Camping
Day use
THINGS TO DO
Camping
Hiking
Swimming
Boating
Fishing
Biking
Park Events & Programs
Venture Vermont
Winter Activities
Other Activities
Family Fun
Enjoying Nature
Hubbardton, VT 05743
Pets are welcome at the park. Please clean up after your pet.
Park Updates & Alerts
- Japanese garden maintained from Memorial Day weekend through 2nd Monday in October. The Japanese garden is accessed by a very steep, hilly trail.
Take US-7 South to VT-30 in Middlebury. Follow VT-30 south for 22.3 miles. Turn left onto Monument Hill Rd for 5.9 miles. Turn right onto St. John Rd. after the Hubbardton Battlefield for 0.3 miles. Park is on your left.
From the South:
Take US-4 to Exit 5. Turn north onto East Hubbardton Rd. (becomes Monument Hill Rd.) for 6.4 miles. Turn left onto St. John Rd. for 0.3 miles. Park is on your left.
Hiking: There are several hiking trails through the park.
Welcome
The Carson Davidson Revocable Trust Fund entrusted 204 acres of property in Hubbardton to the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation as part of what will be Vermont's newest state park. The Taconic Mountains Ramble park was the vision of Carson "Kit" Davidson, who passed away in 2016.
Long before he built a Japanese garden in the shadow of Hubbardton’s Mt. Zion, documentary filmmaker and author Carson "Kit" Davidson lived with his wife Mickie, a children’s book author, in the heart of Greenwich Village.
Both he and Mickie loved the downtown's creative energy, but they wanted a summer escape north of the city. The couple had a specific vision for their land, one not easily fulfilled until a fortuitous trip to Vermont in November of 1966 after five years of searching.
During his life, Davidson valued preservation of natural beauty for public enjoyment over subdivision, development and personal profit. He invested his heart and soul into the land for over 46 years, blazing trails, preserving wildflower meadows, and building a Japanese garden. He encouraged conservation, public access and community involvement by opening his land to any who wished to enjoy it.
As per Davidson's wishes, the Taconic Mountains Ramble will be maintained by the Department and remain open to the public in perpetuity. An additional monetary donation from the Davidson Estate to Vermont Parks Forever will fund trail repairs, garden maintenance, and creation of a long-term management plan.
In the short term, the simple rules remain – no overnight stays, no smoking, and no fires. The current land manager is maintaining trails for hiking and skiing and ensuring that visitors continue to find beautiful views and unique places to enjoy quiet moments in the garden. Over the long term, public use of the property will be guided by a comprehensive management plan written by the Department with input from the public.
This park contains numerous trails located on steep, rocky, challenging terrain. The Japanese garden is accessed by a very steep, hilly trail. This is not a developed park and there is no water, phone or other facilities, but there is a single portalet. As with all Vermont State Parks, this park is carry-in-carry-out.