Destination Guide
Cycling in Vermont
Cycling in Vermont: covered bridge lanes, Green Mountain gap climbs, and the finest autumn foliage roads in North America.
Last updated: 12 March 2026
- Terrain
- Road, Climbing, Gravel, Touring
- Difficulty
- Easy — Challenging
- Road Quality
- Mixed
- Cycling Culture
- Strong
- Pro Team Presence
- Vermont is home to the Green Mountain Stage Race, an annual UCI-level amateur and professional event that has featured top domestic and international teams including Rally Cycling and EF Education-EasyPost development squads. The Vermont Overland gravel event — a 120km route through the state's most remote farm and forest roads — has become one of the most respected gravel races on the American calendar, drawing the same field depth as Belgian classics. Trek and Cannondale have both shot product campaigns on Vermont's covered bridge roads and Gap climbs. The state's cycling tourism infrastructure is among the most developed in New England.
- Traffic
- Very Low
Best Time to Cycle in Vermont
Vermont offers a concentrated but exceptional cycling season from late May through October. Summer (June-August) delivers warm, generally settled weather at 22-28°C, long days, and roads in their best condition after spring maintenance. Mud season — the notorious Vermont spring thaw from late March through early May — renders dirt and gravel roads genuinely impassable as the frost leaves the ground; paved roads are manageable but often covered in sand and debris. June opens the full season as roads dry and the Green Mountain gaps become rideable. September and the first half of October represent the peak for serious cyclists: the foliage season transforms the Gap roads and valley lanes into something close to the most beautiful cycling scenery in the United States. The colour peak typically falls between October 1-20 depending on the year and altitude — the higher Gap climbs colour first. After mid-October, weather becomes unreliable; first snowfall on the mountain summits can arrive in late October, and November closes the high gap roads. The Vermont climate is genuinely cold in winter (regularly -15°C in January) and cycling ceases entirely for most riders from November through late April.
Temperature: -18°C (winter) to 30°C (summer)
Best Cycling Climbs in Vermont
App Gap (Appalachian Gap, VT-17)
6.4km · 445m · 7% · CAT2
The most feared climb in Vermont cycling and the defining challenge of the Green Mountain range. App Gap rises from Irasville (Waitsfield) at 265m to the summit at 710m over just 6.4km — a brevity that disguises its true severity. The gradient averages 7% across the full ascent but this number is rendered misleading by the upper section: the final 2km above the Lincoln Gap Road junction average over 12%, with ramps of 16-18% that have ended many riders' attempts at a clean ascent. The surface is good tarmac throughout and the road is heavily used by local club riders as a benchmark test. This is the climb that features in the Green Mountain Stage Race's summit finish — the section from the bottom to the top, when contested at race pace, is one of the most anaerobic 20-30 minute efforts on the American amateur circuit. In foliage season, the maple and birch forest on both sides of the road turns from green to violent red and orange, making this the most photographed climb in New England.
Lincoln Gap
3.2km · 390m · 12.2% · CAT1
By average gradient, Lincoln Gap is the steepest paved road climb in New England and one of the steepest in the eastern United States. The eastern approach from Lincoln climbs 390m over just 3.2km at an average of 12.2%, with a maximum ramp of 22% at the final switchback below the summit at 713m. There is nothing comparable to this gradient in the eastern states outside of a handful of steep urban walls — this is genuinely Alpine gradient territory on a narrow Vermont forest road. The first kilometre is a deceptive warm-up at 6-7%, then the road turns the corner and becomes a sustained wall. The road is narrow enough that oncoming vehicles require one party to pull over; in foliage season, leaf litter on the road surface creates dangerous conditions that have resulted in numerous crashes on the descent. The Lincoln Gap Road is closed to vehicles each November and reopens in late May — it is never treated or ploughed in winter.
Mount Ascutney
5.6km · 490m · 8.8% · CAT2
A standalone monadnock peak in southeastern Vermont, Mount Ascutney's summit road is one of the cleanest climbing challenges in New England — a 5.6km assault with 490m of elevation gain at a sustained 8.8% average. The climb begins from the lower State Park entrance and follows the Summit Road through hardwood forest on a surface that is well-maintained by Vermont state standards. The gradient is consistent from the gate, with the steepest ramps (12-15%) concentrated in the middle third where the road cuts through exposed granite bedrock. The summit at 975m provides sweeping views across the Connecticut River Valley into New Hampshire on clear days. Ascutney was a ski resort until 2010; the former lift infrastructure at the summit gives the climb an unusual abandoned-mountain atmosphere that sets it apart from the Gap climbs. The road sees minimal vehicle traffic and is used extensively by the Ascutney Basin cycling community.
Middlebury Gap (VT-125)
8.1km · 445m · 5.5% · CAT2
The most manageable of Vermont's major gaps and the ideal introduction to Green Mountain climbing for riders visiting from sea level or less mountainous regions. The eastern approach from Middlebury climbs through the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail area on consistent 5-6% gradients — a mature hardwood forest that encloses the road completely and creates the tunnel-of-trees effect that defines Vermont cycling. The gradient peaks at 11% in two distinct sections near the summit (462m) before easing on the final approach. The Robert Frost connection is genuine — the poet lived in the Ripton area just below the summit and his work is displayed at a roadside interpretive trail at km 6. The western descent to Hancock is excellent: open, smooth, and long. Middlebury Gap is a regular feature of the Green Mountain Stage Race route and a standard training climb for Middlebury College cycling team riders.
Smugglers Notch (VT-108)
4.8km · 370m · 7.7% · CAT2
The most dramatic cycling ascent in northern Vermont and one of the most scenically unusual climbs in the eastern United States. The Smugglers Notch road through Mount Mansfield State Forest is a geological anomaly: a glacial notch (U-shaped valley carved by ice) with sheer 300m cliff walls rising on both sides of a road so narrow it is closed to RVs and buses. The climb from Stowe is 4.8km at a 7.7% average, but the final kilometre through the notch itself is extraordinarily steep — ramps of 16-19% on a road that barely admits two cars side by side, with enormous boulders that have fallen from the cliff walls and been simply incorporated into the road verge over centuries. The atmosphere in the notch is genuinely oppressive: no sunlight reaches the road floor from late morning as the cliffs block the angle of the sun. The summit at 586m opens to a dramatic view south across the Lamoille Valley and the ski resort infrastructure of Smugglers Notch Resort. This road is closed from November through mid-May due to snow accumulation in the notch.
Insider Tips
- The Vermont Overland gravel event in late September is the standard by which American gravel events are judged — 120km through backcountry farm roads, covered bridge crossings, and Class 4 roads (legally public but entirely unpaved). Registration opens in January and the event sells out within days. The course is publicly available as a GPX file for year-round riding.
- Covered bridges are functional cycling infrastructure in Vermont — over 100 remain in active use across the state. The Waitsfield covered bridge on Bridge Street (a single-lane wooden structure over the Mad River) is the most photographed cycling photo location in New England. Cross it at the start of every ride from Waitsfield purely for the ritual of it.
- The Mad River Valley (Waitsfield and Warren) is the definitive Vermont cycling base. Within 15km of the village green you have access to App Gap, Lincoln Gap, the Granville Gulf, and dozens of quiet valley lanes. The Valley is small enough to explore completely in a 5-day trip and culinarily self-sufficient: American Flatbread Waitsfield and Peasant for dinner, Mad River Barn for breakfast.
- Foliage timing is critical and highly variable by year and altitude. The standard forecast sources (Foliage Network, Vermont Foliage Report) are updated weekly from mid-September. The Gap climbs typically colour 7-10 days before the valley floor. Plan to be in Vermont in the first two weeks of October and accept that the exact peak is uncontrollable — even a 'late' foliage year delivers spectacular colour.
- Vermont's Class 4 roads — legally public dirt roads maintained to minimal standard — are a revelation for gravel cyclists. They appear on Vermont Agency of Transportation maps as dashed lines and connect towns through terrain that sees perhaps one vehicle per hour. The Green Mountain Club maintains a directory of Class 4 roads suitable for bicycle transit; download it before arriving.
How to Get to Vermont for Cycling
Nearest Airports
Burlington International Airport(BTV)
Transfer: 30-90 minutes depending on destination
Vermont's primary commercial airport, serving daily American Airlines flights from Philadelphia and New York JFK, Delta from New York LaGuardia and Atlanta, and United from Washington Dulles and Newark. Burlington is the ideal gateway for northern and central Vermont cycling (Smugglers Notch, App Gap, Middlebury Gap). The drive to Waitsfield (Mad River Valley, central Vermont) is 60 minutes; Stowe is 35 minutes. Car hire available at the terminal. Bike bags accepted with advance notice on all carriers — confirm oversized fees at booking.
Manchester-Boston Regional Airport(MHT)
Transfer: 2h to central Vermont
New Hampshire airport 120 miles south of Burlington with Southwest, American, and United service from multiple US hubs. A useful alternative when Burlington flights are restricted or expensive. The drive north on I-89 into Vermont delivers excellent value — passing through Montpelier and White River Junction before reaching the Mad River Valley. A logical starting point for itineraries combining Vermont with New Hampshire's White Mountains cycling.
Boston Logan International Airport(BOS)
Transfer: 3h to central Vermont
The primary international gateway for New England, with extensive long-haul connectivity including multiple direct transatlantic routes. The 3-hour drive north to the Mad River Valley on I-89 via Montpelier is straightforward. Logan is the right choice for international visitors and those combining Vermont with Boston. The Amtrak Vermonter train service connects New York Penn Station to Brattleboro and White River Junction with bike carriage available — a car-free option for riders staying in southeastern Vermont.
Getting around: Car Recommended — A car is strongly recommended for accessing Vermont's cycling range efficiently. The state is compact enough that most of the signature climbs — App Gap, Lincoln Gap, Smugglers Notch, Middlebury Gap, Ascutney — can be driven to from a central base (Waitsfield or Stowe) within 30-75 minutes. The Gap roads themselves are ridden from the valley floor — no car-to-summit shuttling required. Vermont's rural road network is so quiet that many riders choose a central accommodation base and ride exclusively on-road between venues, which is genuinely viable on a week-long trip given the scale of the state.