Lamoille Valley Rail Trail Trailhead
In 2020, the State of Vermont secured federal funding and provided the necessary State matching funds for the completion of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail (LVRT) by 2023. The more than 93 mile trail, connects St. Johnsbury to Swanton and passes through the Town of Greensboro in the Greensboro Bend Village.
TRAILHEAD DESIGN & PLANNING
In partnership with VTrans, the transportation planning and engineering firm VHB designed Trailhead concepts for each of the outstanding village centers on the LVRT. For the Greensboro Bend village, VHB presented two concept designs. Following a public meeting, a community survey was conducted to determine the preferred direction for each of the Trailhead designs. Concept A was chosen as the preferred design.
TRAILHEAD CONSTRUCTION
Construction of the LVRT Trailhead started in 2023 with the removal of the row of trees in the land that was envisioned as the parking lot. The town road crew, along with some volunteers, worked to lay out the parking lot boundaries and create a good crushed stone base for the lot. Large granite blocks from Woodbury Granite were used for the boundary along the edge of the trail and cement parking markers were laid to show the property border. Justin Foster constructed the 2 small bridges that traverse the ditching to connect the trail to a picnic table and benches. One of the benches was donated by Shawn Messier & family in honor of Andy and Sybil Messier. Stuart Lapointe planted new trees, to take the place of the ones that had to be cut down, as well as some shrubs by the Trailhead sign. A kiosk with a map of the trail and information about the trail was installed.
LVRT Trailhead construction was made possible by generous contributions from the Wisdom Connection, New England Grass Roots Environmental Fund, Hill Farmstead Brewery, Greensboro Association, Highland Lodge, the Pleasants Fund, the Prevot Family Foundation, and other generous community members who contributed to the project in many ways!
MURAL
In 2024, the Bend Revitalization Initiative was awarded a Vermont Arts Council Animating Infrastructure grant to hire artist Tara Goreau to create a large community-drawn mural depicting the history of Greensboro Bend. Using historical references and community input, Tara designed the 32-foot long mural to be installed at the LVRT Trailhead. At the 2024 Annual Bend Block Party, Tara hosted a painting session with community members of all ages contributing to the mural. She took it back to her workshop and painted the finishing touches. The mural was installed on September 14, 2024.
POLLINATOR GARDENS
In March 2024 the residents of Greensboro voted to become a “Pollinator Friendly Town.” In collaboration with Pollinator Friendly Greensboro, the Greensboro Conservation Commission, and the Greensboro Association, pollinator gardens were added to the Trailhead. Thanks to the hard work of volunteers led by Liza Kiesler and Lynette Courtney the gardens are taking shape.
FUTURE PLANS…
To complete the Trailhead design concept, there are plans to construct a portalet building and a small pavilion on the East side of Main Street, across from the main parking area and adjacent to the Rail Trail.
