Mountain Biking Near Lake Champagne Campground
- 3 hours ago
- 6 min read
Lake Champagne sits at the center of one of Vermont's fastest-growing mountain biking regions. The Ridgeline Outdoor Collective — a local chapter of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association — maintains trail networks in Randolph, Braintree, and Rochester, with singletrack starting minutes from the campground. Add in Millstone Hill's granite quarry trails in Barre, the flow networks in Pittsfield, and the Woodstock-area trails built by WAMBA, and you've got trail options for every level and style within 45 minutes of your site.
All drive times measured from Lake Champagne Resort, 53 Lake Champagne Drive, Randolph, VT 05060.
Trail info verified February 2026 — always check conditions before riding, especially during mud season (typically mid-March through late May).
Right Here: Randolph Area (Under 10 Minutes)
Randolph Trail Network
10 minutes | Start at The Gear House, 16 Pleasant St, Randolph
About 20 miles of singletrack through Randolph and Braintree on a mix of public and private land, maintained by the Ridgeline Outdoor Collective. The network ranges from beginner-friendly loops to technical advanced lines. Key trails include Sap Boiler (beginner-intermediate stacked loop), Old Gent's (intermediate-advanced with a summit vista on Sugar Knob), Apple Core, River Run, and Reservoir Loop.
New in 2025: The Fern-o Loop, a machine-groomed beginner trail in Sayward Forest funded by grants from the Lamson Howell Foundation and the Vermont Mountain Bike Association.
Ridgeline runs a group ride series from early June through mid-October — a good way to get to know the trails with people who ride them regularly. The annual Slab City Trail Challenge (held in August) links up the full network in a ~20-mile fundraiser ride.
Start at The Gear House for maps, current trail conditions, and rentals.
Good for: All levels. Families and beginners (Fern-o Loop, Back 40). Experienced riders (Old Gent's, technical climbs).
The Back 40
Under 5 minutes | Vermont Technical College, Furnace Rd, Randolph Center
A 2-mile machine-built flow loop through rolling forest at Vermont Technical College — the closest trails to the campground, just down the road on Furnace Road. Blue-rated (intermediate) with scenic viewpoints, banked turns, and tight switchbacks. Access via Langevin House off Furnace Road. Part of the broader Randolph Trail Network but distinct in character — it's the closest thing to a flow park in the area. Groomed for fat biking in winter when conditions allow.
Good for: Intermediate riders, beginners ready to step up from gravel. The easiest ride to get to from the campground.
Braintree (10–20 Minutes)
Braintree Mountain Forest
15 minutes | Braintree
Backcountry-style riding through Green Mountain terrain, also maintained by Ridgeline Outdoor Collective. More remote and rugged than the Randolph or Rochester networks. Check with The Gear House for current trail conditions and access before heading out.
Good for: Experienced riders looking for a wilder, more remote feel.
Rochester & Beyond (30–45 Minutes)
Rochester Valley Trails — "Kingdom of Flow"
32 minutes | Multiple parking: Green Mountain Bikes (105 N Main St), USFS Ranger Station, Park & Ride on RT 100
Nearly 20 miles of trails that combine classic hand-cut "RAWchester" singletrack — Atlas, Link, Earls, Spreader — with newer machine-built flow trails. The mix has earned Rochester the nickname "Kingdom of Flow," a nod to Kingdom Trails in the Northeast Kingdom.
The trails access multiple views of the narrow Route 100 valley through U.S. Forest Service and private land. Loop trails Sap Boiler and Old Gents above the USFS Ranger Station connect via Creamery Run to Boulder Dash on the west side of the White River, linking back to the village center. The network is part of the Velomont Trail corridor, an ongoing effort to connect mountain bike networks from Massachusetts to Canada.
Managed by the Ridgeline Outdoor Collective in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service. Park at Green Mountain Bikes for rentals and trail info.
Good for: Intermediate to advanced riders. All-day riding with variety. Riders who want both hand-built and machine-built trails.
20–45 Minutes
Millstone Hill — Millstone Trails
29 minutes | Barre Town Forest: 44 Brook St, Websterville or 31 Barclay Quarry Rd, Graniteville
30 miles of trails on 1,500 acres of historic granite quarry land in Barre, maintained by the Millstone Trails Association (VMBA chapter). The network is divided into three areas: Barre Town Forest (400 acres, beginner-friendly), Gnome Man's Land (advanced terrain), and Canyonlands. Trails weave past old quarries, granite grout piles, and scenic vistas — the terrain has a character unlike anything else in Vermont.
Some expert trails here are among the most challenging in the state, with large cliffs and steep drop-offs near the quarries. But there's plenty of green and blue trail in the Barre Town Forest and Canyonlands for less experienced riders. Class 1 pedal-assist e-bikes are allowed.
Day pass required for mountain biking: $10 (purchase online at millstonetrails.org or at local retailers including Lawson's Store in Websterville and Graniteville General Store). Hiking and walking are always free.
Good for: All levels. Riders who want unique quarry terrain. A full day of exploring.
Pittsfield / Green Mountain Trails
31 minutes | Pittsfield, VT (trailheads at Riverside Farm, Tweed Cabin, Amee Farm)
25 miles of singletrack across 41 trails with 1,000 feet of vertical, located 8 miles north of Killington. The terrain is equally divided among novice, intermediate, and advanced, with over 100 bermed switchbacks and descents as long as 6 miles. Self-supported shuttle runs are possible by parking vehicles at Tweed Cabin and Amee Farm trailheads.
Important: Trails have been closed October through January in recent years for logging operations. Check the Green Mountain Trails website or VMBA trail conditions page before visiting in fall or early winter. The most popular riding month per Trailforks data is September.
Good for: All levels. Flow-seekers, long descent lovers, shuttle-able laps.
WAMBA Trails — Woodstock Area
45 minutes | Three networks: Mt. Peg (12 Golf Ave, Woodstock), Aqueduct (23111 Cox District Rd, Woodstock), Saskadena Six (247 Stage Rd, South Pomfret)
Over 30 miles of purpose-built singletrack maintained by the Woodstock Area Mountain Bike Association (WAMBA), a VMBA chapter founded in 2016. The trails are spread across three networks, each with its own character:
Mt. Peg — Over 16 miles of trails on the outskirts of Woodstock village, mixing machine-built flow trails with hand-built technical singletrack. The southern section features trails like Sir Bermsalot (sculpted berms, doubles, and optional jumps — one of the flowiest combos in Vermont) and Cloud Drop (hand-built berms and roller coasters). The north end was recently reworked with a mini excavator into smoother, modern trail. Technical options like Schist Creek offer rock rolls and classic New England singletrack. The adaptive-accessible Village Trail climbs one mile to the summit with 363 feet of vertical. Multiple access points including Golf Avenue and Lincoln Street.
Aqueduct Trails — 13 miles of flowing, modern trail design in West Woodstock with 600+ feet of elevation gain. Includes a pump track for beginners plus advanced features. Trailhead parking at Cox District Road.
Saskadena Six — Green and blue trails at the ski area formerly known as Suicide Six (renamed in 2022 with an Abenaki word meaning "standing mountain"). Beginner and intermediate terrain with adaptive-accessible trails built in partnership with Vermont Adaptive. Bike rentals available at the Activity Center. Open June through October.
All WAMBA trails are free — no day pass required. WAMBA hosts weekly Thursday night group rides at Mt. Peg and Aqueduct, and the annual Triple Crown Throwdown links all three networks in a 38-mile race.
Good for: All levels. Riders who want variety across three distinct networks. Families and adaptive riders (Village Trail, Saskadena Six). A full day trip from the campground.
Bike Shops & Rentals
The Gear House — Randolph
10 minutes | 16 Pleasant St, Randolph | gearhousevt.com | (802) 565-8139
Tue–Fri 11am–6pm, Sat 11am–4pm.
Mountain bike rentals, repairs, maps, trail conditions. The central hub for everything Randolph-area biking. Starting point for the Randolph trails, the Braintree 5 gravel ride, and the Slab City Trail Challenge. If you're riding in the area, stop here first.
Green Mountain Bikes — Rochester
32 minutes | 105 N Main St, Rochester | greenmountainbikes.com | (802) 767-4464
Check website for seasonal hours.
Mountain bike rentals ($50/day, $75 e-bike), repairs, and local trail knowledge. In business for 39 years. Parking available for Rochester Valley Trails access.
The Big Picture: The Velomont Trail
The trail networks around Randolph, Rochester, Pittsfield, Woodstock, and beyond are part of the Velomont Trail — an ambitious, ongoing effort to link 12 VMBA chapters and create a continuous mountain bike route from Massachusetts to Canada, with 70% singletrack. Sections are rideable now, and the project is actively building new connectors. For riders who want to explore beyond a single network, the Velomont vision puts Lake Champagne right in the middle of a future long-distance mountain bike corridor.
Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA) — trail conditions, chapter maps, and membership info for all networks listed above.
Last updated: February 2026. Trail conditions change with weather and season — always check before riding, especially during mud season (mid-March through late May) when trails may be closed to prevent damage. VMBA and Trailforks are the best sources for real-time conditions.