This is a fantastic trail. I rode it with my cousin Ron, a part-year resident of the area, on a sunny August morning with temps in the low 80s. I was staying in St. Albans, but rather than attempt a round trip, we started from the terminus in Richford (courtesy of a ride from Ron's wife Vielke), with the intent of biking all the way back to our camps on St. Albans Bay.

The trail offered beautiful and expansive views of the valley and the surrounding mountains as we left Richford. Moving toward Enosburg, we enjoyed a succession of picturesque glimpses of the Missisquoi river, which for much of that stretch meanders along the left-hand side of the trail (if you’re heading west) and where, at several points, the trail is probably 75-80 feet above the river. We found ourselves stopping constantly to take pictures, and contemplate the scenery.

As we eased past dairy farms and rolling hills covered with pasture and hayfields, either side of the trail was populated with, among other flora, maple, birch, sumac, goldenrod, and red clover, Vermont’s state flower. Looking behind us and to the east, we enjoyed stunning views of Jay Peak (elevation 3,853 feet) and Little Jay.

Moving past Enosburg and Sheldon, the trail became somewhat more wooded, though along its entire length we passed in and out of shaded areas, pasture, cornfields, and past a few residential areas. At one point, the trail cut a narrow swath through a cornfield where the stalks were easily 9-10 feet on either side of us, while at another point we passed a large marshy area, and dense forest beyond that.

Aside from stopping for pictures, we took one rest stop in Sheldon, where we visited Devny's, a country mini-mart just off the trail, with an ice cream stand. A maple cremee was a great treat. The "small" size was pretty big; stretch out your fingers and look from the tip of your thumb to the end of your middle finger, and that’s about how much soft serve sat on the cone.

With a gut full of ice cream and Gatorade, we continued on, across the old trestle where the trail crosses the Missisquoi, and into longer stretches of more forested area. Closer to St. Albans, there are some beautiful homes along the trail, secluded in bucolic, spacious loveliness.

The final stretch into St. Albans is a slight upgrade, and opens up once again into broad farmland, before depositing us at the trailhead by Main Street. From there, we rode down Lake Street, which descends gradually but steadily down to St. Albans Bay, which in turn opens up to Lake Champlain. As a final treat on this last leg of our ride, we coasted down to the Bay, barely having to pedal for about three miles.

For the most part, we had the trail to ourselves, as there were very few other bikers, and only a handful of walkers, joggers, and baby strollers. As a bonus, not once did I hear the "On your left" refrain as faster bikers zip past (something I hear constantly biking near my home, outside of Washington, DC).

While I had not brought my own bike with me, I was able to rent one quickly, easily, and cheaply from White's Bikes on Rt. 7 in Georgia VT, a few miles south of St. Albans. I choose a Fuji hybrid, which was perfect for this the trail. The owner waived the rental fee on my helmet (something else I neglected to bring), and has detailed maps of the MVRT which he makes available for free.

We rode the trail end-to-end on 8/26/08 for a total of 52 miles and rate it as one of the top ten best we've been on. We've done many, many trails throughout New England. It was incredibly scenic in late August, passing for mile after pleasant mile through Vermont's lush green farmland and countryside. We saw oceans of corn in every direction as far as the eye could see. Passed by beautiful rivers and picture-postcard scenes everywhere you looked. Not one billboard or fast food joint anywhere. Just gorgeous!
The trail itself was in perfect condition, crushed white stone the entire length. We rode on a Tuesday, so saw few other trail users. Weather was flawless, sunny and in the 70's. We were held up at two cow crossings on the way back, as the cows came back into the barn from a day in the fields, but even that was a fun part of the adventure, as we had a chance to talk briefly with the farmer herding the cows. Trail is mostly level, with a variety of up and down-grades along the way, and passes through some small, quaint Vermont towns. Highly recommended!!!!!

Riding the Missisquoi Valley trail was a primary objective on my July 4, 2008 trip to the Burlington and St. Albans area. After reading the favorable reviews here, I was looking for a nice rail-trail experience to avoid the Vermont hills. I can vouch that the Missisquoi Valley trail is still in fine condition and offers a nice, peaceful scenic ride. The crushed stone surface remains smooth, flat, and well-drained. There was almost nobody using the trail on the two days I was riding and scouting the area, so I was mainly alone.

I highly recommend starting in St. Albans, which is a very nice small town with good restaurants, pleasant side streets, a pretty town park, and an overall ambience that typifies the best of Vermont. I stayed at the Back Inn Time B&B that I also highly recommend (www.backinntime.us) because it's a friendly and charming place just two blocks from the center of St. Albans and only 1.5 miles along residential streets to the trailhead. I rode the trail to mile 14 and back the first day. The ride begins with lots of open farm country, although I found the trail to have plenty of shade and trees for most of the way. Although it looks flat and I'm an experienced rail-trail rider, the continual grade going through the hills to Sheldon and beyond made my thighs melt after 20 miles. The weather was sunny and perfect which made the whole experience very enjoyable until I was attacked by two enormous farm dogs that ran me off the trail at mile 13. The farmer who owned them watched with disinterest and basically said it was my fault. I'll take my pepper spray next time...

I planned to ride the rest of the Missisquoi Valley trail the next day starting from the other trailhead in Richford. But I decided to spend my day elsewhere when I saw that most of that part of the trail is open to the sun and runs by "fragrant" farms next to the highway (Rt. 105). My decision was confirmed when I arrived in Richford and discovered it is a run-down and unattractive town with few amenities other than a couple of convenience stores. The actual trailhead in Richford is located in a shanty town of dilapidated house trailers and abandoned businesses with no parking area at all. Actually, this is one place where I would not have felt comfortable leaving my car, so I was happy to return to St. Albans.

At the trailheads, I found nicely-done information displays and free copies of an excellent color printed map and guide to the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail published by Northwest Regional Planning Commission. You can get an advance copy from them at 155 Lake Street, St. Albans, VT 05478 (802-524-5958). This map and guide provides lots of background information about the segments of the trail, and gives information on toilet facilities and picnic tables. There are no actual toilets along the trail, but the guide lists local businesses that permit trail users to have access to their facilities.

Overall, I highly recommend the Missisquoi Valley trail if you start and return to St. Albans. You can skip the Richford end of the trail without remorse unless you want to complete the whole 26 miles and return in one day. I will post a picture of the trail.