The Mile-Around Woods is a private preserve dedicated to conservation and agricultural uses. It is open to the public for walking during daylight hours.
The Fund for North Bennington, Inc. has established a network of walking trails that connects The Mile-Around Woods to adjoining woodlands and to Park Street. A hike on The Short Aldrich Trail circles much of the small valley of Paran Creek.
The agricultural fields adjoining The Mile-Around Woods were part of a working dairy farm until the early 1990s. Known today as the Kohler/McCullough fields, they are maintained in crop rotation by Landview Farms, LLC in support of its nearby dairy farm. The lower pastures are maintained by David Lively, of Bennington. His American Cream horses are often grazing in these fields during warmer months. Selected areas are managed to protect critical habitat for ground-nesting birds.
The Mile-Around Woods was donated in 1994 to The Fund by Ethel McCullough Scott and her husband Bill Scott. The property had been in Mrs. Scott’s family for more than 200 years. The Woods feature rich stands of old timber and a circular carriage road laid out after the Civil War by Trenor Park, the builder of the nearby Park-McCullough House.
Thank you for complying with the following rules: Access to the agricultural fields must be on existing trails from April 1 through October 31. Starting April 15, 2021, dogs must be leashed on the entrance roads to The Mile-Around Woods and within the Woods. If you walk with a dog on the property, please be sure to read and obey the dog rules (link below). Bicycles are not permitted on the property. Horses and vehicles are only permitted by prior written permission for special purposes. Foraging or removal of non-invasive flora only with prior permission. Fenced pastures must never be entered when horses are present. Public events and private ceremonies are not permitted. No fairy houses, markers or other structures. No hunting. Do not feed the horses! This list of rules is not exclusive, and all access is subject to regulation by The Fund.
Please report any concerns and make suggestions to The Fund at thefund@northbennington.org.
- Make a donation to support conservation and public use of The Mile-Around Woods
- Rules governing dogs in The Mile-Around Woods
- More information about conservation of land in North Bennington
- Management plan for The Mile-Around Woods (2022)
- Photo gallery of the Mile-Around Woods
- Map of conserved properties near The Mile-Around Woods
- The Moseley bridge on the trail below the woods
- The Monarch Meadow southwest of the woods
- Hunting and trapping policies for The Mile-Around Woods and surrounding land
- Location of the entrance lane to The Mile-Around Woods (Google Maps)
- Photos of The Mile-Around Woods by Kevin Bubriski
- Trails in and around The Mile-Around Woods (aerial photo)
- Trails in and around The Mile-Around Woods (2023 version)
- Project to protect critical habitat for ground-nesting birds
- Field Guide to Spring Ephemerals