Union Village Dam, Thetford

Union Village Dam, Thetford, Vt.

Recreation Facilities/Activities

If you're looking for a taste of the Vermont countryside, then Union Village Dam in Thetford, Vt. offers the best recreational opportunities in the area. Whether you're content to sit by the river basking in the sun, or swim in the cool, clear waters of the Ompompanoosuc, we have something to offer you. Try your angling skill fishing for rainbow or brown trout.  If you seek adventure, take a hike on Union Village Dam's Mystery Trail. Be a detective for a day, and piece together a historical puzzle that changes every day. Concerned about your environment? Take a walk along the Forest Management Trail. Witness ongoing forest management practices, and imagine Vermont's past when trees were cleared for farmland. Autumn's arrival means that it's time to join us for spectacular foliage and hunting. Then, come winter go snowmobiling or cross country skiing on an extensive system of multiple use trails. Twelve months of the year, we have something to offer you and your family!

Reservations and Fees

What would summer be like without a family gathering, wedding, company party, or picnic on a sunny afternoon? Picnickers may use one of our sites throughout the park, either overlooking the river, or on its banks, and use any of the numerous grills provided. Are you worried about less than perfect weather on the day of your outing?  Then take advantage of the covered picnic shelter, which may be reserved for a fee, or used on a first come basis. Grills are also provided at the shelter, with handicap accessible bathrooms and adjacent parking. Challenge your friends to a round of horseshoes at the pits, or play a game of volleyball at the net.

Picnic Shelter Reservations:

  • The shelter which accommodates roughly 75 adults- $65.00.
  • To make a reservation go to Recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777 and search or ask for Union Village Dam.

Special Event Fees:
These fees vary, depending on the event. Please call (802) 295-2855.

Interpretive Programs

Interpretive programs are offered by Corps Rangers year round both on and off site.  All programs are free and open to the public.  To schedule a program please call (802)- 295-2855.

Natural Resources

Do you enjoy wildlife viewing, photography, fishing, or hunting? Then Union Village Dam is the place to be! The Corps of Engineers uses natural resource management techniques to establish and maintain many different habitats for all kinds of wildlife (bats) . From the river to wetlands, old fields to mature forests, Union Village Dam is the home of a variety of plants and animals. Park rangers use prescribed burning and brush hogging to maintain open fields, an important natural habitat. Nesting boxes for waterfowl, songbirds, and birds of prey are constructed and maintained. Apple trees are pruned for their production of food for all kinds of wildlife.

The Corps also works in conjunction with state and other federal agencies in natural resources management including stocking the river with trout.

So bring your binoculars and have a look around. Take in the splendid colors of the wildflowers that grow along the road side, watch the wood ducks in the beaver ponds, and listen and watch the birds in the forests and fields. Perhaps you'll get a glimpse of fawns leaping about in the spring time, a black bear shambling through a clearing, or an owl motionless in a pine tree. Come discover the natural beauty of Union Village Dam and tell us what you saw while visiting.


Updated: June 29, 2022

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Quick Notes

  • The recreation area is closed for the season.  The main gate is open from 7:00 A.M. –3:30 P.M. Monday -Friday. The East Access Road (Buzzell Bridge Road) is currently closed due to the flooding in July.
  • West Branch Road is currently closed. Starting August 28th, the road will close at 7:00 p.m. until the end of the recreations season, September 4.

  • The shelter may be reserved online at www.recreation.gov or by calling 1-877-444-6777

  • All unmanned aircraft as defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), including drones, are prohibited on designated Corps land in accordance with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulations 36 CFR 327.4b. Call the Project Office (802) 295-2855 for more information.

- Updated: August 18, 2023

Photos

Contact

Union Village Dam
2 Main Street
East Thetford, VT 05043
Phone: (802) 649-1606
Fax: (802) 649-8501
Email 
Union Village Dam Directions