A Vermont town known for its fall foliage has closed its roads to the public for the season, citing the high volume of influential tourists.
Sep. Pomfret, Vermont’s Board of Selectmen voted to close Cloudland Road and Barber Hill Road to non-residents from October 23rd to October 15th. It also blocks access to the famous Sleepy Hollow Farm, a private residence that many tourists try to visit. .
“Green traffic has steadily increased in this area over the past several years, causing significant safety, environmental, aesthetic and quality of life issues.” The Board of Examiners wrote in a note about the closures.
Sleepy Hollow Farm has been a hot spot for influencers looking to get the perfect view of fall foliage. Videos using the hashtag #sleepyhollowfarm gained the most 800,000 views on TikTok. Meanwhile, there are thousands of photos of the farm Posted on Instagram.
Some TikTok videos From recent years He showed the crowd Around the entrance to Sleepy Hollow Farm was a “No Trespassing” sign. Despite the signs, a video shows tourists Entering the property to take pictures.
Pursuing beautiful fall photos has caused headaches for Pomfret residents.
Some in the community have created a GoFundMe titled “Save Cloudland Road” to raise money for fall road closures and traffic enforcement.
“Over the past several years, Cloudland Road (and smaller roads leading to Cloudland Road) have experienced an unprecedented surge in Instagram- and TikTok-fueled tourism ‘influencers’ who, cashing in on sponsorships, have turned a private home into Cloudland. The road to a social media photo destination,” The GoFundMe description says.
The GoFundMe, which has raised nearly $15,000, said influencers heading to the city “damaged roads, had accidents, were pulled out of ditches, trampled on gardens, defecated on private property, parked in fields and driveways and verbally assaulted residents.”
“I hope you return home without being an Instagram target,” one donor wrote in the comments.
A Pomfret resident suggested tourists looking for the beautiful greenery should look elsewhere.
“You can drive up (Interstate) 89, which goes through us north-south, and have a beautiful drive,” Beth Finlayson said. TODAY.com.
