USFS · Vermont

Lye Brook Wilderness

The Lye Brook Wilderness is east of Manchester Center in the southern Green Mountains of Vermont. This wilderness is named after Lye Brook, which flows through its western half. The wilderness ranges from...

Description from Wilderness Connect (wilderness.net), where the full text continues.

Official page at Wilderness Connect ↗
Lye Brook Wilderness
Photo from Wilderness Connect, wilderness.net
DesignationWilderness
Managed byU.S. Forest Service
StateVermont
Size18,122 acres (Wilderness Connect)
Designated1975, by Congress
Center point43.1147, -73.0226
Night skyAbout as dark as the ground gets (Black Marble reading 11)

Boundary map

1 outline

Boundary, simplified to about 0.005 degrees Federal campground

The outline is the agency boundary simplified for display, so small parcels and inholdings may not show. The agency page has the authoritative map.

Weather by month

NOAA climate normals →
Weather by month near Lye Brook Wilderness20°30°40°50°60°70°January: 3.53 inches of precipitation, 18.5 inches of snowFebruary: 2.82 inches of precipitation, 16.4 inches of snowMarch: 3.39 inches of precipitation, 14.0 inches of snowApril: 3.48 inches of precipitation, 4.1 inches of snowMay: 4.10 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJune: 4.81 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowJuly: 4.60 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowAugust: 4.30 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowSeptember: 3.67 inches of precipitation, 0.0 inches of snowOctober: 4.47 inches of precipitation, 0.7 inches of snowNovember: 3.31 inches of precipitation, 4.1 inches of snowDecember: 4.38 inches of precipitation, 17.4 inches of snowJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecJanuary: 21.6°F averageFebruary: 23.6°F averageMarch: 31.5°F averageApril: 44.0°F averageMay: 55.2°F averageJune: 63.9°F averageJuly: 68.0°F averageAugust: 66.4°F averageSeptember: 59.4°F averageOctober: 47.8°F averageNovember: 38.0°F averageDecember: 28.1°F average0 in5 in10 in15 in20 inTemp °FInches
The line is the average temperature and the bars are average precipitation at Sunderland 2, 5 miles from the center point at 900 feet, station USC00438160 in the NOAA monthly climate normals for 1991 to 2020. Precipitation totals about 47 inches a year. The dotted line is average snowfall, about 75 inches a year on the same inches scale. The station sits about 1,800 feet lower than the center point, so temperatures on the ground run cooler.

Large units span more than one climate. The station stands in for the center point, and the outer parts of the boundary can be warmer or colder.

Where to camp

Campsite Atlas →

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. 3 are within ten miles of it. Nearest first. Distances are from the campground point to the boundary edge, from the Campsite Atlas index.

6 named Forest Service trails enter this wilderness, 133 miles in all.

TrailMiles
Appalachian Trail/Long Trail105.2
Lye Brook9.6
Branch Pond8
Rootville - Jenks5.5
Bacon Hollow Snowmo4.3
Lye Brook Falls0.5

Lengths and allowed uses come from the Forest Service trail layer by way of Trailhead Atlas, refreshed September 18, 2026. Trails in plain text have no page there yet.

Explore

Nearby on the other atlases

National Register listings within 15 miles · 53 in all · Register Atlas

Landmarks are listed first, then by distance from the boundary.

Reference

Questions people ask

How big is Lye Brook Wilderness?

18,122 acres.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Who manages Lye Brook Wilderness?

The U.S. Forest Service.

Source: Wilderness Connect

What state is Lye Brook Wilderness in?

Vermont.

Source: Wilderness Connect

When was Lye Brook Wilderness designated?

Congress designated it in 1975.

Source: Wilderness Connect

Can I camp at Lye Brook Wilderness?

No federal campground sits inside the boundary. The nearest is Grout Pond Campground, 3.6 miles out. 3 in all are within ten miles. Camping inside a wilderness is usually allowed away from roads, with no facilities; the managing agency page has the permit rules.

Source: Where to camp

How do I get to Lye Brook Wilderness?

A point inside the boundary is at 43.115, -73.023. Saratoga National Historical Park is 28 miles away. The official page carries directions and the office address.

Source: Wilderness Connect

How dark is the night sky at Lye Brook Wilderness?

NASA’s Black Marble night-lights image reads 11 on a 0 to 255 scale at the center point, about as dark as the ground gets.

Source: NASA Black Marble

Which national parks are near Lye Brook Wilderness?

Saratoga National Historical Park (28 mi). Park Atlas has fees, hours and alerts for each.

Source: Nearby on the other atlases

Are there historic places near Lye Brook Wilderness?

53 National Register listings within 15 miles, including Hard, Zera, House and Lawrence, Amos, House.

Source: Register Atlas

Sources

  • Boundary, name, acreage, designation year, states and description: Wilderness Connect.
  • Campgrounds: the Campsite Atlas index of federal campgrounds, matched to this boundary at build time.
  • Trailheads and sites: the Forest Service Recreation Opportunities layer, points inside the boundary.
  • Trails: the Trailhead Atlas open-data file of Forest Service trails, matched on the wilderness each trail enters.
  • Night sky: NASA Black Marble (VIIRS, 2016 composite) sampled at zoom 6 around the center point.
  • Weather, alerts, air quality, river flow and earthquakes load live in your browser from NWS, AirNow, USGS and iNaturalist when you open the page.