Green Mountain National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
3,370 acres11.8 mi of trail
Abbey Pond TrailPartridge Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: Jd4508. Original uploader was Jd4508 at en.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Middlebury
28% of Middlebury’s land is conserved: 7,019 acres
79 miles of mapped trail cross Middlebury, 2.0 per square mile of land. 364 acres are parks and preserves, 40 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Green Mountain National Forest (11.8 mi), Battell Woods Natural Area (5.1 mi), Means Woods Natural Area (1.1 mi).
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns · #4 of 71 in Vermont. What drives it
Conserved land
28%
7,019 acres · of 39.2 sq mi of land
Trails
79 mi
2.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
364 ac
40 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
72%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
0.1 mi
Highest peak
1,407 ft
Pine Hill
Lakes & rivers
2
What kind of outdoors town is Middlebury?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Middlebury have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Middlebury is ahead of 93% of U.S. towns, #4 of 71 in Vermont. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; conserved land ranks highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Middlebury’s overall grade.
Conserved land28% of the land · typical VT town 14% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (79 mi) · VT 0.6 · U.S. 0.4APark land40 acres of park per 1,000 residents (364 acres) · VT 97 · U.S. 13A−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 93%
LessMore
Vermont towns of 2,500+ (71)Ahead of 96%
Vermont towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 14%; the U.S., 4%), so Middlebury’s 28% is ahead of 91% of Vermont towns, while its trails per square mile lead 84% of them.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A 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 Green Mountain National Forest, with 11.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Battell Woods Natural Area
Managed by Town of Middlebury
94 acres5.1 mi of trail
Trail Around Middlebury
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Means Woods Natural Area
Managed by Town of Middlebury
28 acres1.1 mi of trail
Trail Around Middlebury
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Moosalamoo National Recreation Area
Managed by United States Forest Service
76 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 10 parks & preserves
Green Mountain National Forest3,370 acres · 11.8 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsBattell Woods Natural Area94 acres · 5.1 mi of trail · Town of Middlebury
DirectionsMeans Woods Natural Area28 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Town of Middlebury
DirectionsMoosalamoo National Recreation Area76 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
DirectionsOtter View Park8 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsStephen C. Trombulak Nature Sanctuary58 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Middlebury College
DirectionsLegion Fields20 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMiddlebury Recreation Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsMiddlebury Town Green2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHarold Curtiss Recreational Park2 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
7,019 conserved acres
28% of Middlebury’s land. Who manages Middlebury’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits5,617 ac
U.S. Forest Service3,366 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)781 ac
Town or city286 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government99 ac
Other state land7 ac
Not recorded189 ac
National Forest · 3,366 acConservation Easement · 3,124 acAgricultural Easement · 2,649 acUnknown Easement · 666 acLocal Other or Unknown · 404 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,124 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 83 of 177 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Green Mountain National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 3,366 | Open |
| Chipman Hill Natural Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 126 | Open |
| Battell Woods Natural Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 94 | Open |
| Middlebury Water Supply Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 93 | Unknown |
| Town of Middlebury Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 48 | Unknown |
| Three Mile Bridge Wildlife Management Area Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 42 | Open |
| Means Woods Natural Area Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 28 | Open |
| Legion Fields Local Park | Town or city | 23 | Open |
| Otter Creek Swamps Natural Area Private Conservation | Not recorded | 17 | Open |
| Middlebury Area Land Trust Private Conservation | Not recorded | 16 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
26 places to go in Middlebury
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Middlebury
Natatorium
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Middlebury
6 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Middlebury
Middlebury Dog ParkHours: sunrise-sunset
DirectionsWaterfalls in Middlebury
Abbey Pond Cascades (lower)In Green Mountain National Forest
DirectionsAbbey Pond Cascades (upper)In Green Mountain National Forest
DirectionsMiddlebury Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Middlebury
Chipman Hill viewpoint
DirectionsHalpin Covered Bridge
DirectionsPlus 5 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Middlebury
Pine Hill1,407 ft elevation
DirectionsChipman Hill810 ft elevation
DirectionsWainwright Hill499 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Middlebury
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Middlebury
Middlebury College Disc Golf CourseMiddlebury College
DirectionsMiddlebury College Disc Golf CourseMiddlebury College
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Middlebury
Middlebury Community Garden
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 2 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 23.5 miUnpaved · 13.8 mi
Trail Around Middlebury5.0 mi
Partridge Trail1.9 mi
Red Kelly Trail1.6 mi
Abbey Pond Trail1.5 mi
MegaWatt1.4 mi
TAM / Sidewinder1.1 mi
Colin O’Neil Class of ’97 Trail1.1 mi
Tweedle Dum0.8 mi
Super Seven0.8 mi
Tweedle Dee0.6 mi
15 more trails
Rehab
0.6 miNorthern Loop
0.6 miChipman Hill Top Trail
0.6 miHigh Power
0.5 miThe Wall
0.5 miRabbit Hole
0.3 miCrown Royal
0.3 miGravel Loop Lower
0.2 miSpring Street Connector
0.2 miLibby's Trail
0.2 miSki Jump Loop
0.2 miSidewinder
0.2 miEast-West Connector
0.2 miPower Line
0.2 miEllen Dr loop
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.1 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
MTB TAMBike route
20.6 miCourts & fields
15Tennis
11Tracks
8Baseball
5Soccer
4Basketball
2Football
1Field hockey
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →9 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 7 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Stone MillBuilding · listed 1973
About itHalpin Covered BridgeStructure · listed 1974
About itMiddlebury Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1980
About itWaybury InnBuilding · listed 1983
About itHeights, TheDistrict · listed 1988
About itMiddlebury Gorge Concrete Arch BridgeStructure · listed 1991
About itFenn FarmDistrict · listed 1995
About itStone Row, OldBuilding · listed 1997
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Middlebury: 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 | 14.7 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 32 | 41 | 56 | 69 | 77 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 59 | 46 | 35 |
| Rain (in) | 2.5 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.4 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 3.9 | 2.9 | 2.9 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.4 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Middlebury →
Next door
Middlebury and its neighbors
Middlebury has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middlebury | 28% | 2.0 | 40 | 72% | A |
| Weybridge | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Cornwall | 22% | 0.6 | 1,455 | 23% | A− |
| New Haven | 15% | 0.3 | 1 | 5% | C |
| Bristol | 30% | 0.6 | 51 | 53% | A− |
| Ripton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Salisbury | 37% | 0.9 | 56 | 4% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Middlebury
Where can I hike in Middlebury?
The longest trail networks: Green Mountain National Forest, 11.8 miles; Battell Woods Natural Area, 5.1 miles; Means Woods Natural Area, 1.1 miles; Moosalamoo National Recreation Area, 0.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Middlebury is conserved land?
28% 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 Middlebury’s trails?
Green Mountain National Forest and Battell Woods Natural Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Middlebury?
0.1 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.1 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: MTB TAM.
Is there public land near Middlebury?
47,126 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Middlebury or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 3,758 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Middlebury have?
Ahead of 93% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #4 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 Middlebury 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 →