Riding High at Vermont's Little River
If you've never biked Little River in Vermont's Waterbury State Park, you're missing out. With 10+ minutes of continuous downhill on amazing machine-built berms and some sick doubles and drops, Little River is on my short list of places to ride in the Northeast. And because every obstacle is marked and usually has a B line, anyone—even Doug—can have a great day on this rider-friendly trail. It's a great place to spread your wings and learn to fly if you so choose.
To access the goods, follow the uphill trail from Little River’s parking lot. The ride to the top is mostly up an old carriage road. While the pedaling can be steep at times, it isn’t a race, so enjoy it, as the park is really cool and the trail has fantastic views. More so, along the way there are many historical signs describing the remnants of the old barns, homesteads, and workshops that once populated this area; they’re great to read about and poke around in if you need a break. But remember, you’re here for biking, not learning, so don’t linger too long!
Once you get to the top of the ascent, it’s easy to spot the marked entrance of the downhill route. Just pedal towards it and start charging. Between the berms and drops, the terrain below is awesome.
One of the things that’s great about it—besides the terrain itself—is that the trail is for downhill traffic only. In other words, there's no need to worry about hikers or other riders going up as you're bombing down. That's especially great for new riders, who really need to focus on their line and not worry about others or the seasoned veteran that is ripping down one of the many gnarly berms.
Another thing that makes Little River so great is the local community. The Vermont Mountain Bike Association has invested a lot of time, energy, and resources into this place and it truly shows. (On that note: please pay the small fee at the gate; don’t be that guy). The locals are also super nice and if you offer them a beer in the lot, they might repay you with some beta on one of the many little step downs and pop-offs you probably missed while hauling down the first time.
If I haven’t convinced you to check out Little River yet, here’s one more reason to visit—the place is always quiet. Indeed, I can ride there with my friends and feel like we owned the place. That alone is a huge win, especially in comparison to the weekend crowds at Kingdom Trails.
One final thing: Little River is close to another very well-known riding spot—Perry Hill—and you should consider combining the two if you have the energy. And once you work up an appetite, it’s not far from Prohibition Pig. For those of you that don't know, that's the best BBQ in VT. Just saying. Maybe one day Tim will treat me!
