WEST RUTLAND — People love the new boardwalk and trail off the Whipple Road in West Rutland. However, most are unaware of its origin.
Phase II of the Whipple Hollow trail and boardwalk was funded by the Recreational Trails Program.
In 2019, Rutland County Audubon Society and the town of West Rutland collaborated on and received a grant from the Recreational Trails Program, a state-administered fund, to construct Phase 2 of a three-part trail. This project was envisioned by Rutland County Audubon members to enable them to monitor marsh birds without traveling on the busy Whipple Hollow Road.
Unfortunately Covid-19 intervened and construction on Phase 2 was delayed until June, 2021. At this time, the Rutland County Audubon and the town of West Rutland hired the Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) to construct the two-part boardwalk through a cedar and hemlock swamp. National Audubon supplied construction equipment for the trail. Over five weeks of labor in intense humidity the VYCC completed this project. The town of West Rutland put in a parking lot and Stafford Technical School’s construction class built a kiosk which will soon provide information about the new trail. Rutland County Audubon continues to add improvements to either end of the trail including trail markers and a rope railing for the boardwalk.
The parking area can be found on the east side of Whipple Hollow Road in West Rutland, about half-way between Water Street and Pleasant Street. Watch for Phase 3 of this project in 2023.
