Moosalamoo National Recreation Area
VT · Middlebury / Goshen / Salisbury
Silver Lake Rd, Salisbury, VT 05769
Moosalamoo National Recreation Area reads like a beautifully edited Vermont trail weekend: quiet woods, layered terrain, and just enough challenge to keep the day interesting. In Middlebury / Goshen / Salisbury, it feels less like checking off a trail and more like stepping into a ride with real atmosphere. What makes it memorable is the balance between beauty and utility. The arrival feels straightforward, the landscape quickly opens up, and the route delivers a satisfying sense of movement rather than a flat, one-note outing.
Riding guide
Highlights
A beautifully varied national recreation area where pond edges, hardwood forest, and rugged Vermont contour all come together in one rideable landscape.
Riding
Under saddle, Moosalamoo feels layered and rewarding, with enough variation in grade, footing, and scenery to keep repeat rides fresh. Roughly 15,857 acres of mixed-use recreation land with linked woods roads, trails, camping areas, and classic central Vermont mountain terrain. Depending on your route, the day can feel meditative, athletic, or a little of both. It rewards riders who enjoy moving through a landscape that changes as they go—wooded corridors, openings, elevation shifts, and those classic Vermont transitions between road, trail, and forest edge.
Rideable terrain
15,857 acres
Trailer parking
Riders commonly stage near Silver Lake, Moosalamoo Campground, and other signed recreation-area access points, depending on the exact route or loop they plan to ride.
Horse regulations
Horse use is limited to appropriate shared-use routes and established roads/trails open to stock. Conditions can change quickly in shoulder seasons, and muddy routes should be avoided to protect trail tread.
Getting here
Arriving at Moosalamoo feels easiest when you treat it like a network instead of a single pin on a map, with staging shaped by the route you want to ride. Riders commonly stage near Silver Lake, Moosalamoo Campground, and other signed recreation-area access points, depending on the exact route or loop they plan to ride. For riders traveling with their own horses, a little pre-trip route planning goes a long way. This is one of those Vermont destinations where arriving prepared makes the whole day feel smoother—especially if you are hauling a larger rig or visiting in shoulder-season conditions.
Planning your visit
This is best approached as a choose-your-own-network destination. Bring a current map, expect uneven footing and elevation, and decide in advance whether you want a scenic half-day ride or a bigger, more rugged outing. Trail maps and current conditions are worth checking before you leave home. Horse camping is part of the appeal here.
Where to stay
Camping is part of the appeal here. Silver Lake and nearby recreation-area campgrounds let riders build an unhurried, outdoors-first itinerary with swimming, paddling, and evenings that feel genuinely off-grid.
Trails
No trails synced for this park yet.
Campgrounds
No campgrounds listed for this park.
Photos
Stay near this park
No horse-friendly stays listed near Moosalamoo National Recreation Area yet. Know a great barn or property? Help fellow riders by listing it.
List your property