|
THE WOODSTOCK TRAILS PARTNERSHIP PUBLIC LAND OWNERS
First settled in 1768, Woodstock retains the elegant charm and distinctive character it had in the early 19th century. In is easy to see why Woodstock has been called the "quintessential New England village" with its covered bridge, lively town green, bustling mercantile district, and homes listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Over nine miles of pedestrian pathways allow easy access to all of the village's civic centers, shops, restaurants, cafes, inns, and bed and breakfasts-easily connecting the village to the forested trails of Mount Tom and Mount Peg.
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is the only National Park to tell the story of conservation history and the evolving nature of land stewardship in America. The Park operates in partnership with the Woodstock Foundation, Inc., and the Billings Farm & Museum. The Park interprets the historic home of the Marsh, Billings, and Rockefeller families, their conservation work and stewardship of the forest landscape, and the emergence of an American conservation ethic. The 550-acre woodlands continue to be managed for protection of natural resources, education, recreation, sustainable forestry, history character, and scenic beauty.
Mount Peg and Billings Park
The Billings Park Commission manages Mount Peg Park and the Billings Park, two town parks that are connected by the Walk Woodstock trail system. Ten acres of land on Mount Peg that was once used as a golf course was purchased to become a public park in 1908 by Miss Elizabeth Billings. In 2002, the Billings Park Commission and the Woodstock community raised funds to add 44 acres to Mount Peg Park and permanently connect its trails and vistas to the village center and the Woodstock Trails Partnership network. Billings Park (including the South Peak of Mount Tom) is 155 acres and was created in 1953 by John French, Mary French Rockefeller and Elizabeth French Hitchcock in memory of their mother, Mary Billings.
The Faulkner Park and the Faulkner Trail were carefully created by Mrs. Marianne Faulkner, over 75 years ago, as a place of quiet respite and healthy exercise, in memory of her husband, Edward Daniels Faulkner. Mrs. Faulkner based the trail design on the cardiac rehabilitation trails of the famous spas in Baden-Baden, Germany, where people from all over the world came to take "The Cure." The Faulkner Trail leads to the South Peak of Mount Tom, from which you can take in an impressive view of Woodstock and the surrounding countryside. The Faulkner Trust stewards Faulkner Park.
The King Farm's 154 acres of farm and forest land boarders the National Park to the West. In keeping with the wishes of Francisca King, the farm is used for the purposes of agriculture, forestry, conservation, and education, and has been stewarded by the Vermont Land Trust since 1986.
Stretching along the Ottauquechee Valley, the Billings Farm & Museum serves as a gateway to Vermont's rural heritage. In 1871, Frederick Billings began importing cows from the Isle of Jersey and developed his farm into a model of agriculture improvement. His farm prospered, and today, is still one of the finest Jersey farms in America. The Billings Farm & Museum was established in 1983 by Laurance S. and Mary F. Rockefeller as a working dairy, and a museum dedicated to telling the story of Vermont's rural heritage. The Billings Farm & Museum is open daily May 1 through October 31, 10AM-5PM, weekends in November and December and winter holidays, 10AM to 4PM.
The Appalachian Trail is a 2,184 mile long public footpath that traverses the scenic, wooded, pastoral, wild, and culturally resonant lands of the Appalachian Mountains. Conceived in 1921, built by private citizens, and completed in 1937, today the trail is managed by the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, numerous state agencies and thousands of volunteers. It's corridor passes just north of Woodstock Village.
|
Last updated: May 1, 2013