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Jay VT 11-01-25Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0
–Not graded
Outdoors in Jay

Few parks or trails are on the map in Jay

The biggest trail networks: Jay State Forest (6.7 mi). 31% of Jay’s land is conserved, about 6,645 acres. 1,242 acres are parks and preserves, 2,637 per 1,000 residents.

Conserved land
31%
6,645 acres · of 33.9 sq mi of land
Trails
32 mi
0.9 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,242 ac
2,637 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
22%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.7 mi
0.7 mi paths
Highest peak
3,438 ft
North Jay Peak
Lakes & rivers
2
The map

Conserved land, trails & bike routes

Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.

1
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 Jay State Forest, with 6.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.

Jay State Forest

Nature preserve
1,920 acres6.7 mi of trail
Long TrailJourney's End Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Who protects it

6,645 conserved acres

31% of Jay’s land. Who manages Jay’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.

Land trusts & nonprofits4,201 ac
State parks1,927 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government949 ac
State fish & wildlife319 ac
Not recorded2,762 ac
Conservation Easement · 3,800 acPrivate Conservation · 3,052 acUnknown Easement · 1,730 acState Resource Management Area · 1,340 acLocal Resource Management Area · 161 ac
Good to know

Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,296 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 53 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.

The biggest protected parcels
Parcel (PAD-US)Managed byAcresPublic access
Atlas Timberlands Partnership
Private Conservation
Land trusts & nonprofits3,052Closed
Jay State Forest
State Resource Management Area
Not recorded1,340Open
North Troy Village Forest
Local Resource Management Area
Not recorded161Unknown
Gilman Housing Trust
Unknown
Not recorded19Unknown
Things to do

5 places to go in Jay

Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.

Peaks in Jay
North Jay Peak3,438 ft elevation
Directions
Doll Peak3,406 ft elevation · In Jay State Forest
Directions
Little Bear Mountain2,789 ft elevation
Directions
Carleton Mountain2,651 ft elevation · In Jay State Forest
Directions
Burnt Mountain2,608 ft elevation
Directions
Trails & water

25 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers

Named trails
Unpaved · 23.7 mi
Long Trail8.4 mi
Alchemist1.6 mi
Upper Pass1.5 mi
Journey's End Trail1.3 mi
Cloud Drop0.9 mi
River Loop0.8 mi
River Run0.6 mi
Outerbound0.6 mi
Lower Cloud Drop0.5 mi
Heaven's 110.5 mi
15 more trails
Big Rock
0.4 mi
Big Boss Man
0.4 mi
Minglewood
0.4 mi
Stonewall Jackson Loop
0.3 mi
Black Run
0.3 mi
Inner Peace
0.3 mi
Shambala
0.3 mi
Moose Gone Wild
0.3 mi
Stoney Path
0.3 mi
Moose Road Runout
0.2 mi
Beaver Pond
0.2 mi
VYCCenic
0.2 mi
Lower River Run
0.1 mi
Moose Walk
0.1 mi
Seventh Even
0.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Beaver PondJay Pondreservoir
Biking & sports

0.7 miles of bike routes

Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.

0.7 mi
off-road bike paths
MTB Jay CommunityBike route
6.5 mi
MTB Base CampBike route
5.7 mi
Courts & fields
2Soccer

Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.

When to get out

The best walking months in Jay: August 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.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)9.110.311.813.414.815.615.314.112.510.99.58.8
High (°F)202231435765706861483626
Rain (in)4.54.04.44.55.16.16.15.85.56.35.05.4

February is the driest month (4.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 70 °F). 6.3 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Jay →

Next door

Jay and its neighbors

Jay has the most mapped trails of the 3 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.

Jay32 miRichford8.3 miTroy3.1 mi
TownConserved
of land		Trail mi
per sq mi		Park acres
per 1,000		Near a park
½ mile		Outdoors
Jay— not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town
Richford23%0.212856%A−
Troy18%0.11530%B−

The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.

Questions about parks and trails in Jay

Where can I hike in Jay?

The longest trail networks: Jay State Forest, 6.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.

Are dogs allowed on Jay’s trails?

Jay State Forest doesn’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.

Where can I bike in Jay?

0.7 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.7 of off-road paths. Named routes: MTB Jay Community and MTB Base Camp.

Is there public land near Jay?

20,454 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Jay or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,455 of them inside the town line.

Trail talk

Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Jay neighbors.

Town Square →
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 →