Situated on about 400 acres atop a high meadow on the side of West Hill in rural Hawley in Franklin County, Stump Sprouts offers a 180-degree view of the mountains beyond.
Clik here to view.
Suzanne Crawford skis above the guest lodge at Stump Sprouts Cross-Country Ski Center in Hawley.
HAWLEY — Stump Sprouts Cross-Country Ski Center blends exhilarating outdoor fun with a sensitivity toward the natural environment.
Situated on about 400 acres atop a high meadow on the side of West Hill in rural Hawley in Franklin County, Stump Sprouts offers a 180-degree view of the mountains beyond.
Lloyd W. and Suzanne Crawford have been operating Stump Sprouts for 35 years on land that a generation ago was a dairy farm and apple orchard.
“We love it,” he says. “I feel a great sense of gratification for the people who come back year after year.”
Guests bring their own sheets, towels and pillows and eat their meals together in a common dining room; bathrooms are shared. The lodge and outdoor sauna are heated with wood, and solar panels provide electricity. “We generate more power than we use,” Crawford said.
Stump Sprouts offers classic cross-country skiing by the day, week or weekend for individuals, couples, families or groups. It serves as a retreat center in the offseason.
It can accommodate about 20 overnight guests, mostly in the guest lodge.
Crawford built the lodge from timber from the property, and he built the furniture, too.
The 15 miles of trails are groomed for classic cross-country skiing and snowshoeing; the emphasis in developing the trail system is to blend exhilarating outdoor fun with a sensitivity toward the natural environment.
Ice skating is another option, conditions permitting.
Skate, ski and snowshoe rentals are available.
“This place has become a kind of haven for all kinds of people,” Crawford said. “We feel like we are the stewards of that haven.”