Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve

Woodbury, Elmore, Worcester & Hardwick, VT 6,257 acres Visitor Guidelines Download Map

A vast expanse of carbon-rich forests, wetlands, and more than 39 miles of headwater streams in central Vermont

Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve is the largest non-governmental wilderness area in the state. The property has been expanded three times since 2021, increasing its original acreage from 5,400 to 6,257.

A connected forest of local, regional, and global importance

Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve includes 39 miles of headwater streams of the Lamoille and Winooski Rivers. The property also protects regional wildlife connections and includes stunning northern hardwood forests and a diversity of wetlands.

The land sits at a crossroads for far-ranging wildlife. To the west are the Worcester Mountains, the only remaining undeveloped mountain range in Vermont. To the north is Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. The area between these two regions, at the heart of which the Preserve sits, is known as the “Worcester to Kingdom” linkage.

This area also falls within Vermont’s only “Important Bird Area” of global significance, according to Audubon and BirdLife International. A permanently protected, core wilderness within this managed landscape ensures birds like the Winter Wren and Blackburnian Warbler, which thrive in large, old forests, continue to find homes in the Green Mountain State.

The site contains some of the most climate-resilient land in the Northern Appalachian region and is recognized for its biodiversity value by The Nature Conservancy. Mark Anderson, Director of The Nature Conservancy’s Center for Resilient Conservation Science

Diverse, healthy, and underrepresented habitat

Beyond its significance to the broader landscape, Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve stands out for its varied natural communities.

This land encompasses critical habitat for a variety of animals, from wide-ranging predators like bear, fisher, and bobcat down to tiny salamanders and fingernail clams. The property hosts beavers, moose, turtles, fish, frogs, and birds, and countless insect, plant, and fungi species.

Sections of the forest have high concentrations of American beech and black cherry, which are critical food sources for wildlife preparing for winter. The Preserve also features numerous rare and special natural communities such as twelve Red Spruce-Cinnamon Fern Swamps. This uncommon swamp type is the preferred breeding habitat of Saw-Whet Owls and Yellow-Bellied Flycatchers, the latter of which are uncommon and vulnerable in the state.

Water is a key feature of the Preserve. There are four vernal pools of statewide significance and eight streams of highest priority for aquatic habitat conservation. Within these mini sanctuaries are rare, threatened, and endangered species. The land falls at the watershed divide between the Lamoille and Winooski Rivers, both of which drain into Lake Champlain. Maintaining old-forest cover at their headwaters is an effective, cost-efficient way to maintain the long-term health of the Lake.

Forested wetland in Worcester.

Woodbury Mountain.

Forest in Worcester.

Worcester hills on the Preserve.

Stream with beaver dam remnants.

Worcester wetland.

Eagle Ledge.

Wetlands in autumn.

Passing on a legacy of appreciation for nature

Before Woodbury Mountain was a Wilderness Trust Preserve, most of the land was owned by the Meyer family, which runs the E.B. Hyde timber company. The forest is in excellent condition thanks to their thoughtful multi-generational management.

Hugo Meyer bought forestland in Woodbury, Elmore, Hardwick, and Worcester in the 1950s and together with his wife, Elizabeth Hyde Meyer, managed the property both for sustainable yields of high-quality hardwood timber and according to ecological values. In the late 1970s their son, consulting forester John Meyer, took over management responsibility of the land and enrolled the property in Vermont’s Current Use Tax Program, thus ensuring its economic viability. The family’s management practices optimized timber stocking levels appropriate for varying site qualities, protected and enhanced wildlife habitat, and encouraged hunting and other non-motorized recreational opportunities.

The lands around Woodbury Mountain have always been more than management and forestry, important as those aspects are to us; they represent a place of vastness, isolation with special features. We have always kept these lands open to the public for exploration and discovery. We believe strongly that walking and connecting in these woodlands is important. Creating a Preserve with Northeast Wilderness Trust means this land will stay forested and protected for generations to come. E.B. Hyde Company, Former Landowner

Photo of aerial view of fog trailing through forested mountains.

Photo of aerial view of forested hills in sunlight.

Putting Vermont Conservation Design to work

Vermont Conservation Design is a conservation plan to sustain Vermont’s natural areas, forests, waters, wildlife, and plants. A primary goal of the plan is for at least 9 percent of Vermont’s forested landscape to be old forest. Old forests harbor unique habitats largely absent from managed land, store and sequester immense amounts of carbon, and are deeply resilient. Today, only about 3 percent of Vermont’s land is legally protected to ensure forests reach maturity and stay that way. Permanent conservation of large landscapes like Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve helps to meet this important goal. Vermont River Conservancy holds a forever-wild easement on the land to ensure that it will remain wild forever—for Nature and for people.

“Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve marks a huge step forward in meeting the goals of Vermont Conservation Design,” said Liz Thompson, a co-creator of the Conservation Design. “These sixthousand acres, protected as forever wild, complement the hundreds of thousands of acres in the region that are carefully managed for the production of timber and to support our vital forest products industry. Vermont Conservation Design calls for protection of 9% of Vermont’s forests as wild, set up to become old forest in the future through passive (hands-off) management.”

Photography: Fall foliage by Zack Porter; River & Pink lady slipper by Natalia Boltukhova; Eagle Ledge Addition by Shelby Perry; Spring Addition by Jerry Monkman/Ecophotography

Video by Jerry Monkman/Reel Quest Films.

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Feb
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500 Acres Added to Woodbury Mountain Featured News Woodbury Mountain has grown by 500 acres with the Eagle Ledge Addition in Elmore, VT. Read More >

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Experience Woodbury Mountain Featured News In October, Shelby Perry walked a wildlife corridor that includes Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve. You can see the landscape through her journey via these virtual experiences! Read More >

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NEWT Purchases Woodbury Mountain Featured News Northeast Wilderness Trust bought 5,400 acres in Central Vermont, creating Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve. Read More >

Visitor Guidelines

Woodbury Mountain Wilderness Preserve is open to the public for quiet exploration and enjoyment. Please respect the plants and animals who live here, show consideration to wildlife, other visitors, and neighboring landowners, know and obey the law, and leave the natural environment as you found it. Enjoy your visit and respect the following guidelines while on the land:

Welcomed Activities

Walking, hiking, snowshoeing & cross-country skiing
Photography, wildlife observation & nature study
Swimming, fishing, paddling & non-motorized boating
Dogs under voice or leash control
Hunting on the Preserve requires a permit, available at newildernesstrust.org/hunting

Prohibited Activities

Motorized vehicles (ATVs, dirt bikes, 4x4s, snowmobiles, or other motorized or mechanized vehicles) except snowmobiles are allowed on posted V.A.S.T. trails and motorized vehicles are allowed on public Class IV road rights-of-way
Bicycles
Horses or pack animals
Camping, fires & fireworks
Loud music or radios
Trapping, hounding, or predator hunting
Cutting or damaging plants or trees
New trails or unauthorized trail maintenance
Launching & landing drones

Click here to read NEWT Preserve & Sanctuary Visitation Guidelines

A connected forest of local, regional, and global importance

Diverse, healthy, and underrepresented habitat

Passing on a legacy of appreciation for nature

Putting Vermont Conservation Design to work

More like this...

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