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Views of Lake Dunmore are prevalent while riding the 3.5 miles of the Chandler Ridge, with vistas that take in the Adirondacks and Lake Champlain to the West.
Photos by Brian Mohr/Ember Photography

the switchbacks, defining the trail and stuff like that....

It’s still plenty tough.”
On a scale of 10, Lyons and others say, the
difficulty is about a 7, with some sections tougher for
the moderately skilled biker, while other stretches are
a pure joy to ride, like along the ridgeline of Chandler
Ridge. The Oak Ridge Trail will also be moderately

difficult at about the same skill level, says Lyons, noting
that it is pretty much a 7.6-mile uphill climb before
descending down trails that lead into the Moosalamoo
Campground area and onto a system of trails that take
you in a roundabout fashion to the Blueberry Hill Inn

trails and on isolated forest service roads or single-track
back to Silver Lake.
Left: A group of Vermont Youth Conservation Corps trail workers take a break from extensive trail construction done in 2011-
Not all hiking trails within the Moosalamoo are
open to mountain biking (too steep and rocky with 12. The VYCC is a key part of much of the mountain bike trail work being done in the state. Right: The trail passes near the
multiple stream crossings more suitable for hiking), so shore of Silver Lake.
visitors are asked to know the trails before setting out.
Corps; many local volunteers; and the U.S. Forest Service “We need to be much more pro-active with our delegation
Online maps delineate hiking and mountain biking has continued to work hard to upgrade trails and improve in Washington, just to get something stirred up a little
trails throughout the area and can be found at www. mapping and signs.
bit,” he said.
Moosalamoo.org.
The National Recreation Area designation, in In the meantime, four things stand out to make the
HISTORY OF THE NRA particular, for a time helped obtain federal funds to Moosalamoo NRA a mountain biking Mecca for those
The area remains relatively unknown partly because it support those efforts, which have paid off in a significant who want to experience mountain biking in a more
increase in mountain biker visitation after some targeted natural state:
hasn’t been a National Recreation Area (one of only two trail work.
• Its scenery is spectacular and varied;
in Vermont) for that long.
“It’s a recreational jewel that attracts people to • Its point-to-point mountain biking trails are among
Ten years ago the Moosalamoo Association Inc.
was named a finalist for a Conservation International/ the area,” Clark said, adding that while the facilities do the longest, consistent trails in Vermont (and there are
National Geographic Traveler World Legacy Award for attract people to the area, it falls far short of its potential no fees);
its efforts to preserve and promote the Moosalamoo and the area is in danger of not keeping up with trail • Camping and fishing are plentiful within the NRA (as
maintenance and upkeep because of a dearth of funding well as fine dining and lodging at Blueberry Hill Inn and
region. It ranked second out of the top ten for its from the National Forest Service. Since congressional other inns in Ripton, Middlebury and nearby Brandon);
designation, being bested only by the Serengeti earmarks have been cut out of the congressional equation, • Compared to fee-areas or other more popular mountain
wilderness of Tanzania.
Two years later the federal New England funding for remote areas such as this have struggled to biking areas in the state, there are few people on the trails
Wilderness Act designated the Moosalamoo region as a establish a constituency to help fund the necessary work.
outside of the immediate campground areas.
The public expects the federal government to pay That combination makes the Moosalamoo NRA
National Recreation Area, one of only two in Vermont.
the bills, Clark says, but notes the Forest Service is doing an ideal spot for a long-weekend trip (even better to
The effect of those twin recognitions has been all it can with limited funds as well and adds that “you take a couple days midweek) to load up your bikes and
felt since then in the 15,875 acres of Green Mountain
National Forest, mostly in southeastern Addison can’t expect the forest service to finance every need within camping gear, head to Silver Lake campgrounds or the
County, which are bordered to the north by Route 125 its scope — it’s too big and their budgets have been cut as Moosalamoo Campground (accessible by car); and
and the south by Route 73.
well.”
spend three or four days exploring this jewel of an area
At the same time, Clark has not given up hope on for mountain biking.
In that decade a partnership that includes the state and federal government funding. He noted Rep. As Acciavatti says: “You can go out there and
Moosalamoo Association; other nonprofits such as the Peter Welch’s recent visit to Middlebury to support the hike all day long and never see a soul. That’s a great
Middlebury Bike Club, the Catamount Trail Association,
Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) and North Country Trail that goes into the Moosalamoo experience, but we want more people to learn about the
the Vermont Mountain Biking Association; business NRA and hooks up with the Long Trail and eventually area and discover its beauty and attributes. There’s a lot
interests; Camp Keewaydin; the Youth Conservation
the Appalachian Trail.
out there.”

AUGUST 2014
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