Kingdom trails in vermont

[Tuckervill]

I sent an email to them at Burke and they said virtually what you said. I was checking to make sure it was okay with them if I rode alone, and what kind of trails I was looking forward to. I'm gonna have fun no matter what I do, but since I've been riding road mostly, it's going to be hard to take it easy! I'll want to go fast, but speed maims and injures, if I'm not careful!

Karen

[bluebug32]

Up there you can go fairly fast and not worry too much. Everything is very well marked and there are no big surprises in the trails. You'll still get a good workout, as there are some good climbs built in.

Have you booked a room somewhere yet? They seem to fill up fast.

It's a great atmosphere because the whole town is pretty much there to bike or to support bikers. The first time we went, we ended up meeting another couple on the trail and riding with them for a few days.

[Tuckervill]

Do you think I should worry about booking a room in September? I'll probably be camping, anyway.

Karen

[bluebug32]

If you want a room in town, I would definitely book asap especially if it's for a weekend. We like to stay at the Village Inn and generally book a few months in advance. The town has definitely been discovered! I've heard positive things about the camping sites.

[TahoeDirtGirl]

Would this be a good place to bring a very beginner person? I have been thinking of getting my Mr. Marathon on a mtn bike on some tame trails-as I would suspect they probably rent bikes there too? That would be ideal...

[MtnBikerChk]

Would this be a good place to bring a very beginner person? I have been thinking of getting my Mr. Marathon on a mtn bike on some tame trails-as I would suspect they probably rent bikes there too? That would be ideal...

sure! the trails are rated for difficulty!

[SheFly]

Would this be a good place to bring a very beginner person? I have been thinking of getting my Mr. Marathon on a mtn bike on some tame trails-as I would suspect they probably rent bikes there too? That would be ideal...

How beginner is beginner? There are definitely some pretty good climbs in whatever trails you decide to tackle at the Kingdom Trails. While not necessarily uber-technical, there are some tricky parts that you will encounter. That said, I took a beginner with me last year, and she had a great time, riding most of the trails I would normally ride (including the black diamonds). She is in pretty good shape, though.

Oh - and camping at Burke can fill up fast, too. Be sure to check if you are planning a trip in Sept - you could run into leaf-peepers.

SheFly

[han-grrl]

some pics as promised

some muddy bike parts




and me navigator through the trails!

[ikkin]

just got back from a trip to KT. what a cool place. sidewinder trail is ridicuously fun. i don't think you can ride that trail and not be smiling when you're done.

as a whole, i didn't think KT was overly technical, especially compared to the rocky rooty jarring trails we usually ride in southern NH. most was smooth fun swoopy singletrack. and psssst: heaven's bench to ridge etc., etc. is a BEAUTIFUL ride.

stayed at the NICEST CAMPSITE I HAVE EVER BEEN TO. Oregon Brook Road Camping. What a place!

a sampling of pics from our weekend is here:

[TreeSaw]

We just returned from the Kingdom Trails and they were a little slick & muddy from all the rain, but good none-the-less.

[han-grrl]

I just got back from the Kingdom Trails in Vermont. They have had a ton of rain there. The trails on Burke Mountain are closed, and several in the Darling system are closed as well. some of these are not wet, they are SUBMERGED in water.

Check their website
http://www.kingdomtrails.org/index.html

and email to find out the conditions before booking your trip.

The trail managers said they really should close off all the trails, BUT they can't. It seems they are rotating closures, keeping people off certain trails some days (smart) and letting things drain.

many trails are now eroded and rutted.

lets hope for a drier Autumn!

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My favorites:

Mansion view - hard steep climbing with an awesome view at the top, and a fun descent on the way down
Pastore
Pines - Leatherwood - Beat Bog - nice long technical sections
Sidewinder - WEEEEEEEE!
and climbing up WEst branch and doing it again

old webs - reminds me of Albion Hills, nice little loop to play on

Kichel (sp?) - weeeeeeeeee although showing some erosion with the rain

I liked Widowmaker too.

[bluebug32]

According to their website, everything is now closed! Looks like we all chose the right time to go to KT before all the rain.