White Rocks Gateway joins Vermont public lands, strengthening wildlife connectivity and outdoor recreation in Rutland County
White Rocks Gateway, known for its bright quartzite cliffs, rich biodiversity and year-round outdoor recreation opportunities, is the newest addition to Vermont and the nation’s public lands.
Located southeast of the Wallingford town center, the 464-acre parcel became part of the adjacent Green Mountain National Forest as of March 10, 2025, and will be managed as Green Mountain Escarpment, a guideline centered around dual priorities of biodiversity protection and outdoor recreation.
Led by Trust for Public Land, the effort was born from a 2019 community visioning effort and was funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund as well as a broad coalition of partners including the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Wild East Action Fund, the Conservation Alliance, Altra Running, Athletic Brewing Company’s Two for the Trails grant, and many individual donors.
Within the same six-year time frame, Trust for Public Land also expanded the Otter Creek Wildlife Management Area, which is near White Rocks Gateway and was transferred from private ownership to Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department in 2023.
“Creating public lands for public benefit is essential work with undeniably positive outcomes. While there were many drivers of participation and commitment to this project, the overarching goal of White Rocks Gateway – as with all Trust for Public Land initiatives – is to strengthen the connection between a natural landscape and the people who live in and visit the area,” said Shelby Semmes, New England region Vice President for Trust for Public Land.
The successful conclusion of the White Rocks Gateway effort drew praise from the landowners who stated: “For nearly ninety years our family has walked through the forest with family and friends. Generations have often found themselves profoundly transformed by the towering trees, mossy glens, ancient glacial boulders, and the many bubbling streams and waterfalls scattered around the property. These woods are our friends and we look forward to a continued relationship with them under the careful stewardship of the Green Mountain National Forest.”
Vermont’s congressional delegation also voiced their congratulations for the effort, as they elevated the project with early endorsements and encouragement.
“Protecting Vermont’s public lands is crucial to supporting our state’s natural resources and vibrant outdoor recreation industry. White Rocks Gateway plays a vital role in that effort, protecting biodiversity and water quality and helping to reduce downstream flooding,” said U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.). “The addition of White Rocks Gateway to the Green Mountain National Forest will ensure that Vermonters can continue to enjoy and explore everything this land has to offer.”
“The Green Mountain National Forest is one of Vermont’s most precious natural treasures,” said U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.). “The White Rocks Gateway Project is an important step forward in preserving natural areas for future generations of Vermonters.”
Spanning more than 1,000 feet in elevation as it rises from Otter Creek lowlands to the Green Mountain’s western flank, White Rocks Gateway is adjacent to 270,000 acres of National Forest and other public and private conservation lands. Known for striking vistas of the Otter Creek Valley, the Taconic Mountains, and the Adirondack Mountains, the area contains significant habitat for black bear, as well as moose, bobcat, deer, turkey, grouse and other game birds.
Under the multigenerational ownership by a local family, White Rocks Gateway’s trail network was informally open to the public for decades. It contains numerous stone walls and trails that connect to the Ice Beds Trail and then on to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and the Long Trail – the nation’s oldest long-distance hiking trail. For thru-hikers of those famed pathways, the nearby Wallingford town center provides a convenient resupply point.
The addition also provides the Forest Service with an opportunity to adopt new access to Butternut Falls, the Ice Beds Trail, and the Robert T. Stafford White Rocks National Recreation Area. These potential trail additions to the Green Mountain National Forest could enhance the hiking experiences for both long-distance trekkers and afternoon explorers, while creating new opportunities for cross-country skiers, climbers, wildlife-watchers, hunters and anglers, and other outdoor enthusiasts.
The White Rocks Gateway acquisition makes progress in the State of Vermont’s goals to conserve 30 percent of the State by 2030. According to Vermont Conservation Design (VT Fish & Wildlife, 2015), the property is part of a “highest priority” forest block, one of only five forest blocks greater than 75,000 acres. The property is also part of a known biodiversity hotspot, with habitat for state- and federally-endangered bats, peregrine falcons and state-threatened short-styled snakeroot. Protection of the large wetland complex in the middle of the property will also protect water quality and reduce downstream flooding, a significant threat to Vermont communities.
White Rocks Gateway is also part of Trust for Public Land’s decades of work in the Green Mountains to protect the most strategic parcels, especially around the Appalachian Trail, the Long Trail, the Velomont Trail, and the Catamount Trail.
About Trust for Public Land
Trust for Public Land (TPL) is a national nonprofit that works to connect everyone to the benefits and joys of the outdoors. As a leader in equitable access to the outdoors, TPL works with communities to create parks and protect public land where they are needed most, including sites that reconnect Indigenous and Tribal communities to their ancestral lands and outdoor spaces that honor Black history and culture. Since 1972, TPL has protected more than 4 million acres of land, created more than 5,504 parks, trails, schoolyards, and iconic outdoor places, raised $110 billion in public funding for parks and public lands, and connected nearly 9.7 million people to the outdoors. To learn more, visit tpl.org.
