The “Corkscrew Rail Trail” was originally the rail bed of the Lebanon Springs Railroad, first discussed in 1851 (more information). The goal was a comfortable ride to the resorts in Lebanon Springs, including the world famous Columbia Hall. The rail line started in 1852 and was purchased by the Rutland Railroad in 1931, and connected Chatham, NY with all the Rutland lines running from Bennington to Canada.

The name “Corkscrew Division” got its name because of the twisty, windy 57 mile path between Chatham and Bennington. The Rutland Railroad ran both steam and diesel engines.

Fun fact: the first packaged bread came from Clark’s Bakery on the Corkscrew line in New Lebanon. Other important stops on the line were Tilden Pharmaceuticals (first commercially available pharmaceuticals), and Kendall Thermometer and Barometer (first commercially available thermometers in the U.S.). Lebanon Springs was the first vacation destination in pre revolutionary America. New Lebanon was a hotbed of innovation in the mid 1800s.

Besides passenger service, including students traveling from their home towns to centralized schools, the trains carried milk and other produce from local farmers, businesses and the Shaker community.

The rail line stopped service in 1952 and the rail bed was sold, mostly to adjacent landowners.

In 2013 a group of friends in Stephentown had a dream of a rail trail on the old rail bed. They connected easements to form a trail from Knapp Road to the New Lebanon border, this section is about 3.8 miles. Over the years we have connected more sections across New Lebanon, with many more to come. In 2019, The Corkscrew Rail Trail Association purchased at auction a 3.14-acre parcel on Lovers Lane in New Lebanon with the abandoned bed of the Rutland Railroad running the width of the property. Ownership of this key parcel makes the organization eligible for an array of rail trail improvement grants. We already have the first section in Chatham, at the New Lebanon border. In 2026, there will be a connection to the Harlem Valley Rail Trail to Chatham Village. The dream is to have the trail run from Chatham to Bennington, VT. Will you help us make it happen?