The Valley Trail is one of several trails that I’d had the privilege of visiting more than once, both times with my adventure-ready husband and my dear intrepid corgi, Fiddle. The trail is approximately 9 miles long and with one end in the town of Wilmington, VT and the other in the town of West Dover, VT. I enjoyed experiencing this trail on one of the first warm April days of 2019, and one of the last warm ones in later September 2019. In the spring we checked out the river-centric Wilmington section and in the fall we discovered the section located within the lovely but strangely desolate West Dover.

Our spring visit to Wilmington was a cheerful one, which took place during my spring break off from school. Back in April, puppy Fiddle was a mere 5 months old and any old walk or hike was a thrill to him, as he could stop and roll his fur all over patches of ice that were slow to melt after the winter chill. Being outside was a thrill to me, too, after months spent mainly indoors during various snowstorms, whiteouts, and plain old cold. Before heading on to the trail, we walked around Wilmington a bit – it’s a super cute town that is constantly on the top of my mental list of “places to return to without the dog”. (There are charming shops, sweet little inns, and a significant number of restaurants and eateries – I hope to tell you all about these things when I do manage to make a visit sans-Fiddle!)

The Valley Trail, starting from Wilmington, meandered around views of the Deerfield River and various meadows, with sojourns through wooded areas as well. In all areas, the terrain was easy and the views were lovely. Due to the timing, our trek was incredibly muddy, but it is rare for someone to avoid experiencing this in a Vermont April. Despite the mud, we ran into a few other people braving the season to enjoy the first warmth of the year – it is definitely one of the simpler places to get muddy, as far as trails go. We enjoyed the views and the feeling of fresh spring air for a good six hours or so, hiking energetically up newly green hills, with Fiddle pulling my dear husband down them at puppy-speed. There were lots of small delights throughout, such as the sad “Vintage Motel” sign pictured below, small man-made bridges, and a portion that most literally went through a person’s backyard, chicken coop included. It was a fantastic April adventure.

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We returned to this varied and gorgeous trail in September. September is a hard month for me as a teacher – getting back into the school swing takes significant time on evenings and weekends, yet Vermont is at its absolute prime, beauty-wise – especially in later September. However, one sweet Sunday worked out in my favor and I was able to journey back to the Valley Trail with the husband and Fiddle, Fiddle being 10 months old at this time – significantly larger and not much more mature (though still beyond adorable). The vibrant leaves and 65-degree weather felt like a special and exclusive privilege on this day – a privilege well-earned.

This time we traveled through the portion of the trail located near West Dover. During part of the trail, you can elect to travel through this town, which we did. It was fascinating. Almost every establishment in the whole town was closed on this Sunday afternoon. Perhaps it is because this was Sunday, but a quick Wikipedia search tells me that the population of the whole town of Dover (including the non-West part, I’d imagine) is about 1410, so perhaps not. We passed random covered wagons in the grass and an abandoned-looking ski shop with incredibly devilish-seeming mannequins gracing the windows. We were in town around lunch time, so we were keeping an eye out for somewhere to eat. Every restaurant we passed was closed, with the exception of The Saloon.

This restaurant was the opposite of the rest of the town: everyone was here, everyone wanted to chat! We saw a table outside and asked about eating with our dog. The restaurant does not technically allow dogs, but the owner helpfully gave us a place to eat out back. A super friendly waitress spoiled Fiddle with pieces of bacon and talked about Escape Rooms with us. We were technically in the “smoking” section out here, and various men of various ages stopped out for a smoke. I’m not a fan of cigarettes by any means, but I was nonetheless impressed with how friendly each gentleman who came out was, how much all these outwardly-tough seeming manly dudes fawned over a cute puppy. The food was pretty good too – I enjoyed some mozzarella sticks, which were appropriately greasy, as well as a house chili that had a good mix of spicy and savory flavors. I also had to get a cider from the bar, since they were carrying Citizens Cider, which is one of my favorites (to be fair, at least 7 brands of cider are “my favorites”). This was a really good time, though I can’t get over how bizarre it was that this place was bustling like this. (Note to businesses in this area: being open on Sundays seems like a sweet idea, profit-wise…).

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After this tasty and entertaining lunch, it was back to the trail. Lots of people were also out with their dogs appreciating the majesty of fall on this trail. Much like the Wilmington section, the trail took us through a variety of terrain, including fields, woods, and bridges, with clear markings throughout. The Deerfield river continued to make an appearance. Aside from the beauty of the trees, we managed to appreciate the small loveliness of nature as well, such as colorful caterpillars and wildflowers enjoying their last appearances before the temperatures would drop in October. Throughout the whole experience, there was a feeling of serenity for me, and appreciation of how amazing this (still relatively new) state we live in is, to offer so much within just a mere 9 miles.

Freshly Vermont rating of the Valley Trail (admittedly influenced by the stop at the Saloon): five out of five stars. ★★★★★