Ride Hut to Hut on The Velomont Trail
The Chittenden Brook Hut in Rochester, VT
Beneath its verdant canopy, Vermont has a long history of hosting state-spanning trails. For nearly a century, the 272 mile Long Trail has ferried hikers across the main ridge of the Green Mountains. In fact, it was the Long Trail that served as inspiration for the Appalachian Trail, which famously stretches 2,000 miles from Springer Mountain, in Georgia, to Mount Katahdin, in Maine.
If the Long Trail is a continuous river running down the state, then Vermont’s mountain bike offerings might be something more like eddies and oxbows. While plentiful, they tend toward disconnection, and often require users to link them via car or road.
The ambitious Velomont Trail is out to change that. Spearheaded by the Velomont Collective, a new VMBA chapter, the Velomont Trail is a visionary project designed to connect Massachusetts to Canada with over 480 miles of (mostly) singletrack trail. The Velomont will build upon existing trail systems to bolster interconnectivity and facilitate movement across public and private lands. More than a recreation project, the Velomont Trail also hopes to conserve 214,000 acres of unprotected land.
Hut to Hut
With so many miles on offer, trailgoers will need a place to stay. The Velomont Trail Collective has partnered with the Vermont Hut Association to position 30-45 backcountry huts and downtown hostels along every 10-15 miles of the trail's length. Not only will these accommodations allow riders to enjoy the trail for days at a time without being overburdened by overnight gear, but they’ll also boost the economies of the communities that host and maintain them. So far, the Vermont Hut Association rents and maintains fifteen huts, with the Chittenden Brook Hut serving as the project’s flagship.
Why the Velomont Trail?
Equitable access to backcountry trails. By increasing the number of trailheads and reducing the barriers to overnight travel through the hut system, the Velmont Trail will welcome users across all ages and ability levels.
Increased connectivity across villages and between trail systems. While most long-distance trail systems favor travel through remote areas, the Velomont Trail will link 36 existing trail systems and connect directly to villages, increasing access for all and attracting much-needed tourist traffic.
To build a climate-resilient recreation economy. Once reliant on visiting skiers, shrinking winters have sent many rural communities in search of a tourism draw that will withstand the effects of climate change. Mountain biking is one of them.
When will it be completed?
It’s hard to put a timeline on a project this large, but luckily users can enjoy the trails and huts that make up the Velomont as they are completed.