Location: Jericho, Vermont, in Chittenden County
Facebook page: Mobbs Farm
Google map: Map
Trail maps: Hill Section Valley Section
Description: Mobbs Farm is a beautiful 260 acre parcel owned by the Town of Jericho (thank you, Town of Jericho!!). It consists of two sections on either side of Fitzsimmons Rd (a quiet dirt road). There are forests and fields and an old apple orchard, and approximately 9 miles of trails. Click here to watch a video of a ride at Mobbs Farm.
You can also access riding trails in the Jericho Research Forest, owned by the University of Vermont, from the west side of Mobbs Farm.
Terrain: Varied. Includes meadows, soft pine forest trails, and rocky trails. Rolling hills.
Access: 10 minutes from I-89 exit 11 (Richmond). See important safety warning below about a dangerous intersection at Rt. 117 and Governor Peck Hwy.
Parking: Horse trailer parking is available HERE on the Jericho Highway Department Rd. off of Brown’s Trace Rd., in the southeast corner of the Hill Section. The parking lot is gravel and is approximately 40′ x 100′. It’s quite narrow so even with a short rig you will have to do a 3-point (or 15-point or 99-point!) turn in order to turn around. We’ve decided that backing into the lot from the Jericho Hwy Dept. Road is the best strategy so we recommend you consider this. Since there might be other vehicles in the lot when you get there, we also suggest that you get out of your truck to check out the situation before pulling in.
Note: there is another parking area on Fitzsimmons Rd which provides access to Mobbs Farm for hikers but this is NOT suitable for horse trailers.
Restrictions and safety warnings:
- During mud season Mobbs is closed to horses and bikes. Please check their Facebook page for announcements.
- Other recreation includes hiking, mountain-biking, and cross-country skiing.
- Hunting is permitted at Mobbs Farm. Horseback riding is prohibited during rifle season (Click here for more information). During other hunting seasons, don’t ride at Mobbs Farm or take appropriate precautions.
- Horses are not allowed on any bridges. Bridges are located on the River View Trail. Note: horses are allowed on the boardwalks in the meadows. UPDATE July 2019 – some of the boardwalks are getting old and are no longer safe for horses; they have placed signage indicating which ones horses are not allowed on.
- On some trails there are deposits of shale that can be dangerous for horses, especially if wearing metal shoes; the forest is open enough in most places to allow horses to detour around these deposits, but use caution.
- The intersection of Rt. 117 and Governor Peck Highway in Richmond is very dangerous. Vehicles traveling north on Rt. 117 from Rt. 2 can be going so fast around the bend that they cannot see or slow down quickly enough for a horse trailer turning onto or off of Governor Peck Highway. We recommend that you avoid using this intersection. Instead, from Rt. 89 take exit 11 and go south on Rt 2 into the town of Richmond and turn left at the light onto Jericho Rd, which becomes Browns Trace.
Note: Trail and road conditions can change at any time. The actual conditions you encounter may differ from the information presented here. Horseback riding is inherently dangerous and you must employ independent judgement and use the information herein at your own risk. By accessing this site, you acknowledge and accept these limitations and agree to hold harmless Horse Trail Chicks, Monica Raymond, and Kerrie Garvey, from any liability, damages, injury, or death that result from using this information.