POMFRET, Vt. (WCAX) – The road leading to the well-known Sleepy Hollow Farm in Pomfret is closing for the third year in a row in an effort to avoid annual traffic jams of leaf peepers.
A mountain biker scoots by the Sleepy Hollow Farm without stopping for a photo. It’s an easy way to spot a local.
Years ago, the picturesque property went viral on social media, drawing leaf peepers from all over the country and causing traffic bottlenecks up and down the road every fall.
“It’s getting better. It was really bad at one point, but I think the word gets around,” said Margarete Pierce, a neighbor.
The towns of Woodstock and Pomfret voted in 2023 to close Cloudland Road to non-local traffic during peak foliage.
“I don’t mind people coming up and taking pictures and stuff if they behave themselves,” said Fred Doten, a local resident.
But residents say the tourists were trespassing on properties, and more importantly, causing safety concerns about access in the event of an emergency.
Cloudland Road will be closing again on October 4th, a little later than in previous years. During a quick trip up the road on Friday, there were only a handful of out-of-state plates.
“I’m surprised, I haven’t seen hardly any people, maybe a dozen,” Doten said.
Citing similar problems with overwhelming traffic, residents in nearby Reading voted to close Jenne Road, with its sweeping views of Jenne Farm, for the third year in a row. That closure has already begun.
By the looks of downtown Woodstock, the tourists are still coming, just to different places.
Charisma Pippin of Missouri is driving across New England with a travel club. She says the region abounds with beautiful scenery. “I have a brother-in-law that lives up here, and he sends me pictures and tells me how beautiful it is, and the pictures don’t do it justice,” she said.
But pictures of Sleepy Hollow Farm — at least for now — are off limits.
“I’m happy when the road closes, and I also will be happy when we don’t have to do it anymore,” Pierce said.
Cloudland Road will remain closed to non-local traffic through October 19.
