Managed by the Park Service, the Forest Service, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, state agencies and volunteers
Clubs and the way access works here
Vermont’s largest organised trail network is a winter one run by volunteers. The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers, a private non-profit mandated by the legislature in 1978, describes over 4,000 miles of interconnected trail built by more than 100 local clubs in fourteen county associations.
Roughly 80 percent of that network crosses private property, with over 9,000 landowners supporting it. It is the clearest example in the state of access resting on goodwill, and it is worth understanding even if you never ride it.
A club turns a vehicle into a calendar. Day runs, weekend trips, training days, garage nights, and a list of people who will come and get you.
Most clubs offer
01Organized runs and trips at different levels
02Training days for new members
03Trail maintenance and clean-ups
04A voice in local land-use planning
05Help, tools and advice
How to find the right one
Go on a run as a guest before you pay dues.
01Decide between a club built around one make and one open to anything.
02Ask about the pace and style: family camping, technical trails, long-distance travel.
03Ask what the dues pay for.
04Watch how they treat the newest driver on a run.
Why clubs matter
Routes stay open because someone shows up. Clubs that adopt trails, clear them after winter and take part in land-use planning are a large part of why there is still somewhere to drive.
Questions people ask
Do I need a certain vehicle?
Some clubs are built around one make. Many are open to anything with four-wheel drive and a willingness to learn.
How do I list my club?
Use the List your business form and choose Clubs. Tell us where you meet and how people can join a run.
How high is Vermont?
From Burlington at 195 feet to Mount Mansfield at 4,393.
Altitude decides what your engine, your brakes and your lungs have to work with, and how late in the year the passes open.
02,0004,000
Feet above sea level
Towns
WilmingtonThe east end of the Molly Stark byway, near Somerset Reservoir1,496 ft
DanvilleMore unpaved road than any other town in Vermont1,412 ft
Island PondThe last real services before the Nulhegan Basin gravel1,187 ft
LincolnThe west foot of the gap that carries its name973 ft
WarrenThe east foot of Lincoln Gap, in the Mad River valley923 ft
RochesterA ranger station, and the turn for the Bingo Road875 ft
Manchester CenterServices beside the Manchester Ranger District and Lye Brook750 ft
StoweThe south side of Smugglers Notch and Mount Mansfield State Forest720 ft
JamaicaThe village by Ball Mountain Lake and the state’s only Corps campground720 ft
BenningtonThe southwest corner, and the west end of the Molly Stark byway679 ft
RutlandThe largest services in central Vermont, near the forest headquarters at Mendon648 ft
ArlingtonThe western approach to Kelley Stand Road645 ft
WaterburyInterstate services, Waterbury Reservoir and the Camels Hump trailheads441 ft
BrandonThe west foot of Brandon Gap on Route 73430 ft
MiddleburyThe west end of Middlebury Gap and the way in to Moosalamoo390 ft
BurlingtonThe largest city, on the lake that is the state low point195 ft
Passes, high roads and summits
Mount MansfieldThe state high point, as USGS publishes it. Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point gives 4,3814,393 ft
Killington PeakOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in Rutland County4,206 ft
Mount EllenOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, above the Mad River valley4,080 ft
Camels HumpOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, in the 21,258-acre state park of the same name4,076 ft
Stratton MountainOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, north of Kelley Stand Road3,940 ft
Jay PeakOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, near the Canadian border3,848 ft
Glastenbury MountainOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, inside the Glastenbury Wilderness3,750 ft
Mount Ascutney Parkway lotMount Ascutney Parkway2,800 ft
Mad Tom NotchMad Tom Notch Road, Forest Road 582,439 ft
Lincoln GapLincoln Gap Road: Warren and Lincoln2,419 ft
Roxbury GapOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on a gravel town road east of Warren2,397 ft
Appalachian GapOur own reading of the elevation surface at its map point, on Route 17 between Fayston and Buels Gore2,371 ft
Brandon GapBrandon Gap, VT Route 73: Brandon and Rochester2,184 ft
Smugglers NotchVT Route 108 through Smugglers Notch2,160 ft
Middlebury GapMiddlebury Gap, VT Route 125: Hancock and East Middlebury2,133 ft
Pass, road and summit elevations are the figures published by the agency that manages them. Town elevations are the town’s or county’s own
figure where it publishes an exact one; the rest are from the U.S. Geological Survey (3D Elevation Program at the place’s official coordinates),
retrieved September 18, 2026. Every source is listed at the foot of the page.
