Ride like royalty in the NEK
Many say the trails rule in Burke
Photo Courtesy of VMBA
3 Riding Days
2 Trail Networks
Riding-Focused
All Skill Levels
Mountain bikers of all skills and abilities can find magic in the woods in and around Burke.
Following a long history of logging and dairy farming, the last decade has brought a boom of development for mountain biking in the region, with large trail networks and a mountain bike park quickly making it one of the state’s most popular riding destinations.
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The Wildflower Inn is an outdoor recreation resort located in the heart of Kingdom Trails. On-site resources provide all the gear and intel you need for your stay, and the mountain biking begins right on the hotel’s property. With pet-friendly rooms available, you can even bring your pup.
The Burke Mountain Hotel & Conference Center is located at the base of the Burke Mountain Bike Park and features 116 suites and an outdoor pool.
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Cafe Lotti serves coffee, pastries, sandwiches, and soups from a converted nineteenth century church.
The Hub welcomes riders from the top of Darling Hill with a variety of well-deserved libations, including beer, wine, cider, and—for those needing a boost—coffee.
Mike’s Tiki Bar is a welcoming outdoor gathering place, perfect for kicking back and enjoying a cold one as the clouds go by.
The Northeast Kingdom Country Store has everything you’d expect from such a place—groceries, gifts, sandwiches, wine, and beer—plus delicious pizza.
Auntie Dee Dees is a go-to for artisan pastries, naturally leavened breads, sandwiches and more.
Trattoria Sorellina is an upscale Italian restaurant in the heart of East Burke.
Tomassoni’s Bistro serves pizza, pasta, salads, desserts, and more in a homey dining room.
Clementines Creamery serves delicious hard ice cream from a quaint building with a view of the Passumpsic River.
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Village Sport Shop is conveniently located on the campus of the Wildflower Inn and rents a variety of bikes that are well-suited to the surrounding trails.
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You can save a lot of money by joining VMBA for your trip! Everyone one is welcome. Individual memberships are $60, with discounts available for families and those under 25. Your benefits can be used immediately from the VMBA App!
Join VMBA today for immediate access to these member benefits through our App.
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Becoming a VMBA member supports mountain biking and trails throughout Vermont, as well as our local chapters.
Local VMBA Chapters:
Additional conditions may apply for any of the above offers. Please refer to the VMBA App for details.
DAY BY DAY ITINERARY
Bike parking is the name of the game at Kingdom Trails (Courtesy Wildflower Inn)
ARRIVAL DAY:
Enter the Kingdom
Pull off Darling Hill Road and into the complex of red and white buildings that is the Wildflower Inn. Located in the heart of Kingdom Trails, the Wildflower Inn will be your hub for a weekend of trail riding and rural relaxation. If you need to rent a bike, wander next door to Village Sport Shop to get set up, then pedal out of the meadow and into the woods to start getting acquainted with the terrain. For dinner, keep it simple and enjoy a meal at The Wildflower Restaurant and Pub.
VIDEO: An example of intermediate riding at Kingdom Trails (YouTube: LFP)
DAY ONE - MORNING:
Check-in at MTB HQ and hit the trails
Roll out of bed and onto your bike. Pedal downhill a little over two miles to the tiny hamlet of East Burke, population 1,700. Access to the riding here requires a trail pass, so if you didn’t buy one the day before, stop by the Kingdom Trails Welcome Center to purchase one and get some route recommendations specific to your group. Grab breakfast and coffee at Cafe Lotti, where you’ll likely see other bikers enjoying the sunny outdoor seating. When it’s time to ride, the East Burke Intermediate Loop is a great introduction to the area.
Coffee or beer? The Hub’s trailside service window serves both. (Courtesy photo)
DAY ONE - AFTERNOON:
Sip a mid-ride espresso
Return to East Burke and stop into the Northeast Kingdom Country Store. Admire the beautifully restored historic building and browse the local gifts while your sandwich is being made. When it’s time to saddle up again, head back up Darling Hill Road toward the Wildflower Inn. On the way, hit the West Darling Hill Loop, an 8.6 mile, mostly intermediate loop containing the highlights of this zone.
If you need a boost, stop mid-ride at The Hub for an optimally-placed espresso and snack.
Tiki Bar or Tiki Barn? It’s both (Courtesy Photo)
DAY ONE - EVENING:
Apres the Tiki way
Clean up at the Wildflower and then make your way back to East Burke to enjoy dinner and some après at Mike’s Tiki Bar. A hive of activity, you’ll be amongst your people - mountain bikers of all stripes gravitate to Mike’s. Share trail stories and a local brew, then order up a wood-fired pizza or a stacked plate of nachos.
“Kingdom Trails is one of the other places besides Blueberry Lake that has true beginner terrain. This is a great place to explore no matter your skill level. Anyone from a first-timer to an advanced rider can have fun.”
VIDEO: East Haven flow (YouTube Skills with Phil)
DAY TWO - OPTION 1:
Ride East Haven Trails
If you have a rack and a desire to drive, pack your day’s sustenance and motor seven miles to East Haven. Find a spot in the community building parking lot and unload your bikes. From here, Moose Haven makes for a great intermediate loop. Alternatively, East Haven 2 Laps offers a longer outing and allows you to hit both Black Bear and Stormin Norman for some amazing downhill flow. There’s no food or water out here, so make sure you’ve properly provisioned for your day.
VIDEO: A tour of Kingdom Trails (YouTube Singletrack a 2)
DAY TWO - OPTION 2:
Take a big tour with bailout options
If you don’t want to drive, consider riding the Epic, an advanced cross country route that traverses nineteen miles and climbs about 2,000 vertical feet. Epic features all of KT’s best technical trails and make for a big day, but its lollipop shape means that you can stop in town for water and food or bail early if you’re feeling tired.
Tomassoni’s outdoor bar service, aka “The Sloshie Shed” (Courtesy Photo)
DAY TWO - EVENING:
Tiki take two, or a sloshie?
After a big day of riding, it can be hard to resist returning to share your stories with other riders at Mike’s Tiki Bar. (To be sure, nobody will judge you if you go back, but you may get a high-five.)
Or, sit down to some flame-kissed pizza at Tomassoni’s Bistro, which has indoor seating and the outdoor “sloshie shed” featuring cool-downs and cold taps. If you feel called to reward your daily efforts with something more upscale, try Trattoria Sorellina for some tasty Italian food.
“East Haven is more machine built and faaaaast. If you love berms, this is the place for you.”
VIDEO: Rooty, rocky, steep and unbelievably fun. (YouTube Dusty Trails MTB)
DAY THREE - MORNING:
Pocket an artisinal pastry and point it
After a few days of pedaling, it's time to get a gravity assist. Head to Burke Mountain, stopping at Auntie Dee Dees for breakfast and a coffee. Pocket an artisanal pastry for a mid-morning snack, then continue on to Burke Mountain Bike Park for the day’s riding. The Burke Mountain Bike Park has both cross-country and downhill trails. While the former can be approachable for riders of most ability levels, the latter can challenge even the best. Pre-ride everything, and be careful about your speed: many features on the mountain require a bit of finesse to get right.
You can almost imagine the glacier that scoured the landscape (Courtesy Photo)
DAY THREE - AFTERNOON:
Take a gander at Willoughby Gap
At the base of the hill, brake (and break) for lunch at The View Pub, which serves elevated bar food from the second story of the Burke Mountain Hotel. As you eat, admire the strange geologic formation that is the Willoughby Gap, which looks like a bite taken out of a ridge of trees. On the left is Mount Pisgah and on right, Mount Hor; in between is a space likely eroded by an ancient valley ice lobe long melted away - where the water of Lake Willoughby still remains. Get out for a few more laps, then hit up Clementines Creamery for a hand-scooped ice cream cone on your way out of town.
ROUTES & RIDE TIPS
“The Burke Bike Park is serious business, with a trail that was re-built a few years ago by a pro rider for the EWS. The jump trails are not what I'd refer to as "gimme" jumps, you have to know at what speed to hit them and you can't trust trail speed here. Pre-riding and inspecting everything is a must. J-Bar and DH are REAL.”
Kingdom Trails
Kingdom Trails
The Kingdom Trails are a special place to ride: most of the trails here—and there are 126 miles of them—are on private property that more than 100 landowners make available through the 501(c)3 non-profit Kingdom Trail Association (KTA). Pedal with gratitude as you enjoy endless opportunities for riders of all skill levels.
Burke Mountain Bike Park
Burke Mountain Bike Park
Burke Mountain Bike Park Website
Burke Mountain Resort VMBA Partner
Burke Mountain Bike Park is a great compliment to the Kingdom Trails. Riding the Sherburne Express High Speed Quad and shuttling the Burke Toll Road allow mountain bikers to lap a variety of dowhill terrain, while cross country trails near the bottom can sate any rider’s thirst for pedaling.