Walden offers a remote country lifestyle with snowmobile trails
Walden is a small town in the rolling hills of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. “It’s very remote,” says Nicholas Maclure, broker and owner of Century 21 Farm & Forest, who was born and raised in the Northeast Kingdom. “People come because they want a country lifestyle. They want to grow their own food, or they enjoy hiking and getting out in the woods.”
Children can attend the combined elementary and middle school, and families have a choice of nearby high schools. Snowmobile paths and a rail trail run through town, which enables residents to participate in outdoor recreation during all four seasons. State Route 15 also passes through, connecting drivers to larger communities.
Hiking, hunting, fishing and snowmobiling
The town’s largest green space is the Steam Mill Brook Wildlife Management Area, which covers more than 10,000 acres of land in Walden and Stannard. The land is open for a variety of uses, including hiking and hunting. Hikers and bikers can also explore Vermont via the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, a system that spans over 90 miles and 18 towns. Coles Pond and Lyford Pond provide opportunities for fishing, kayaking and bird watching.
In winter, the ponds usually freeze over, and ice fishing becomes popular. Snowmobiling is another common winter sport. The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, otherwise known as VAST, maintains snowmobile-safe paths over public and private land throughout the region.
Vacation cabins and year-round homes
Back roads wind past farmland and forests, and a few homes line the way. Though some are visible from the road, others rest at the ends of long, private driveways. Rustic vacation cabins and small, pond-front cottages may sell between $160,000 and $430,000. Cape Cods, Colonial Revivals and ranch-style homes designed for year-round living generally range from $350,000 to $800,000. Owners maintain their own septic systems and wells. Walden has a CAP Index Crime Score of 1 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
Walden School and area high schools
From prekindergarten through eighth grade, children may attend the Walden School, which earns a B on Niche. The school has fewer than 100 students, and it offers an after-school program. The town provides high school tuition funds that students can apply to the school of their choice. Nearby high schools include Hazen Union School, a C-plus-rated public school in Hardwick, and St. Johnsbury Academy, an A-rated private school in St. Johnsbury.
A few Walden businesses and more shopping in St. Johnsbury
Walden has a few locally owned businesses, including Rowells Sugarhouse, which sells quilts, hand-turned wooden bowls and maple syrup. At Top of the Mountain Farm & Bakery, locals can pick up canned produce and baked goods, or they can sit down for a meal in the small cafe. “I’ve always got the oven going,” says the owner, Colleen Peak. “We serve breakfast and lunch all year. In the winter, I also make stews and chili for all the snowmobilers who come by.” Nacho Mama, a Mexican restaurant, is at the intersection of U.S. Route 2 and state Route 15, a few miles south of Walden.
Some people do their grocery shopping at the Tops in Hardwick, about 10 miles north, and Danville also has a small full-service market. In St. Johnsbury, about 15 miles away, larger chain groceries, including Market 32 and Price Chopper, are available.
Car travel along Vermont routes 15 and 215 to nearby services
Residents rely on cars for travel. The two-lane, paved Vermont routes 15 and 215 run through the southwestern portion of Walden, and the town’s other roads are gravel. In medical emergencies, ambulances from Hardwick or St. Johnsbury transport patients to Northeast Vermont Regional Hospital, about 17 miles east. Burlington International Airport is around 65 miles west.
Adapting and preparing for winter weather
Winter tends to bring ice storms and heavy snowfall, and Walden gets more than 70 inches of snow per year on average. “We are well adapted to the snow,” Maclure says. “When cities in Massachusetts or New Jersey get a little snow, everything shuts down, but it’s just a normal day for us.” Many residents have backup generators in case of power outages. The school also serves as the community’s emergency shelter.
