Merck Forest & Farmland Center

Jcastle

2024-04

Can't rave enough about this place. Forgive me if I get your names wrong. Mike, Elaine, Haddie, Fred, were all amazing people. I really enjoyed talking with Mike as he is packed full of information. Love when someone is passionate about what they do and express it through their actions. Went for the Maple meet up as there was no snow on the ground and other plans were canceled. BLESSING in disguise! Elaine started us off with the introduction to boiling and then a light hike while learning about the different trees and practices while confirming with Mike along the way, which he called him self long winded. I also get that way about my passions. Toured the sugar shack and a great tasting opportunity. Don't miss that! Then made sure to buy some maple syrup products on the way out. So this place is huge, and we liked it so much we came back the next day to hike. They have cabins to rent and rough it out in. They also provide wood to burn with small extra cost. So many trails and great views with different difficulties. Stay on the path or not type of stuff. That day it snowed that evening, so right back the next day for some great photo opportunities. Feel as if I cleaned out the Maple syrup when I was there, it was so good. They do programs with schools I believe and have a lot more they do. Even apples. Could go on and on. Thank you for keeping a place so well kept and people that obviously don't look at it like work when they are so happy. Will be coming back soon! Ranked up there with the Lincoln summer home. And y'all are open all the time. Goals - stay in one of your cabins when I visit VT again. Peaceful!

G Cheema

2023-11

Really beautiful place. Looked amazing with autumn foliage. As you walk in a bit there were hills in backdrop with colourful foliage. Took so many photos. There were apple trees, sheep and horses. People were walking their dogs.

Céleste Anne Perrino

2024-04

Girl's Weekend Winter Camping trip. We had a wonderful time!! First time at Merck for all of us, and we can't wait to go back.

Andres Ayala

2023-10

What an amazing piece of land where you can explore for hours at a time. Plenty of trails and animals to be in touch with nature. They have a large parking area and guest services/souvenir shop.

Kim Plaga

2023-09

Peaceful, beautiful farm and forest. Great place for a walk, to pick blueberries, or purchase pork, chicken, lamb and exquisite maple syrup. Amazing views, friendly people.

Rachael Triplett

2023-05

Fantastic hiking options with well-marked trails & beautiful views. Bonus gift shop was great for affordable syrup & other treats!

David Frank

2021-05

This is a great place to go on a hike. The views are incredible and there's lots to see and do. The trails around the farm are very hilly so make sure you wear comfortable shoes. It was amazing seeing the sheep and it's nice that you can walk your dog as long as they are on a leash.

Wes G

2022-05

What a great place! Nice place to solo backpack or go with a group. 3,000 acres of farmland and forest (mostly forest). Cabins, shelters and dispersed camping are available most of the year. Call the visitor center for any questions the website doesn't answer. They are very helpful and friendly. The thing I love most is the peace and quiet. The beauty and serenity of the woods and the mountains is unrivaled. Don't expect to get a cellular signal (another wonderful benefit). The last time I camped there (at The Glen), I had to hike 1.1 miles uphill, just to get a weak signal to call my wife. All in all, MFFC is one of my favorite places to backpack, hike, snowshoe and camp. Oh yeah, and it's dog-friendly, too! Please pack out what you pack in, so we can all continue to enjoy this amazing place.

Dylan Segalewitz

2023-07

Antone road trail up to the summit was incredibly fun. Really nice view at the top

Niles Gagnon

2024-04

Such a wonderful place so close to home.

Fabrizio Andreuzzi

2021-05

A great concept of environmental conscious tourism on a real farm producing delicious maple syrup sold on premises. Pay a visit to the visitor center before your hike for info on trails condition and tips for visitors (and of course to buy syrup if interested), it is possible to rent cabins and do camping. Our family did a few hours long hike and learned about maple syrup extraction. Recommend to any age and fitness level.

Frenite

2021-05

Nice place to go hiking. There’s plenty of nice scenic views and animals. I would say this place is a bit overrated, but I certainly enjoyed it. I’d totally recommend this place overall.

Pete McCorkle

2023-05

Fantastic weekend away with friends and family at Merck Forest. Easy backpacking to Dunc's cabin and plenty of trails to explore after setting up our home base for the long fourth of July weekend. Everyone enjoyed visiting the Farm and the shop. Do yourself a favor and pick up some snacks while you are there, the maple cookies were delicious.

aimee allen

2023-10

This is the place where education, nature, and sustainable farming come together in the most glorious way. Highly recommend. (photos of an American redstart and wood peewee)

Rachelle Brown

2019-05

Had my two kids experience an awesome time in the spruce cabin for a weekend getaway. As we hiked in the kids learned all about their maple syrup production. And even had a sample.

Zia & Zach

2023-09

Beautiful place to visit with the family. The lady at the front store was very gracious and kind. The maple syrup was great. The kids had a blast eating blueberries and apples on the walk up there. I wish if they had proper bathrooms instead of outhouses, then they would be top notch camping place. Worth the visit. Highly recommend it

Amy Hyde

2023-10

Merck Forest has been a special spot for our family since my adult children were young. It is a perfect place to spend an afternoon and connect to the beauty of nature. Our visit last weekend was particularly special. We were able to introduce Merck to our grandchild and there was music, activities, and terrific people sharing their skills. It is wonderful to see Merck Forest so well cared for. Thank You.

BobbieJo Wilson

2023-05

Great place to walk trails. Beautiful views. Love seeing the animals!

Tim Schroeder

2018-05

This is an amazing place to visit for an hour or a week. Visit the farm with your kids, or hike to and stay in one of the remote cabins. It is incredibly beautiful and well run.

Michael Baker

2024-03

Bucolic and pastoral hill and farm land with some nice huts to rent. Stayed in Spruce Cabin which can sleep 4-6 but needs updating

John biskup

2019-05

Nice hiking trails from the intermediate to advanced. Excellent maple syrup.

Nataliia Melnyk

2020-05

Beautiful place to bring your kids and to go hiking

D R

2023-05

Maybe it's more exciting if you aren't from Vermont? Or rural areas? The trails are nice. Good view. It's got a farm, not a lot to see. Not particularly interesting. The cabins are decent. Not sad I went, just not some place I'm going to rush to revisit

Tucker Evans

2017-05

Fun family camping and hiking. Nice views. Watch out for porcupines (if your dog likes to roam).

Eric Whiting

2019-05

Always a favorite - immerse yourself for 30 minutes checking out the new baby animals, a few hours of great hiking with phenomenal views or a few nights renting one of the many cozy cabins.

Tahleen Shamlian

2023-05

Loved the beautiful trail up past the barns, and our kids had a great time! The staff member who helped us at the Welcome Center was lovely and made sure we knew where we were going and what was fun to do with the kids. We would definitely visit again if we are ever in the area again.

kathe coopersmith

2022-05

The views at the top are amazing. It's listed as a moderate hike. The uphill portion will definitely tire you out but it's a nice wide path and there is no scrambling. Did I mention the view... absolutely beautiful.

Daniel Keenan

2020-05

Went on a mushroom foraging class second on. Vary educational first class left with alot to cook. About a pound. Highly recommend it.

Eric Schoen

2023-05

Gorgeous property with lots of hiking trails!

Craig Minoff

2023-05

It was a mixed bag, but self-induced.We arrived at ~6pm in the pitch dark and expected to see 'late arrival' checkin instructions. But alas, there were none.So we walked 20min to the nearest cabin to get a sense for the entry mechanism. Turns out there were no locks, so we went back to our car, grabbed our stuff and walked 35min to our actual cabin, which was occupied by another hiking party. There seemed to have been a comms mishap with the booking agent and it was double booked. I had actually received an automated message saying that my requested nights were taken, but I figured this was because of the reservation I had made via phone 🤷.Anyway, we then walked another 30min to the only cabin showing as vacant on the website (Viewpoint), at the top of a steep hill. Fortunately it was vacant, but it only had sleeping space for 1.5ppl.We made a nice dinner, played games and then settled into spooning and then started to hearing mice roaming about. Our dog loves to hunt mice, so he hunted mice from 10pm-3am, which made for difficult sleeping conditions. I also wildly overstuffed the stove so it was probably 90º.By 4am we all fell asleep and had a lovely slumber until 1030 when we hiked out and got some maple syrup at the visitor's center.I'd say it was overall 0.5/5, but I felt the potential for a nice family cabin experience, loved learning about maple syrup manufacturing and the front desk lady was very friendly so am giving this 4 stars on spec.