Green River Meadows
Guilford, Vermont
Green River
- Public access: Yes
- Activities: walking, swimming, fishing, photography
- Caretaker: Vermont River Conservancy
Green River Meadows
Almost unimaginable today, until Vermont River Conservancy stepped in, this site was a junkyard. Literally. Cars, metal, scrap, all piled in heaps.
Local residents were worried the abandoned junkyard was harming the river, and reached out to Vermont River Conservancy to help chart a new path forward. Vermont’s Department of Environmental Conservation book a closer look and confirmed neighbors’ fears: runoff from the junkyard was polluting the river.
Thanks to neighbors Steve and Linda Lembke, who rallied their friends and neighbors to the cause, today it’s a beautiful meadow with public access to the Green River. Plus, it’s an important area for the river to spread out and flood during heavy rain events, while also providing public river access.
The aptly named Green River Meadows is mostly open field, bordered on one side by the meandering Green River. The bank is lined with mature trees, with the bucolic background of rolling hills in the background that light-up with reds and oranges each fall. Visitors are treated to a quiet place to walk or fish. Plus, the river’s shaded and shallow pools perfect for cooling your feet off on a hot day, or searching for macroinvertebrates under smoothed rocks.
Curious to hear more? Check out this Green River Meadows video.
Conservation Details
- River: Green River
- Acreage: 17.70
- River frontage (ft): 4,183
Funding Partners
This project made possible thanks to the support and partnership of:
- Vermont Housing and Conservation Board
- Jane B. Cook 1992 Charitable Trust
- Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
- Steve and Linda Lembke
- Green River Village Preservation Trust
- Dozens of generous local donors
Directions
Green River Meadows is located at 741 River Road in Guilford, VT. From I-91 Exit 1 in Brattleboro, drive south on U.S. Route 5 for 1.3 miles. Turn right on Guilford Center Road and drive 4.6 miles. Turn right on Jacksonville Stage Road and drive 2.5 miles. Just after the covered bridge, turn left onto River Road. Drive south about 0.6 miles to the small gravel parking area on the left.
