Enjoy the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail in Ripton, VT: A Local’s Guide

Did you know that Robert Frost taught at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English in Ripton for 42 years? Every summer and fall between 1939 and 1963, he lived and wrote in a small cabin on what was then called the Homer Noble Farm.

The Ripton property is a National Historic Landmark owned by Middlebury College. It’s open to the public during daylight hours, and while you can see the cabin where Frost lived and wrote, the inside of the cabin is off-limits.

For a glimpse of the beautiful landscape that inspired Robert Frost, head to the nearby Robert Frost Interpretive Trail in the Green Mountain National Forest. Here, you can meander along an easy, universally accessible path, where you’ll find many of his poems mounted on posts along the trail.

The town dedicated the Robert Frost Trail on August 28, 1976. A few years later, the town of Ripton was dedicated as “Robert Frost Country.”

This beautiful trail and the poems posted alongside it pay tribute to Robert Frost, whose poems memorialize the pastoral Vermont that we all know and love.

The Robert Frost Interpretive Trail is an easy, 1.2-mile walk off VT 125 in Ripton, about 5.8 miles east of Route 7.

Two connected loops carry you over a beaver pond boardwalk, across the South Branch of the Middlebury River, and into a blueberry meadow with views of Bread Loaf Mountain, with about a dozen of Frost’s poems posted along the way.

The first 0.3 miles is a wide, wheelchair-friendly boardwalk. Parking is free, leashed dogs are welcome, and most people finish in about 30 minutes, longer if you’re the type who reads every poem twice.

Directions to the Robert Frost Trailhead

From the junction of US 7 and VT 125 just south of Middlebury, head east on VT 125 for 5.8 miles. The trailhead parking area (space for about ten cars) is on the right. Coming from Route 100, head west on VT 125 for 9.9 miles and look for the lot on your left. GPS coordinates: 43° 57.48′ N, 73° 00.67′ W.

Also Read: Explore Route 125 Through the Green Mountain National Forest

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Walking the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail

In 2021, the Forest Service finished a three-year, $650,000 overhaul that widened and smoothed the trail so more people can enjoy it. It now features two connected loops that wander through the varied landscapes that inspired Robert Frost. The boardwalk across the beaver pond to the river is the most wheelchair-friendly stretch. Past the river, the path turns to hard-packed gravel.

Several benches along the route encourage you to linger in the landscape, read the poems, and reflect on the beauty of Vermont’s wilderness. Picnic tables near the parking area also encourage you to stay awhile, listen to the birds, and enjoy a snack before continuing on your journey.

The trail also connects to the nearby Water Tower Trails, which are a series of cross-country ski loops for winter adventures. Dogs are welcome on the trail but must be kept on a leash.

From the trailhead, which contains a small informational kiosk and a vault toilet, go right into the trees along a wide gravel path. The path quickly becomes an elevated boardwalk, crossing a small wetland.

Alder trees love moisture and add color to the winter landscape with their clusters of red berries. The wetland is also a haven for warblers, red-winged blackbirds, and ducks.

Turn right to cross a footbridge over the South Branch of the Middlebury River. While the trail doesn’t lead directly down to the river, it’s not too difficult to climb down the bank to the water, which is shallow enough for kids and dogs to play in on a hot day.

At the end of the footbridge, the path enters a dark hemlock grove and curves left. It rises gently and passes a bench and a small clearing, where one of Frost’s most famous works, “The Road Not Taken,” is posted.

A spur trail to the right leads into the woods and connects to the Water Tower Trails. Feel free to take this trail, which is not accessible to wheelchairs or other mobility devices. Instead, continue straight on the gravel pathway lined with young birch trees.

In the spring, wildflowers spread a carpet beneath the trees — trout lily, trillium, and Dutchman’s breeches. Before long, the young woods start to thin out, and several tall white pines mark the edge of the forest and the beginning of the meadow.

You are now at the eastern edge of the field and the beginning of the second loop. 

Follow the path to the right, skirting the meadow. The US Forest Service maintains this area through prescribed burns. Blueberries and huckleberries are plentiful in August, attracting wildlife and humans who come to enjoy the fruitful bounty.

A bench next to a tall white pine tree provides a resting spot to take in northern views of the slope of Bread Loaf Mountain (3,835 feet) and the surrounding Breadloaf Wilderness. This is the largest wilderness area in Vermont, protecting nearly 25,000 acres.

Insider tip: Vermont is notorious for its spotty cell service, and GPS isn’t always reliable. We recommend purchasing a copy of the Delorme New Hampshire/Vermont Atlas & Gazetteer. This atlas covers Vermont’s back roads and plenty of its trails, and it never needs a signal.

Where to Stay Near the Robert Frost Trail

More Robert Frost Sites in Vermont

Site	Town	What you’ll find	Cost and hours	Dogs
Robert Frost Interpretive Trail	Ripton	1.2-mile poetry walk with a boardwalk, river, and blueberry meadow	Free, daylight	Yes, leashed
Robert Frost Wayside and Georgie’s Path	Ripton	Picnic area and a connector trail to the interpretive trail	Free, daylight	Yes, leashed
Homer Noble Farm (Frost’s writing cabin)	Ripton	The cabin where Frost wrote from 1939 to 1963, seen from outside	Free, daylight	Yes, leashed
Robert Frost Stone House Museum	Shaftsbury	Frost’s 1920s home, a small museum, and grounds	Adults $10; weekends in May, Thu to Mon June to Oct, 10 am to 4 pm	On the grounds, but not in the museum
Frost’s grave, Old First Church	Bennington	The Frost family plot in the Old Bennington Cemetery	Free	Yes, leashed

Frost served as the Library of Congress’s Consultant in Poetry from 1958 to 1959, the post now known as U.S. Poet Laureate. On January 20, 1961, he recited “The Gift Outright” from memory at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration, and that same year the Vermont legislature named him Poet Laureate of Vermont.

After visiting the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail, drive a short distance east on VT 125 to the Robert Frost Wayside, or leave the car where it is and take Georgie’s Path, a connector trail that crosses Route 125 and links the two (about 1.4 miles as a loop).

Look for the remains of the old Calvin Pier Tavern along the way. The Wayside has picnic tables but no restrooms or trash cans, so pack out what you bring. From the picnic area, you can walk to the cabin where Frost spent much of his time writing.

Drive south a couple of hours to Shaftsbury, Vermont, to visit the Robert Frost Stone House Museum. Frost lived there with his wife, Elinor, from 1920 to 1929.

Bennington College owns the Stone House, which houses a small museum open on weekends in May and Thursday through Monday from June through October, 10 am to 4 pm. The grounds are open dawn to dusk all year with walking trails leading to Lake Paran in North Bennington.

Robert Frost is buried behind the Old First Church in Bennington. You can visit his grave, as well as several remarkable old gravestones dating back to the Revolutionary War. Read more about the best things to do in Bennington while you’re in the area.

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