LYNDON, The Kingdom Trail Association has purchased 271 acres on Darling Hill Road, securing seven miles of trails in the heart of the popular network. The land, which includes the Heaven's Bench rest stop, was conserved to remain undeveloped and open to the public.
The parcel stretches from Darling Hill Road to the East Branch of the Passumpsic River and offers views of Burke Mountain. It consists of 40 acres bought from Martha Corrock and Finn Gunderson and 231 acres formerly owned by Ariel Quiros, the developer at the center of the Jay Peak EB-5 fraud.
Funding came from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, an anonymous $150,000 gift, and contributions from more than 740 local businesses and community members. The Vermont Land Trust holds the conservation easement.
“We are so grateful to all who have helped us to purchase this spectacular land on Darling Hill and to join the 100 other landowners who make Kingdom Trails possible,” said Abby Long, executive director of the Kingdom Trail Association. “Owning this land allows us to sustain the trails on one of the most visible and visited areas of the network, and also be a steward of the river, forests, and farmland.”
Kingdom Trails sees about 135,000 visits each year from mountain bikers, Nordic skiers, trail runners, and snowshoers. A 2016 study found the network generates more than $10 million annually in economic activity for the region.
Originally reported by Newport Dispatch.
Photo: Artaxerxes (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0). Photo is illustrative and not from the scene.
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