Danville's LVRT Trail Hub and Bike Rental Center. Lamoille Valley Bike Tours |
The Insider's Guide to the
Lamoille Valley Rail Trail
The LVRT fully opened over four years ago,
here is how to ride it, end-to-end.
Editor’s Note: “The Insiders’ Guide to the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail” was originally published in June of 2023. While a few things have changed, and the rail trail has had to overcome major damage to some sections from flooding during the summers of 2023 and 2024, it is once again fully open for riding (or running, walking, etc) as of late last year. Since then, thousands of people have traversed the full route, and the 18 connected towns are seeing the impact of local and
visiting trail users alike.
In this article, locals Yva & Jim Rose of Lamoille Valley Bike Tours have provided a bounty of tips on how to best enjoy the LVRT, which is now back and better than ever. With the fall being an ideal time to tackle the adventure, boasting cooler weather and vibrant foliage amongst beautiful rural scenery, this guide lets you in on the best way to ride the trail, plus the best-bet places to stay, dine, and experience all that the Lamoille Valley has to offer.
When Yva Rose was growing up in Wolcott 23 years ago, a bike was simply a mode of transportation for her. "I'd ride down to the store or over to a friend's house. It wasn't like I was a ‘cyclist’," she recalls. When she first heard about plans for turning the old railbed into a rail trail, her first thought was transportation.
The railbed was built between 1869 and 1877 as the Vermont portion of train service that connected Portland, ME with Ogdensburg, NY. The railway had last operated in the 1990s. But in 2006, a group of locals and the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers submitted a proposal to the state to turn the entire railbed into a bike path. "I figured people would use it to commute by bike from town to town along the trail," Yva says. Her husband, Jim Rose, a mountain biker from New Hampshire who went to Johnson State College, thought of the rail trail in a different vein. For him, it could be a destination unto itself, with 93 miles of double track.
"I remember the first time we rode a section of it as a family, it must have been in 2015," Yva recalls. "After, we both looked at each other and said: we gotta do this."
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“Find out who you are and do it on purpose.”
― Dolly Parton
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Saturday, August 29
Farm to Fork Fondo: Amish Country. Four options: 10-70M road rides with farm stops and tours. Lancaster County, PA. farmtoforkfitness.com.
Oak Mountain: Dirt Fest. Group mountain bike rides: 11am-3pm. All abilities welcome; explore the trails. Vendor village: 1-4pm. Raffle prizes drawn: 3:30pm. Beer samplings & live music: 4-7pm. Chairlift rides: 5-7pm. Fundraiser for Oak Mountain Bike Park. Oak Mountain Bike Park, Speculator, NY. oakmountainski.com.
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Sunday, August 30
20th annual Delta Dental Race to the Top of Vermont. Run, hike, bike, or e-bike. Climb 4.3 miles, 2,564ft up Mount Mansfield. Catamount Trail Assn fundraiser. Stowe, VT. catamountrail.org.
Vermont Sun Triathlon. 600yd swim, 14M bike, 5K run. 8am. Branbury State Park, Lake Dunmore, VT. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com.
Lake Dunmore Triathlon. 0.9M swim, 28M bike, 10K run. 8am. Branbury State Park, Lake Dunmore, VT. vermontsuntriathlonseries.com.
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Friday-Sunday, September 4-7
Green Mountain Stage Race. Four-day road bike race. Individual Time Trial in Warren; Circuit race; Queen Stage with Middlebury and Appalachian gaps; and Burlington Criterium. gmsr.info.
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Saturday, September 5
Absolute Mountain. Outdoor Hybrid Fitness Racing, 3Ktrail run with 2,000 feet of elevation gain. Trail running with workouts along the route. Stowe Mountain Resort, Stowe, VT. Save 10% with promo code: VT-SPORTS. absolutemountain.com.
47th Annual Northfield 5K Run/Walk. 9:30am. Presented by CVT Runners & Vermont Senior Games Association. Northfield Savings Bank, Northfield, VT. cvrunners.org.
Silks & Satins 5K Run & Walk. 8am. Flat, fast course through East Side neighborhoods. Proceeds benefit Therapeutic Horses of Saratoga. Individuals & teams welcome. Jeff Clark Memorial Race. Fasig-Tipton Pavilion Lot, Saratoga Springs, NY. fc4events.com.
VMBA Days at Bolton. 10am. Riding & community MTB. Bolton Valley Resort, Bolton Valley, VT. boltonvalley.com.
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Saturday-Sunday, September 5-6
Jay Peak Trail Running Festival. A unique weekend event with seven challenging races for the entire family. SAT: Three 5K races (do 1, 2 or all 3) & Kids Race. SUN: 11M, 22M, 53K Trail Races. Lodging for all budgets, plus waterpark, ice rink, climbing wall, arcade, movie theater, and restaurants. All registrants get a hotel discount code. Jay Peak Resort, VT. jaypeaktrailrun.com.
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Sunday, September 6
Wilcox Wild Ultra 50K. 6:30am. Rugged trail race through Wilcox Lake Wild Forest in the Adirondack Wilderness. Aid stations & BBQ. Harrisburg Lake, Stony Creek, NY. wilcoxwild.com.
Floatapalooza. 11am. Bring your own boat or rent. Post-paddle food and music. Vermont Canoe and Kayak, Jeffersonville, VT. vtcanoeandkayak.com.
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Sunday-Wednesday, September 6-9
Great Camp Sagamore Experience. 20-25M supported road or gravel rides. Meals, lodging, history. Great Camp Sagamore, Raquette Lake, NY. bikeadirondacks.com.
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Saturday, September 12
TriQuest Gravel Triathlon. Swim 1M, bike 28M, run 7.5M w/options: individual, aquabike, duathlon & 2-3 person relay. Afterparty w/music by Sammy B! Camp Plymouth State Park, Ludlow, VT. runsignup.com.
Groton Forest Trail Run. 25K (9am) & 12K (9:30am) on rugged, technical trails in beautiful Groton State Forest. Boulder Beach State Park, Groton, VT. onionriver.com.
Handlebarley Gravel Weekend. Sat. 9am (main event): 43M supported road/gravel ride. Post-ride pizza, beer, music. Sun, 10am: 20M ride to Elk Lake Lodge. Paradox Brewery, North Hudson, NY. bikeadirondacks.com.
21st Kelly Brush Ride. 7am-4pm. Supported road routes or 30M gravel. Fundraiser for Kelly Brush Foundation. Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT. kellybrushfoundation.org.
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Saturday, September 19
ACORN’s Tour de Farms. Views & backroads while visiting local farms & tasting. 37M/11M. Middlebury Rec Field, Middlebury, VT. acornvt.org.
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Sunday, September 20
The Mountain Goat Trail Race. 8:30am. 8.5M trail race through trails & forest roads w/ ~1800ft of climbing! Plus a kids 1M fun run. Two aid stations w/ snacks, Skratch & water. Race begins at the Sap House. Merck Forest Saphouse, Rupert, VT. mountaingoat.com.
Island Vines 5K & 10K. 9am. 5K run/walk & 10K run. Also: 0.5M kids fun run. Snow Farm Vineyard, South Hero, VT. runvermont.org.
The TAM Trek. 7:30am-12pm. 2M, 5K, 10K & 19M options. A benefit for Middlebury Area Land Trust. Wright Park, Middlebury, VT. maltvt.org.
16th Annual Trapp Cabin Trail Races. 9am. 5K run/walk, 10K, half marathon.
von Trapp Family Outdoor Center, Stowe, VT. greenmtnadaptive.org.
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Friday-Sunday, September 25-27
8th Annual Vermont Climbing Festival. Clinics, speakers, music, climbing. Farr’s Field, Waterbury, VT. cragvt.org.
Great Adirondack Race at the Notch. Weekend of challenges testing physical & mental skills. Teams of 3 or 4 will compete in seven challenges across three days. Camp Little Notch, Fort Ann, NY. camplittlenotch.org.
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Saturday, September 26
Old Spokes Home: Fall Fundo. Fundraising ride w/4 routes, after party, raffle prizes. Supports nonprofit mission to removing barriers to make bikes work for everyone. Gorgeous autumn ride. Old Spokes Home, Burlington, VT. oldspokeshome.com.
GMAA Apple Harvest 10K. 9am. Dirt & paved roads in Shelburne & Charlotte. Shelburne Town Beach, Shelburne, VT. runsignup.com.
Bike the Barns. 9am. 25-30M supported rides visiting local farms, food/drink, music. NY’s Champlain Valley. bikeadirondacks.com.
Chestertown Rotary 5K Run/Walk & 10K Run.9:30am in Chestertown. Part of Adirondack Marathon Distance Festival. 1K Kids’ Fun Run: 2pm in Schroon Lake. adirondackmarathon.org.
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Sunday, September 27
4th Annual Paine Mtn Trail Races. 10am. Norwich “Anchor” Challenge 6K or Paine Mtn Summit 7.5M. Also: free youth runs. Scenic & challenging. Norwich Shaw Outdoor Center, Northfield, VT. ultrasignup.com.
Adirondack Marathon, Half Marathon & Relays.8am: Marathon & Relay in Schroon Lake. 9am: Half-Marathon: Adirondack to Schroon Lake. adirondackmarathon.org.
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