With our 600 acres nestled in the eastern foothills of the Green Mountains, Putney students spend a lot of time outside. We weave our beautiful natural surroundings into our classrooms and activities on campus, and organize regular wilderness excursions to explore the nearby mountains, rivers and lakes.
Your adventure awaits.
Long Fall
Developing an appreciation for nature while fostering a bond as part of a community is baked into our culture, and every year we kick off that sentiment with Long Fall. After students arrive on campus and move into their rooms, we immediately pack up and head out in small groups for a four-day, three-night camping expedition away from school. These trips range from backpacking in the mountains to canoeing on the rivers, from mountain biking or rock climbing, to service trips working on the farm. Co-led by adults and students, this is a chance for Putney students to explore the outdoors, learn and develop new skills, and bond over campfires, good food, and new experiences.
Recreational Activities
In the afternoon after classes, Putney students unwind with a variety of activities to choose from, and many take advantage of our beautiful natural setting. Hiking, climbing, rowing, mountain biking, pond hockey, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and wilderness skills become more than just an activity as students cross paths with wildlife in the forest, decipher tracks in the snow, or learn how to fry an egg on a rock around a campfire.
Weekend Trips
Moonlight kayaking, rock and ice climbing, and backpacking on the Long Trail — the oldest long distance hiking trail in the country — are what weekends at Putney were made for. On one trip, the group took off for the White Mountains of New Hampshire for an overnight hike into Zealand Falls Hut, one of the Appalachian Trail’s cabins that is staffed year-round. On another trip, they did a short hike up Zealand Mountain and Mt. Tom, making great time on the way down by employing a mountaineering technique called glissading, which is a more elegant term for ‘sliding on one’s butt!’ The Putney Outdoor Program organizes trips and outings throughout the year. Students pour over maps and plan a route, write a menu and gear list, and lead the pack as the group hits the trail, river, or rock.
Elm Lea Farm
Each semester, more than 60 students are part of Putney’s Farm program. The students are engaged in all aspects of the diversified farm, including milking and caring for dairy cattle, foraging, crop production, gardening, livestock care, maple sugaring, and firewood processing. We hope all students leave Putney with a deeper connection to the land.
Keep Exploring
Sustainability
From our solar powered cabins to our net zero LEED Platinum certified Field House, sustainability is a way of life. Many of the amazing initiatives here are simply part of
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Food and Dining
From students working in the kitchen and serving food, to home-cooked meals inspired by international cuisines, to the smell of freshly baked bread wafting from the big brick oven that
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Health and Wellness
Our students are immersed in an environment that challenges them to learn and listen, to share and stretch, to balance their commitment to their own health and growth with that
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