Hazen’s Notch State Park

Where Vermont’s Wildest Mountain Pass Meets Revolutionary War History

Hazen’s Notch State Park protects 307 acres of rugged, undeveloped mountain terrain in Westfield, Vermont — a steep-walled pass between Sugarloaf Mountain and Haystack Mountain near the Canadian border. Unlike Vermont’s campground-oriented parks, Hazen’s Notch is deliberately kept wild: no campgrounds, no visitor centers, no developed facilities. Just mountain forest, serpentine cliffs, and the silence of Vermont’s most remote corner.

Within the park, 273 acres are designated as the Hazen’s Notch Natural Area, recognizing the site’s exceptional ecological significance — particularly its rare serpentine rock formations that support alpine and serpentine-adapted plant species found in very few locations in the eastern United States.

The Bayley-Hazen Military Road

The notch carries deep historical significance as the terminus of the Bayley-Hazen Military Road, constructed in 1779 during the American Revolution. This ambitious road was commissioned by George Washington to provide an invasion route into British-held Canada from the Connecticut River Valley through Vermont’s northern wilderness.

The road was never completed — construction halted when commanders realized the same route could serve as an invasion corridor for British forces attacking south. A stone tablet near the height of land marks this historic terminus, one of the most tangible Revolutionary War artifacts in northern Vermont.

Today, the old military road’s route is followed approximately by Vermont Route 58, which passes through the notch as a narrow, winding mountain road. The road section through the notch is closed during winter months due to its remote, steep terrain.

Rare Ecology in Serpentine Rock

The serpentine rock cliffs within Hazen’s Notch create a unique botanical microhabitat. Serpentine soils contain elevated levels of magnesium and heavy metals that most plants cannot tolerate, creating conditions where only specially adapted species survive. The result is a plant community more typical of Arctic tundra than New England forest — rare ferns, mosses, and herbaceous plants that cling to the nutrient-poor rock faces.

This ecological niche makes Hazen’s Notch one of Vermont’s most significant botanical research sites and a destination for naturalists interested in serpentine ecology — a field of study with implications for understanding plant adaptation and climate resilience.

The Long Trail Connection

Vermont’s famous Long Trail — the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States (established 1910) — passes through sections of the park area, connecting Hazen’s Notch to the 272-mile footpath that traverses the entire length of Vermont’s Green Mountains from Massachusetts to Canada.

Recreational activities in the undeveloped park are limited to dispersed uses: hiking, hunting, bird watching, and snowshoeing. The wild character of the park is intentionally preserved — the management plan prioritizes natural and cultural integrity over recreational infrastructure.