On the eastern shore of Lake Dunmore, at the foot of Mount Moosalamoo, Branbury State Park lies in Salisbury. Three themes offer a starting point for exploring the area: time at the lake, hikes with scenic views, and the history of the park and its earlier industries.
Lake Dunmore and Branbury State Park
Branbury State Park has a 1,000-foot natural sand beach on Lake Dunmore. The lake’s clear water makes the park a good place for swimming and boating. You can also rent canoes, kayaks, rowboats, and pedal boats there; availability may vary. If you have a particular boat in mind, check rental options before your visit. The beach and boating activities offer two distinct ways to enjoy a stay by the lake: along the shore and on the water itself.
Hiking Trails and Views
The Rattlesnake Cliffs Trail leads to two viewpoints. From there, views stretch across Silver Lake, Lake Dunmore, the Champlain Valley, and the Adirondacks. These named distant views make the trail an option for travelers who want scenery to be the focus of a hike. Seasonal restrictions may apply, so check conditions before setting out. More publicly accessible hiking trails can be found in the Town of Salisbury’s Town Forest and Farwell Forest. Alongside a trail with two viewpoints, these offer other public routes for hiking in town.
The Trail Network in the Wider Area
In the wider region, the Silver Lake/Leicester Hollow/Chandler Ridge trail network is located in the Moosalamoo National Recreation Area. It extends across Brandon, Leicester, and Salisbury and encompasses Silver Lake, Lake Dunmore, mountain views, waterfalls, and a multi-use area. This spans several towns and helps convey the scale of the region’s landscape and trails. The main difference for planning is the area covered: Town Forest and Farwell Forest are within the Town of Salisbury, while the Moosalamoo network extends across three towns.
Mountain biking is also possible in this wider region: it is permitted on Silver Lake Road and on the Chandler Ridge and Leicester Hollow trails in the Brandon, Leicester, and Salisbury area. Check current trail restrictions before your ride. This lets you distinguish the regional mountain biking routes from local hiking options without treating them as one continuous route.
Park and Industrial History
Branbury State Park was established in 1945 and is also called Branbury (Brandon-Salisbury) State Park. The 69-acre property was formerly a farm, a guest house, a boys’ summer camp, and a private beach. These varied past uses give the park grounds a history that goes beyond their present connection to the lake.
Another part of Salisbury’s history is the Salisbury Village Blacksmith Shop. It is the town’s oldest surviving industrial site and the only remaining evidence of an extensive industrial complex from the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The complex was clustered around the falls of the Leicester River. Together with the history of the park grounds, the shop offers a glimpse of another side of Salisbury: not recreation by the water, but the town’s earlier industrial character.
Discover more destinations: Vergennes, Middlebury.
For the overview of the wider region: Addison County.
