After spending a few days in southern Vermont, we hit the road again to head north of the state. To split the road in two, we decided to stop along the way to explore a state park: Allis State Park, near Brookfield, in central Vermont.
I love exploring state parks, and we had had positive experiences the previous days at Mount Ascutney State Park and Quechee State Park, so I was pretty excited to explore this one. Plus, I had read that Allis State Park has an old fire tower, and since I have a soft spot for them (especially since I took on the Fire Tower Challenge in the Adirondacks), it made me want to go even more!
Allis State Park is located not far from I-89, but from the highway, we followed a few gravel roads, the condition of which was a bit questionable. Driving on these types of roads in an unfamiliar place always makes me a little nervous, but luckily for us, we made it to the state park without any problems.
Allis State Park was established in 1928, making it the second developed state park in Vermont. The park is named after Wallace Allis, who had a farm on top of Bear Hill, before he willed it to the state of Vermont to be developed as a campground and recreation area.
There is only one hiking trail in Allis State Park, the Bear Hill Nature Trail, which is about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) long. The trail head is near the fire tower (which itself is close to the parking lot), so we decided to start by going up there.
The view from the top of the tower was beautiful, and it was worth the trip alone. We could see the high peaks of the Green Mountains to the north and west, as well as Mount Ascutney to the south, and the White Mountains of New Hampshire (including Mount Lafayette – one of my favourite hikes ever) to the east.
After the tower, we headed to the trail. It showcases the forest at the top of the small mountain, a forest that has reclaimed its rights after the land was farmed for several generations by the Allis family. In the forest, it is possible to see some traces of this past, such as old stone walls.
The trail is well marked and relatively easy to follow, although it has some sections with good climbs and descents. The forest was pretty and peaceful, and we were the only ones on the trail that morning.
About halfway, we passed a large rock with a small cave in it. Legend has it that two bear cubs were seen in the area in the 1930s and that they climbed a tree before disappearing into thin air. It was only after a bit of searching that the rock hideout where the cubs had taken refuge was discovered.
This cave is said to have served as a den for generations of bears in the area, and is the reason the small mountain is called “Bear Hill.”
After a good climb, the hike ended by passing the ruins of some stone fireplaces. These fireplaces were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, who developed the state park and campground in the 1930s, as part of a national works relief project during the Great Depression.
We then returned to the parking lot. The hike took less than an hour to complete and allowed us to explore yet another Vermont state park!
Beautiful views from the fire tower. Seems like a peaceful and scenic state park.
Yes! It’s not very big, and there is only one trail, but it was a good place for a quick stop on the road! 🙂
Hard to beat a walk in a hardwood forest Vanessa. Love the look of it and the view from the fire tower. Thanks for sharing. Allan
You are absolutely right! It was a simple, but lovely walk in the forest. Thanks for reading, and happy Sunday, Allan!
Such a beautiful park, Vanessa! The trees and ferns are lovely. I’m not sure I would visit this park because I never use dirt roads…
Dirt roads make me nervous too! This one ended up not being too bad, but it made us change our plans afterwards because we realized we preferred avoiding them. Thanks for reading John! 🙂
You’re welcome! Diet roads damage your vehicle too. 😭