Cycling and Gravel Riding in Vermont

Overview

Vermont works well for cycling across almost every discipline. Road riders use Route 100 through the Mad River Valley and the flat Battenkill valley near Manchester as anchor routes. Gravel riders have a dense network of class 4 roads and unpaved farm roads connecting villages and sugarhouses across the central hills. Mountain bikers have Kingdom Trails in East Burke, one of the most respected trail networks in the Northeast, with over 100 miles of singletrack. And anyone who wants a flat, low-stakes ride can take the paved Stowe Recreation Path or the Burlington waterfront trail along Lake Champlain. For a broader look at how cycling fits into a Vermont trip, the Vermont Travel Guide covers all the major activity options and regions.

The cycling calendar runs May through October. The best conditions fall between late May and early October. Mud season in early spring closes gravel trails and makes back roads rough, and the season ends when nights drop below freezing consistently in mid-October. The state is small enough that you can get from Burlington to the Northeast Kingdom in under two hours, so it's practical to combine cycling with other activities and not stay in one place.

What to Expect

Road cycling tends to concentrate on a handful of reliable corridors. Route 100 runs north-south through the Green Mountains from Wilmington in the south through Waitsfield, Morrisville, and toward Johnson. The section through the Mad River Valley, roughly 35 miles from Waitsfield to Morrisville, is hilly and consistent, passing dairy farms, covered bridges, and roadside farm stands. It's busier in fall foliage season when leaf-peepers add to the traffic, so riders often shift to parallel back roads for quieter conditions. The Battenkill valley near Manchester and Arlington follows Route 7A and Sunderland Hill Road along a flat river corridor, connecting to cross-border routes into Washington County, New York.

Gravel riding is strongest in central Vermont, where a network of class 4 roads links farm towns that see very little traffic. Class 4 roads are public roads but unmaintained, meaning no plowing in winter and no grading in spring. They can be rough after frost heaves or heavy rain, so a gravel bike with 35mm or wider tires is the right tool. Lincoln Gap Road, which climbs from Bristol on the western side of the Green Mountains to Warren in the Mad River Valley, gains about 2,000 feet and turns rougher near the summit. Vermont Overland, a grassroots gravel event based near Woodstock, routes riders through exactly this type of road and has helped put Vermont on the national gravel map. The gravel roads of central Vermont pass sugarhouses and working farms that you can also explore on foot, and the Maple Sugaring and Sugarhouses page covers what to expect at those stops.

Mountain biking centers on Kingdom Trails in East Burke, in the Northeast Kingdom. The trail network was built by the Kingdom Trails Association on private and public land in the hills above the village, and it ranges from wide cross-country loops suitable for beginners to technical double-black lines through steep terrain. Burke Mountain Ski Area's lower parking lot is the main staging area. In the central part of the state, Killington Resort runs a lift-served mountain bike park in summer with downhill and flow trails across its upper mountain.

Paved bike paths fill the gap for casual riders. The Stowe Recreation Path runs 5.3 miles along the West Branch of the Little River from the Stowe village center toward the base of Mount Mansfield. It's paved and open to bikes and e-bikes. Idletyme Brewing sits right off Mountain Road along the path, making it a natural stop mid-ride. The Burlington waterfront path runs about 7 miles along Lake Champlain from the North End to the South End of the city and connects to the Island Line Trail, which follows a former rail causeway out into the lake. The causeway has a gap near Grand Isle bridged by a seasonal ferry in summer, and the full Island Line route eventually reaches South Hero. Foam Brewers on Lake Street sits right at the north end of the waterfront path, making it a straightforward end-of-ride stop with views out over the lake. For more on what to do on and around Lake Champlain, the Lakes and Paddling page covers kayaking, sailing, and boat tours.

Best Season

Late May through early October is the reliable window. Kingdom Trails announces its annual trail opening online at ktfvt.org, and mud season closures typically run from late April into mid-May depending on how wet the spring has been. Showing up without checking trail status is a mistake that locals make too. July and August have the longest days and warmest weather, but high humidity makes sustained climbs harder. September is widely considered the peak month for cycling in Vermont: cooler temperatures, low humidity, and the first foliage color building in the Northeast Kingdom without the full leaf-peeping crowds.

Early October stays good for riding but roads get busier. Route 100 from Waterbury south through the Mad River Valley sees noticeably more car traffic during peak foliage weeks, usually the last week of September through the first week of October in the north. If you're planning a cycling trip during fall, sticking to secondary roads makes for a better experience, and booking lodging far ahead is essential. The Best Fall Foliage Drives in Vermont page shows the main auto routes, and understanding where car traffic concentrates helps cyclists pick better alternatives. The Vermont Fall Foliage Road Trip itinerary can also help plan a longer trip around both driving and cycling.

Typical Costs

These are estimated ranges based on typical Vermont pricing. Bike rentals at shops near popular areas run approximately $35-60/day for a trail or gravel hardtail, $60-90/day for a full-suspension mountain bike, and $70-120/day for an e-bike. Most shops in Burlington, Stowe, Middlebury, and near Kingdom Trails in East Burke rent by the day and require a credit card hold. Kingdom Trails charges a day pass of approximately $20-25/adult, with lower rates for children and multi-day passes available. Killington Resort's lift-served mountain bike access runs approximately $50-80/day for a full mountain pass. Guided gravel tours with local outfitters in the Mad River Valley region typically run approximately $100-175/person for a half-day, which usually includes a route-planning session, a support vehicle, and a guide who knows which class 4 roads are rideable on a given day. Self-guided multi-day route packages with baggage transfers are also available through some tour operators and run approximately $250-450/person for two nights of support.

How to Book

For road and gravel rides, no advance booking is required if you have your own bike. You can show up, choose a route, and ride. If you're renting, call the rental shop a day ahead in summer and fall, especially on weekends, when inventory can run short. For Kingdom Trails, buy the day pass through ktfvt.org before driving to East Burke. The trail association's site also lists current conditions and closed sections. For Killington's lift-served bike park, buy access at the resort's ticket window or online. Flying into Burlington (BTV) is the easiest entry point for the northwest and the Stowe area. Riders coming to the Northeast Kingdom typically drive from BTV (about 2 hours to East Burke) or fly into Manchester-Boston (MHT) and drive north.

Guided tours and outfitters covering cycling and gravel routes across Vermont are listed in the Breweries, Cideries and Tours directory. Lodging along popular cycling corridors fills quickly in September, so book inns and B&Bs as far ahead as you can if you're planning a fall cycling trip.