Mettawee Valley
The Mettawee Valley is in the Taconic Mountains of southwestern Vermont. It centers on the farming towns of North Rupert and Pawlet and stretches toward Granville, New York. About 5,000 acres in the valley have been conserved with help from the Vermont Land Trust, preserving its natural beauty.
As you follow the Mettawee River north from Dorset, the valley opens in North Rupert as the Pawlet Flats, a region of rich farmland good for hay, corn, and other crops. The surrounding forests provide lumber and maple syrup.
The valley runs about 15 miles along Vermont Route 30, with steep, forested hills on both sides and Haystack Mountain at the north end. The Mettowee River winds through the valley as a trout stream, its banks lined with trees beside wide cornfields and golden meadows.
Historically, the Mettawee Valley was part of Mohican territory and was chartered for towns in 1761 by colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. Pawlet was a gathering point for American Revolutionary forces in 1777 as they challenged General Burgoyne.
Many soldiers liked the valley so much they settled here after the war. Families such as the Huletts, Leaches, Sargents, and Sheldons still have a presence in the area.
Agriculture has long been the heart of the valley. From early homesteaders to Vermont’s dairy era in the 1940s, farming has remained important. Today, the valley is still used by small farms that raise milk, beef, pork, poultry, eggs, corn, alfalfa, and soybeans.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 15:08 (CET).