Hayden Hill Trail, Duxbury, VT 05676 - Washington County

Introduction

This 337-Acre property is located about 10 minutes from downtown Waterbury, yet offers a secluded atmosphere for outdoor recreation and off-grid camp building. Excellent timber quality lends well to long-term investment.

Property highlights include:

-High-quality hardwood and pine timber, valued at around $1,150/Acre (based on visual forester estimate)

-Sites available for off-grid camp building

-Situated among thousands of unfragmented, privately and publicly-managed timberland acres

-VAST snowmobile trail running through the property north/south

-10 minutes from downtown Waterbury and its associated amenities

-Access via a public Legal Trail, originating from River Road.

Location

The property is located in northern Duxbury, VT, a rural town containing mainly residential properties, farms, and family-owned timberlands. Much of the town consists of the Camel's Hump State Park, a popular recreation destination for those seeking outdoor adventures. The Winooski River, which runs between the state capital of Montpelier and Burlington (Vermont's largest city) is located just to the north. The property is located squarely in the Green Mountains, originally named by French explorers, and is part of the Appalachian Mountain chain.

Waterbury, a larger city located between Montpelier and Burlington, is a short drive from the property, and contains many large-city amenities while retaining a small-town Vermont charm. Notable businesses in Waterbury include Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, craft breweries, restaurants, and small shops.

The property is located around 10 minutes from Interstate 89, a major artery connecting Burlington, VT to locations in New Hampshire. The site is located around 20 minutes from the Bolton Valley Ski Resort, and only minutes from trailheads serving Camel's Hump State Park. Burlington is located 35 minutes north via I-89.

Access

Access is via the Hayden Hill Trail, also known as TH 4, which originates from river Road in Duxbury. From here, the trail heads south up Hayden Hill for approximately 0.6 miles. The road here is in good condition for a legal trail, however an SUV or vehicle with greater clearance is needed to access the land. TH 4 leads to a gate, beyond which the property can be found on both sides of the unnamed LT 8. LT 8 has been recently upgraded by a neighboring landowner.

Directions - from downtown Waterbury, proceed southwest on Winooski Street to cross the bridge across the Winooski River. Turn right onto River Road and proceed about 2.4 miles, before turning left onto the Hayden Hill trail. Proceed up this road 0.6 miles to find the property on the left.

Site Description

This property is generally moderately-sloping, with aspect to the north. The forest is found midslope on a large ridge, rising up to a height of land to the south.

Within the property, soil conditions are generally well-drained and productive for forest growth. A Vast trail, used for snowmobiles in the winter, runs through the property north/south, connecting Waterbury to areas south such as Waitsfield and Northfield. This trail is well-maintained, and can be used year-round for hiking and ATV use as well. Importantly, it offers access to the height of land on the extreme south end, where some views are available during the fall and winter seasons.

Stone walls and evidence of previous pasturing are seen on the property, and provide evidence of a long legacy of land use dating back to early settlers. Following pasture abandonment in the 1800'S, this property reverted to forestland, and is now growing mostly high-quality hardwood timber.

A Green Mountain Power transmission line runs through the northern end of the property, heading east/west.

Timber

The timber is an attractive resource which has been professionally managed, and contains mostly quality northern hardwood species such as sugar maple and yellow birch. The growing site appears quite productive, and timber quality and stocking are both higher than average. In the lower elevations, the forest displays a good crop of mature white pine and other softwood species. The most common species is sugar maple, therefore opportunities for a small hobby sugarbush also exist if desired.

The 2019 forest management plan identifies 4 forest stands, mostly consisting of hardwood timber. Capital timber value is estimated (by forester visual opinion) at around $1,150/Acre, which includes costs associated with upgrading Hayden Hill Trail for log trucks. The property in enrolled in the Vermont Use Value Appraisal Program, with the next forest management plan due in 2029.