Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Site in Fall
Well my leaf peeps the autumn has passed most of us by and stick season is upon us (originally written November of 2017) and that means we are left going through our pictures and memories of this (or past) seasons.
What National Historic Sites are Good for Fall Foliage Viewing?
Today. I’ll mention a good 10 October visit in Vermont, and talk a little about a spot just north of Woodstock Vermont. The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park. An historic park teaches and interprets the history of a place and protects the place for all future generations.
The key is stewardship
To get here, you head to Woodstock (I’ll let you figure out the method) and head to the town green where Route 4 splits. Just off the town common is the Woodstock Covered Bridge.
Drive through the covered bridge onto Mountain Road and hang a right on River Street. Follow River Street until it joins Route 12 and continues away from town. On the right will be the farm museum and parking lot. They are well-marked so I don’t need to continue. You head to the Visitor’s Center, and one side of the building is devoted to the farm museum, and the other has a desk for the Rockefeller National Historic Site. (note, if you pass this spot Cloudland Rd is just a ways up the road)
Pick what you want to do and enjoy. The last time I was there I hiked up to Pogue Pond and came away with a really nice reflection.
The walk up the trail is about 1.5 miles and easy to follow. For a Vermont fall foliage experience, you can expect to take an hour to get up there. If you press your way up there then it will take much less, but if you are like me, you will be stopping to catch some shots every few minutes, so a 20-minute walk can easily turn into an hour each way.
Bad weather means staying at home, right?
This whole day was a misting rain of varying annoyance. I didn’t even have a grocery store bag to cover my camera! I bought a plastic poncho at the welcome center (really well prepared, right?)
So I followed the easy-to-walk trail/road snapping pictures along the way. I got to my objective, Pogue Pond and the colors were amazing but I was hoping for more. I really wanted the sun to break through the clouds and it tried, but after waiting around for almost an hour I headed back down.
I was near the parking lot when, of course, the clouds began to break up in earnest, and I stood there trying to decide whether I should go all the way back up or not.
I decided not to, and I was photographing the horses and cows when a single maple tree in the middle of the farm pasture was illuminated by the sun for a moment. I was able to catch a few snaps of it.
Happy fall trails folks, till next, we meet!
Jeff Foliage Folger
Autumn is a state of mind more than a time of year – Jeff Foliage
- Visit my Fine Art America Gallery
- Visit my Amazon store to pick up New England-related materials
- Visit my Pictorem Gallery (Free shipping in the US and Canada)
- My Facebook foliage page
- Threads.net/@Jeff_Foliage
- Follow our new Fall Foliage FB Group!
- You can visit Lisa’s Artist Facebook Page by clicking here
I’d like to go next year.
Got Fall withdrawal symptoms but your article made it a little better .
I know where the Woodstock, VT town green and covered bridge is, but have not ventured beyond there. Thank you for your notes on this. May I ask where you stay overnight in that area? I’d love to stay at the Woodstock Inn, but that place is a little pricey.
Lisa and I stayed a bit further south on Route 100 near Pittsfield (or Pittsburgh) and it was a motel for 119 a night. I’ll have to wait till I’m home as there was a place just up the road that I can’t remember the name right now. But they advertise the world’s best breakfast… it was darn good… the name later…