08/23/2024: It has been a challenging summer for our parks with flooding in July, continued heavy rain events, and several windstorms. WVPD crew is working hard to clear trails of down trees and repair damage from flooding and heavy rain events. 

Please help us out by:

• Following Mud Season etiquette – mud season conditions can happen anytime of year! Some trails will be extra muddy or have sections of standing water after any rain event, as soils are saturated. Please remember to walk through puddles, not around, to avoid widening muddy areas and damaging surrounding vegetation. If a trail is too muddy or wet, when in doubt, turn around and find a more durable trail to enjoy.

• Use caution along river banks and streams. Please do not use any flooded trails or trails with standing water, especially along rivers or streams. Erosion and bank undercutting can still be occurring, conditions can change quickly, rivers and streams are still running high and fast, and flood water can hide hazards and debris.

• Respect all trail closure notices and signs.

Reach out to [email protected] with any questions or to report any trail issues – we will do our best to respond quickly. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@wvpdoutreach) for more up to date information and park conditions. 

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Salmon Hole Park & Riverwalk Trail

Located off of Riverside Avenue in Burlington, just before the bridge to the City of Winooski, Salmon Hole, a 6-acre park, gets its name from the spawning salmon that gather in the swirling pool below the Winooski One Hydro dam.

This park offers an interesting history of geology. The rippled rocks speak of the water currents that covered the land about 500 million years ago.

The velocity of the water shows itself in the striations seen in the cliff-side. Small holes can be identified in the rocks as wormholes, one of the most advanced species of their time. If you follow the Riverwalk Trail along the Winooski River, the trail will take you all the way to a viewing area off of Intervale Road.

Enlarged image of trail map: Salmon Hole