Tim's Treks
Stowe Recreation Path
General Details
Location: Stowe Recreation Path
Month of hike: May
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: walking shoes, water
Attractions: Village of Stowe, urban woods, restaurants, shops, parks
Trail conditions: paved path with bridges
Loop: no
Parking: several designated parking areas
Drive time: 20-25 minutes
Length (one way): 5.5 miles
Full length walk time (one way): 1 hour 40 minutes
Double walking time for round trip
Dog Friendly: yes, but not ideal for all dogs*
Restrooms: no public facilities on path, numerous stores to stop at if needed
Other Activities: biking
External Links: https://www.stowerec.org/parks-facilities/rec-paths/stowe-recreation-path/
Month of hike: May
Difficulty: Easy
Equipment: walking shoes, water
Attractions: Village of Stowe, urban woods, restaurants, shops, parks
Trail conditions: paved path with bridges
Loop: no
Parking: several designated parking areas
Drive time: 20-25 minutes
Length (one way): 5.5 miles
Full length walk time (one way): 1 hour 40 minutes
Double walking time for round trip
Dog Friendly: yes, but not ideal for all dogs*
Restrooms: no public facilities on path, numerous stores to stop at if needed
Other Activities: biking
External Links: https://www.stowerec.org/parks-facilities/rec-paths/stowe-recreation-path/
The Story….
Whether you dine, shop or just enjoy being outdoors, The Stowe Rec Path offers you the opportunity to explore Stowe by foot or bike. With its considerably level ground and paved surface, the 5.5 miles felt like… well, a walk in the park.
There are several designated parking areas which make it easy to tailor your venture to fit your interests. A good pair of walking shoes and a bottle of water is all you honestly need for this trip.
Because the Rec Path is not a loop, I parked my car at one end of the Path and had Chuck drive me to my starting location. I will break the Rec path into two general sections, "Wooded" and "Village". For me, I started at the covered bridge on Brook Road and moved down to a small park named Chase Park. This was the “Wooded” section of the walk. This portion of the path consists of urban woods and farm fields. One attraction to know about is the Percy Farm Corn Maze that operates in the autumn and is on the Rec path. The time it took for me to cover this section was 30 minutes.
The “Village” portion of the walk began at Chase Park and concluded at Bridge number 4. This is where you have easy access to restaurants and shops. If you plan your hike right you can stop at one of these destinations to recuperate your energy and plan the rest of your day. If you decide to ignore the attractions and just keep walking, the walk from Chase Park to Bridge 4 takes about 40 minutes. This concludes the "Village" portion of the walk.
The remainder of the walk is mostly woods and meadows with the occasional building. 20 more minutes of walking brought me to the end of the Rec Path. The designated parking lot behind the Stowe Community Church is where I parked my car.
Bikes: There are several sports shops in town including, AJs and Pinnacle, that will rent out bikes for people to use on the Rec path. Along the path bike repair stations for basic maintenance can be found.
West Branch River access: If you are looking for some fun on a hot day, the path follows the river with multiple water access points for people to stop at. On my walk I crossed a bridge and down below a woman was playing in the water with her two dogs.
*Dogs: With provided dog poop bags and waste bins the path is dog friendly. That being said, it might not be good for all dogs. The narrow path, and even narrower bridges means your dog will need to be kept close to avoid entanglement with other path users. So if your dog is like Athena and can't handle being on leash it might be a good idea to leave them behind. I will say the dogs that will get the most enjoyment (and make it easy/enjoyable for yourself) are the Dogs that are well-mannered and leash trained. Many restaurants allow dogs at their outdoor seating areas.
Restaurants: There are several restaurants in the Village of Stowe. Here are the ones that are accessible from the path…
Piecasso
Idletyme
Blue donkey
Tres Amigos
Stowe Cider
Sushi Yoshi
Red Barn Ice Cream
Final Notes: Not all hikes need to be done on sky blue days, In my opinion, the best time to enjoy the Stowe Rec Path is when you have a desire to be active but there is a chance of rain. Since you are never far from shelter and a craft beer, it is easy to alter your plans should the rain come and still have a fun experience. And let’s face it, on the sunny days you can be sure that the path will be crowded but on the cloudy days you will have the path to yourself.
Thank you for reading I hope you enjoyed!
There are several designated parking areas which make it easy to tailor your venture to fit your interests. A good pair of walking shoes and a bottle of water is all you honestly need for this trip.
Because the Rec Path is not a loop, I parked my car at one end of the Path and had Chuck drive me to my starting location. I will break the Rec path into two general sections, "Wooded" and "Village". For me, I started at the covered bridge on Brook Road and moved down to a small park named Chase Park. This was the “Wooded” section of the walk. This portion of the path consists of urban woods and farm fields. One attraction to know about is the Percy Farm Corn Maze that operates in the autumn and is on the Rec path. The time it took for me to cover this section was 30 minutes.
The “Village” portion of the walk began at Chase Park and concluded at Bridge number 4. This is where you have easy access to restaurants and shops. If you plan your hike right you can stop at one of these destinations to recuperate your energy and plan the rest of your day. If you decide to ignore the attractions and just keep walking, the walk from Chase Park to Bridge 4 takes about 40 minutes. This concludes the "Village" portion of the walk.
The remainder of the walk is mostly woods and meadows with the occasional building. 20 more minutes of walking brought me to the end of the Rec Path. The designated parking lot behind the Stowe Community Church is where I parked my car.
Bikes: There are several sports shops in town including, AJs and Pinnacle, that will rent out bikes for people to use on the Rec path. Along the path bike repair stations for basic maintenance can be found.
West Branch River access: If you are looking for some fun on a hot day, the path follows the river with multiple water access points for people to stop at. On my walk I crossed a bridge and down below a woman was playing in the water with her two dogs.
*Dogs: With provided dog poop bags and waste bins the path is dog friendly. That being said, it might not be good for all dogs. The narrow path, and even narrower bridges means your dog will need to be kept close to avoid entanglement with other path users. So if your dog is like Athena and can't handle being on leash it might be a good idea to leave them behind. I will say the dogs that will get the most enjoyment (and make it easy/enjoyable for yourself) are the Dogs that are well-mannered and leash trained. Many restaurants allow dogs at their outdoor seating areas.
Restaurants: There are several restaurants in the Village of Stowe. Here are the ones that are accessible from the path…
Piecasso
Idletyme
Blue donkey
Tres Amigos
Stowe Cider
Sushi Yoshi
Red Barn Ice Cream
Final Notes: Not all hikes need to be done on sky blue days, In my opinion, the best time to enjoy the Stowe Rec Path is when you have a desire to be active but there is a chance of rain. Since you are never far from shelter and a craft beer, it is easy to alter your plans should the rain come and still have a fun experience. And let’s face it, on the sunny days you can be sure that the path will be crowded but on the cloudy days you will have the path to yourself.
Thank you for reading I hope you enjoyed!