Leicester Hollow Trail

Leicester Hollow Trail is in Addison County near Brandon, Vermont.

The route we took starts at the Minnie Baker Trailhead. From there you climb up to Chandler Ridge for about a mile then join the Leicester Hollow Trail. Leicester Hollow Trail follows Leister Hollow Brook to Silver Lake. Then we hiked down to the Silver Lake Trailhead where we left a car before starting. The entire hike was about 7.2 miles.

Leicester Hollow Trail follows an old carriage road that took vacationers from the train station in Brandon up to the Silver Lake Hotel. The hotel was built in 1879 and burned down in 1942. Train service to Brandon ended in the 1960s.

Much of the hike follows Leicester Hollow Brook. Most of the carriage road is evident but sections are gone and the trail becomes a single track clinging to the side of the hollow.

A clear section of the old road.

Silver Lake has a National Forest Service campground along with a nice beach and picnic area.

Silver Lake is a natural lake but one end has a hydroelectic damn built in the 1916. The generator creates 2.2 MW of electricity.

Here's a panoramic view from the beach. The lake covers 110 acres.

Here's a panoramic view from the dam.

The beach is at the site of the old hotel. Some granite steps leading down to the water are the only remnants of the once grand hotel.

I found this photo of the Silver Lake Hotel dated between 1900 and 1906 on the Library of Congress website