Bill Sladyk Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
3,606 acres11.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
–Not graded
Outdoors in Norton
More than half of Norton’s land is conserved: 65%
65% of Norton’s land is conserved, about 16,073 acres. The biggest trail networks: Bill Sladyk Wildlife Management Area (11.6 mi), Black Turn Brook State Forest (1.3 mi). 4,196 acres are parks and preserves, 38,849 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
65%
16,073 acres · of 38.4 sq mi of land
Trails
59 mi
1.5 per sq mi of land
Park land
4,196 ac
38,849 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
16%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
2,756 ft
Brousseau Mountain
Lakes & rivers
3
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 Bill Sladyk WMA, with 11.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Black Turn Brook State Forest
Nature preserve
593 acres1.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Averill Mountain State Wildlife Management Area
Managed by Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
541 acres0.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Who protects it
16,073 conserved acres
65% of Norton’s land. Who manages Norton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State parks11,019 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits1,205 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)36 ac
Not recorded4,160 ac
Conservation Easement · 11,913 acState Conservation Area · 4,160 acAgricultural Easement · 346 acUnknown Easement · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 11,914 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 21 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bill Sladyk Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 3,599 | Open |
| Averill Mountain Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 561 | Open |
Things to do
7 places to go in Norton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Peaks in Norton
Brousseau Mountain2,756 ft elevation
DirectionsAverill Mountain2,238 ft elevation · In Averill Mountain State Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsHedgehog Hill1,798 ft elevation
DirectionsChurch Hill1,506 ft elevation
DirectionsThe Hurricane1,503 ft elevation · In Bill Sladyk Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsCampgrounds in Norton
Ben Cole CampIn Bill Sladyk Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsBen Cole ClearingIn Bill Sladyk Wildlife Management Area
DirectionsTrails & water
1 named trail and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.6 miUnpaved · 38.2 mi
Gore Mountain Trail0.3 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
When to get out
The best walking months in Norton: 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) | 9.1 | 10.3 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.6 | 15.3 | 14.1 | 12.5 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 23 | 26 | 36 | 49 | 63 | 72 | 76 | 74 | 67 | 53 | 40 | 29 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.9 | 4.6 | 4.8 | 3.9 | 4.4 | 3.4 | 3.6 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 76 °F). 4.9 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Norton →
Next door
Norton and its neighbors
Norton has the most mapped trails of the 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norton | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Holland | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Norton
Where can I hike in Norton?
The longest trail networks: Bill Sladyk Wildlife Management Area, 11.6 miles; Black Turn Brook State Forest, 1.3 miles; Averill Mountain State Wildlife Management Area, 0.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Norton’s trails?
Bill Sladyk Wildlife Management Area and Black Turn Brook State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Norton?
16,551 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Norton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 4,784 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Norton 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 →