ABOUT THE PARK
Protected land, open to everyone
Kestrel Ridge Nature Park protects 2,400 acres of forest, wetland, and ridgeline in Alder County, Vermont. The land was donated to the county in 1974 by the Kestrel family, whose farm once bordered the ridge, with a single condition: that it stay open to the public, free of charge, forever.
Today the park is managed by a small team of rangers and a much larger group of volunteers, who maintain the trail network, lead weekend nature walks, and monitor the wetland’s bird population. Roughly 60,000 people visit each year, from school groups on field trips to serious birders chasing a rare sighting.
2,400
acres of protected land
1974
the year the park was founded
14
miles of maintained trail
Our mission
To protect the forest, wetland, and wildlife of Kestrel Ridge while keeping the land genuinely accessible — no entrance fee, no membership, no reservation required for a day visit. We believe the best way to build support for conservation is to let people experience it directly.