PUTNEY MOUNTAIN ROAD
THE WEST RIVER AND MOUNT SNOW VALLEYS
ESTIMATED LENGTH: 82 miles
ESTIMATED TIME: 1 to 3 days
HIGHLIGHTS: VT 30 snakes up the West River Valley by covered bridges and the handsome villages of Newfane and Townshend, on to Jamaica Village, gateway to Jamaica State Park, then south over the hill to Wardsboro, on down to the Mount Snow resort area in West Dover and on to Wilmington Village. A high, winding stretch of the Molly Stark Scenic Byway (VT 9) leads back to I-91, with a stop at the Hogback Mountain Scenic Overlook and the Southern Vermont Nature Museum. We also offer a shortcut between Newfane and West Dover, following the Williams River through a covered bridge and over Cooper Hill with its splendid view.
SIDE TRIP HIGHLIGHTS: Countless backroads branch off this stem route and we describe a favorite 18-mile loop over the hills, beginning at the covered bridge on VT 30 in West Dummerston. Allow the better part of a day for this trip as you journey down to the Connecticut River, and up US 5 to the village of Putney. The way back to Newfane, Putney Mountain Road, is beautiful but challenging, with access trails with panoramic views.
GETTING THERE: I-91, Exit 2 at Brattleboro. Note Vermont’s largest Welcome Center is northbound on I-19 in Guilford, south of Brattleboro.
ON THE ROAD
It’s said that Vermont is a state of mind, and in the world’s only Brattleboro, the area’s hub and gateway, you quickly understand why. Stop for the varied and individually owned shops, galleries, and restaurants, and stay long enough to catch the vibe of this lively community. Turn north on Main Street and follow signs for VT 30.
This is one of Vermont’s major old high roads, meandering northwest over the mountains and down along rivers, all the way to the New York State border. It begins here at the confluence of the West and the Connecticut Rivers, a spot worth stopping at. Parking is on your right at the Retreat Meadows, a backwater at the mouth of the West River, good for peaceful paddling. On your left is the Children’s Farm & Forest at Retreat Farm (retreatfarm.org) with visitor-friendly farm animals and 9 miles of well-kept, mostly wooded hiking trails maintained by a local non profit organization, which also operates neighboring Grafton Village Cheese, a big, red, barnlike outlet for a variety of Vermont products as well as its own nationally distributed cheese. Just up the road on the right, that unpromising metal building houses both Saxtons River Distillery (802-246-1128) and Fulcrum Arts (802-257-2787), featuring glass blown in the adjoining hot shop.
The road curves northwest along with the West River for a half-dozen miles, past the green iron bridge leading to The Nature Conservancy’s Black Mountain Trail (a half mile down Rice Farm Road on the opposite riverbank). The West Dummerston Covered Bridge and its parking lot are a couple minutes beyond. This is a summer swimming hole and the beginning of a 4-mile scenic shortcut up through Dummerston Center and down the other side of the hill to US 5, running along the Connecticut River. It marks the beginning of the side loop to Putney.
SIDE TRIP
To Putney and Back
VT 30 to Putney via the East-West Road, and Back on the Putney Mountain Road
ESTIMATED LENGTH: 18 miles
Having driven this loop both directions, we suggest beginning at the Dummerston Covered Bridge, 4.5 miles south of Newfane Village. Follow East-West Road for 2 steep and wooded miles up to the village of Dummerston Center, and 2 more miles down into the Connecticut River Valley. Turn north on US 5 and follow it north through farmland into the village of Putney.
Putney’s riverside fields have been farmed since the mid-eighteenth century, and its hillsides sustain long-established orchards. It’s home to nationally prominent Putney School and Landmark College, geared to “students who learn differently.” Putney is also a destination for patrons of the summerchamber music series at the Yellow Barn Music Festival (802-387-6637), serious puppetry at Sandglass Theater (802-387-4051), and year-round films and live performances at Next Stage Theater (802-387-0102). Putney’s relatively flat as well as scenic byways are also a mecca for bicyclists. West Hill Shop (802-387-5718) offers maps and rentals.
On the northern edge of the village, Basketville (802-387-5509) is a long-standing shopping destination, selling woven baskets as well as imports, a trove of wicker furniture, Vermont woodenware, and more while also serving as an outlet and tasting venue for Putney Mountain Winery. The Gleanery (802-387-3052) in historic Putney Tavern, overlooking the village green, offers a locally sourced menu Wed.–Sun. for lunch and dinner. Across Main Street (US 5), the beloved Putney Diner (802-387-5433) is open 6 AM–3 PM daily (opens at 7 AM Sun.); Katy’s (802-536-4196; open 12–8 PM except Tues. and Wed.) offers a creative, reasonably priced menu and full bar; and Curtis’ Barbeque (open seasonally, 10 AM–dusk Wed.–Sun.) is hidden behind the gas station near I-91 Exit 4. The Curtis family’s pork ribs and chicken are seasoned with their secret sauce. Order at the blue bus and feast on picnic tables.
Back at the center of the village, the Putney General Store (802-387-4692) has marked the junction of US 5 and Kimball Hill Road since 1790, but the building has had a rough past decade, burning twice, once to the ground. Currently owned by the Putney Historical Society, it offers tables and a deli with a blackboard menu.
Turn up Kimball Hill Road, which turns into Westminster Road. Fork left at the sign for West Hill Road and follow it up past Green Mountain Orchards (802-587-5851), open daily 8 AM–6 PM from berry to apple season, with PYO. Continue up another mile and turn right (3.3 miles from US 5) at Putney Mountain Road. This hard-packed dirt road is narrow, steep, muddy in wet weather, and closed in winter, but on a summer day it can be a heart-stoppingly beautiful drive. There are frequent pullouts at narrow points, but watch for crossing wildlife, from chipmunks to deer. Trees thicken and the sunlight dapples through in a way it doesn’t on paved roads. At 2.1 miles, the road crests and there is ample parking on the right for the 0.6-mile Ridge Trail to the open crown of Putney Mountain and views east across southern New Hampshire to Mount Monadnock and west to the Green Mountains. The road turns to hardtop in less than 2 miles and ends at paved Grassy Brook Road. Fork left and it’s just over a mile to VT 30; stay straight and follow Grassy Brook north a few miles through a steep-sided valley to the country’s only Round Schoolhouse.
PUTNEY’S TAVERN AND GENERAL STORE ARE AT THE HEART OF THE VILLAGE
The Round Schoolhouse
Sited at the center of Brookline Village, this round brick building was designed in 1821 by schoolmaster “Thunderbolt” Wilson, ostensibly so that he could see in all directions in case he needed to escape. Wilson later practiced as a doctor in Newfane and Brattleboro, but his former life as an infamous Scottish highwayman was revealed at his death; he had been fingered by a fellow felon, and scars on his ankles and neck suggested chains and a rope. The full story and his pistols are on view in the Windham County Historical Museum (802-365-4148) in Newfane. Heading south again from Brookline Village, turn right on Hill Road, past West River Inn, then right again on Grassy Brook Road to the iron bridge across the river and VT 30.
On the southern edge of Newfane, the barnlike Dutton Farm Stand (802-365-4168) features fruit and produce from Paul and Wendy Dutton’s local orchards and farms; inquire about PYO strawberries and raspberries in nearby riverside fields. The village of Newfane is just ahead, and the magnificent green invites a stroll. Turn left beyond the Newfane Store and park by Four Columns Inn (802-365-7713; open seasonally for lunch Wed.–Sun.). This white-pillared mansion was built in 1830 to remind the owner’s wife of her girlhood home in the South, and the Greek Revival Windham County Courthouse dates from the same era. A Federal-era Congregational church and the matching white clapboard town hall are spaced sedately on this large village green with its Victorian fountain.
When court sessions began meeting in Newfane in 1787, the village was about the same size, but 2 miles up on Newfane Hill. Beams were unpegged and many houses moved down by ox-drawn sleighs in the winter of 1824. Initially the county jail here fed guests in the same rooms as inmates, and the village has long been known for lodging as well as dining. Between 1880 and 1936, this was a busy stop on the narrow-gauge West River Railroad from Brattleboro to Londonderry. It’s best remembered as “33 miles of trouble” for its many disasters. Read the story in the Historical Society of Windham County (802-365-4148), the brick building that looks like a post office, south of the green. (Open Memorial Day through Columbus Day, Wed., Sat., Sun.; noon–5 PM.)
Beyond Newfane the road rises and dips along above the river for a half-dozen miles on its way to the village of Townshend. Here the village common is a full 2 acres. It’s framed by a 1790s white Congregational church, clapboard homes, a former brick tavern, the ghost of a business block, and Leland and Gray Union High School, founded as a Baptist seminary in 1824.
NEWFANE VILLAGE GREEN
PICNIC TABLES OVERLOOK TOWNSHEND DAM
The road winds on between the river and steep, gumdrop-shaped hills.
The Scott Bridge, built in 1870 and Vermont’s longest single-span covered bridge (closed to traffic), is a few miles up on the left, just before the Townshend Lake Dam, a 1961 flood-prevention measure. The narrow Dam Road crosses the dam to picnic areas and accesses a rough beach that is open for swimming when water quality permits. A left at the end of Dam Road is the shortest approach to Townshend State Park (802-365-7500), with tenting sites and a steep but rewarding 2.7-mile hiking trail to the top of Bald Mountain.
Back on VT 30, the Townshend Dam Diner (802-874-4107; open 5 AM–8 PM daily except Tues.) is 1.8 miles on the left, a funky local gathering spot for down-home food and prices. At this writing, a P&J sandwich is $2.29, with chips and a pickle. We recommend the hot fudge sundae.
West Townshend, not far beyond, is marked by its vintage 1824 store/post office, now the West Townshend Country Store and Café (802-874-4800; open daily 7 AM–7 PM). There’s a thrift store upstairs and a clay oven out back for the pizza served on Fridays, when there’s also music and a farmers’ market on the back lawn (4–7 PM, May through October).
The junction of VT 30 and VT 100 in East Jamaica marks the midpoint of this drive. It’s another 3 miles to Jamaica. Here the Three Mountain Inn (802-874-4140) has been offering hospitality since the 1790s; the North Country General (802-444-0269) is open daily except Wednesday with a light but imaginative all-day menu, wine, and craft beers; and the Elaine Beckwith Gallery (802-874-7234) is a destination for contemporary art lovers. The heart of the village is D&K’s Jamaica Grocery (802-874-4151), open 7 AM–8 PM. Pick up hot food or picnic fixings from the deli and one of the maps that owner Karen Amden has had printed, pointing the way to local fishing spots and sights like Pikes Falls.
DETOUR
Jamaica State Park, down Depot Street and over the iron bridge, is a popular place for fishing, swimming, hiking, and camping. In warm weather the Salmon Hole beckons. This deep, still pocket in a wide bend in the West River was well known to many generations of Native Americans, judging from an archaeological dig that has unearthed 3,000 artifacts. It also figures in history as the site of a 1748 ambush of British and colonial soldiers by Frenchmen and Indians.
Fishermen favor this stretch of the river because of its easy access to both deeps and riffles. On May and September weekends, when water is released from the Ball Mountain Dam just upstream, this is prime viewing ground for white-water paddling races. A recreation trail meanders along the river on the rail bed of the defunct West River Railroad. The park’s other popular multiuse trail runs 1.1 miles from the river to the base of Hamilton Falls, dropping through pools and shoots for a total 125 feet. Please do not try to climb up along the falls to the inviting pools along this drop. Too many people have died trying.
From D&K’s, follow the road that branches off VT 30 to the left; it begins directly across from the general store as Pikes Falls Road but almost immediately we bear left on South Hill Road, a beautiful, mostly paved shortcut up and over the hill and down to VT 100 in the village of Wardsboro. Two-thirds of the way we recommend turning up (dirt and dead end) Mowrey Road for the minute it takes to reach the most unlikely building in all Vermont: an exact replica of a first-century stone house that sits on a similar hillside in Ephesus, Turkey.
Continue on South Hill Road as it winds down and levels out in Wardsboro Village, a crossroads with the requisite post office, church, and general store; Cindy’s Bittersweet Memories Café (802-896-1130; open 6 AM–2 PM daily except Thurs.) is a likely breakfast or lunch spot. A sign on the red-and-blue-striped Wardsboro Country Store warns PARK HEAD ON. PARALLEL PARKERS WILL BE SHOT, but this too is a friendly oasis, known for house burritos, chicken pot pies, and Matt and Kip’s house-made sausage, especially popular during Wardsboro’s famous annual July Fourth parade.
Our Lady of Ephesus Shrine
This shrine replicates the stone house, set high on a similar hillside in Turkey, that is a pilgrimage site for both Muslims and Christians because it is believed to have been the final residence of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The door to the chapel is usually open, and there’s a sense of peace inside and out. This was part of an extensive horse farm and, a short way up the road, the stables and riding ring have been expanded into Our Lady of Ephesus House of Prayer (802-896-6000), with the horse stalls converted to surprisingly comfortable guest rooms. The retreat center is set high with a sweeping view of the surrounding hills. There is a story here, and Mary Tarinelli, who with her husband transformed the property and raised funds to create the shrine, is frequently on hand to tell it.
OUR LADY O F EPHESUS SHRINE
The entrance to Mount Snow Resort (1-800-245-SNOW) is another dozen miles south on VT 100 in West Dover. Skiing aside, the resort offers extensive mountain biking with lift-serviced trails and an 18-hole golf course. The view from the 3,600-foot-high summit is worth checking to see if the Bluebird Express Chairlift (802-464-6640) is running. Weather permitting, it operates late June through Labor Day, 10 AM–5 PM Wed.–Sun., then Fri.–Sun. until mid-October, from the base lodge to and from the summit lodge with its Bull Wheel Café.
More than 2,100 guests can bed down at the base of Mount Snow. Aside from the Grand Summit Resort Hotel (802-464-8501), this includes mostly condo-style units, an especially good value for families. Restaurants, lodges, and shops line VT 100 as it runs south to Wilmington. There is a wide choice of traditional inns and bed & breakfasts, as well as condo complexes scattered through the valley, representing by far the largest number and widest range of places to stay in the southeastern corner of Vermont.
Mount Snow made its splashy debut as a ski destination in 1954, when Reuben Snow’s farm was transformed by ski lifts and trails, lodges, a skating rink, and an immense floodlit geyser. Ski lodges mushroomed and 1960s development around the small village of West Dover was intense enough to trigger a pioneering environmental protection law, Act 250, in 1970. The resort area has long since mellowed into a low-key family destination, especially in summer. Attractions still include the multigenerational working farms: Adams Farm (802-464-3762), offering a petting barnyard, wagon rides, and “farm-to-table” BBQ; Boyd Family Farm (802-464-5618), with long views from its display gardens and offering PYO flowers and blueberries; and Wheeler Farm (802-464-5115), producing milk for the Cabot Cooperative and featuring its maple syrup and cream at its roadside farm stand. VT 100 follows the North Branch of the Deerfield River for 6 miles south to Wilmington, but you might want to cut over on Crosstown Road in the middle of West Dover Village and follow higher, wooded Handle Road (turning into Cold Brook Road), passing the farms that have formed this valley’s summer colony since the 1880s.
VIEW OF THE SOMERSET RESERVOIR FROM MOUNT SNOW
SCENIC 13-MILE SHORTCUT BACK TO VT 30 SOUTH OF NEWFANE
From VT 100 in the busy heart of West Dover Village (across from Crosstown Road), the well-named Valley View Road corkscrews 3 miles up a steep hill, becoming Cooper Hill Road on the way to its 2,500-foot-high crest. Here much of southeastern Vermont seems to roll away at your feet. On a clear day, the White Mountains hover on the horizon to the northeast.
“It’s tranquil” up here, observes Charles Wheeler at Cooper Hill Inn (802-343-633) across the road. The hospitable, reasonably priced inn fronts on this vista and backs on a view of Mount Snow across the steep Deerfield Valley. The classic, old hilltop village of Dover is just beyond, with a white clapboard church, town hall, and library framing a common. From here Dover Hill Road winds east, descending to the Rock River and following it through the single-lane, 1870s Williamsville Covered Bridge to the hamlet of Williamsville, home to an 1828 general store that’s now a local dining destination, the Williamsville Eatery (802-365-9600). Continue on Williamsville Road and by the swimming hole near the Rock River bridge (look for parked cars) to VT 30.
WILMINGTON
In the middle of the village of Wilmington, the only traffic light between equidistant Brattleboro and Bennington marks the junction of VT 100 and VT 9.
A left leads back to Brattleboro, but we suggest turning right first to explore Wilmington Village’s West Main Street. Parking is sequestered behind shops and restaurants down by the Deerfield River. In 2011 Tropical Storm Irene caused the river to overflow its banks here and swamp iconic Dot’s Restaurant (802-464-7284; open 5:30 AM–8 PM, until 9 PM Fri. and Sat.); Quaigh Design Centre (802-464-2780), a long-established showcase for work by Vermont’s top craftsmen and artists; and inviting, independently owned Bartleby’s Books (802-464-5425). Happily, all three village anchors are back and better than ever.
COOPER HILL ROAD
Lake Whitingham, 8 miles long and set in forested hills, is just west of the village. Also known as Harriman Reservoir, it was created in the 1920s by damming the Deerfield. For directions to its access points for hiking, swimming, and boating, and for area trail maps, stop by the visitor center at 21 West Main Street, maintained by the Southern Vermont/Deerfield Valley Chamber of Commerce (802-464-8092).
THE MOLLY STARK TRAIL
VT 9 itself was recognized as one of the region’s first tourist routes, formally pronounced a “scenic” road in 1938. It’s now the Molly Stark Scenic Byway, named for the wife of the general who traveled this route in August 1777 on his way to defeating the British at the Battle of Bennington. One of Vermont’s few east/west highways, it’s been widened and improved to bear truck traffic, but the 18 miles back to Brattleboro remain a twisty, roller coaster kind of ride. Be sure to stop 5 miles east of the light at the Hogback Mountain Overlook, a former ski hill with a view that’s said to encompass 100 miles. The adjacent Southern Vermont Natural History Museum (802-474-0058; open Mon.–Fri. 10 AM–4 PM, Sat.–Sun. 10 AM–5 PM; $) is secretly below the large gift shop through which you enter. It features 80 dioramas depicting New England birds and mammals but includes many more local and environmentally focused exhibits. The surrounding 600 acres offer hiking trails.
Several miles beyond, a turnoff is marked for Marlboro, a sleepy, mostly white-clapboard village. It’s home to Marlboro College, the venue for the Marlboro Music Festival (802-254-2394) chamber music concerts, performed mid-July to mid-August weekends by internationally famous artists who congregate here to work together and perform. Continue on 10 more miles through West Brattleboro to I-91 Exit 2.
Best Places to Sleep
FOUR COLUMNS (802-365-7713), 21 West Street, Newfane. This luxurious inn, fronting on Newfane’s splendid green and backing on woodland, offers 17 recently renovated rooms with king and queen beds, comfortable, unfussy furnishings, and splendid baths. Facilities include a small gym and spa with a steam bath, treatment room, and outside space. A continental breakfast is included in the rates, and pets are accepted in some rooms. $$–$$$; also see Best Places to Eat.
WEST RIVER INN (802-365-7745), 117 Hill Road, Brookline. With its big red barn and white, black-shuttered farmhouse, this is a classic country B&B. It’s minutes from Newfane but far enough off the beaten track to feel like the find that it is. Nick and Terry Kaiser offer seven antiques-furnished rooms with beds ranging from twins to kings, with and without private bath. There’s a swimming hole, and families, dogs, and horses are all welcome. Rates include full breakfast. $–$$.
WINDHAM HILL INN (802-874-4080 or 800-944-4080), 311 Lawrence Drive, West Townshend. High above the West River Valley, this 1825 brick farmhouse is a luxurious retreat with 21 antiques-furnished rooms divided between the main house and an annex with views down the valley. Facilities include a landscaped pool and tennis court. $$$–$$$$.
THREE MOUNTAIN INN (802-874-4140), 30 Depot Street, Jamaica. Ed and Jennifer Dorta-Duque welcome guests in the 1790s tavern room with its large hearth and a cozy corner bar. Guest rooms are divided between upstairs rooms and garden units in a neighboring house and cottage, all nicely decorated, some with whirlpool tub, gas or wood fireplace or wood stove. A pool and lawn chairs overlook mountains. Dinner is available. $$–$$$ includes a three-course breakfast.
COOPER HILL INN (802-348-6333), 117 Cooper Hill Road, East Dover. High on a hilltop on a quiet country road with panoramic views, this is a spacious inn with bright, tastefully decorated guest rooms (private baths) ranging from king-bedded rooms with fireplaces to family suites. There’s a large dining room, game room, and flower gardens with a landscaped hollow for weddings. The house can hold 24 and is frequently rented in its entirety. $$–$$$.
Two Outstanding State Campgrounds
TOWNSHEND STATE PARK (802-365-7500), 2755 State Forest Road, Townshend. This 1930s Civilian Conservation Corps creation offers 30 basic tent sites and four lean-tos. It’s a bit of a secret given its seemingly isolated location on a dirt road in a state forest, but it’s minutes from VT 30. The steep, 2.7-mile hike up Bald Mountain offers views across the valley. $.
JAMAICA STATE PARK (802-874-4600), 48 Salmon Hole Lane, Jamaica. Open early May through Columbus Day weekend. This is a popular campground with 41 tents/trailers and 18 lean-to sites with easy access to swimming, fishing, and hiking. $.
Best Places to Eat
ARTISAN RESTAURANT AND TAVERN AT THE FOUR COLUMNS INN (802-365-7713; dinner daily except Mon.; lunch seasonally Wed.–Sat.; Sun. brunch), 21 West Street, Newfane. The dining room is rustically elegant (no tablecloths) and the menu is locally, seasonally sourced. A moderately priced pub menu is available in the tavern and, weather permitting, on the pleasant patio. $$–$$$.
WILLIAMSVILLE EATERY (802-365-9600; dinner Thurs.–Sun. from 5 PM), 26 Dover Road, Williamsville. This former village store has an open kitchen and features craft beers and ciders, wood-fired pizzas Thursday and Sunday, and a mix of starters and entrées the remaining evenings. Reservations recommended. $–$$.
TWO TANNERY ROAD (802-464-2707; twotannery.com), 2 Tannery Road, off VT 100, West Dover. Open for dinner Tues.–Sun. The building itself is said to date in part from the late 1700s and the bar began service in the original Waldorf-Astoria. The food is consistently flavorful, and creative. Nightly specials, reservations encouraged. Entrées $$–$$$.
THE GLEANERY (802-387-3052; open for dinner Wed.–Sun; lunch Wed.–Sat; Sun. brunch; specially priced three-course Sunday night menus), 133 Main Street, Putney. The open, timbered dining room has a hearth and the feel of the old tavern it occupies. In warm weather there’s also seating on the porch. The menu changes daily, depending on what’s available at local farms. Lunch is light: flatbreads, burgers. The dinner menu offers a half-dozen entrées, including several vegetarian options. Dinner reservations suggested. $$.
