Rural scenery and a popular lake in Barnet
Bordering the Connecticut River and New Hampshire on its eastern side, Barnet is a sprawling rural town. “I think it’s a great community. It’s got some of the nicer views around; even on the highway, it’s got overlooks with views of the mountains and river,” says Mathew Ghafoori, a Managing Broker at Re/Max Heritage with 22 years of experience. Barnet’s meandering roads are often gravel or dirt, and its forests are broken up only by large swaths of farmland, the occasional home and Harvey Lake. Called “Harvey’s Lake” by locals, the 350-acre body of water is a central feature of the area. Ghafoori says that although the homes in Barnet can be spread out, it’s still a tight-knit town. “People really get to know each other pretty well after they’ve been there for any length of time,” Ghafoori says. “I know there are farm families that have been there for 150 years.”
Swimming and kayaking at Harvey’s Lake, hiking around Roy Mountain
Despite the nearby river, Ghafoori says that locals flock to Harvey’s Lake. Its beach is a popular swimming destination on hot summer days, and there's a boat ramp at the lake's southern tip where people launch kayaks or canoes, sometimes fishing from them. It was in Harvey’s Lake where Jacques Cousteau, renowned oceanic explorer and co-inventor of the first SCUBA diving apparatus, experienced his first dives as a child. Hiking and birdwatching along trails in forested preserves like Roy Mountain are also favorite pastimes. Surrounding towns have parklands, too; 14 miles away, the well-known Dog Mountain is a destination for its Dog Chapel and pet-friendly outdoor spaces. “There are all kinds of trails there, so you can bring your dog there off leash and just let them play,” Ghafoori says. There are ponds and even an athletic course open to visiting dogs.
Rural houses with acreage, some with stables or other outbuildings
In Barnet, it’s easy to find properties with acreage in the double digits, and even those with 100 acres or more are common. Pastures or farms take up some of this land, so houses often have outbuildings like barns or horse stables, but other properties contain big portions of undeveloped forest. “Even though you’re in a tighter community, you have a lot of privacy,” Ghafoori says. “You feel like you’re in farmland when you’re in that area. It’s kind of nice.” Houses with less land tend to be located in tiny village centers, which usually just means small clusters of homes along a paved road. These houses are frequently older, sometimes dating to the early 1800s. Colonial-style homes and houses built to resemble log cabins are both common, even among more recently built homes. Most homes start at around $250,000, but smaller houses that need extensive renovations occasionally dip to about $150,000. Inland houses typically max out at around $600,000, but this isn’t a hard and fast figure given the acreage of some of these properties. Lakefront homes go for sale much less often, so their pricing data is limited. Two sold in 2024, one for about $700,000 and the other for $950,000, but Ghafoori says they can go for well over $1 million.
Flooding and mud season in Barnet
Barnet has a major risk of flooding, especially by the river, brook and low-lying farmland. In 2024, Vermont received record-breaking rainfall, and Barnet was one of many communities hit hard by the resulting flash flooding. Big flooding events like this aren’t yearly affairs — the last bad one to hit Barnet before this was in 1927 — but some experts warn they may happen more often as climate change progresses. More common is the aptly named “mud season,” when simultaneous winter thawing and spring rains create mud so deep that trails and dirt roads are sometimes closed or difficult to traverse.
Fourth of July fireworks and Fall Foliage Festival
Barnet has a small handful of events throughout the year. “For the Fourth of July, they do fireworks over the lake,” Ghafoori says. The town also throws the Fall Foliage Festival, during which businesses and churches open for visitors taking in the area’s colorful leaves.
A convenience store and local farm stands
West Barnet Quick Stop is one of the area's few shops. “It’s actually a little grocery store and restaurant all in one,” Ghafoori says. Patrons can find quick lunch items like sandwiches alongside a few grocery essentials. Farms in the area also often have shops selling produce and other homemade items. Joe’s Brook Farm, for example, example, offers Community Supported Agriculture groups where people can purchase memberships for a weekly supply of fresh produce. For bigger grocery stores and shops, residents drive about 10 miles to St. Johnsbury.
Kids can attend St. Johnsbury Academy for free
The Caledonia Cooperative School District earns a B from Niche. Children attend Barnet School, which has a B-plus, from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. High school attendance is determined by school choice. Parents can send their kids to any one of several nearby schools, including the prestigious St. Johnsbury Academy. The private school, which Niche gives an A, has day school and boarding school options and teaches children from around the world; tuition for day school costs $42,000, and boarders pay about $68,000, but Ghafoori says Barnet is one of several nearby towns whose children can attend for free.
I-95 and Route 5 to St. Johnsbury
Interstate 91 and U.S. Route 5 run along Barnet’s eastern border. The highways bring residents north to St. Johnsbury, which is home to the nearest hospital, Northeastern Vermont Regional Hospital, about 14 miles from Barnet.
Written By
Christina Norwood
