Vermont MTB TrailsLooking for some awesome trails to shred? Want to get down and dirty with your bike and earn some serious trail cred? Read on for the trails that will help you do that in Vermont. Get locked and loaded, and ready for some gnarly rides in the Green Mountain State.
Vermont Mountain Bike Trail Map
Harrington Ridge
You’ll find Harrington Ridge in Barre on Millstone Hill. Usually, the word “hill” evokes pictures of rolling, grassy hillocks with a gentle slope. Yeah…well, put that thought out of your mind. You’ve got fifty miles of trails to practice on, here.
Some are reasonably mild, but Harrington Ridge is going to test your mettle. The trails cover 1,500 total acres of some of the most beautiful scenery in the country; you’ll need to navigate the granite quarries and work your way across some scenic bridges.
If you’re looking for something a little more challenging, Roller Coaster lives up to its name. It’s a rough ride that will definitely test your skills.
Harrison Ridge stands out because it is so beautiful. Work your way down from the white granite spur through the woods, and take in all the sights this breathtaking spot has to offer.
Jester
This run is a manmade (or machine-made, actually) trail on Burke Mountain. The team at Kingdom Trails designed it to test your skills on the downhills. Be prepared to get some airtime here – but the takeoffs are smooth, the landings are soft, and the berms will test both your skill and endurance. There are a lot of trails to cover, so relax a little at the top and take in the view before heading down the slope.
Kimmer’s Trail
This one is a newer trail based in Stowe. The trail has yet to be completed, but it should be finished by the end of summer, though. The usable portion of the trail at the moment is two miles long. So for now, you’ll have to be satisfied with going head to head with the hectic switchbacks.
Incorporate it into a trail ride between Stowe’s Town Loops and Trapps Trails for now. Kimmer’s will be perfect when it’s complete, but for now, it’s a bit of a short ride on its own.
Yoda
Patience, you must have, my young Padawan, if you hope to beat this trail at Sleepy Hollow in Hinesburg. If you’re a Star Wars fanatic, like everyone should be, you’ll love that the Star Wars theme has been incorporated here.
The trails cover 12.5 miles and offer some gnarly rides. Yoda is quite a technical ride, so you’ll have to be sure that the force is with you when heading down the trail: We did this on a Cannondale Trigger 3 and a Diamondback Mission 1 both performing well on this trail. From there you can go through to the Hinesburg Town Forest.
Sunny Hollow, Colchester Vermont
If you’re still a beginner, it’s a good idea to start with this trail, located in Colchester. It’s a system of trails designed for beginners to intermediate riders. It’s also one of the best-maintained, and just a few minutes outside of Burlington.
There are only six miles of trails, but the scenery is breathtaking, and you’ll easily have a couple of hours of trail time. The trails are maintained by the bikers of Fellowship of the Wheel, who recently received a grant to upgrade the trail—and have done a great job of it.
Pine Hill Park in Rutland
Okay, we do have to admit that we have a thing for the final frontier—space. That means that Rutland’s Pine Hill Park is one of our favorites. Their Lunar Quarry Spectacular in October is something worth putting in your calendar. It features epic paintball battles, live music, and movies that use the walls of the quarry as a projection screen. How cool is that?
The Pine Hill trail is famous for its loop at any time of the year, and the network consists of 16 miles of trails. The features that really set it apart, though, are the bridges along the trail; there are seven of them spanning the nine trails.
The 110-foot suspension bridge makes for an interesting surface to ride on, and the Chinese Arch bridge is a scenic spot that offers something out of the ordinary.
Cyclone and Clinic
This trail is in Waitsfield, and don’t feel too bad if you don’t know where that is; it’s tucked away and feels rather remote. If you’re up for it, climb Tucker Hill Road. If you don’t feel up to the challenge, though, there are shuttles to take you up.
The Enchanted Forest trail starts at the top and will warm you up gently for Cyclone and Clinic. When you get there, you’ll understand the names. Be prepared for fast and technical rides, and handle the switchbacks with care, or you’ll end up at (wait for it)…a clinic.
Also notable are the rock bridges, which are some of the most appealing parts of this run.
Chandler Ridge/Leister Hollow Trail
This trail is in Goshen and consists of nine miles of some tough terrain. If the ride doesn’t take your breath away, the view most certainly will. The trail leads to the spine of the ridge. Some of the scenery is man-made, but you’ll be hard-pressed to know which is which.
Ascutney Trails
The ski area in West Windsor has been closed for a while now, but you can still bike the trails. The Cloud Climber and Nimbus trails wind their way through some of the most verdant forests in the country.
There’s plenty of variety on the trail – work your way down to the class-four road and then pick your way back up again. This climb requires a little technical skill and has a lot of outcrops; keep an eye out for some of the old masonry running alongside the path.
Final Notes
These are some of the finest trails in Vermont. We could go on, but then we’d be here all day. Vermont residents are lucky to have some of the most scenic and gnarly trails out there. When will you visit? What will your first stop be? Let us know in the comments below.
Vermont Mountain Biking Resources
Vermont Mountain Biking Association