Exploring an Abandoned Air Force Base in Rural Vermont | Lyndonville Radar AFB

I’m on the hunt today for the abandoned Lyndonville Air Force Radar Base. It was a 1950s, cold-war era base used by the air force defense command to provide support and protection to various Strategic Air Command bases in the northeast region of the united states. The base was shut down less than 10 years after opening due to general technological and financial mismanagement.
The base consisted of two parts, a lower section with barracks and various recreational activity centers for use by the soldiers assigned to the base. And an upper section, 2.2 miles up the road at the top of the mountain, where the actual radar towers are located. The road is blocked to vehicle traffic a quarter mile up the road from the lower section, meaning I would need to park there and walk the rest of the way up the hill.
The weather was supposed to have cleared up, but clearly that was not the case and I was in for a bit of a less than pleasant hunt.
I am not an outdoorsy person. I don’t hike or trek through the woods or anything even remotely like that, so I knew this would likely be outside of my wheelhouse. However, I’ve been fixated on attempting to explore this place for the better part of a year now, so I decided to give it a shot anyway and hope for the best.
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00:00 Intro
00:44 On the Hunt
03:13 Exploring the Lower Section of the Base
06:07 Walking Up to the Radar Towers
10:04 Exploring the Towers
13:41 Outro

[@deepwoodguy2]

Sorry for the rain and zero visibility , but good walking thru the woods on a not snowing evening.. 😎 I think youtubers, the Proper People" climbed the tower and slept overnite on them, probably about 3-4 years ago. Looking forward for your walk thru Montpelier video , as i use to work on State Street, next to the Capitol building... Good job, stay dry..👍 Just subbed..

[@IanMartinExploration]

Thanks so much for checking it the channel and subbing! Welcome! I’m glad you’re enjoying the Vermont stuff so far.

[@newport420ajc]

I was going to comment about space research upon starting to watch this video but I see you explored the area with a guy that knew about it at 7:00 mark in

[@IanMartinExploration]

So glad you’re enjoying the Vermont stuff I did! Amazing that you’re also familiar with Israel Keyes too. Had no idea the landfill where the cuuriers ended up was up in the Newport area.

[@skidooextreme2233]

Hi Ian. My buddy just stumbled across this video and sent it to me. I had looked for it shortly after we met with no luck. Hope everything is good with you and it was nice to meet you.

[@IanMartinExploration]

Hey Jordan - Good to hear from you! I’m excited your buddy somehow found my video and shared it with you. I was bummed that I couldn’t figure out a way to share it myself. Hopefully the video is ok. Thanks again to you and your family for being so accommodating, it was great to meet you all as well. I would have never gone on that long trek if it wasn’t for you guys.

[@sowhatnow7984]

Hey man, dope video. I tried to go in March 2022 but the gate was locked. How did you get through? Was it open?

[@IanMartinExploration]

So I actually talked to a couple of locals (not the ones I walked up with) on the drive up radar rd and they said they close the gate for the winter season since they don’t plow that road. If you went in March, you probably caught it right at the end of the winter period before they opened it back up. Definitely give it another shot!

[@tooshort617]

How was the hike there? Did you have any issues? I am headed there next week to check it out !

[@IanMartinExploration]

It was very straight forward once you get to that lower section. Just follow one road right up the side of the mountain. It was an absolute haul for me, but I don’t hike. For someone who is used to hiking etc., it’s long, but absolutely not a big deal. Good luck! Take pics/vids to share if you can!

[@TCFBlak5killer]

The first building you walked into, where all the insulation was on the ground. You used to be able to walk in it. But some dumbass caught it on fire a year ago

[@IanMartinExploration]

Ugh, that sucks. This is why we can’t have nice (abandoned) things. I’d like to go back eventually when it’s not foggy and rainy.

[@finnegancook7735]

How did you get passed the locked gate?

[@IanMartinExploration]

The gate was wide open when I went. I ran into a couple of workers on the way up who said the gate is only closed in winter because they don’t plow the road. Once it’s opened in the spring, it’s open continuously until they decide to close it in the fall.

[@finnegancook7735]

@@IanMartinExploration good to know, I tried to check it out yesterday and the gate was closed, I guess I’ll have to give it a few weeks

[@cherokeefit4248]

It won’t be abandoned for long as it will be probably rebuilt very soon lol

[@IanMartinExploration]

Lol let’s hope that doesn’t end up being the case

[@fredericktaylor2891]

It is not likely to be rebuilt and reactivated. When the Cold War was declared over, just about all of the long-range radar sites were deactivated and the property sold, some even before the war was declared over. There are still some active sites, but most radar data provided to the military now is provided by ARSR systems operated by the FAA, some are joint use sites with the Air Force. The systems originally operated as a manual system but was later computerized in the late fifties with automatic tracking and identification using frequency diversified radar systems with the country being divided into different air divisions for surveillance duties. The old computers and most of the sites are gone but NORAD still functions as it always had even though in a different manner.

[@nathanpitts1591]

You do some interesting videos. Just a few miles from where I live, in Maine, was Charleston Radar AFB. It was active in the 1950's and must have been part of the system that this one was in. It was deactivated and lay dormant for years. the State of Maine owns it now and it is a low security prison. Interesting that one of your travelers mentioned Gerald Bull. He was a professor at Magill University in Canada. It was his intent to develop a large artillery piece to put objects into space. He had more experience working with large artillery pieces than anyone else in the world. I have read a bit about him and know he tested in that area. He was constantly seeking funding and that led him to Saddam Hussein in Iraq. The Israelis called his invention the Iraqui "supergun" as they believed it would be used against their country. Bull was assassinated in his hotel one evening, ending the project forever. Here is a link to a photo showing a test firing of one of his bug guns. wikimapia.org/6587621/Gerald-Bull-s-Supergun-Testing-Grounds-Space-Research-Corporation#/photo/1910865 There was one huge flaw in his idea that he failed to see. In any gun the acceleration of the projectile takes place entirely in the barrel. The projectile is at maximum velocity when it leaves the barrel. A rocket accelerates slowly as we all have seen them at launches. I think the Space Shuttle reached around 8-9 G's. By comparison the g forces in a gun barrel would be far beyond what a human body would be able to withstand. I love history and looking at these old abandoned buildings is one way a person interested in such things can revisit history for a brief moment in time.

[@IanMartinExploration]

Gerald Bull and Space Research is absolutely fascinating to read about. I had no idea before meeting these guys. I eventually want to get up to Maine and check out some places around there too. Thanks for watching!

[@nathanpitts1591]

@@IanMartinExploration If you ever get to Maine you need to check out the remains of Loring AFB in Limestone. this is north in Aroostook county. This was a base for B-52's armed with the nations most powerful nuclear weapons. There are tons of old buildings a few in use, Many not. All the railroad tracks and some equip there though out of service for decades. There is an open area in the woods that has dozens of bunkers where those bombs were stored. Gives one the chill to look at it all. Google Loring AFB and take a look. I have a special interest in old railroad structures and equipment. Especially love to see where they once ran on tracks but which are gone now. Using Google earth and other things you can trace lots of them. It is fun like doing a puzzle plus history is my favorite subject. Yours too by the looks.