Mud season has just wrapped up, and local mountain bikers are reflecting on trails we have ridden, trails we wish we had ridden and new places we hope to ride this year. Mud season is the sole time of year during which mountain bikers stay off the trails, in order to protect them.
The good news: There is no need to travel far. The Upper Valley has an embarrassment of riches as far as multi-use trail networks go.
The Landmark tract, known colloquially as the Boston Lot, is the gem of the Upper Valley Mountain Bike Association. It encompasses the huge swath of land bounded by New Hampshire Routes 10 and 120 and Interstate 89, and it contains nearly 50 miles of trails.
Those bikers who have cut their teeth on these trails are delighted to find that riding almost anywhere else is comparatively easy. The Landmark tract had a reputation for getting trail users turned around until major improvements in trail signage and mapping in the last few years.
The Boston Lot is most commonly accessed from the Nature Walk Trailhead on Old Pine Tree Cemetery Road in Lebanon, and it has a port-a-potty and changing enclosure available in warmer months. There are also a few miles of family-friendly trails, clearly mapped at the kiosk.
Across the river, the Hartford Town Forest, also known as Hurricane Town Forest, has some swoopy and delectable riding. The Town Forest Steering Committee is currently assessing the trail system, and a detailed map will be developed once the committee is finished. In the meanwhile, you will have to befriend a Hurricane expert or test your way-finding skills to find Ascutney View and other singletracks.
The trails are most commonly accessed from Reservoir Road in White River Junction, just off of Kings Highway. The trailhead has an information board showing some of the trails.
Norwich has multiple trail networks, and many of them link together. The Norwich Recreation Department has worked hard in the last few years to add a pump track and perimeter trail to Huntley Meadow. Parcel 5 is a hilly area with an approximately 3-mile doubletrack loop, and it provides the type of workout that continues to produce the top-notch endurance athletes Norwich is known for.
The adventurous can link it with adjacent trail networks, like the Gile Mountain, Blue and Pink Ribbon trails or the Brookmead conservation area. Gile Mountain can be ridden one way with a car shuttle or made into a loop with a gravel road climb. Parcel 5 is accessed from Beaver Meadow Road, and the Ribbon trails are most often accessed by starting at the Gile Mountain trailhead on Turnpike Road.
French’s Ledges trails, in Plainfield, are built well enough to disguise the nearly 1,000-foot climb to the top of the ledges. Trails start out wide and well-graded, and they increase in difficulty as you ascend.
Part way to the top is an old ski lodge, and a short side trip can take you to Garfield’s Smokehouse, if the rollicking descent isn’t enough of a treat. Trails are accessed from the far side of Plainfield Elementary School parking lot; a kiosk shows the signed trails.
Barely outside of downtown Hanover, the Oak Hill trails have a dual personality. You can either climb the grassy double-track ski trails or dive into the single tracks that crisscross the hill. There is as much elevation to be had as any sane person could possibly need.
On the east side, riders can connect to the Trescott Water Supply Lands, which the town of Hanover has opened to recreation in the last few years. Watch for significant trail-building here in the next few years. Oak Hill trails can be accessed from the cross country ski parking lot on Oak Hill Drive.
This is just a starter pack of some of the most popular mountain biking trails around the Upper Valley. There are many additional smaller networks, as well as unofficial trails that traverse numerous land-holdings.
The UVMBA works with interested landowners and trail groups to plan, develop and steward smaller networks, including some currently underway in Bradford, Vt. In addition to maintaining and building trails, UVMBA advocates for responsible mountain biking by educating riders and the general public to be respectful stewards of valued recreational resources.
Gretchen Stokes is a member of the UVMBA’s board of direcctors. Visit www.uvmba.org or the group’s Instagram or Facebook pages to learn more.