Butternut Cabin

Access to Butternut Cabin is via a 1-mile cross country ski/snowshoe/hike/bike from the Sleepy Hollow Inn Ski & Bike Center. You must snowshoe or ski up in the winter, and you must hike or bike up in the summer. It is carry in and carry out for all your belongings. Vehicles are not permitted on the trails.

In the winter, four ski/snowshoe passes are included in the price of the cabin! Guests in excess of that number should purchase day passes online (for either skiing or snowshoeing depending how they get up there.  1 day pass is good for 2 days of skiing for cabin guests (getting up there, and getting back the next day). Snowshoers must go on separate trails than the skiers. No walking or snowshoeing on the groomed ski trails. Check in is after 3 pm and check out is 10 am. Day time check-in is strongly encouraged!

Guests enjoy full use of the cabin, porch, and outhouse. There are some day-users who hike or bike to the cabin and sometimes like to come onto the porch to enjoy the view. Cabin guests can put a sign out (sign located in cabin) to discourage porch visitors.

If arriving at the hut as part of a longer bikepacking or hiking trip, the GPS coordinates of the hut will be included in your confirmation email.

Summer:

The Butternut Cabin is in the backcountry of Sleepy Hollow’s trail network, with abundant singletrack trails to explore on bike or foot. With trails suitable for all ability levels, the Butternut Cabin is the perfect location for a day of ripping on your bike before settling in for a nice view of Camel’s Hump from the deck of the cabin.

For additional mountain bike information and trail maps, please reference the Sleepy Hollow Trail Forks page. We highly recommend downloading the Trail Forks app as well.

The Camel’s Hump hiking trailheads (Burrows Trail and Forest City Trail) are about a 20 minute drive. Info on Camel’s Hump can be found here.

You can also reference All Trails for more information about hiking in Camel’s Hump State Park.

Winter:

When visiting the Butternut Cabin in winter months, you’ll have Sleepy Hollow’s Nordic trails and snowshoe trails literally out your back door! Sleepy Hollow offers 35km of well-groomed trails for both classic and skate skiing. Experience Pisten Bully 100 quality grooming, complete with a tiller! The snowshoe trails are separate from the ski trails and meander through our property.

A map of the Nordic ski trails can be found here, and a map of the snowshoe trails can be found here. Remember, no hiking or snowshoeing on the ski trails during winter months.

Absolutely NO SMOKING in the hut.

No outside shoes/boots/ski/board boots in the hut. Bring slippers – they’re way cozier 🙂

Check-in/out Times: Check-in anytime after 3:00 pm on your arrival date. Check-out no later than 10:00 am on your departure date.

Overview: The Butternut Cabin is open year-round and is located in the Sleepy Hollow trail network in Huntington, VT. There are a couple of ways to access the cabin depending on your mode of travel. Please reference the directions below for the proper route to take based on your mode of travel (ski/snowshoe/hike/bike). Directions with a trail map to the cabin will be included in your confirmation email. The cabin is approximately one mile from the Sleepy Hollow parking lot.

Parking: Overnight parking for cabin guests is located at the Sleepy Hollow Inn, Ski and Bike Center, located here. Please park in the back right corner of the lot near the blue sign.

Directions to Cabin: You will be emailed specific directions to the cabin after booking your reservation, including GPS coordinates. In general, there are two common ways to get to the cabin:

For skiing you can follow Bishop trail (wider ski trail), which starts in Molly’s Meadow.

For snowshoeing/hiking/biking, you can go up the singletrack called Skywalker. It starts in the back of the main parking lot at Sleepy Hollow. There is a big trailhead sign there, and Skywalker is blazed with green paint and green arrows.

No driving or ATV’s allowed to get to the cabin, you must hike/bike/ski/snowshoe in. No snowshoeing or hiking on the ski trails.

Pets: Guests may bring their well-behaved dogs to Butternut Cabin during summer months only. Pets are not allowed at Butternut Cabin during winter months. During summer, we of course expect that dog poop is picked up and poop bags are packed out (not thrown in privy!).

Heat: The cabin is heated with a wood stove, and instructions are provided inside. You should be comfortable operating a wood stove if you are reserving the Butternut Cabin. Guests are responsible for making their own fires, and the cabin will likely not be warm when you arrive. The rate at which the cabin heats up depends on the temperature outside. Guests are expected to restock the wood that they use.

Lights: There are no lights in the Butternut Cabin, and there is no electricity. Please bring a headlamp or battery-powered lantern for your lighting needs as a backup. No gas-powered lanterns or open flames of any kind in the cabin.

Water source: There is no water source at the Butternut Cabin. All guests must bring their own water or use snowmelt during winter months. Again, there is no water at the Butternut Cabin.

Cooking: There is no cook stove at the cabin. During winter months, guests may use their own pots/pans to prepare a meal on top of the wood stove. During summer months or when it is too warm to use the wood stove, guests should plan to bring their own camp stove. Camp stoves should be used outside, away from the hut, and not on the deck of the hut. Again, no open flames in the hut. The hut is pack in/pack out, including food scraps. Do not leave any items, including food, in or around the hut.

Grey water: Grey water from doing dishes, brushing teeth, or cooking should be dispersed outside and away from the hut. Do not dispose of grey water in or near the streams. Please filter all grey water so no food ends up on the ground. Do not place grey water in the outhouse. Pack out all food scraps.

Outhouse: Guests should bring their own toilet paper for doing their business. Be sure to follow any instructions provided in the outhouse to ensure the longevity of the system.

Trash: Pack out all trash. Please make sure there are no food scraps in any of the grey water you dump out.

Sleeping: The cabin sleeps eight guests. Mattresses are provided. Three mattresses are bunked, five are at ground level (see photos for layout).

Phone: There is no phone in the hut, but cell reception is generally quite strong.

In case of emergency: In the event of an emergency, guests should locate cell reception and dial 911. The state of Vermont has dispatch systems in place to coordinate a rescue effort if needed. Guests may also try the Sleepy Hollow Inn phone number 802-434-2283.

Departure: Please sweep up after yourselves using the broom and dust pan. Replete the wood in the cabin with dry wood for the next guests. Pack out all trash and personal belongings. Do not leave any food behind – it will attract mice and other animals. When leaving, be sure all doors and windows are latched.

Caretakers: The caretakers perform regular checks on the cabin to ensure an awesome stay for guests. You may see them and should feel free to introduce yourselves. Please report any issues requiring maintenance to the caretaker by making a note in the log book or emailing info@vermonthuts.org so we can communicate with Sleepy Hollow.

Cancellations: Reservations canceled 15 days or more in advance will receive a 50% refund. Reservations canceled 14 days or less in advance are non-refundable.

*Failure to comply with these policies may result in additional charges to your reservation.

Should you have any questions about your stay, please contact the Vermont Huts Association office at 802-798-3003 or info@vermonthuts.org or Sleepy Hollow at 802-434-2283.