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THE GREAT OUTDOORS
AMAZING
TRAIL RUNS
F
all is perhaps the best season for trail running. The air is cool and crisp, the foliage makes regular routes downright gorgeous, and there are plenty of cider donuts for a postrun snack. It’s also a great time to get out and explore other trails around the state. However, with hunting season in full swing, you need to make sure you are picking a safe area. Here are nine of our favorite fall trail runs, from south to north. By Brianna McKinley
1. Bennington: Woodford State Park, Woodford Trail Trail network: 2.7 miles Terrain: Wide hiking trail. What makes it great: A short drive from Bennington, the Woodford trail encircles the Adams Reservoir. It’s an amazing loop for viewing wildlife: Because of the variety in the 398-acre state park’s landscape, you have the potential to come across otter, deer, beaver, black bear, and even moose. In addition, at 2,400 feet, Woodford has the highest elevation of any park in Vermont. What you need to know: Hiking trails are marked with blue blazes and they have a carry-in, carry-out policy. www. vtstateparks.com/htm/woodford.html
2. Brattleboro/Dummerston: Southernmost Segment of the West River Trail Trail network: 18 miles Terrain: Dirt road and light gravel. What makes it great: In 2011, the southernmost section of a railway bed that once linked Brattleboro and Londonderry was completed as a rail trail and covered with a soft dirt surface that’s easy on the knees. As you run along this 5.7mile out-and-back segment, you can see rolling Vermont hills on your right and the West River on your left. As the trail continues, it is possible to see hints of where the trail bed was cut out of the rock for the railroad in 1879, making it one of Vermont’s oldest rail routes. This sheltered area is the perfect alternative to busy Route 30, providing a link between Brattleboro and Dummerston, and it offers great views of the foliage. If
Fall foliage, quiet trails, gorgeous views—just some of the good reasons to get off the roads and run trails now.
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2015
you’re training for a marathon, try the 16-mile northern section through Londonderry, Jamaica and Townshend, too. What you need to know: The West River Trails are free. www.westrivertrail.org
3. Rutland; Pine Hill Park, Carriage Trail and Shimmer Trail Trail network: 16 miles. Terrain: Hardpacked single-track and double-track with lots of rocks, many banked turns, a few berms. What makes it great: Pine Hill was revitalized from a dilapidated alpine ski area into a beautiful 16-mile system of public trails that were designed for mountain biking, but have good options for runners as well. The Carriage Trail is a 10K route that crests at an open meadow with views east to Pico. It’s the site of the October 17 Leaf Chase 10K. Don’t miss Shimmer, a one-mile trail that passes within a stone’s throw of a pond. What you need to know: Pine Hill Park is free for dayuse. Maps and routes at www.pinehillpark.org
4. Middlebury: Trail Around Middlebury/Jackson Trail Trail network: 16 miles. Terrain: Footpath, mostly dirt. What makes it great: If you’re a Vermonter, you know that running alongside cows never gets old. The Jackson Trail is a four-mile segment (out and back) of the 16-mile Trail Around Middlebury (TAM). It starts adjacent to a field usually full of bovine companions and then follows a stream bank with views of a small
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