While visiting southern Vermont last weekend, I carved out some time to take photos. The weather was cold and snowy, and the light turned flat and gray. With my daughter in tow, I decided to head to Dorset Hollow to show her some barns and wide open fields.
Dorset Hollow Road is a six-mile, scenic loop with gorgeous farmhouses and a stunning views of Netop Mountain, Owl’s Head, and Mount Aeolus.
You’ll also find beautiful old barns — some that are restored and some that are not. According to the Dorset Historical Society, Dorset Hollow had been farmed since the 1770s. Meanwhile, the western end of Dorset Hollow, near Route 30, was an industrial center of town until about 1910. A pottery store, gunsmith, cheese factory, and other businesses stood there over the years.
Nearly 50 years ago, an investment group planned a massive, four-season resort in Dorset Hollow, complete with an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, 100 chalet sites, and a 3,000-foot vertical drop ski area with four base lodges, sewage plants, and access from Emerald Lake State Park. Eventually, the project was (thankfully) shelved because of fierce opposition among locals. (Read my post, “A Dorset Hollow Ski Area That Never Came to Be.”)
While Dorset Hollow has changed over the years with the construction of bigger houses and some ridgeline development, there’s still plenty of historical charm.
Take a walk, bring your camera, and find architectural and scenic beauty at every turn.
**If You Go: Dorset Hollow Road is located off Route 30, just northwest of the Barrows House in Dorset (six miles from Manchester.)
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