Photograph the Scenic 1902 Maple Grove Farm
Somewhere between Pomfret and Barnard, you will find Vermont’s Maple Grove Farm. It is nestled between the scenic Vermont hills of Pomfret, Sharon, and Barnard. According to Google, it belongs in S. Royalton. Depending on when you arrive, you may even get the Vermont bright fall colors to set as the backdrop for the farm buildings
Finding the Maple Grove Farm
It’s never simple finding this farm and I have to admit, I have always found it by accident. Today let’s try to find it on purpose. The street address for your GPS should be 3472 Allen Hill Rd, South Royalton. This way you can find it easily and while there is no real parking, the dirt road is fairly wide. Just be sure to use your common sense and if 2 or more cars are parked there, come back later or park further away.
I can’t even tell you which are the best roads to get there on. I believe I’ve usually found it by coming in from North Pomfret to the east on Stage Road (Some very nice views of the rolling hills, farms, and cows are along that road…)
So taking Stage Rd to Allen Hill Rd from Pomfret, is, I hate to say it, one of the more direct ways to get there. I also like to stop in Barnard to get a coffee at the General Store (just off Town Hwy 1) which also shares the name of Stage Rd. So I found my way to the farm and then found my way into Barnard. Here is a video from above Barnard from my drone.
So I know the roads to the east are very passable for cars or lightweight SUV’s.
Photographing the farm
Much like the Sleepy Hollow farm, trespassing is frowned upon. So you are limited to walking up and down the road. But depending on when you arrive you have several different options. I’ve gotten there early on a bright sunny morning only to find the farm and valley surrounded by fog. (NOT a bad thing BTW)
This picture above and below was 4 October at 8 AM. I walked a little way up the road and I found there are small stands of birch and maple trees to be photographed.
This picture of the birches is just a short walk up the road from the farm. If it’s not a foggy Vermont morning then you should be able to frame a view of the next farm over.
Maybe you will get there later in the morning and it’s not sunny but more cloudy, well that is what you might get in the picture back at the top.
Best dates for photographing the Maple Grove Farm
For fall color, I would say anytime between the 4th to the 8th of October should be colorful. My early date is the foggy shots on 4 Oct but that was in 2020 and this area turned a bit early that year. The uppermost shot was 8 Oct in 2016 and 2016 was a classic “Slow-burn” year.
I came up around the 30th of Sept and didn’t find much fall color. I was working full-time in the National Park and did not get back up north till 8 October. Now we were starting to see some pleasing fall colors. All around Pomfret (and the vicinity) we were seeing great fall colors (like this or this!).
In that “really” Slow-burn year (2016) I was back up on the 13th of October to Woodstock and over to Pomfret. The colors were well saturated and without a big storm to take them down, the leaves were still mostly on the trees (in many but not all areas). So I would say 4-12 October in any slow-burn year should be good. If the colors are early, then move it up some.
Jeff Foliage Folger
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Thanks, Jeff, another one for the “keep in mind” list! Just pray that they leave the barn as is and don’t give it a shiny new coat of paint or (worse yet ) of vinyl. It looks great in your picture.
Now there’s a nightmarish thought, isn’t it? One day you get to Motif no 1 and find that it has a nice new shiny coat of vinyl! Don’t think I haven’t seen this happen on historic buildings … but maybe it’s a NY State thing …
Wash yourouth with soap and let’s hope no one heard you!!! That is a scary thought!
Thanks, Jeff, another one for the “keep in mind” list! Just pray that they leave the barn as is and don’t give it a shiny new coat of paint or (worse yet ) of vinyl. It looks great in your picture.
Now there’s a nightmarish thought, isn’t it? One day you get to Motif no 1 and find that it has a nice new shiny coat of vinyl! Don’t think I haven’t seen this happen on historic buildings … but maybe it’s a NY State thing …
Wash yourouth with soap and let’s hope no one heard you!!! That is a scary thought!
This is a beautiful scene– and worth taking time– but as you pointed out– please people be mindful that these are PRIVATE properties and leave the road clear–
Ever correct April, it’s hard to tell people about these places knowing that some people think it’s OK to enter the property even though we are ALL there as guests
This is a beautiful scene– and worth taking time– but as you pointed out– please people be mindful that these are PRIVATE properties and leave the road clear–
Ever correct April, it’s hard to tell people about these places knowing that some people think it’s OK to enter the property even though we are ALL there as guests
Beautiful photographs, Jeff. Question – Is there a connection between the Maple Grove Farm in the photos and the wonderful Maple Grove Farm syrup that I buy in the grocery store? I was never really sure and have always wondered.
Not sure, there are no signs suggesting that they sugar there and I’ll check at home but there is a Maple grove co-op near st Johnsbury that has a museum and sugaring business… more likely it’s that.
Beautiful photographs, Jeff. Question – Is there a connection between the Maple Grove Farm in the photos and the wonderful Maple Grove Farm syrup that I buy in the grocery store? I was never really sure and have always wondered.
Not sure, there are no signs suggesting that they sugar there and I’ll check at home but there is a Maple grove co-op near st Johnsbury that has a museum and sugaring business… more likely it’s that.