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Crown Jewel - Kingdom Trails in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont

By Jeff Dickinson
Free Press Staff Writer

I had this dream the other day.

I was on my mountain bike riding with friends on some really sweet single track -- rolling, hard-packed trails carefully and lovingly cut through some of the prettiest forest nature had to offer. Every few miles was an intersection carefully marked with trail signs, each offering up another new adventure and many more miles of fun.

Every one of my senses was in overdrive as I pedaled through thick layers of ferns and evergreens, up over rolling hills with spectaular views of the countryside, down tight, winding, white-knuckled descents and past structures used by both modern maple producers and what must have been some of Vermont's first settlers.

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I knew it must have been a dream because the mud on my bike was prexisting and the sun was shining brightly. To top it off, one of the trails dumped us out behind a house where a woman on a lawn tractor was grooming her yard. She saw us, smiled and waved. I said, She smiled and waved when she saw us bike through her yard!

Unbelievable, but this was no dream. It's not fantasy, it's not far away and it has a name ... The Kingdom Trails.

Mountain biking has become a way of life for many people in East Burke, a small town in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom that has not only accepted the sport, but embraced it.

In many communities across the country, mountain biking is being shunned as a destructive and invasive sport, and land on which to ride legally is becoming scarce. Trails are illegally cut on private or government-owned land, or trails designed for other recreational activities such as snowmobiling and hiking are being poached by mountain bikers, giving them and their sport a bad reputation. Private landowners are reluctant to give access to mountain biking for a variety of reasons, including fear of destruction to the land and loss of privacy.

This is not the case in East Burke, where there are currently more than 50 private landowners who have granted access to their land for use by mountain bikers and the Kingdom Trails network.

The Kingdom Trails Association, a nonprofit organization, was formed 10 years ago when mountain biking's popularity was growing rapidly. Doug Kitchel, a former owner of Burke Mountain Ski Area, approached John Worth, co-owner of East Burke Sports, for help with his vision of creating a recreational community. Specifically, Kitchel wanted to start by asking for access to existing trails on private property for use by mountain bikers. By knocking on people's doors and talking to them face to face, he did just that.

"In the beginning, it was tough," Worth said. "People were very reluctant because there was no model."

Ten years later, the level of persuasion needed to get landowners permission has changed drastically.

"People are approaching us about putting trails on their land," said Tim Tierney, the association's new executive director.

Kingdom Trails boasts more than 100 miles of trails conceived, built and mapped under Worth's direction, the association's trail manager, with the help of thousands of volunteer hours -- more than 4,000 this year alone. The community's involvement in the project was obvious as we pedaled our way through more than 20 miles of the network recently, darting in and out of the woods into fields and meadows and on cross-country ski trails, through backyard lawn-mowing excursions, across driveways and right down the aisle that would be walked by a wedding party later that day.

Riding the trails with Worth is like taking a tour of Disney World with Walt by your side. He was very excited to show us some of the new trails that had been completed within the previous few weeks. We began by whooping and swooping our way through some of the networks older trails, and I couldn't help but notice how well-maintained they are. No big ruts or erosion, no unexpected obstacles and, most surprisingly for the soggy summer we've endured, almost no mud. Going up or coming down, everything was rideable, but more important, it was fun to ride.

This is no accident. Worth designs and builds these trails to be easily ridden and maintenance free. He begins by walking a section of woods where he wants to build a trail when there are no leaves on the trees so he can better incorporate into the natural contours and elements of the land. The would-be trail is flagged and later is cleared with the help of volunteers from the community and organizations such as the Vermont Leadership Corps.

Typically, there are about three to five miles of trails added to the system each year. Some if these are reroutes. If a section of a trail begins to have problems like poor drainage or too many trees falling onto it, that section will be rerouted through a better location.

The success of Kingdom Trails has seeped into much of the community. During the association's annual meeting, Tierney commented people are beginning to buy houses and land in the area simply because the trails are there. He has taken several calls from real-estate brokers with questions about the area. Local inns and bed-and-breakfasts have designed vacation packages that include trail access. Burke Mountain Camp Ground's revenue rose more than 55 percent over last year due to a mew marketing plan that includes the Kingdom Trails.

This is Tierney's first year as the association's executive director, but he has a long history with outdoor-recreation organizations, beginning with the Randolph Mountain Club and the Green Mountain Club and most recently as trails director for the Adirondack Mountain Club. None of those experiences included such an overwhelmingly positive attitude and common purpose.

"I've never had a job, except for when I was a bartender, where people were always so glad to see me," he said.

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Along with hiring Tierney, the Kingdom Trails have had several substantial changes and growth spurts this year:

-- Annual membership increased by 65 percent to 1,430 members, and more than 3,400 day-users had been counted as of Sept. 5;

-- Every landowner was given a free membership;

-- An information center, office and second parking lot were built;

-- Three new miles of single track were opened;

-- A trail-patrol program was started to greet and inform trail users out on the trail;

-- The finishing touches are being put on the network's fourth trail map for next season.

Members and day users are being drawn to Kingdom Trails from across the United States and the world from the media attention the trails recently have enjoyed. Some folks from Venezuela came to ride this summer because they had seen an article in National Geographic Adventure Magazine.

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From Vermont Life and Vermont Magazine to Mountain Bike Magazine and Men's Journal, the Kingdom Trails are receiving piles of press. The reviews have been glowing. The Boston Globe and The New York Times both had features on Kingdom Trails this summer. Dirt Rag Magazine proclaimed East Burke "home to the best mountain biking in the United States," snubbing such Meccas as Moab, Utah, Crested Butte, Colo., and Marin County, Calif.

I have to agree. I have not ridden a lot of places out West, but of all the places I have ridden, I have never been somewhere where such a positive and excited community of biking exists like it does in East Burke. If ever a wildly successful mountain-biking experience could be created and achieved that encompasses such a wide range of groups and individuals, this is it. It has never been easier for both the seasoned mountain biker and the eager rookie to pick up a map, dip into the woods and have an equally adventurous day.

So here's to you, Kingdom Trails, for setting a positive example to the rest of the world that we really can all get along ... on our bikes.

Why not head up to the Kingdom Trails and stay with us at The Avalon?

We have it all here at The Avalon Inn and Spa - whether you are looking for a day of fun on the Kingdom Trails - a trail system that offers over 100 miles of single track, double track, and lots of wicked black diamond trails or a group outing, and training session of easy to moderate trails.

What are you waiting for? Book now and stay with us for your next Biking Club event. We love mountain biking and we love to entertain big groups.

We are a Vermont Bed and Breakfast located in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom and minutes away from the Kingdom Trails.