Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, Vermont

There is a great thing happening in the Lamoille Valley of northern Vermont: the Lamoille Valley Rail trail is taking shape along an abandoned railroad right-of-way. It makes a beautiful family-friendly outing. Currently (2018) the trail is complete from just north of Jeffersonville, Vermont, to just east of Morrisville, Vermont, as well as segments near St Johnsbury and Swanton, Vermont. I will focus on the middle section between Jeffersonville and Morrisville.

The surface of the trail is hardpacked gravel, and is very easy to ride. The trail generally follows the Lamoille River, and winds its way through fields and forests, with several beautiful river crossings. The surrounding hills are forested and help provide a beautiful natural setting for this mini-adventure. The trail is not crowded.

We took our kids (6 and 2) on the trail, and the six-year-old did great (mostly because her friend Finn also came along for the ride). When she got cranky, we stopped at the amazing Lost Nation Brewing restaurant, which is right off the trail. She still talks about the chicken and kombucha we had that day, and mom and dad had beers (I can recommend the lager- it is very well done and not overhopped like so many beers around here).

There are a number of places to park, including right in downtown Jeffersonville. A convenient place is in a parking area just to the east of town, right near the “Welcome to Jeffersonville” sign that you see when you approach from the east. The trail is right there. Another convenient place is a parking area at the first place where route 15 crosses the trail between Jeffersonville and Johnson. But beware with small kids- there are lots of cars and they go fast! A much better place to start with kids is at the Johnson Trailhead, near Old Mill Park. The park has a nice playground for kids, and is more quiet than the other areas. Finally, in Morrisville, a great place to start/end your ride is at Oxbow Park. There is a nice parking area next to the river, and the trail crosses Portland Street, which is an extension of Route 100 in the downtown area.

The section we did (Cambridge/Jeffersonville to Morrisville) is 17.4 miles, and we broke it into two segments. From Johnson, we ran a car shuttle with friends because the kids were not that into an out-and-back.

The Rail Trail is being built, and more sections will be added over the years until it is complete across the state. Go ride it! Highly recommended!