Abandoned Vermont radar base brings back chilling memories of the past

June 3, 2022

Located deep in the hills of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom (NEK), Lyndonville Air Force base sits abandoned, left to rot and decay in the middle of nowhere.

The base opened in 1956 as North Concord Air Force station and operated until 1963. (The base would later rename to Lyndonville Air Force base). The threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union was a huge concern at the time so the government established a site on East Mountain, a remote hideaway to station the base.

About halfway up the mountain, 174 men lived in quonset huts. The site also included a store, theater, bowling alley, barber shop and mess hall. The Air Force ordered the site to close in 1963 as the site was too expensive to operate and the technology was becoming obsolete.

A couple years before closing, the military reported a UFO sighting lasting about 18 minutes in the sky. Hours later, Betty and Barney Hill were allegedly abducted by a UFO near Franconia Notch, New Hampshire.

Since its closure, there have been 2 reported deaths on the property. One was a snowmobiler who unknowingly rode into a chain set up as a makeshift gate and was decapitated. The other incident was a person who fell off the top of a radar tower.

Last summer, I visited what was left of the base and took photos. Here’s what I found.

The mess hall sits to crumble with trash, graffiti, and overgrown plants.
The mess hall sits to crumble with trash, graffiti, and overgrown plants.

The inside was barren with broken floor tiles and holes in the walls.
The inside was barren with broken floor tiles and holes in the walls.

This storage room was the only part of the mess hall still intact.
This storage room was the only part of the mess hall still intact.

The top of the mountain is a good 3 miles from the admin. area as pictured here.
The top of the mountain is a good 3 miles from the admin. area as pictured here.

The top of the base gave off a post-apocalyptic vibe- it was very eerie.
The top of the base gave off a post-apocalyptic vibe- it was very eerie.

The shell of a former garage had a loose piece of metal on the roof causing a banging sound.
The shell of a former garage had a loose piece of metal on the roof causing a banging sound.

The stairwell gave off a creepy vibe with the rusting walls and echos of water dripping.
The stairwell gave off a creepy vibe with the rusting walls and echos of water dripping.

The inside of the tower was wet, empty, and falling apart.
The inside of the tower was wet, empty, and falling apart.

I thought this was cool, one of the only parts of the towers not destroyed by vandalism.
I thought this was cool, one of the only parts of the towers not destroyed by vandalism.

I saw a photo opportunity here with the window and the trees. This was halfway up one of the radar towers.
I saw a photo opportunity here with the window and the trees. This was halfway up one of the radar towers.

The view from the top is breathtaking with the mountains and the clouds.
The view from the top is breathtaking with the mountains and the clouds.

The rotting wood was laced with vandalism and destruction.
The rotting wood was laced with vandalism and destruction.

The top of the tower has a solid roof but has rotting wood surrounding the edge.
The top of the tower has a solid roof but has rotting wood surrounding the edge.

One major mountain in the distance is Mt. Washington.
One major mountain in the distance is Mt. Washington.

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Rob Dobson
Jan 21, 2023 at 9:25 pm

Is there a landowner contact available to attempt to get permission to access the land and visit the site?


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