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 conserved land meets the needs of its community. The property’s stunning forests and farms invite a relationship between land and people. Located near the village of Jeffersonville in the town Cambridge, the land supports a nonprofit vegetable farm and a sustainable agriculture program, as well as seven miles of free public recreation trails.

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Take a virtual tour of Brewster Uplands

As you cross Vermont’s historic Grist Mill Covered Bridge from route 108 in Jeffersonville, you’ll find yourself on a gravel road surrounded by a haven of hardwoods. You’ve reached the western edge of Brewster Uplands.

A few more steps will bring you to the Alden Bryan Brewster River trailhead, a gateway to over seven miles of public trails. The Bryans devoted years to developing a trail network for all to enjoy.

The Alden Bryan Trail

The Alden Bryan Trail (1.2 miles) meanders south along hemlock forest and 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. Time for a picnic!

From here, you could also choose to continue on the Alden Bryan Trail, which connects with the Midlands Mountain Bike Trails of the Brewster River Mountain Bike Club. It also connects to trails managed by the Cambridge Trails Committee that run further south all the way along the river to Smugglers Notch Resort trails.

The West Farm Trail

Or, just past the falls spur trail you have the option of heading east on the Brewster River Connector Trail (.1 miles) to the West Farm Trail (1 mile). 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.

Pond Loop

The West Farm Trail will take you upland to the one-mile-long Pond Loop. There are a mix of water features here including an alder swamp and vernal pools. Plant species in this area include many ferns (royal, bracken, cinnamon, and sensitive fern), creeping snowberry, bunchberry, lady’s slipper, and mad-dog skullcap.

A place where you can find peace

From the Pond Loop, a short stretch on farm roads will connect you with the property’s northern trails: Junction Hill Trail (.9 miles), Loggers Loop (.8 miles) and an old carriage road loop (.4 miles). These trails are relatively flat and wide like other trails on the property; however they are a bit more isolated and a great way to explore some of the more undisturbed, “backwoods” areas at Brewster Uplands.

Brewster Upland’s trails are broad and flat, attracting the occasional horseback rider in addition to hikers, dog walkers, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers. The paths are well-maintained and undemanding. “It’s a place where you can really find peace,” says VLT’s Ben Waterman.

Visiting Brewster Uplands

Public Access
Dogs Allowed
Parking

With seven miles of trails, a gorgeous river, scenic views of Mount Mansfield and the Greens, Brewster Uplands is a destination.

The land is open during daylight hours.

Park only in designated areas.
No motorized vehicles.
Hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing are allowed.
Per town ordinance, dogs must be leashed at all times; please clean up after your pet.
Because the parts of the land are actively farmed, stay off the fields, stay clear of farm equipment and fences, and do not enter any buildings.
Stay on trails. Avoid widening the trails when conditions are muddy.
Travel at a safe speed; be courteous of others regardless of speed or skill level. Groups should travel single-file when approaching others.
Do not disturb wildlife. Please note that northern sections of the Alden Bryan Brewster River Trail is closed December 15-April 15 to preserve the area as winter deer habitat.
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.

From the north: Traveling south on Route 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 and turn left immediately over the Grist Mill Covered Bridge. Continue 1 mile to the intersection of Canyon and West Farm Road.

From the south: From Stowe and Smugglers Notch, head north downhill on Route 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 on for half a mile to the village, then turn around and head back up 108 so you can make an easy left turn onto Canyon Road. Turn left immediately across the Grist Mill Covered Bridge. Continue 1 mile to the intersection of Canyon and West Farm Road.

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.

The main parking area can accommodate about 10 cars. It is located at the intersection of Canyon and West Farm Roads. Visitors will find a kiosk with a map near the parking area. There is back-up lot a couple hundred feet up West Farm Road.

For accessing the trails near the Brewster River, there is parking at the town-owned Brewster River Park, just off Route 108 right near the Grist Mill Covered Bridge. From your car, you would walk over the covered bridge onto Canyon Rd. The Alden Bryan trailhead is located just after the bridge.

image showing main parking and overflow parking

A trail can be found at the main kiosk. You can also download and print one before you go.

Trail map of Brewster Uplands

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 18th 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 the years, the Bryans and their family developed a trail system so that others could experience the land they held dear.

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

Becoming a community farm

Today there are two farms on the land.

Farmer Angus Baldwin manages the Vermont Land Trust’s West Farm, a nonprofit organic vegetable farm that hosts educational events and supplies co-ops, schools, and hospitals. During the pandemic, the farm was a hub for the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program.

We lease the property’s Robtoy Farm to the Green Mountain Technology & Career Center. Here, teacher Sam Rowley manages a beef cattle herd and oversees the school’s Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems program.

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, the nonprofit West Farm and the educational 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

As a farmer, Sam spends his off 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 believes in rotational grazing, and moves the cattle between paddocks every 24 hours so that fields aren’t overgrazed. This type of farming improves grass and herd health, restores soil quality, and captures carbon that would be released into the atmosphere through traditional grazing.

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. In partnership with VLT, the pair shares their organic produce with community members that aren’t served through traditional supply chains.

West Farm is a commercial operation that provides produce for a regional organic cooperative selling to grocery stores. It functions as a nonprofit farm so that Angus can provide herbs and vegetables to other lower-paying buyers such as hospitals and schools.

During the pandemic, Angus served as an advisor to the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box program. West Farm was a packing hub for COVID-19-related food relief programs and stored and distributed over 55,000 pounds of food to local food shelves.

A champion for local food

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

Take a virtual tour of Brewster Uplands

The Alden Bryan Trail

The West Farm Trail

Pond Loop

A place where you can find peace

Visiting Brewster Uplands

Hours & Contact

Recreation Rules & Guidelines

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

A champion for local food

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Ben Waterman

Ben Waterman