Pinnacle Property - Conserved 2002

Directions to Pinnacle Meadow:  The popular trailhead to the Stowe Pinnacle is often crowded in peak season.  For a wonderful alternative without the crowds, head to the Pinnacle Meadow parking area and you'll be in for a treat.  From the traditional Pinnacle Meadow parking lot on Upper Hollow Road in Stowe, take a quick right hand turn onto Pinnacle Road. After a short, sharp left turn, take a right onto Upper Pinnacle Road and follow the switchbacks up the mountain.  At your next fork, take the left onto a 4th class road that is marked "Pinnacle Meadow".   Soon you will see a parking area and the state forest sign.  From the Pinnacle Meadow parking area, walk a short 1/4 mile up the road to the spectacular views from the famous meadow.  The trail continues into the woods and eventually connects back up with the Stowe Pinnacle Trail. It's a great alternative to one of Stowe's favorite hiking destinations.

 

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Just six months after the signing of a purchase and sale agreement in December 2001, the Stowe Land Trust Board of Directors and Staff raised $1.7 million to purchase the 134-acre Pinnacle Meadow property perched on the north side of Stowe Pinnacle, a significant land feature on the Worcester Mountain Range and one of the most popular hiking destinations in northern Vermont.

This primarily forested land with scenic open meadow, which was slated for a 16-house development, was considered a high priority for conservation by SLT in terms of its individual aesthetic, recreational and ecological qualities and also of its value as a part of the Stowe Pinnacle and Worcester Range.  Collectively, these land features provide a scenic forested backdrop to Stowe and surrounding communities along the Route 100 corridor.  

For years the Pinnacle Meadow offered beautiful views along the spine of the Worcester Range from Camels Hump to Elmore Mountain and across the Stowe valley to Mountain Mansfield to the few hikers who were knowledgeable of the alternate route through the property to the Stowe Pinnacle.  This alternate route will now provide some relief to the main Pinnacle Trail, which suffers from erosion due to heavy use and an often-overcrowded parking lot.   In addition, this less challenging route through the Pinnacle Meadow property allows a greater variety of people to enjoy the journey to the summit of the Stowe Pinnacle.   

Conservation of the Pinnacle Meadow Property also means preserving valuable habitat.  The property provides a buffer between the forests of the Worcester range and the encroaching development that is slowly creeping up from the valley floor. 

To purchase the property, SLT received $300,000 from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board (VHCB) and $900,000 from an anonymous donor, and raised the remaining $550,000 locally.  The 250 donations ranged from $10 to $100,000, documenting the strong community support for conserving this property.    

There are two distinct sections of the Pinnacle Property, each conserved in different ways.  After purchasing 126 acres, SLT placed a conservation easement on the land and transferred the title to the State of Vermont to be managed as part of the Putnam State Forest.  The remaining acreage remains privately owned with a conservation easement.