Cow Mountain is historically significant as the first property to be conserved through the federal Forest Legacy Program (FLP). The program was spearheaded by Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy in the early 1990’s. The FLP works with other federal and state agencies and conservation organizations to “identify and help conserve environmentally important, privately-owned forests from being converted to non-forest uses.” Owned by the US Forest Service as the first property conserved through the federal Forest Legacy Program and managed by the Town of Granby as a community forest, the Cow Mountain Pond Forest offers quiet recreation in a wild and remote setting with a network of trails and wooded roads. A foot trail is available for hiking and snowshoeing, traversing 4.4 miles to an elevation of 2,348’ on Cow Mountain. To access the trail, there is a slight widening of the roadway and hikers park to the side of the road. In 2023, new signage and a kiosk were installed to provide clear identification of the parking area and guide hikers to the trailhead.