Local Dirt: Andersonville Road
Descending the south end of Andersonville Road, with sweeping views of the mountains to the west over the Andersonville cemetery. Photo by Caitlin Patterson.
Welcome back to ‘Local Dirt’, our home for reporting our favorite local loops, class IV discoveries, and scenic dirt road cruises. Each edition provides adventure summaries, route variations, and mid-run photos to help inspire your next outing.
For this month’s installment, we’re heading over to the bucolic vistas and long hill climbs of South Albany and Glover’s quiet corner. Inspired by Week 7 of this summer’s “Great Hill Quest”, the featured route traverses the entirety of Andersonville Road via Hartwell Pond Road, complete with views of the Anderson Homestead, the rolling mountains to the West, and many bustling local family farms in between. The highlighted route serves as a shorter base loop, with options to add on extra hills and views along the way (see below).
Here we offer a summary of the short base route, followed by suggestions for course additions and future outings.
Distance: 6.7 miles.
Elevation Gain: 730 feet.
Max Elevation: 1,867 feet.
Terrain: Long rolling climbs followed by long rolling descents.
Map.
Route: From the intersection of South Albany Road and Hartwell Pond Road, head north on Hartwell Pond Road. Pass Rowell Road on your right before veering right at the fork with Centebar Road to continue on Hartwell Pond Road. Continue climbing on Hartwell Pond Road for, following Seaver Brook and passing Hartwell Pond on your right. As you reach the top of Hartwell Pond Road at 1.9 miles, turn right onto Andersonville Road.
Follow Andersonville Road for the next three miles. The road climbs to the height of the route just beyond the intersection with Hartwell Pond Road before a gentle mile-long stretch of gradual descent mixed with flat, open road. Passing Anderson Homestead on the right, the road intersects first with Beach Hill Road, followed by Daniels Pond Road. Both roads lead to more scenic, quiet gravel roads (see extended route suggestions below).
Continuing on Andersonville Road, the road then descends in earnest and offers a beautiful view of the mountains to the west over the Andersonville Cemetery. At 5.2 miles at the intersection with South Albany Road, turn right to follow South Albany Road and complete the loop at your starting point in South Albany. After a classic NEK dirt road loop like that, all you need is to find a swimming hole or creemee stand to complete a banner Vermont day!
Heidi’s Helpful Hints:
We’ve included two highly recommended route extensions on the map here.
Looking for a slightly longer route? Turn left at the bottom of Andersonville Road to return on Urie Rd via South Albany Road and Allen Hill Road. This makes the loop 8.3 miles.
Looking for some extra climbing and stunning views? Turn left off of Andersonville onto Beach Hill Road. Climb Beach Hill, taking in the mountain views to West on the way up and views to the North-East as you begin descending. Turn right onto Bear Call Road, then right onto Daniels Pond Road. At the T intersection, turn left to return to Andersonville Road and the original route. This extends the loop to 10.7 miles, and increases the elevation gain to 1,250 feet!
The views from Andersonville Road are expansive and beautiful. Do this run on a clear day to get the most out of this run!
If you’re hankering for a long run or a gravel ride from the Outdoor Center, run North on Lost Nation Road to connect to the route via Page Pond and South Albany Road. This makes for a great 18-19 mile lollipop loop!
Consider parking on Urie Road just off of South Albany Road. It’s right on the route, and there is typically less traffic and more space for parking.
In the market for some locally grown flowers? Check out family run Stillmeadow Gardens on Urie Road for impressive display and variety of starts and blooms!
Views from the northern side of Beach Hill looking to the Northwest and the mountains of the Lake Willoughby region.