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Putney is a quaint little village surrounded by gorgeous natural areas. BBOnline highly recommends that you visit these areas while staying in a Putney inn. The peaceful Sacketts Brook flows through the center of the village, hinting at the beauty that abounds right outside of town. A Putney bed and breakfast is the perfect home base for day hiking through the nearby hills and parks filled with interesting plants, animals and geological formations. Exploring natural areas is the perfect activity for any couple or family who wants to have an entertaining vacation in Vermont.
Chesterfield Gorge Natural Area
Route 9
Winchester, New Hampshire 03470
(603) 363-8373
With 13 acres of fresh, natural landscape, Chesterfield Gorge is a plant and animal lover's paradise. The preserve is located less than 10 miles from the village of Putney and has plenty of picnic areas and hiking trails. You can even take your pet to designated parts of the gorge. Hemlock is the predominant type of tree in the gorge and has a huge, complex network of roots that absorb the majority of nutrients in the soil. Chesterfield also has little direct sunlight and a lot of humidity due to the evaporation of the stream being trapped in the gorge. However, in these rather difficult conditions, beech trees, yellow birch and black birch trees flourish, as does the wintergreen plant and many different kinds of lichens. Overall, it is an extremely interesting place to visit and will keep you busy the whole day.
Townshend State Park
2755 State Forest Road
Townshend, Vermont 05353
(802) 365-7500
www.vtstateparks.com/htm/townshend.htm
Travel a few miles away from your Putney inn and be amazed by the 41 acres of pure nature that make up the Townshend State Park. Nestled at the foot of Bald Mountain, this park surprisingly used to be agricultural land, but was purchased by the state in 1912. Today it is a thriving oasis for plants and animals filled with pools, waterfalls and lush fields. There are a variety of hiking trails and picnic areas for visitors to enjoy, as well as bathrooms and showers. Within the park, you will also find the remains of stone walls, cellar holes and other man-made artifacts left over from the time period before 1912, when people lived and worked there. Townshend State Park is a picturesque location for a romantic picnic or a peaceful walk through the woods.
Nature Right in Putney
You don't have to go far to enjoy the local wildlife. The Beatrice Aiken Wildlife Preserve is very close to any Putney inn and has some incredible wetlands and winding brooks that are inhabited by all sorts of species. The Putney Town Forest, located at the base of Putney Mountain, has a huge ash tree which locals call "elephant tree," as well as wetlands, trails, a nice parking area and an information kiosk so you can learn about the different plant and animal species as well as the geological elements of the forest before you go in.