Restored with generosity.
Thanks to $162,000 from 22 Vermont Parks Forever donors.
Stone Hut Project
In late December, 2015, fire destroyed Mount Mansfield’s Stone Hut, which had served for nearly 80 years as a shelter for winter recreation enthusiasts. As soon as word spread about the fire, people across Vermont began work on a plan to rebuild. Less than a year later, Governor Peter Shumlin cut the ribbon on a beautifully restored Stone Hut, made possible in part by $162,000 given to Vermont Parks Forever by 22 generous donors.
Located in Mt. Mansfield State Forest, the Stone Hut was built in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps and originally used as a warming hut for outdoor enthusiasts. Later, the hut became an overnight facility, sleeping a dozen visitors. Each year, thousands of Vermonters enter a lottery in the hope of winning a Stone Hut reservation. Visitors to the cabin, which is off the grid, must bring their own sleeping gear, food, and light source. Reservations for the Stone Hut are distributed by lottery. Those who win get the chance to cozy up next to a wood fire as the fierce winds of Mansfield howl around the hut’s sturdy walls. It’s a tradition that will continue in the restored Stone Hut.