Indian Brook Park
Managed by Town of Essex
499 acres7.9 mi of trail
Indian Brook Outer LoopIndian Brook Loop TrailMcGee Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Photo: Dylanvt · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Essex
Essex has 70 miles of mapped trails, 2.1 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Indian Brook Park (7.9 mi), Saxon Hill (5.7 mi), Saint Michael's College Natural Area (3 mi). 366 acres are parks and preserves, 32 per 1,000 residents. 7% of Essex’s land is conserved, about 1,482 acres.
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #25 of 71 in Vermont. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,482 acres · of 34.3 sq mi of land
Trails
70 mi
2.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
366 ac
32 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
72%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
8.6 mi
2.4 mi lanes · 6.2 mi paths
Highest peak
1,010 ft
Brigham Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Essex?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Essex have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Essex is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #25 of 71 in Vermont. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Essex’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical VT town 14% · U.S. 4%B+Trails2.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (70 mi) · VT 0.6 · U.S. 0.4APark land32 acres of park per 1,000 residents (366 acres) · VT 97 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home72% of residents within a half mile of a park · VT 38% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 86%
LessMore
Vermont towns of 2,500+ (71)Ahead of 66%
Vermont towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 14%; the U.S., 4%), so Essex’s 7% is ahead of 16% of Vermont towns, while its trails per square mile lead 87% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Indian Brook Park, with 7.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Saxon Hill
Park
116 acres5.7 mi of trail
FlowMojoFree FallExtendo
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Saint Michael's College Natural Area
Managed by Saint Michael's College
239 acres3 mi of trail
Jeff Vincent TrailMike New LoopBlue TrailFr. Marcel Loop+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Colchester Pond Natural Area
Managed by Winooski Valley Park District
125 acres1.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Mathieu Town Forest
Managed by Town of Essex
89 acres1.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Woodside Natural Area
Managed by Winooski Valley Parks District
48 acres1 mi of trail
Woodside Loop
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailhead
Forestdale Natural Area
Park
26 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Fort Ethan Allen Parade Grounds and Park
Park
17 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
All 17 parks & preserves
Indian Brook Park499 acres · 7.9 mi of trail · Town of Essex
DirectionsSaxon Hill116 acres · 5.7 mi of trail
DirectionsSaint Michael's College Natural Area239 acres · 3 mi of trail · Saint Michael's College
DirectionsColchester Pond Natural Area125 acres · 1.9 mi of trail · Winooski Valley Park District
Mathieu Town Forest89 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Town of Essex
DirectionsWoodside Natural Area48 acres · 1 mi of trail · Winooski Valley Parks District
DirectionsForestdale Natural Area26 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
Fort Ethan Allen Parade Grounds and Park17 acres · 0.6 mi of trail
DirectionsPearl Street Park16 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsSand Hill Park9 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPinewood Park8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Foster Park15 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMyers Natural Area6 acres
Whitcomb Meadow Natural Area3 acres
Essex Overlook2 acres
DirectionsSaxonhollow Park1 acres
Myers Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,482 conserved acres
7% of Essex’s land. Who manages Essex’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,560 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)415 ac
Town or city167 ac
Other state land111 ac
Regional agency6 ac
State fish & wildlife1 ac
Not recorded173 ac
Agricultural Easement · 937 acLocal Other or Unknown · 710 acConservation Easement · 651 acLocal Park · 79 acState Other or Unknown · 36 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 651 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 10 of 25 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Brook Reservoir Local Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 516 | Unknown |
| Saxon Hill Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 88 | Unknown |
| Mathieu Town Forest Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 75 | Open |
| Winooski Valley Park District Local Park | Not recorded | 43 | Unknown |
| State Tree Nursery State Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 36 | Unknown |
| Forestdale Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Sand Hill Park Local Park | Town or city | 9 | Open |
| Schillingford Crossing Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Pearl Street Park Local Park | Town or city | 7 | Open |
| Essex Overlook Local Park | Regional agency | 6 | Open |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
24 places to go in Essex
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Swimming spots in Essex
1 swimming spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Essex
Sand Hill PoolIn Sand Hill Park
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Essex
Foster Park PlaygroundIn Foster Park
DirectionsPlus 10 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Essex
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Essex
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Essex
Brigham Hill1,010 ft elevation
DirectionsSaxon Hill965 ft elevation · In Saxon Hill
DirectionsPlus 1 peak without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Essex
4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Campgrounds in Essex
Scouts PointFee · In Indian Brook Park
DirectionsTrails & water
19 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 10.4 miUnpaved · 35.7 mi
Indian Brook Outer Loop3.1 mi
Flow2.1 mi
Out 'n Back1.9 mi
Outer Limits1.9 mi
Indian Brook Loop Trail1.7 mi
Mojo1.3 mi
Jeff Vincent Trail1.3 mi
Postal Route1.1 mi
Mo Flow1.0 mi
Woodside Loop0.8 mi
9 more trails
Mike New Loop
0.6 miBlue Trail
0.5 miMcGee Trail
0.4 miMid FLow
0.3 miFree Fall
0.3 miFr. Marcel Loop
0.2 miRed Connector
0.2 miExtendo
0.1 miGreen Connector
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
8.6 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
6.2 mi
off-road bike paths
FlowBike route
2.1 miOuter LimitsBike route
2 miOut 'n BackBike route
1.9 miMojoBike route
1.3 miPostal RouteBike route
1.1 miCourts & fields
11Tennis
9Baseball
8Pickleball
3Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →1 place on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
Roswell Butler HouseBuilding · listed 2001
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Essex: May and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 30 | 40 | 54 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 57 | 45 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 2.1 | 2.6 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 3.9 | 4.3 | 3.2 | 3.0 |
February is the driest month (2.1 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.6 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Essex →
Next door
Essex and its neighbors
Essex has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Essex70 miWilliston62 miColchester58 miUnderhill47 miSouth Burlington41 miJericho39 miWestford16 miEssex Junction14 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex | 7% | 2.1 | 32 | 72% | A |
| Williston | 14% | 2.0 | 40 | 63% | A |
| Essex Junction | 19% | 3.0 | 6 | 73% | A− |
| South Burlington | 8% | 2.5 | 22 | 85% | A |
| Jericho | 11% | 1.1 | 67 | 23% | A− |
| Westford | 5% | 0.4 | 19 | 7% | B− |
| Colchester | 14% | 1.6 | 74 | 46% | A |
| Underhill | 20% | 0.9 | 8 | 19% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Essex
Where can I hike in Essex?
The longest trail networks: Indian Brook Park, 7.9 miles; Saxon Hill, 5.7 miles; Saint Michael's College Natural Area, 3 miles; Colchester Pond Natural Area, 1.9 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Essex is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 14% for a Vermont town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Essex’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Saint Michael's College Natural Area (on leash) and Woodside Natural Area (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Essex?
8.6 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.4 of painted or protected lanes and 6.2 of off-road paths. Named routes: Flow, Outer Limits and Out 'n Back.
Is there public land near Essex?
32,371 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Essex or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 366 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Essex have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #25 of 71 in Vermont. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Essex neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →