Main content

Adams Camp

NOTICE: All Adams Camp trails are closed November 16 through December 1 for deer rifle season. 

Located adjacent to Mt. Mansfield State Forest and the conserved Trapp Family Forest, Adams Camp is a 513-acre mixed northern hardwood forest, interlaced with a variety of multi-use trails. Sitting next to the Ranch Valley, a historic winter recreation area that supported the birth of skiing in Stowe, it has been a prime destination for hunting and other recreational uses for more than 100 years. The Ranch Brook runs through the northern edge of the property and is known to support a population of brook trout.

Trails found on the Adams Camp property, including portions of the Catamount Trail and Stowe Derby Trail, provides access to a large trail network in Ranch Valley, Mt Mansfield State Forest and private trails owned by Trapp Family Lodge. During the summer months, the trails are used by hikers, bikers, hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts. 

Public Access

The Adams Camp property is open to the public for a number of non-motorized recreational activities including hunting, swimming, fishing, hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking, hunting, wildlife observation, nature study and other pedestrian uses. E-bikes are not permitted. Primary access to the property is via Ranch Brook Road or the Haul Road. Skiers and riders wishing to use the full network of maintained trails should purchase a trail pass and access the trails through Trapp Family Lodge.

Trail Maps

Directions

Primary access to the property is via Ranch Brook Road or the Haul Road. Skiers and riders wishing to use the full network of maintained trails should purchase a trail pass and access the trails through Trapp Family Lodge.

Facts

  • 513 acres
  • Privately Owned
  • Conserved in 2006
  • Ranch Brook Road, Stowe

We can save this forest—representing the soul of our collective skiing heritage—for generations of skiers to come.Jan Reynolds, 2004 Letter to the Editor

Adams Camp

The effort to conserve the Adams Camp property was undertaken by Stowe Land Trust (SLT) in mid-2004, when plans for the property's development prompted SLT to begin negotiations with Trapp Family Lodge (TFL). Through extensive negotiations it was determined that SLT would purchase the development rights for $1.75 million. In March 2006, the voters of the Town of Stowe voted in support of a bond for $450,000 to purchase the development rights of the property. The overwhelming Town support for this project helped SLT obtain a $600,000 grant to put toward the purchase price. With over $1 million committed, Stowe Land Trust raised the remaining funds from over 550 supporters and closed on the purchase late in 2006.