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Lower Clarendon Gorge State Park

Clarendon; Rutland County 73 Acres

General Description:

The 74-acre Lower Clarendon Gorge State Forest surrounds the gorge of the same name on the Mill River in the Town of Clarendon. Access is from the Gorge Road. The Vermont Housing Conservation Board holds a conservation easement on the state forest.

Unique Features:

The property is unique and significant in Vermont because of the presence of a Temperate Calcareous Cliff natural community type which is uncommon to rare in Vermont. Many of these cliffs harbor a variety of rare, threatened and endangered plant species.

Recreation Overview:

There is a small network of hiking trails along the top of the gorge and along the swimming hole.

Planning Overview:

An Interim Stewardship Plan was developed for the state forest in 2002. The Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) is currently in the beginning stages of developing a Long-Range Management Plan for this State Forest

Planning Status:

The planning process will begin with a number of natural resource inventories and assessments to gather data to serve as the basis for plan development.