South Ryegate

Proposed Trail

The Cross Vermont Trail is proposed to generally follow the available sections of the Montpelier & Wells River Railroad between Ricker (the edge of the Groton State Forest) and Boltonville. However, the precise route of the trail has not been determined at this time!

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USGS Topographic map of South Ryegate

The site of the South Ryegate Depot at the east end of Stone Shed Road.
Digital photo by Kenyon F. Karl on October 12, 1999.

West of Station

Brown's Road west of South Rygate running towards Groton.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on Sept. 25, 1999.

Abandoned railroad bridge abutments at the west end of the South Rygate settlement.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on Sept. 25, 1999.

Participants in the CVT bike ride on Sept. 25, 1999 were advised to ride southeast on the old railroad bed parallel to the south bank of the Wells River from the Groton Depot to the south end of Brown's Road. Note that the south end of the old railroad bed is used for a farm access road or town road. Bike riders were then advised to ride in the breakdown lane of Route 302 to reach the end of the planned ride at Mills Field. Note that a paved sidewalk extends past the children's playground to Church Street between Route 302 and the white church. Some bikers will choose to continue east from Church Street to the east end of Creamery Road on the wide breakdown lanes of Route 302.

However, other bikers will prefer using the lightly used Creamery Road to bypass the South Ryegate settlement despite the narrow and winding character of this road. These bikers should turn west onto Route 302 at the end of Brown's Road to cross the Wells River, then turn east immediately thereafter onto Creamery Road (Old Route 302). A short detour south at the small garage for the Volunteer Fire Department to the railroad bed (Stone Shed Road) then east to Church Street then north to Creamery Road provides an opportunity to see the old industrial buildings that were once served by the railroad. Creamery Road continues east for some distance before crossing the Wells River to meet Route 302 on the curve east of the settlement.

In either event, bikers must use the wide breakdown lanes of Route 302 from the east of the end of Creamery Road to the intersection of Boltonville Road.

Old industrial buildings along the former railroad right-of-way (Stone Shed Road) in South Ryegate.
Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on Sept. 25, 1999.

South of Station (Very short side Trip)

This side trip runs directly south along Church street from Creamery Road to Pleasant Street, then east to view the Lind Houses.

Still active church at Church St. & Route 302.
Digital photo by Kenyon F. Karl on March 1, 2000.

Church 'For Sale' on Church St.
Digital photo by Kenyon F. Karl on March 1, 2000.

The Lind Houses undergoing rehabilitation.
Digital photo by Kenyon F. Karl on March 1, 2000.

A view of just one Lind House during rehabilitation.
Digital photo by Kenyon F. Karl on March 1, 2000.

East of Station

The old railroad bed runs east along the river from Creamery Road beginning at the bridge over the Wells River. It eventually passes an isolated house, and continues on through an old gravel pit to end just beyond the town line at the abutments of another railroad bridge over the Wells River. The steel beams of the old railroad bridge are missing, but even worse is the real possibility that the active gravel pit just beyond might have totally destroyed the railroad bed.

Railroad bed east of Creamery Road Bridge.
Digital photo by Kenyon F. Karl on October 12, 1999.

Missing railroad bridge near the Ryegate-Newbury Town Line.
Digital photo by Kenyon F. Karl on October 12, 1999.

Gravel Pit just east of the missing railroad bridge.
Digital photo by Kenyon F. Karl on October 12, 1999.

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Parking Mills Field contains a parking area and a children's playground. The green building behind the baseball diamond contains toilets, water, and a snack bar, but the facilities in the green building are presumably available only during baseball games and the like.

The post office is located on Route 302 near the intersection of Church Street. The adjacent convenience store was observed to be permanently closed on October 12, 1999.