Our Story
The story of Hermit Woods Trailbuilders begins nowhere else but Hermit Lake, a tranquil spot in New Hampshire where owner/founder Sam Brakeley and his brothers spent much of their childhood. The boys loved exploring the woods around the lake, and they decided they needed some trails on the property to ease their navigation. So with their dad in the lead with a chainsaw, the boys swamped and cleared brush, finding a path through the forest. Sam was just starting to discover his love for the outdoors and his knack for building things in those days, but what he lacked in know-how he made up for with energy and drive.
As he got older Sam continued to spend much of his time in the outdoors, hiking, canoeing, and skiing. When he wasn’t traveling through the woods, he was working in them and spent stints at the RMC in New Hampshire and VYCC, UVTA and NFCT in Vermont, learning the ins and outs of trail construction.
In 2012 Sam brought his trailbuilding experience to the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire. After connecting with local non-profits and other community trails organizations, Sam learned there was a need for a trailbuilding contractor in the area. So he decided to strike out on his own and form Hermit Woods Trailbuilders, LLC. At the same time, Sam got involved with the Stone Trust in Dummerston, Vermont, an organization that teaches the traditional craft of dry stone walling. Stone work was always one of Sam’s favorite parts of building trails, so taking that passion and applying it to walling was a logical next step.
Today, Hermit Woods builds trails and stone walls, stone patios and stone staircases across the northeast for private individuals and organizations of all sizes. We take pride in continuing the tradition of recreational trail and dry-laid stone wall construction particularly in Upper Valley towns like Norwich, VT Thetford, VT and Woodstock, VT, as well as Hanover, NH Lyme, NH and Lebanon NH. But we’re also willing to travel further afield throughout the states of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and the rest of New England for the right project. We’re passionate stone wall builders and care about opening up recreational trail opportunities throughout the region. We have established a strong network of sub-contractors, suppliers, and project partners that help us achieve our goal of providing safe, sustainable, and enjoyable outdoor experiences for all people.
