Find the top rated trails in Newport, whether you're looking an easy walking path or a long bike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
The Stowe Recreation Path meanders along West Branch River, past beautiful farms and through some wooded sections. The trail crosses the creek at 10 different places along the route. There are benches...
The Three Rivers Bike Path in St. Johnsbury is the easternmost completed section of what will become the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, a developing trail network that will stretch across northern...
Cambridge Greenway hugs the Lamoille River through the village of Jeffersonville in northern Vermont, about 30 miles northeast of Burlington. It is a four-season trail, popular with cross-country...
The wildly scenic Upper Coos Recreational Trail parallels the Connecticut River, which divides New Hampshire and Vermont. The rail-trail begins in Colebrook and travels north to Beecher Falls near the...
The Stowe Recreation Path meanders along West Branch River, past beautiful farms and through some wooded sections. The trail crosses the creek at 10 different places along the route. There are benches...
The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail is a growing trail network across northern Vermont that will one day stretch 93 miles between St. Johnsbury and Swanton. When finished, the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail,...
The York Pond Trail begins at the Berlin Fish Hatchery (just past the locked gate), going through a notch in the Mountains to the south and west to Bunnell Brook. The trail leads to Willard Notch,...
The Three Rivers Bike Path in St. Johnsbury is the easternmost completed section of what will become the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, a developing trail network that will stretch across northern...
The Allen Point Access Area Trail provides a scenic route for accessing Lake Champlain in South Hero. The flat trail occupies part of the former corridor of the Rutland Railroad Island Line. The line...
The Beebe Spur is a scenic 4-mile rail-trail running from northern Vermont’s Newport towards the Canadian border. It follows Lake Memphremagog for most of the way, offering outstanding views of the...
The Cross Vermont Trail (CVT) is a statewide route that links a number of Vermont trails and includes on-road sections. As of January 2016, 87 miles of trail are built and scattered across the state....
The Ammonoosuc Rail Trail is open to ATVs and snowmobiles. The trail is rough is many places, making for even difficult mountain biking in some segments. Trail users will find diversions in the...
The Montpelier & Wells River Trail occupies the former right-of-way of the old Montpelier & Wells River Railroad, which originally ran for 45 miles across northeast Vermont. Called the "Granite Train"...
Although only a mile, the Swanton Recreation Path, completed in 2009, offers a scenic gravel pathway that includes a connection to the Swanton History Museum (a rehabilitated train station) and...
Winding northeast from St. Albans to Richford, just south of the Vermont–Québec border, the Missisquoi Valley Rail-Trail affords visitors direct access to northwest Vermont dairy country. In winter,...
The wildly scenic Upper Coos Recreational Trail parallels the Connecticut River, which divides New Hampshire and Vermont. The rail-trail begins in Colebrook and travels north to Beecher Falls near the...
Winding northeast from St. Albans to Richford, just south of the Vermont–Québec border, the Missisquoi Valley Rail-Trail affords visitors direct access to northwest Vermont dairy country. In winter,...
The Stowe Recreation Path meanders along West Branch River, past beautiful farms and through some wooded sections. The trail crosses the creek at 10 different places along the route. There are benches...
The Montpelier & Wells River Trail occupies the former right-of-way of the old Montpelier & Wells River Railroad, which originally ran for 45 miles across northeast Vermont. Called the "Granite Train"...
The Three Rivers Bike Path in St. Johnsbury is the easternmost completed section of what will become the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, a developing trail network that will stretch across northern...
The Ammonoosuc Rail Trail is open to ATVs and snowmobiles. The trail is rough is many places, making for even difficult mountain biking in some segments. Trail users will find diversions in the...
The Beebe Spur is a scenic 4-mile rail-trail running from northern Vermont’s Newport towards the Canadian border. It follows Lake Memphremagog for most of the way, offering outstanding views of the...
The York Pond Trail begins at the Berlin Fish Hatchery (just past the locked gate), going through a notch in the Mountains to the south and west to Bunnell Brook. The trail leads to Willard Notch,...
The Cross Vermont Trail (CVT) is a statewide route that links a number of Vermont trails and includes on-road sections. As of January 2016, 87 miles of trail are built and scattered across the state....
The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail is a growing trail network across northern Vermont that will one day stretch 93 miles between St. Johnsbury and Swanton. When finished, the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail,...
The Allen Point Access Area Trail provides a scenic route for accessing Lake Champlain in South Hero. The flat trail occupies part of the former corridor of the Rutland Railroad Island Line. The line...
Although only a mile, the Swanton Recreation Path, completed in 2009, offers a scenic gravel pathway that includes a connection to the Swanton History Museum (a rehabilitated train station) and...
Cambridge Greenway hugs the Lamoille River through the village of Jeffersonville in northern Vermont, about 30 miles northeast of Burlington. It is a four-season trail, popular with cross-country...
I have ridden this trail with a hybrid bike every August for many years since my wife's grandfather built a cabin on Lake Groton 106 years ago. No problem. The section along Lake Groton has a few rocks sticking up in the tread-way so keep your eyes peeled. Yesterday there were two trees across the trail but bike could be lifted over. It is nice territory, take your time and enjoy. Youker
We walked from Berts Boats up to the Back inTime antique store. It was six miles to and from.
My wife and I went from St. J to West Danville and back, using most of a somewhat cool late June afternoon/early evening to do so.
For nature, the many bedrock cuts are now beautiful niches, typically with an abundance of ferns. The wetlands, however, at the West Danville terminal were the highlight of the trip. Look for the "swamp camp".
A reviewer expressed concern about maintenance. I am happy to report the vegetation neatly trimmed on the sides with no grass encroachment on the trail. The gravel surface is in excellent shape.
The views are good for a rail trail, with a rather large opening to the south in Danville. Missing a star due to the somewhat scary route 2 crossings and the somewhat scarce latrines or formal rest/picnic areas. Only 2 are marked on the official map available at lvrt.org.
A gentle but consistent railroad grade makes for good exercise on the outbound trip, and easy downhill on the way back. Excellent surfacing and trail maintenance. Shaded enough to do at noon on a hot day, but with open stretches where more things can be seen besides trailside flora. Beautiful 19th c. deep rock cuts and 21st c. tunnels under highways are like going into air conditioning!
I have been aware of this trail for years, but have never walked or cycled this trail until this week. On Sunday, 6/25/2017, my partner Sue and I walked the trail 2/3 of the way, when threatening skies and the sound of thunder turned us around back to Newport (we just made it back before the cloudburst!).
Two days later I took my folding bike back to the trail (Sue was working), and rode the whole trail (and yes, was rained on again!). But this trail is wonderful, the surface is a good hard pack now (someone said it was bad in a previous review). There was some grass growing through on the northern portion, but the trail was still excellent in my opinion.
Starting in Newport (parking available for the trail at the adjacent hospital - there are signs), the trail runs through a wooded section for about a mile, then opens up to wonderful views of Lake Memphremagog and the distant mountains of Vermont and Canada. There are several homes, but most of them are on the east side of the trail away from the shore, even though they do have their cabanas, docks, gazebos etc on the west side of the trail. The last mile becomes a mix of woods and fields until you reach the end of the trail at North Derby Road.
At the end of the trail, you have the option to turn right and head to the Border Station in Derby and continue your ride into Canada onto the 19km Tomifobia Nature Rail-Trail in Quebec - the trail is the same railroad bed as the Beebe Spur Trail, as a matter of fact, the trail is straight ahead just 100 feet through the overgrowth at the end of the Beebe Spur Trail - but you must go to the Border Check Station (there's a sign with the needed info at the end of the Beebe Spur Trail)
Overall, it's a short trail - but what a variety it offers, just watch out for those rain showers - I was rained on both days!
Great path that is paved and well maintained. Easy bike riding where you can also walk/run. Beautiful little area as you ride through woods, pass by fields, and cross over bridges. You ride over and around a nice little creek. Bike path also rides by several of Stowe's good restaurants who all have bike racks and outdoor seating. A must do if in the area!!
We have been riding this with our grandkids for 10+ years. Now they are in high school. Enjoy the ride, the beaches along the river, restaurants and shops along the way. You can ride it up and back in an hour, or make stops and enjoy for the day.
There are two great geocache series on the east end of the tail. Beginning near Joe's Pond and ending near GoodFella's Restaurant is the Vermont Star with 50 caches. Picking up there is the Maple Leaf which continues on to St. Jay with 40 caches. To obtain the correct coordinates of the caches you must answer questions about VT and maple sugaring. When we did the star, we did it in two segments and I rode back on the slightly uphill trail with no problems to get the truck. When we did the leaf, we left one vehicle in St. Jay so as not to have to ride back. Bodda rides an older, single-speed tricycle and had no problems on the trail. Though we live in Morrisville, we have only tried one short segment of the trail there but have heard great things about it and want to try it soon. It is hard to imagine the work that went into cutting through the ledges and filling the gullies. When you drive routes 15 and 2, it's hard to believe how hilly they are but just a short distance away is the almost level rail trail. Gramp
Last weekend, my friends and I biked the trail from St. Albans. Except for a pizza restaurant, there were no services/portapotties at the Sheldon parking lot area as indicated on a local map of the trail. Because of the weather forecast we only went 15 miles North on the trail. The crushed gravel really slowed us down to about 7-8 mph. Though I had the appropriate tires, And I'm no speed demon, I don't like to ride that slowly. All said, What I saw was pretty, and I would be willing to bike this trail again from Richford. The southern leg of this ride was underwhelming.
We did not think it is a boring trail, as another reviewer wrote. So much to see of the Vermont countryside!
I rode Cambridge Jct to Hyde Park & return one day, then Morrisville to Hyde Park another. The parking area in Cambridge Jct is very nice. There's a nice shelter with portapotty and even a train theme picnic area adjacent. Smuggler's Notch Ski Area has done a lot to improve this spot this summer (carpenters were working on the train the day I was there).
The trail from there to Johnson is pretty much level, with a few small/short grades, the trail is crushed granite hard-pack. The town road crews maintain the trails in their municipality, and some cut the brush more often. Sometimes the grass & weeds will whack your shins as you ride, but the tree limbs had been kept off the trail. You ride along the river, through fields of fodder and forested areas.
Johnson has a beautiful kiosk with water and a portapotty, and downtown is just a half mile away, down Depot St. From there to Hyde Park is more fields, forests, river and a beautiful through truss bridge.
Hyde Park to Morrisville is mainly uphill. If you go east to west it's a leisurely ride. This section is mainly wooded, with high fills down to the river in places. The Lamoille River is always nearby. You also cross quite a few roads, and the through truss bridge in Morrisville.
Just west of Morrisville village you pass right behind the Lost Nation brewery, and many trail users stop to sample their creations. The depot in Morrisville is a restaurant as well. And about 1/4 mile south of the depot is a bike shop if you need any supplies. Parking in Morrisville is adjacent to the depot.
I went a short distance east of Morrisville, even down the unimproved section. Not sure how far you can go, but I do know there are a couple of bridges removed. The trail is railroad ballast, with tall grass/weeds.
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