New Backcountry Ski Glades Slated for SoVT

Southern Vermont may be getting some new mountain biking, skiing and hiking trails in the coming years. Earlier this fall, the town of Dover purchased a 50-acre property off of Route 100, with the intention of linking the paved Valley Trail with the Crosstown Trails by the Mount Snow Golf Club. The Dover Recreational Trails Committee will oversee planning and development of new routes for hiking, Nordic and backcountry skiing and biking in an area between the defunct Haystack Mountain and Mount Snow resort. Development could start as early as spring 2020.

If all goes as planned, snowshoers and cross-country skiers will have access to a temporary loop trail, plus two small backcountry touring areas for skiers and snowboarders this winter. The project will be spearheaded by the new Southern Vermont Trails Association, which became a chapter of the Catamount Trail Association in June, and, as of press time, was seeking to become a chapter of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association. Final trail plans are still subject to approval by the United States Forest
Service.