Downer State Forest

{{Short description|State Forest in Windsor County, Vermont}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}

{{Infobox park

| name = Downer State Forest

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| type = State forest

| location = Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont

| coords = {{coord|43.7872|-72.3879|type:landmark_scale:10000_region:US|display=inline,title}}

| area = {{convert|705|acre|km2|abbr=on}}

| created = 1910

| operator = Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation

| status = Open For Public use

| website = [http://fpr.vermont.gov/state_lands/management_planning/documents/district_pages/district_1/downer Website]

}}

Downer State Forest, also known as Charles Downer State Forest, covers {{convert|705|acre|km2|abbr=on}} in Sharon, Vermont in Windsor County.{{cite web|title=Downer State Forest|url=http://fpr.vermont.gov/state_lands/management_planning/documents/district_pages/district_1/downer|publisher=Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation|access-date=4 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016202728/http://fpr.vermont.gov/state_lands/management_planning/documents/district_pages/district_1/downer|archive-date=16 October 2016|url-status=dead}} The forest is managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation. The forest was established in 1910 by a gift from Charles Downer to establish a forestry demonstration area.

Activities in the forest include hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, horseback riding, hunting and wildlife viewing.{{cite web|title=Downer State Forest|url=https://www.trailfinder.info/trails/trail/downer-state-forest|publisher=Trail Finder|access-date=5 February 2017}} It is also managed for timber resources.

The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers grooms the forest road as a snowmobile trail in the winter.