For travelers looking to combine mountain scenery with local history, Wardsboro offers clear points of interest. The Green Mountains shape the area’s physical geography; mountains and hills dominate, with the highest elevations in the southern part of town. Around 90 percent of the area is forested. About two-thirds of Wardsboro lies within the proclamation boundary of the Green Mountain National Forest. These two figures describe different things: the town’s forest cover and its location within that proclamation boundary.
Forests, Ridges, and Waterways
The Green Mountain National Forest is also the largest publicly owned area in Wardsboro. The higher elevations provide the backdrop for most of the area’s notable landscape views. Wardsboro’s natural surroundings offer opportunities for hiking, particularly in the extensive National Forest within the town. These nature-related features have different points of emphasis: the views are associated with the higher elevations, while hiking is especially associated with the forest. The waterways are home to wild populations of brook and brown trout, adding a distinct water element to the landscape.
Local History at Specific Places
Wardsboro Town Hall was built in 1907 and rebuilt after a fire in 1928. The two dates mark different stages in its building history: its construction and its reconstruction. The building is listed in the Vermont Register of Historic Sites. The History House is located in Wardsboro Village. The historic ruins of the Sammuel Hammond Farmstead are located in the Green Mountain National Forest; they include a large cellar hole and a barn foundation. Local history thus encompasses both the story of a listed town hall and the traces of a farmstead in the forest.
Celebrations and Local Traditions
The July 4th Street Fair and Parade has been held annually since 1949. It is considered the longest-running continuously celebrated Fourth of July event in Vermont and regularly draws about 4,000 people; the number may vary from year to year. If you’d like to plan your trip around the event, check the date for the relevant year. Another local connection is the Gilfeather turnip: Wardsboro is considered the first place where it was grown and harvested. Since 2001, the whole town has celebrated the Gilfeather turnip. The two traditions have different points of emphasis: the annual Fourth of July celebration and the townwide celebration of a turnip with a history of being grown and harvested in Wardsboro.
Getting Around and Seasonal Activities
The state-maintained Vermont Route 100 runs through Wardsboro along Wardsboro Brook, from the western boundary with Stratton to the northern boundary with Jamaica. The route is 7.4 miles long within the town and provides regional access to the 46.8-mile network of town-maintained roads. The figures refer to different areas: 7.4 miles measures Route 100 in Wardsboro, while 46.8 miles refers to the local road network.
McMichael Town Park in Wardsboro Village has a skatepark. In winter, the skating area can be flooded for ice skating when volunteers set up the necessary equipment. If you’re planning to go ice skating, check before your visit whether the setup is scheduled for that period.
Discover more destinations: Whitingham, Newfane, West Dover, Dummerston, Halifax, Putney, Rockingham, Stratton
For the broader travel overview: Windham County.
