Cross Vermont Trail
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
 |
|||
|
|||
The Cross Vermont
Trail, when complete, will span the state from Burlington to Newbury,
crossing through 17 communities and providing direct, on and off-road links
between 10 village centers, 10 state parks and recreation areas, and at least
10 schools. The Trail will utilize old
rail beds, new trails, class 4 roads, and existing roads as necessary. The challenges are in obtaining the
necessary permissions to cross private property, and the construction of new
trail segments where necessary. Of
the 10 towns the 75 mile long trail crosses, Groton with 10 miles has the
longest segment and Groton State Forest is a major highlight of the Trail. The
route through Groton is on the abandoned bed of the Montpelier & Wells
River Railroad. At an average gradient
of less that 2%, the CVT is definitely accessible to people with disabilities. Whereas many long distance trails in the
Eastern US tend to follow mountain ranges, the CVT in general follows rail beds
and provides users with a very different experience than that found on many
trails. To see maps of the
trail, click here. If using bikes, one definitely should u
se
one with off-road tires.
Permitted uses: include hiking, bicycling, horseback riding, Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. Winter users yield to snowmobiles; summer users yield to horseback riders.
The CVT can be easily accessed at many points where there is ample parking. These parking areas include within the State Forest: the snowmobile parking at New Discovery, Kettle Pond, the Nature Center and Ricker's Pond Campground. Just east of Groton, Trail users can park at the Mills Memorial Field in South Ryegate.
Cross Vermont Trail Maps: See Map #3 Groton (Wilson Dr) to Marshfield Village (Rte 2) (12.74 miles) for the trail through Groton State Forest.
Related Links: Cross Vermont Trail Website Buckaroos of 302 Snowmobile Club
Comments/Feedback: to provide comments or feedback on the above information, click here.