best Person to Contact

Your Local Representative

Dan Kilborn

Dan Kilborn