Butternut Hill Natural Area

Butternut Hill Natural Area is a beautiful park located at 1769 South End Road in North Hero, Vermont, United States. This 84-acre natural area was conserved in partnership with the Lake Champlain Land Trust and features a mix of wetlands, uplands, agricultural fields, and over 1,100 feet of undeveloped Lake Champlain shoreline. Visitors can enjoy a mile-long trail that winds through floodplain forests, cedar pine forests, and cobble shorelines, offering stunning views of Lake Champlain. The area also includes two shale beaches that could potentially support nesting soft-shell turtles.

In the summer of 2018, a stone staircase was constructed by TNC in partnership with Hermit Woods Trailbuilders, LLC, providing access from the trail to the shale beach. The park is maintained in collaboration with the Lake Champlain Land Trust and the town of North Hero, with regular monitoring for invasive plants. The Lakeside Floodplain forests within the area support a variety of wetland plants and wildlife, including rare carex species, wood ducks, beavers, and blue-spotted salamanders.

Visitors can access the park from Camp Ingalls by following a mile-long trail that leads to the lake. The area is also home to a variety of tree species, including butternut trees and shagbark hickories. The park offers opportunities for hiking, picnicking, swimming, and birdwatching, with a chance to spot common loons, osprey, mink, and otters. Explore Butternut Hill Natural Area to experience the beauty of Vermont's natural landscapes and diverse wildlife.