Green Mountain National Forest
Managed by United States Forest Service
676 acres9.3 mi of trail
Appalachian TrailWilliam Tucker TrailTown Highway 51Cossingham Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Ascended Dreamer · CC BY 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Norwich
Norwich has 100 miles of mapped trails, 2.2 for every square mile of land
434 acres are parks and preserves, 119 per 1,000 residents. 19% of Norwich’s land is conserved, about 5,262 acres. The biggest trail networks: Green Mountain National Forest (9.3 mi), Norwich Nature Area (1.2 mi).
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #9 of 71 in Vermont. What drives it
Conserved land
19%
5,262 acres · of 44.5 sq mi of land
Trails
100 mi
2.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
434 ac
119 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
40%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
4.8 mi
0.8 mi lanes
Highest peak
1,854 ft
Gile Mountain
Lakes & rivers
3
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Norwich?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
A trail town2.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, more than 95% of U.S. towns.Land that stays wild19% of the land is conserved; a typical Vermont town, 14%.Room to roam119 acres of park per 1,000 residents; the typical U.S. town has 13.History along the way11 places on the National Register.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Norwich have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Norwich is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #9 of 71 in Vermont. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Norwich’s overall grade.
Conserved land19% of the land · typical VT town 14% · U.S. 4%ATrails2.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (100 mi) · VT 0.6 · U.S. 0.4APark land119 acres of park per 1,000 residents (434 acres) · VT 97 · U.S. 13AParks close to home40% of residents within a half mile of a park · VT 38% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 89%
LessMore
Vermont towns of 2,500+ (71)Ahead of 89%
Vermont towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 14%; the U.S., 4%), so Norwich’s 19% is ahead of 66% of Vermont towns, while its trails per square mile lead 89% 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 9.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Norwich Nature Area
Nature preserve
39 acres1.2 mi of trail
Milton Frye Nature Trails
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Norwich Town Forest
Nature preserve
50 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 6 parks & preserves
Green Mountain National Forest676 acres · 9.3 mi of trail · United States Forest Service
Norwich Nature Area39 acres · 1.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHuntley Meadows18 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsNorwich Town Forest50 acres
Norwich Green2 acres
DirectionsFoley Park2 acres
Who protects it
5,262 conserved acres
19% of Norwich’s land. Who manages Norwich’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits5,343 ac
National Park Service697 ac
U.S. Forest Service676 ac
Joint468 ac
Town or city166 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)59 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government5 ac
Conservation Easement · 3,173 acUnknown Easement · 2,203 acLocal Other or Unknown · 985 acNational Scenic or Historic Trail · 693 acNational Forest · 672 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 3,188 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 61 of 171 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norwich Fire District Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 845 | Unknown |
| Appalachian National Scenic Trail National Scenic or Historic Trail | National Park Service | 693 | Open |
| Green Mountain National Forest National Forest | U.S. Forest Service | 672 | Open |
| Brookmead Conservation Area, UVLT Fee & Easement Private Conservation | Not recorded | 335 | Open |
| Gile Mountain Lot Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 53 | Open |
| Norwich Town Forest Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 52 | Open |
| Norwich Nature Center Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 36 | Open |
| Huntley Meadows Fields Local Park | Town or city | 25 | Open |
| Norwich Water Access State Park State Park | Not recorded | 4 | Open |
| Upper Valley Land Trust, Norwich Gateway Private Conservation | Not recorded | 2 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
22 places to go in Norwich
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Norwich
Play Grove
DirectionsTimber Tumble
DirectionsPlus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Norwich
1 boat launch without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Waterfalls in Norwich
2 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Peaks in Norwich
Gile Mountain1,854 ft elevation
DirectionsGriggs Mountain1,699 ft elevation
DirectionsStone Hill1,588 ft elevation
DirectionsTurkey Hill1,480 ft elevation
DirectionsMoseley Hill1,227 ft elevation · In Green Mountain National Forest
DirectionsWestinghouse Hill1,207 ft elevation
DirectionsBradley Hill1,184 ft elevation
DirectionsSargent Hill1,181 ft elevation
Directions3 more peaks
Rowell Hill1,138 ft elevation
DirectionsFlanders Hill997 ft elevation
DirectionsBlood Mountain902 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Norwich
Patchen's PointVermont Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 3 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 33.4 miUnpaved · 31.5 mi
Blue Ribbon Trail5.5 mi
Appalachian Trail5.3 mi
Bill Ballard Trail3.4 mi
Parcel 53.2 mi
West Loop2.0 mi
Blue Ribbon Connector1.3 mi
P5 Fo Fun1.2 mi
Heyl Trail1.2 mi
McIndoe Farm Trail1.1 mi
Hazen Trail0.9 mi
15 more trails
King Arthur Trail
0.8 miFiretower Trail
0.7 miMilton Frye Nature Trails
0.7 miRidge Trail
0.6 miBradley Hill Trail
0.6 miWilliam Tucker Trail
0.6 miConverse Loop
0.4 miCossingham Trail
0.4 miBlood Hill Trail
0.3 miBlood Brook Trail
0.3 miPowers Trail
0.3 miWoody Adams Trail
0.3 miDutton Hill
0.3 miRosemary Littledale Rieser Trail
0.2 miDole It Out
0.2 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
4.8 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
4.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Blue Ribbon TrailBike route
5.5 miCourts & fields
23Tennis
7Soccer
5Baseball
4Basketball
2Equestrian
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Norwich Village Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1991
About itBeaver Meadow Union ChapelBuilding · listed 1995
About itBeaver Meadow SchoolBuilding · listed 2013
About itRoot SchoolBuilding · listed 2013
About itNorwich Mid-Century Modern Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2018
About itGoodrich Four Corners Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2019
About itBrigham Hill Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2020
About itMaple Hill FarmBuilding · listed 2020
About itMeeting House FarmBuilding · listed 2020
About itWalter and Sylvia Stockmayer HouseBuilding · listed 2020
About itJones Circle Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2025
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Norwich: 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 32 | 41 | 54 | 67 | 76 | 80 | 78 | 71 | 58 | 45 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.3 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 4.1 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 3.0 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.5 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Norwich →
Next door
Norwich and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Questions about parks and trails in Norwich
Where can I hike in Norwich?
The longest trail networks: Green Mountain National Forest, 9.3 miles; Norwich Nature Area, 1.2 miles; Huntley Meadows, 0.2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Norwich is conserved land?
19% 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 Norwich’s trails?
Green Mountain National Forest and Norwich Nature Area don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Norwich?
4.8 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.8 of painted or protected lanes and 4.1 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Blue Ribbon Trail.
Is there public land near Norwich?
21,962 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Norwich or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,479 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Norwich have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #9 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 Norwich 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 →