Exploring Okemo Valley’s Outdoors—Classic Excursions and Novel Experiences
For those tuning into the outdoors, Okemo Valley tells a larger story about how recreation is evolving—where historic forests and quiet lakes coexist with creative, community-driven ways to explore them. It’s a place where you can step into the past, immerse yourself in nature, and discover entirely new ways to play in the same day.
Travel north on Route 100 past the famous Vermont Country Store and watch the river valley give way to forests rising toward the southern Green Mountains.
To your east, Okemo State Forest unfolds for nearly 8,000 acres, blanketing the towns of Ludlow, Weston, Mount Holly, and Andover.
Established in 1935, Okemo State Forest is known for its hardwoods, wildlife, and a well-loved fire tower built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
“Few places in Vermont let you get this deep into the woods and feel truly away from everything,” says Stewardship Forester Tim Morton of the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. “It’s a special kind of quiet and wildness.”
Connecting Natural Habitats and Histories
The CCC began transforming Ludlow Mountain (aka Okemo Mountain) into Okemo State Forest a century ago by building roads, trails, picnic spots, and a fire tower. Thanks in part to the CCC, you can experience the present and traces of the past in Okemo State Forest.
Roads, Trails, and a Fire Tower: A mountaintop fire tower, abandoned picnic areas, and Mountain Road—originally built by the CCC—are still in Okemo State Forest today.
The recently restored 60-foot fire tower offers panoramic views from Okemo Mountain’s 3,343-foot summit. You can hike to the tower on Healdville Trail or take 3.2-mile paved Mountain Road at Okemo.
While you’re up there, imagine what it was like when the CCC built the steel tower to replace a 1920s wooden fire tower. The CCC tower also included a warden’s cabin and a telephone line.
When you push deeper into the woods, take time to find relics of the past and the serenity of nature.
Days Gone By: Along Government Road—built in the 1970s off Route 155—you might see signs of early settlers, including old apple trees and a rare cellar hole.
Railroad and Sawmill History: In Mount Holly near the Healdville Station parking lot, a sawmill foundation and mounds of brickand- mortar rubble from the area’s railroad and sawmill past are still visible.
State Forest Camping: Some areas of Okemo State Forest are open for primitive camping. You also can stay at lean-to campsites built by the CCC at Plymouth’s Coolidge State Park in nearby Coolidge State Forest.
Wildlife: You might spot a moose at the headwaters of Branch Brook below South Mountain peak, a deer along Healdville Trail, or a ruffed grouse perched in hardwood stands.
Okemo State Forest is part of the region’s largest unbroken forest. This area stretches from Coolidge State Forest to the north to Green Mountain National Forest to the south, supporting the forest’s abundant wildlife.
“We get a lot of different kinds of recreation here, like hiking, mountain biking, snowmobiling, backcountry skiing, and hunting,” Morton says. “In the summer, people come out for primitive camping or just to get lost in the woods for a day. The diversity of recreation here matches the diversity of the landscape.”
Adventure Awaits Off the Beaten Path
Located about 30 minutes from Ludlow, Mount Ascutney made history in 1825 with one of the nation’s first recreational trails, designed to help General Lafayette—then touring 24 states— reach the summit with ease. A change in plans kept Lafayette from visiting, but that pioneering trail laid the foundation for a legacy of outdoor enthusiasm.
Ascutney Trails in Brownsville is recognized for its volunteer-maintained, 45-mile trail network that covers a variety of terrain for mountain biking and summit hiking.
Be sure to catch the annual Flow State Mountain Bike Festival at Ascutney Trails from July 24 to 26, 2026. Or join weekly mountain biking Tuesday Night Rides in summer and fall.
Additional lesser known—but equally lovely—trail networks broaden the adventure: Grafton Trails & Outdoor Center and the Chester Trails system provide miles of year-round routes through forests, meadows, and historic landscapes.
Lake Life and Making a Splash
Okemo Valley is home to scenic lakes along Route 100 and classic swimming holes that are ideal for summer fun and cooling off.
Lake Rescue in Ludlow is a sparkling gem that covers 180 acres and plunges to impressive depths of 95 feet. The public fishing access area on its eastern side welcomes kayaks and boats. This is the lake’s only public access—and there’s no public swimming area.
A dam separates Lake Rescue from Lake Pauline to the south, where you’ll find the well-known and much-photographed Red Bridge that was built in 1835.
Head to Camp Plymouth State Park on Echo Lake and plunge into cool, clear water for a swim or launch your canoe or kayak from an inviting shoreline. If you’re looking to be on the water, a state-managed access area offers a concrete boat ramp for everything from paddleboards to motorboats.
Farther north, Woodward Reservoir in Plymouth glimmers with clear water and stunning mountain views. You can paddle your kayak, fish for trout, or swim in quiet coves. (Just be sure swimming is away from the boat ramp and fishing platform.)
A quiet gem, Lowell Lake State Park offers serene paddling and shoreline hikes.
Take a dip in Buttermilk Falls, a popular swimming hole in Ludlow. The falls are ideal for kids, families, and anyone looking to cool off in an especially scenic setting. Rainbow Rock in Chester is a local favorite Williams River swimming hole. With more than 700 feet of river frontage and prominent bedrock outcrops, it’s a perfect destination on a summer day.
Golf, Anyone?
Disc golf brings an entertaining twist to mountain recreation. The sport involves flinging discs through the air, aiming for metal baskets among the trees. Whether you’re a rookie or an experienced player, it’s fun for all.
At Okemo, Maples Disc Golf Course offers 18 holes around scenic Jackson Gore. In Londonderry at Magic Mountain, play an 18-hole course on trails and wooded glades.
Prefer classic golf? Tee off at Crown Point Golf Course’s 18-hole course, set on historic land once used as a military road. Practice your swing, sink a few putts, then grab a bite and a pint at Crown Point Pub.
In Ludlow, Fox Run Golf Club’s 18-hole course weaves through rolling hills in a scenic setting. Warm up in the 10-acre practice area, test your aim on a short course, and tee off with sweeping mountain views. Grab lunch, dinner, or cocktails at the club’s Calcuttas Restaurant.
Gold Rush
Gold panning in Plymouth is a hands-on adventure with some of Vermont’s historic and still-accessible gold deposits.
Camp Plymouth State Park offers recreational gold panning, where you can wade into Buffalo Brook, swirl your pan, and feel a flood of excitement as you search for gold using hand-panning methods and small tools.
Whether you hike to a fire tower, paddle clear lakes, swing a golf club, or pan for gold, Okemo Valley is where you can shape your own Vermont outdoor adventure.
Erica Houskeeper of Burlington is a writer and communications professional. She runs a Vermont travel website and podcast, Happy Vermont. happyvermont.com
New Ways to Play in Okemo Valley
Alongside its classic woods-and-water adventures, the Okemo Valley is quietly becoming a hub for creative and community-driven recreation. Each summer, multisport enthusiasts gather at Camp Plymouth State Park for the TriQuest, a mid-September challenge that blends lake swimming, gravel biking, and trail running into a new breed of triathlon.
In nearby Chester, the Chester Volleyball League keeps summer evenings lively with relaxed co-ed play that actively welcomes newcomers; schedules and sign-ups are shared through the league’s Facebook pages. For a more sky-high perspective, just across the river in New Hampshire, Morningside Flight Park offers tandem hang-gliding flights and lessons with sweeping views of the Connecticut River Valley.
Back in Ludlow, pickleball has surged in popularity, with dedicated courts, leagues, and open play drawing locals and visitors alike to Dorsey Park, where the town recreation department posts seasonal programming and clinic information.
Together, these emerging activities reflect a region that continues to reinvent outdoor recreation—inviting visitors not just to explore the landscape, but to join the community that plays in it.
