Former Morrisville vacation lodge & land becomes permanent housing, public wilderness

August 11, 2026  |  By Lisa Scagliotti

Photo courtesy of Downstreet Housing & Community Development

Downstreet Housing & Community Development recently celebrated a joint project in Morrisville that has transformed a former lodge and recreational property into permanent housing with preserved open space for the public to enjoy.

The project goes against a familiar trend in Vermont housing, where single-family homes change ownership and often become short-term rentals. 

Cabin 1 on the Muddy Moose property is one of two market-rate homes and is not under contract yet. Courtesy photo

Last year, Downstreet and Stowe Land Trust were presented with the opportunity to acquire the former Muddy Moose Lodge in Morrisville. Located atop Cote Hill, the property included eight short-term rentals and 150 acres of forest, waterfalls and private hiking and cross-country skiing trails previously reserved for lodge guests. 

Today, the 150 acres have been permanently conserved to be opened to the public, and the eight vacation homes have been converted to permanent single-family homes. Six of the homes are now considered permanently affordable through Downstreet's Shared Equity Program, two are to be sold as market-rate properties. 

“That is not the direction properties like this usually move in,” said Angie Harbin, Downstreet’s executive director. “In today’s market, year-round homes become vacation homes far more often than the reverse. In today’s market, the chance to own a home in a setting like this is usually reserved for people with significant means.”

The Muddy Moose project sought to create permanent homes. The location, project leaders said, proves that “living close to nature, building a stable life, and belonging fully to a community should not be luxuries out of reach to everyday Vermonters.”

An interior look at the Muddy Moose cabin 5 that was to be under contract this week. Courtesy photo

Six of the homes have already been purchased by new owners, according to Downstreet. Their grand opening announcement noted that new residents include a baker, a barista, teachers, a mental health provider, a retired couple looking to downsize, a non-profit employee, and a total of six children. Some of the new owners have purchased their homes below market value with down payment assistance through Downstreet's Homeownership Center and Shared Equity Program.

This week, one of the remaining two cabins on the property was about to go under contract, according to Downstreet spokeswoman Grace Safford. And one market-rate cabin – Cabin 1 on the property website here – does not have a buyer yet, Safford said.

New residents, and soon the public, can additionally enjoy the landscape surrounding Muddy Moose, according to project officials. Stowe Land Trust's conservation work protects the 150 acres of working forest, safeguards downstream communities by preserving natural flood storage, and it and opens established hiking and cross-country skiing trails to the public.

So far, the public from the nearby neighborhood is welcome to walk and hike on the property, but work is underway to add a parking area and appropriate signage to welcome users soon, explained Tom Rogers, Stowe Land Trust executive director. The project needs approval under Act 250, the state’s land-use law, and that process is in progress, Rogers said.

The land trust has created a spot on its website with information about the Muddy Moose property that will be updated as the improvements are completed and the site is ready for recreation from the broader community, he said. The message on the land trust website explains simply:

“We know everyone is eager to get out on the property and explore the trails (We are too!), but please note there is currently no parking area. We are working diligently to develop plans for a parking area and obtain the required permits before construction can begin. We appreciate everyone’s patience!”

Officials at the two nonprofits leading the project said Muddy Moose represents a model conservation and housing project as it repurposes existing housing stock from short-term rentals to permanent single-family homes. By preserving the undeveloped acreage, it values environmental conservation and plays a role in future flood resiliency as well.

Partners to Downstreet and Stowe Land Trust on the project include Vermont Federal Credit Union and the Vermont Housing & Conservation Board.