Being a native Vermonter, it only seems right to investigate the village of Vermontville, located in Franklin County, New York (see image 1). Let’s plan a trip while we are at it! Vermontville, like my hometown in Fairfield, VT,  is small and rural. There aren’t the large tourist attractions people are usually drawn to, but this makes the trip more meaningful. Recreation can be found in the land, and is not restricted to man-made infrastructure. 

Starting with an idea of what to expect when we arrive in Vermontville, which is about two hours Northwest of Middlebury, there are approximately 934 Vermontvillers, inhabiting 148 square miles of land and 2.8 square miles of water area (Sperling, 2021). This hamlet of Franklin County, which was settled by Vermonters in the early 1800s has an elevation of approximately 1,743 feet (Eshelman, n.d.).

Image 1. See the map of Franklin County, NY. Vermontville is in the lower middle, along Route 3. 

If we venture over in the summer, we can find ample swimming, rafting, and fishing in Lyon Brook which runs through town. We may even partake in mountain biking or hiking on Kate Mountain nearby. Kate Mountain, named after the Kate family who built a home on its eastern side in 1829, has an elevation of 2,841 feet (Kate Mountain, n.d.). 

Later on, we will stop in at the Kate Mountain Farm to grab locally-raised pork sausage and vegetables (Caiazza, 2021). The modest one-mile Vermontville Recreation Walking Trail, is a great way to unwind at the end of the day (Adirondack Trails, 2020). After this, we’ll head to our campsite at Buck Pond Campground to roast dinner. A campsite at Buck Pond is $25 per night, and provides access not only to Buck Pond, but Lake Kushaqua (NY DEC, n.d). 

If we decide to visit Vermontville in the winter months, we’ll surely stay busy. With some of the best snowmobiling in the East on the Franklin Snowmobilers trails, or cross country skiing wherever we can find snow. Just outside of Vermontville, Mount Pisgah offers alpine skiing, and Loon Lake is great for ice fishing (Saranac Lake.Gov, n.d). 

Vermontville reminds me of my home in Fairfield, Vermont (see image 2). You may have noticed some of the activities shared above are located in nearby towns or cities. The quaint village does not have many of the large tourist attractions that usually pull visitors in, but they aren’t far. Other than fields, mountain views, and small shops, Vermontville is pretty quiet. I think there is value to this, because one can enjoy working around the land, not building through it. For example, if I wanted to go on a backcountry ski, I could step into my backyard and trudge through the woods to make my own trail, instead of gliding down a groomer trail at a resort. 

Image 2. The Fall foliage of Vermontville closely resembles how Vermont looks right now! 

“Adirondack Trails.” Adirondack.net, 2021, https://www.adirondack.net/towns/lake-placid-region/vermontville/.

“Buck Pond Campground & Day Use Area.” Buck Pond Campground & Day Use Area – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation, https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24457.html.

Caiazza, Aaron. “Kate Mountain Farm.” Adirondack Harvest, 2021, https://adirondackharvest.com/user/katemountainfarm/.

Eshelman, Teresa R. “Town of Franklin History.” Town Of Franklin Resource Guide, https://townoffranklin.com/history.html.

“Mount Pisgah Recreation Center.” Village of Saranac Lake: Mount Pisgah Recreation Center Is Maintained by the Village as a Ski Slope, Lodge, Mountain Biking Trails, and Event Venue. This Year-Round Recreation, https://www.saranaclakeny.gov/index.php?section=playing-mt-pisgah.

Sperling, Bert. “Vermontville, NY.” Zip 12989 (Vermontville, NY) People, Aug. 2021, https://www.bestplaces.net/people/zip-code/new%20york/vermontville/12989.

“Visit Loon Lake NY for Fishing, Boating, Dining & More.” LakeGeorge.com, 8 Sept. 2021, https://www.lakegeorge.com/things-to-do/loon-lake/#:~:text=Fish%20in%20Loon%20Lake%20and,or%20from%20the%20public%20beach.