Find the top rated hiking trails in Rutland, whether you're looking for an easy short hiking trail or a long hiking trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a hiking trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
_155550_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
_0_st.jpg)
My husband and I biked this trail in October and it was great! The trail itself has some soft, sandy spots which make it a bit difficult but we did fine with our mountain bikes. Most of the trail is hard-packed. The scenery is absolutely beautiful! We saw only 1 ATV vehicle, a few other cyclists, and a few walkers. Biking along the river, passing through the covered bridges, and enjoying the fall foliage made this a great day trip for us.
19.5 mile round trip from Platt St Glens Falls NY to Lake George and back. Enjoyed lunch and a boat show in Lake George at the 1/2 point which added to the charm and makes the few larger hills coming out of Lake George worth while. Near the Glens Falls end has a nice top for a drink The trail is all asphalt. A short section is on the road (rt 66 and 17) with decent shoulder. The northern section from Glen Lake to Lake George is nicer than the southern section but it is a bit hilly at times. The southern section has a lot of road crossings causing it to be stop and go.
NOT ASPHALT! Only one small section (1.5 miles) in Dover is paved... ended up biking Rt100 from Wilmington to Mt. Snow, not much of a shoulder but not much traffic and pretty flat.. nice scenery!
I biked the 13.50 mile section from Canaan to Lebanon (and back). The surface is mostly packed gravel. The first three miles (from Canaan) is challenging as the gravel is somewhat looser. However, I had no real problem on my Trek Dual Sport bike. The section along Mascoma Lake is beautiful. I startled a couple of deer along the way.
The entry leads you to believe there is a 9 mile asphalt trail linking two towns in a Vermont valley with just a small gap near the north end. Unfortunately, there is no such thing. The trail is a very confusing series of blue signs which go through the woods on dirt (mud) tracks, over grass lawns with no identifiable trail, and on busy and narrow town roads (the only asphalt on the trail). Talking to locals, we discovered that parts of the trail are used for mountain biking, but that the idea of a continuous trail linking West Dover and Wilmington is a dream that has yet to be realized.
I've been a hiker for about 20 years. For some reason I'm not into it that much anymore, so I bought my Trek D-3. This trail is perfect for smooth hard dirt riding. I only did about 8 miles round trip from the Webster Beach area. I'm new to biking and noticed I'm using different muscles then hiking. But I am retired and try to get out every day. Soon 8 miles will be nothing. That should be coming up and I'm going to go back to this rail trail. It's very shady and relaxing. I plan on doubling that mileage on my next visit here.
The trail definitely has some potential if there was more participation from landowners, some of whom appear to be quite hostile to the idea. It appears that the trail did or attempted to cross through private land on the Townsend section northward towards a connection with the Jamaica section but you soon run into a labyrinth of blocked trail and more No Trespassing and Posted signs than I have ever seen in one spot anywhere in my life. They did dissuade me that day and I turned around which is most unfortunate. Laws being what they are in Vermont, there is nothing illegal about this of course. In many states, including Texas surprisingly there is a law against closing off a certain amount of shoreline areas to passersby and swimmers etc. in order to promote this activity which is ultimately beneficial to all, locals and visitors alike.
The northern half is by far the best. The southern part is not well marked, has some long road sections and dumps you in town with nothing around. It is well paved and taken care of. The northern part goes to Lake George and is very nice. For someone seeking a short ride, I would start at the outlet center and ride north. That is about 8 to 10 miles round trip depending on how much you ride around town.
Clear sunny day in May. Excellent conditions with sunshine and a gentle breeze to keep away the bugs. No ticks encountered. Walked 3.5 miles from the Blackjack Crossing trailhead.
Trail is in great shape although the first .25 mile (going north to the very end from the parking area at the end of Blackjack Crossing) is overgrown and a bit muddy. The first .25 mile stretch going south is the same, but then the surface is very good with crushed rock. There are muddy spots as you pass through the deep cut areas, but other wise, excellent. We walked but mountain bikes would fare very well. Road bikes NOT recommended.
Couple of week ago I took the Winnipesaukee River Trail from my house in Northfield to Franklin and while biking route 3 I came across the Northern Rail Trail going southbound to Concord, then biked back. It was a nice 40 mile bike ride round trip. Next year I would like to bike northbound from the Winnipesaukee River Trail to the North Rail Trail northbound to West Lebanon NH. My only concern is where to connect onto this trail so I am not back tracking too far. I have driven route 11 beside the trail to find the best access to get on after getting off the Winnipesaukee River Trail. Any suggestions or best route would be great. Love both trails and plan to bike them more next season.
Went from the southern end of the trail on the MA border to Troy. The trail seems to be in better shape than some of the other reviewers experienced. There are some roots, loose gravel, rocks, but nothing that any decent mountain bike can't handle. I wouldn't take a hybrid on this trail and forget about a street bike. The view of Monadnock from the Rockwood Pond was stunning and like a postcard with the changing color of the leaves. As far as finding the trail head, that one is easy. Set your GPS to McCallister Road, Fitzwilliam and you can't miss it. You can see the gate and a sign that directs you to the start of the trail. I will continue on the trail from Troy and write a second review.
TrailLink is a free service provided by Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (a non-profit) and we need your support!
Map Search
