Taconic Ramble State Park — Attraction in Hubbardton

I drove from Boston, which was quite a drive. I had high hopes for this stop. I was sorely disappointed. There are plenty of trails to walk. The open fields are inviting. The let down concerning a "Japanese garden" was immediate. It's scarcely that at all. I do see effort to create a fun experience & for kids, sure it's great. For me, who went hoping to have a great photo opportunity, it was not at all what I had imagined for it being on a top 10 things to do in Vermont in the spring. If you go for hiking, you should be pleased. The road leading to the parking area seems more like it would take you to the home that's just after the turn. Follow the dirt road beyond the home to find parking about 1/4 mile further up. If you want to tire small kids, bring them along for the small arched bridges and open fields. There is a less than 10 minute walk to get to the "Japanese garden" which is predominantly a zig zag downhil walk. Keep that in mind when coming with children. They may plead to be carried back. (Which 1 young girl did as I was...

The zen garden is peaceful, with several nice spots to sit. It is not a cultivated Japanese garden, but is is a lovely quiet space. We took the trail out of the zen garden up Mt Zion. Overall it was well maintained, but had a couple of sketchy, barely-a-trail spots. Led to some lovely views. Rather than turning back the way we came, we took the Alyssa trail back down. The map showed it going back just behind the parking lot, so it seemed like a good idea. If you consider yourself a technical, adventure hiker, or you like to climb, perhaps this would be a great trail for you. Going down was 85% scramble and rock face. It was terrifying. I went down most of it on my butt. It was not a good idea. So if you're taking Alyssa trail from the parking lot, be aware that it's deceivingly pretty and easy for maybe a quarter mile. Once you hit that first rock scramble, it'll be mostly...

Trust the location Google Maps brings you to. I felt like it just cut off at a random street until I saw the red painted, "state park" sign with an arrow pointing towards the park. The views were absolutely stunning. I recommend walking through the meadows to get to the zen garden. All one could hear was the busy buzzing of bumblebees flying against the wind.

The entrance contains ample parking and a few picnic tables. I visited on a Sunday at 10:00 AM and encountered only 2 other people for the entirety...