It has been an extremely rainy summer in Vermont and mushrooms are all over the place. In the woods there are all kinds of different varieties - orange ones, red ones, purple ones, tall skinny ones, short round ones.

No elves, though. I did not see a one.

The trails are mostly old roads left over from the 18th century leading up to the various farms and sawmills that used to be up on Ricker Mountain.

The Stevenson Brook Trail crosses said brook several times as it makes its way gradually up the mountain.

In some instances the brook is spanned by bridges as shown at right - a wooden bridge built on a steel substructure. Other crossings are accomplished by original stone-and-earth bridges.

Below is a picture of Stevenson Brook.

A few miles along, Stevenson Brook Trail hooks up with the Sawmill Loop Trail which then hooks up with the Dalley Loop Trail.

As one passes the ruins of the homesteads - no more than square holes in the ground lined with stones for the most part - one gets a sense of the enterprise of 18th and 19th century rural Vermont. If you like this kind of archaeology, there is much to see here, including the remains of a schoolhouse and several cemeteries. The park offers a History Hike that takes the hiker on an historical tour.

The hikes range from easy to moderate. It is possible to get a good workout. That's when those great hot showers come in handy.

Some of the trails are also open to mountain biking.

Our family has camped at Little River perhaps half a dozen times and it is always a memorable and enjoyable time.