The site consists of 204 acres of fields and wooded mountains. The trails throughout the park and the Japanese garden were the creation of Carson and Mickie Davidson who purchased the land back in 1966 and slowly established the trails and garden over the next 46 years. Upon Carson's death at 96 in 2016, the property was entrusted to the state of Vermont. He and his wife were clearly environmentalists at heart, the property, consisting of some exceptional land with spectacular features and views, reflects their dedication to preserving the land.
The Japanese garden is unlike most formal gardens that I have visited. It has a rustic nature and is very reflective of the local environment. The paths, undulating hills, water features, and stones seem to invite one to enter the garden and explore. There are Adirondack chairs placed in several locations within the garden which encourage one to sit and take in the garden views. Although not typical of most Japanese gardens, these chairs give the garden a unique regional flavor. I also have two Adirondack chairs in my own garden for the same reason (they are also very comfortable). The views of the surrounding area are spectacular and help to set this garden apart from other gardens of similar size. I was reminded of my visit to the gardens of the Seattle, Washington region where the gardens have a unique Northwestern style while maintaining key elements of traditional Japanese gardens. The Taconic Mountains Ramble Japanese garden similarly incorporates Japanese elements, but leans more to the regional characteristics associated with the Adirondacks and Vermont. Although not a formal Japanese garden, the garden brings a bit of the Japanese Zen esthetic to the local region.
Below are pictures from the Japanese garden and greater park (note: I normally exclude images of people, but in this case having my wife and I in some of the shots helped to add a sense of scale):
