Vermont Biking
Through Peaceful Southern Countryside in Autumn
Cool mornings, warm colors, rolling hills invite you. Round the corner and you’re high above in the Green Mountains. Around the next, quiet farmlands. Taste the maple. Hear the hum of your wheels on the timber of a covered bridge. Take the afternoon in Woodstock and walk the quaint shops in biking shoes. It’s okay. They’ve heard the "clip-clop" before. Southern Vermont was made for the ride.
- Ride beneath oak canopies, along picturesque rivers and by old red barns in Southern Vermont
- Taste maple syrup, cheese, beer and other local delights
- Gourmet cuisine and sophisticated country inns
- Woodstock, a quintessential New England village
- Rolling routes past grazing cows and quaint towns, mixed with serious ascents and rollicking downhills
The Day-to-Day Itinerary
Day 1 Bike beneath oak canopies, along picturesque rivers and by old red barns in Southern Vermont 
Ready for a pick-me-up? The New England Maple Museum offers some of Vermont’s sweetest products and insight into this centuries-old tradition Spin through a postcard-perfect landscape beneath the Green Mountains.
Day 2 Gourmet Prince & the Pauper cuisine and sophisticated country inns Pedal quiet lanes on an invigorating route highlighted by covered bridges and bright fall colors.
Day 3 Picturesque Woodstock, a quintessential New England village Birch, pine and maple trees flank your path across the Appalachian Trail In the village of Quechee - known for its covered bridge - watch local glass artisans ply their trade at the Simon Pearce factory.
Day 4 Rolling routes with serious ascents and rollicking downhills Follow babbling Knapp Brook to the ski town of Ludlow Need suspenders, a folding fan or a set of Click Clacks? Find these and more at the renowned Vermont Country Store in historic Weston.
Days 5-6 Taste maple syrup, cheese, beer and other local delights Relax at our inn or bike to quaint Grafton, with old stately buildings, art galleries and shops galore Dirt and paved roads lead to century-old Hildene Mansion, a Georgian Revival beauty built by Abraham Lincoln’s son.
- Premiere Inns: These lodgings possess both elegance and authentic regional flair.
- Casual Inns: These lodgings are comfortable and appropriate to the area with such characteristics as authenticity, scenic settings and proximity to our activities.
- Deluxe Family Camping: We set up the tents (and take them down), handle every camp chore and perform culinary magic.
Other Trips You Might Like:
Martha's Vineyard Biking San Juan Islands Biking Maine BikingOther Eastern US Trips
Look at what other guests are saying about this trip!
Backroads provides the total package in every respect but the principal reason our family never considers any other outfit is because of the Backroads leaders. I marvel at your company's ability to have such consistency of superb staff. We started with you in 1998 and have taken now eight trips. Every one was great and every group leader was huge in making the trips memorable.- Anchorage, AK More about this Trip All Guest Reviews
For 32 years, Backroads has been perfecting the art of active travel. We are the tour experts. To see all our biking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning walking and hiking tours click here. For our selection of award-winning multisport tours click here.
Vermont Biking
Premiere Inns
The Mountain Top Inn & Resort
Chittenden (1 night) "This is one of the most beautiful inns in New England. The views are breathtaking...overlooking Mountain Top Lake...surrounded by fantastic mountains," said Recommended Country Inns New England.
Woodstock Inn & Resort
Woodstock (2 nights) An "imposing landmark resort hotel facing the village green in a beautifully preserved village noted for its restored 18th-century homes," according to Andrew Harper. (pool, spa, golf)
Windham Hill Inn
West Townshend (2 nights) Built in 1823 amid 160 acres of forests and meadows, this is the ultimate country getaway. A Relais & Châteaux member. (pool, tennis)
Vermont Biking
Routes For All Abilities
Every Backroads trip is designed to appeal to a wide variety of interests and fitness levels. We know your pace may vary from one day to the next-and your traveling companion's may differ somewhat from yours. So we present a range of mileage options, and each day you decide exactly what and how much you want to do.
| Activity Level | Average Time | Biking Average | Walking Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2-3 hours | 10-20 miles | 2-5 miles |
| 2 | 2-4 hours | 21-30 miles | 5-7 miles |
| 3 | 3-5 hours | 31-40 miles | 7-9 miles |
| 4 | 4-6 hours | 41-55 miles | 9-11 miles |
| 5 | 5-7+ hours | 56-75+ miles | 11-13+ miles |
Daily Mileage Options & Cumulative Elevation Gain
Day 1
- Levels 1 to 2
2 Route Options Available
- 12, 25 miles
- 500 - 2000 feet elevation gain
Day 2
- Levels 3 to 5 2 Route Options Available
- 39, 61 miles
- 2100 - 3400 feet elevation gain
Day 3
- Levels 3 to 4 2 Route Options Available
- 31, 49 miles
- 1400 - 2500 feet elevation gain
Day 4
- Levels 2 to 4 3 Route Options Available
- 26, 37, 54 miles
- 1300 - 3700 feet elevation gain
Day 5
- Levels 3 to 5 2 Route Options Available
- 31, 56 miles
- 1900 - 2800 feet elevation gain
Day 6
- Levels 1 to 3 2 Route Options Available
- 16, 31 miles
- 1300 - 2200 feet elevation gain
Please note: The terrain makes the routes on this trip feel more challenging than the mileage suggests.