Vermont Mountain Bike Trail Guide
Perhaps best known for its maple syrup and skiing, Vermont is also home to some incredible mountain biking. It might not be the first destination that comes to mind when planning a bike trip, but mountain biking in Vermont should be high on any mountain bikers list - especially for East Coast riders. The state might not be huge in size, but it’s home to some big mountains, with a long history of mountain biking. There’s something for every rider in Vermont, fun, beginner-friendly trails, to endless miles of steep, tight, twisting technical riding - there’s even some bike park flow thrown in for good measure. And it’s not like mountain biking is the only reason to visit Vermont, it’s also home to some of the most welcoming small-town culture you’ll experience, along with great food, and great beer. The mountain biking in Vermont is also very logistically simple, no flights into small airports and long shuttles to the trails, no wandering gravel roads trying to find the right trailhead, everything is well-marked and designed to be as accessible as possible.
Popular Trails & Vermont Mountain Bike Trail Map
Kingdom Trails
Beginner - Expert | 148 Trails | 945' Vertical
The Kingdom Trails might just be the most popular riding in the Northeast, and the best mountain biking in Vermont. While some great riding destinations have good variety, with a little bit of every kind of trail, Kingdom has a lot of everything. Located near Burke Mountain, the Kingdom mountain bike trails have a ride for every mountain biker. Trying to get your kids into mountain biking? Ride any of the smooth green trails that wind through the woods. Want to ride big jumps and berms? Head over to Troll Stroll. This flow trail is fast and fun, with high speeds and big berms and rollers. It’s impossible to ride without laughing like a small child. Like steep tech? Prepare to buzz your rear end with your back tire - Sidewinder is probably Kingdom’s most famous trail, and always comes up in the conversation of best mountain bike trails in Vermont. This expert trail winds back and forth across a steep gully, with continuous grade changes and technical features.
Pine Hill Park
Beginner-Expert | 23 Miles | 593' Vertical
While it’s not quite the sprawling mecca that Kingdom is, Pine Hill Park should be high on any serious rider’s to-do list. And it’s easily accessible - if you stay in nearby Rutland you can even ride to the trail system. Most of the riding here is intermediate and expert level, with fun flowing, non-technical trails like Underdog. However, more experienced riders will like trails like the Broken Handlebar Loop which features directional, downhill-specific trails, and Stegosaurus which serves up challenging climbs and descents. Head to Pine Hill Park for a low-pressure, high-fun riding experience.
Millstone Hill
Beginner-Expert | 26 Miles | 508' Vertical
Similar to Pine Hill Park, Millstone Hill is a smaller, local riding area with a wide range of trails for every ability. It’s centrally located in the state, so it’s a great place to grab a ride on your way to another area. And for non riders, or for after the ride, it’s close to Ben and Jerry's headquarters The climbs and descents here are shorter, and less sustained than at Kingdom. Instead of slogging uphill all morning for one long descent, most rides at Millstone are more rolling and flowy. It’s a perfect place to go spend your day spinning big cross country loops, tying together a bunch of trails into a long, winding route. However, if you do want to challenge your descending prowess, trails like Whetmore and Roller Coaster offer some steep, technical sections, and challenging woods riding.
Green Mountain Trails
Beginner-Expert | 28 Miles | 1,022' Vertical
If you don’t feel like earning your turns, head to Green Mountain. It’s located just a few miles North of Killington and has some of the best technical trails in the state. Although there are several awesome climbing trails at Green Mountain, it’s one of the few areas in Vermont that’s easy to shuttle, so you might as well take advantage of that and catch a ride to the top. From there, there’s a wide variety of beginner, intermediate, and expert trails that funnel back to the bottom. Noodles is a popular warm-up lap. It’s a flowy, rambling xc trail with some technical features, a perfect way to get up to speed. From there, advanced riders will love Labyrinth, a tight, steep trail that winds through gloomy pines. If that’s not enough for you, check out Roland Run, a steep gully trail that winds back and forth with rocks, steeps, and drops all the way down.
Sleepy Hollow
Intermediate-Expert | 12 Miles | 680' Vertical
Sleepy Hollow is a pay-to-play mountain bike area just 18 miles from Burlington, but the small fee is 100% worth it. The views alone necesitate a visit, and the riding is top-notch. There is a great mix of riding styles here, from fast, flowy, purpose-built singletrack that begs you to just open it up and go warp speed, to steep, technical, barely scratched in trails that will challenge your technical descending ability. While there aren’t as many miles of trail here as at some destinations, the trail they do have is high-quality and worth riding a few times to figure out the cleanest lines and figure out its flow. Don’t overlook Sleepy Hollow, it will remind you why you started riding in the first place.
Perry Hill
Beginner-Expert | 10 Miles | 891' Vertical
Perry Hill doesn’t have the “plate of spaghetti” density of trails that some of these other riding areas offer, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up in quality. This system outside of Waterbury is one of the few riding areas in Vermont where absolutely every trail is worth your time. The riding here is purpose built for bikers, and will keep you on your toes. Warm up on Campfire and S’Mores, before you head down Rasta Man and Burning Spear. Both of those trails are classic Vermont mountain biking, fast, technical flow. There’s nothing too challenging, just fun, playful rocks and drops. Once you’re feeling comfortable, test your mettle on Joe’s or Six Flags. Both of these trails are steep, old school tech, with big features. It’s worth taking them slowly and scoping everything on your first lap. All the big features have easier lines, so figure out what goes for you and what doesn’t before you come down for another lap and link it all together.
Typical Weather & Riding Conditions
Vermont’s summers are generally warm and humid. It’s rarely oppressively hot, and the riding is usually good May-October. However, there are occasional thunderstorms throughout the summer. Many of the trails hold up well, and are rideable in the rain, but others, especially flow trails, can be damaged if ridden when wet. Come prepared with a raincoat. Much of the technical riding here is littered with slick rocks, and roots. Traction is at a premium.
