Sam and Anne Ward have spent much of their lives in the dry southwest, which is why they especially appreciate summers along the cool Connecticut River in northern Vermont. They wanted to make sure others could enjoy their beautiful stretch of the river, too, which is why they worked with Vermont River Conservancy to protect a corner of their land as a paddlers’ campsite.
Using wood donated by Garland Lumber Mill in nearby Lancaster, NH, Vermont River Conservancy volunteers and the Wards built a set of river-bank stairs, a picnic table, paddlers’ register, signs, and a box privy, then floated their work upstream to install it on the site. Thanks to the Ward’s generosity and multiple community members pitching-in, today paddlers can look forward to a clearly marked and clean campsite along the Connecticut River Paddlers’ Trail.
This project made possible thanks to the support and partnership of:
Launch below the old dam in Guildhall. Campsite is about .5 miles downstream of old stone dam abutments, which are reached after paddling about five miles downstream of Guildhall. Campsite is located on right side of the river, in a floodplain forest dominated by silver maples. A timber ladder provides access to the campsite.
