Barnard, VT —
Barnard has Something for Everyone

If you ever have had the fortunate experience to find yourself in the quaint hamlet of Barnard, VT on a crisp autumn day, consider yourself one of the lucky ones. Truth be told, it doesn’t matter in which season you arrive. Barnard has something for everyone at all times of the year.

As you approach Barnard from any direction, the Universalist Church steeple comes into view at about the same time as you encounter Silver Lake and the wonderful Barnard General Store. The lake is a spot for early morning meditation with a cup of coffee, an afternoon swim, or a paddleboard and kayak in the summer. In the winter, it becomes a center of skating and ice fishing.

The Store, or the BGS as we locals call it, is a gathering place for townies and visitors alike. With it’s old-fashioned ice-cream window and soda-shoppe counter out of the 1940’s, it’s a comfortable place to meet and greet. Gathered around the pot-bellied wood stove in the winter, you will find hungry snowmobilers warming their toes over a hot bowl of chili or snowshoers and nordic skiers grabbing a sandwich for lunch.

"Gathered around the pot-bellied wood stove in the winter, you will find hungry snowmobilers warming their toes."

In summer, Barnard is booming! The Store is central to the survival of campers and day visitors at Silver Lake State Park. It’s also a regular stop for the cyclists who are touring around our great State. Whether you’re on a bicycle or motorcycle, you’re welcome! The Appalachian Trail runs through Barnard, and there are many worthwhile hikes. Have you ever heard of Delectable Mountain? Luce’s Lookout? Oliver’s Cave? I’ve done the digging for you, letting you know these local hidden gems!

With the locavore and farm-to-table movement, sweeping the nation, Vermont is where you can come to find it. Come and gather every Thursday evening for the Feast and Field at the Clark Farm, where locally and organically grown food and products are sold and shared. It is a weekly event from spring through late fall that brings together farmers and growers, artists, musicians, and chefs and who sell their wares and share in their bounty. Pick up your “share” of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) at this event, and order a taco salad and a glass of Fable Farm fermented cider! Chill with your friends at the scattered picnic tables and dance to the live bands who play every week. This is really what community is all about.

"Pick up your “share” of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) at this event."

Beyond these activities, Barnard has an awesome award-winning restaurant, The Barnard Inn, as well as a number of bed and breakfast inns. In addition, it is home to the incomparable Twin Farms Resort and Spa. This luxury property is in Barnard, but you’d never know it as it is completely enclosed in privacy. Barnard, VT is just ten minutes from downtown Woodstock, VT, and two and a half hours from Boston. It’s definitely a place to add to the bucket list, unless you’re lucky enough to live here!

Author

Susan Hickey

Barnard, VT —
Barnard has Something for Everyone

"Gathered around the pot-bellied wood stove in the winter, you will find hungry snowmobilers warming their toes."

"Pick up your “share” of the CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) at this event."

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