Barre Town Forest

Location Barre Town, VT
Acreage 355
Protected Since 2013
Featured Recreation Land

A recreation destination rich with history and scenery

The Barre Town Forest is unique among Vermont town forests for its post-industrial landscape of former granite quarries, the ponds created by them, the piles of leftover granite, and the immigrant history tied to quarrying here.

Once a denuded landscape, the land has returned to woods and nature. There are around 20-miles of maintained trails used for walking, skiing, mountain biking and more. Other ways to enjoy the land include fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and disc golf.

The creation of this town forest was led by residents and the Trust for Public Land. Trails are managed by the Barre Town Recreation Committee, the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, and the Millstone Trails Association. 355 acres of the 381-acre forest are conserved with the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board.

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Millstone Hill: Where Barre’s granite industry got its start

Littlejohn Road, which bisects the town forest, was built over an east–west Native American trail in what is now Vermont. It became the route European colonists used to get to the area.

In the 1790s, one of the road’s early settlers was the first person in Barre to use the granite deposits for commercial purposes. He made millstones, which is why the area is called Millstone Hill today.

The first significant order for Millstone Hill granite went to the construction of the Vermont State House in the 1830s.

Despite these early commercial successes, most of the land was used for farming until the 1870s. However, when the “Sky Route” railroad was completed, quarrying took off.

By 1900 there were 70 quarries in Barre and virtually every tree was removed from this property. Over time, most of the land was reconsolidated, with Rock of Ages as the owner.

The quarries on the future town forest were later abandoned, and trees grew again.

Creating Barre Town Forest

Before the town forest, there was a long history of public use. A nonprofit snowmobiling club has maintained trails on Millstone Hill for over 50 years. In the early 2000s, mountain biking enthusiasts started building trails.

The mountain bikers formed the Millstone Trails Association and worked with Rock of Ages and the Trust for Public Land to create a town forest. In 2010, Barre voters approved moving the project forward. And, in 2013, The Trust for Public Land helped the town buy the 355-acre forest.

The land was conserved with the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board at that time. We make sure that the land remains open for recreation, that development is prevented, and the ecological features such as three vernal pools and wetland areas are well cared for.

Funding came from the Town of Barre, the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board, the Vermont Recreation Trails Grant Program, the Open Space Institute, the federal Community Forest Program, the Millstone Trails Association, and many other foundations and donors.

A land both wild and tamed

Over 25 abandoned quarries, many rock piles, and other evidence of an industrial past can be found across the forest.

Some industrial infrastructure remains as well, including pipes and metal cables near the quarries, as well as some larger scrap metal pieces. Many of the rock piles and quarry edges offer views of the Green Mountains, Camel’s Hump, and Barre City.

Educational signs are dotted throughout the trail system, which are helpful in reimagining what the woods looked like in its industrial heyday.

Trails to explore

The Millstone Trails Association trail network is a regional destination for hiking, mountain biking, and other human-powered recreation.

The town forest has 20 miles of the 70-mile Millstone Hill Trail Network; this network connects the town forest to trails in East Barre, Graniteville, and Websterville. Trails are accessible year-round.

See trail map

Quarries Disc Golf

Thanks to the work of many volunteers and generous community donors, the Barre Town Forest is home to a Par 61, 18-hole, free public disc golf course.

Quarries Disc Golf was developed in 2013 and is still being maintained by the founders!

Wildlife at Barre Town Forest

Bear, deer, moose, and coyotes use the forest for foraging and winter habitat. In other areas, a mixture of hemlock with northern hardwood species, combined with abundant rock piles provides ample habitat for porcupine, and possibly its major predator, the fisher.

Several vernal pools are in the town forest. If you visit them in early spring, you may see masses of wood frog eggs or baby salamanders.

Visit Barre Town Forest

Public Access
Dogs Allowed
Parking

There are 20 miles of maintained trails used for walking, skiing, mountain biking and more. Other ways to enjoy the land include fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and disc golf. Please note that mountain bikers will need to buy a trail pass from Millstone Trails. Pedestrian recreation is free.

Open dawn to dusk

Please read the full list of rules at the site. See the Town of Barre website for announcements. Of note:

Dogs must be on a leash
No swimming in the quarries
No fires
No camping
Carry in/carry out waste
Step aside if you hear snowmobiles

There is parking at two locations:

44 Brook Street, Websterville
111 Barclay Quarry Road, Barre

See the town’s Walking Guide to the town forest for route ideas.

Trail map

Land Stewardship at Barre Town Forest

Managing woods in a changing climate

Town forests are often used as a source of timber income, which can offset lost tax revenue from town ownership and fund things like trails, signage, and parking. Timber harvesting work can be coupled with longer-term forest management goals. At the Barre Town Forest, these goals include helping the forest withstand climate change and promoting better wildlife habitat.

Because of its industrial history, the forest regrew all at once, which means that the trees are mostly of a similar age and species. While the stately mature trees offer a park-like beauty, this lack of diversity means there is less animal habitat, and the woods are more susceptible to harm from climate change.

Bringing sunlight to the forest floor

The Barre Town Forest is filled with trees that thrive in the shade of a mature forest, like maple. Trees that need some sun to get a start, like birch, oak, and ash, can’t get a foothold. By creating sunny openings, other species can thrive, and young trees will be there to take over when the older trees reach the end of their lives. In nature, this process may happen through wind and fire.

A timber harvest was completed in winter 2021 in the southern and eastern portions of the forest. This photo was taken post-harvest in the summer of 2022. The small trees and shrubs that are growing in these new sunnier spots will provide cover and food for a greater variety of animal and bird species as well.

The Barre Weeds Warriors lead the way on invasive plant removal

For several years, an intrepid group of volunteers have gathered for workdays to remove Japanese barberry, honeysuckle, buckthorn, and Japanese knotweed from the forest. These plants crowd out native plants and are detrimental to the health of animals, people, and the forest itself.

In one year, volunteers pulled more than 1,250 buckthorn plants, 450 invasive honeysuckles, and 25 barberry bushes! Pulling these plants is not easy work and we can’t thank them enough.