Explore the best rated trails in Saint Johnsbury, VT, whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Cross Vermont Trail and South Barre Bike Path . With more than 31 trails covering 402 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
Wonderful bike trail. Narrow in places so need to watch for walkers and other bikers.
I've always been a great fan of the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail from it's very beginning when there was only 1.5 miles in St Johnsbury and now it's 93 miles long!
As I write this, because of flooding earlier this summer, about 21 miles of trail are closed as the VT AOT repair damage to the trail.
But this review is focused on the 20 miles of trail from Cambridge Junction that head north and west to Sheldon Junction. This has instantly become my favorite stretch of the LVRT, but it was a bit disappointing as far as trail surface.
The good stuff first, this whole stretch of trail shows off the rural side of Vermont, it's quiet, peaceful, and has easy undulations to elevation and absolutely beautiful scenery. I really enjoyed this ride.
About the halfway point the trail passes through the small village of East Fairfield, the day I rode through there was a welcoming food truck open just as you enter the village. There was also a convenience store down the road a short distance. East Fairfield is the only real stop for food or water, the trail does not pass through the Town of Fairfield as it turns north.
The one detraction from the ride on this portion is the trail surface. The trail surface from Route 109 in Cambridge all the way to Bridge St in Sheldon has much more loose gravel than other sections of the LVRT.
It requires a little bit more work to ride the surface mile after mile, and even a couple of times my front tire bogged down a bit where the gravel "bunched up".
It's not a game changer, but the surface is definitely different from other parts of the trail. Overall, as I said before, this is now my favorite trail section on the LVRT... it's so peaceful... I'll be riding it again soon!
I rode the trail in June 2023 starting in St Albans and went 13 miles out and back. I don't know if the flooding affected the trail since I am not from the area but it was a good ride at that time. The surface is crushed stone and was in good condition and the scenery is mostly farming country. I did see an osprey nesting on the bridge at Swanton. Gentle steady grade the whole time and I was able to keep up a steady pace. I hope the trail is OK now.
Just completed this trail and had a great tome. We have mtn bikes and had zero issues (not really for road bikes). There were some ATV and dirt bike riders on the lower part of the trail, but all were respectful and slowed down around us and for a Saturday it really wasn’t busy and we had the trail to ourselves most of the time. I would definitely recommend and do again.
The north trailhead has a good parking area, and the trail is an upsloping gravel surface. By contrast the south entrance has minimal parking, and the trail is very overgrown, with waist high vegetation on a wet and boggy grass surface.
We started at the River Walk parking area in Colebrook. We intentionally waited for a nice day in mid-week to try and avoid the possible ATV traffic mentioned in other reviews of the trail. It worked out - we only saw a total of 4 ATVs, with very courteous drivers, and two senior women in a golf cart! No other bikers or walkers were encountered.
The weather could not have been any better. Blue sky, sun, low humidity, and a slight breeze.
The scenery was wonderful. We passed several fields where the farmers were haying. The mountains, river, and other sights were great. We took our time to enjoy the ride going just over 20 miles and taking 3.5 hours from Colebrook to the border and then returning via VT102, like some other riders have done, to experience a different view of the area.
Were the trail conditions great? No. Were the trail conditions bad? No. Our Schwinn hybrid bikes with, us, who are two seniors, did just fine. There were clearly areas that would have not been fun if we had a big rain the day or two before but the 'pot holes' in the trail were dry and we rode right through them. We loved the bridge and dam in West Stewartstown, took lots of pictures, and crossed from NH into VT. We rode right up to the border and then returned to Beecher's Falls. We were sad to see The Local Scoop, a local ice cream shop, was closed that day.
The return ride back on VT102 was fun because of the sights and the very small amount of traffic. Typically, we avoid biking on roads but the 10-mile ride back was fine.
Overall, a wonderful day and a very enjoyable experience!
Went from the Flume parking area to Skookumchuck and back , this way you get most of the elevation gain done the first half of the ride and get some great downhills to finish up. Spectacular morning ride …
I've done this whole trail and there are two distinctive parts. The western part has many long stretches with a narrow strip of dirt surrounded by grass. It's also not smooth riding.
The eastern part in Gotham has much better parking and the trail itself is a much more comfortable ride. Also, if you leave from Gotham there are some good eateries to go to after.
Lots to see on an easy ride with plenty of cool places to stop and eat.
The W. Danville store and Joe's pond as well as many scenic views and parking. The whole trail is now completed except I'm worried about the rain and possible damage. So, I will call the shuttle service in St. J to find out about the access after the recent storm.
I love this trail but usually start before 7 am as when people start walking the trail they don't walk on their side of the trail. Head north from the Flume parking area and the ride is uphill. The ride is fast coming back down south but again beware of people on the trail
The trail begins by the missile in Warren. It starts of as a gravel trail but shortly thereafter the trail deteriorates. It's used by 4 wheelers and motorbikes. I wouldn't recommend it for bicycles.
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