Muddy Brook Park is located on River Cove Road, off Route 2A in the northwest corner of Williston, and is actually just over the line in South Burlington. The park is owned by the Winooski Valley Park District and is open to the public. The habitat is a riparian floodplain with a thin strip of woodland along the river. This is the point where Muddy Brook and Allen Brook converge just before emptying into the Winooski River. Between this point and the Essex Dam to the east, the river remains open all winter, making it a great location for winter ducks, especially after the lake has frozen.
Mallard, Black Duck, Common and Hooded Merganser, Bufflehead, and Common Goldeneye are all regularly seen here. In the summer many passerines nest in this area. It is an excellent place for swallows, including Tree, Barn, Bank, and Rough-winged. Warbling Vireo, Yellow and Chestnut-sided Warblers, Common Yellowthroat, and American Redstart nest here. Look also for Baltimore Oriole, Belted Kingfisher, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, cardinal, and catbird. Nearby are Spotted Sandpiper along the brooks, Killdeer and Wild Turkey. Osprey and Bald Eagle can often be seen along the river.
Muddy Brook Park (27.5 acres) is located in South Burlington between the Burlington International Airport and the Winooski River.
The Muddy Brook, which flows through the park, flows through open agricultural fields to the north and continues through dense vegetation and riparian forest to its mouth where it empties into the Winooski River. Land-use planners and ecologists consider this tract of land valuable because it affords an unfragmented, contiguous habitat for large-ranging mammals such as deer, moose, bear, and bobcat. It provides a linkage corridor that many mammals need to move through to other areas where they forage and mate. It also serves as a seasonal and year-round home for a myriad of animal, bird, and plant species.
It is noteworthy that this park protects several habitats: open land, wetlands, shrublands, shoreline, and riparian forest. Because of the varied ecosystems, it is able to support many species. Neighbors of Muddy Brook have informally identified nearly 100 species of birds including Cooper’s hawk, as well as large and small mammals.
The Park District has constructed a loop trail about 1.75 miles long, which leads walkers along the river and back along the edge of the field to meet with the trailhead. A wooden footbridge, fishing access, and a picnic area in the forest are features that can be found along the trail.
The TrailFinder website has a description and map of a hike at Muddy Brook Park.
Restrooms on site
Wheelchair accessible trail
Entrance fee
Content from Official Website and Carl Runge, Green Mountain Audubon Society
Last updated October 13, 2023