Stowe Recreation Path- Stowe, Vermont

A Bike

A short trail that packs a big punch.

When looking for new places to ride and adventure to one of the first things I look for is the distance the trail goes.  A first glance at the Stowe Recreation Path shows a distance of 5.3 miles each way.  A 10-mile round trip trail isn’t exactly one I’m beating down the door to travel to, but I always try to justify it by thinking maybe it’ll be great, or we can go up and back twice and make it a 20-mile ride.  We were in the area, and although not specifically a rail trail, we figured we would try it.  Much to my delight this 10.5-mile round trip was a wonderful journey through Stowe, and we stopped so many times it took much longer than most rides double that distance would take.

Finding parking as trail newbies took us a couple times of driving up and down Main Street in Stowe.  Doing a little research, I found a trailhead listed at Lintilhac Park, right behind Stowe Community church smack in the middle of the Stowe’s bustling little downtown.  There is an arcade called Gold Rush right above the parking lot that you can use as a second reference point as well.   On the side of the church is a narrow one-way entrance that goes down a hill to a parking area that can handle around 20 cars, not visible from the main road.  Once we settled in and got ready to roll, we figured we would spend maybe 45 minutes to an hour and be back on our way again.  We were pleasantly surprised that it took us much longer.

The first thing you will notice is all the wooden bridges that you cross along the trail.  Most of the trail follows along the aptly named Little River and many of the bridges will take you over sections of it.  The bridges are narrow and barely enough room for two people to pass each other but are a joy to see and ride over.  There are many places you can stop and walk down to the river to take a break or just take in all the nature that is surrounding you.  Though no signs were posted for swimming we did see a few people taking advantage of the river to cool off on the humid late summer afternoon.  

As you get toward the middle of the trail you’ll pass by several restaurants right on the trail, including the Stowe location of the well-known American Flatbread pizza company.  Most of them have bike racks, making it an easy stop for a mid-ride snack or drink.  Nearing the end of the short journey you will come by a cornfield that is a wonderful place to stop.  It just opened a corn maze for the fall season, and there is a small little petting zoo with some goats and small cows.  Although we didn’t try the maze, we picked up a bottle of their homemade maple syrup and continued on our way. One last thing we saw nearing the end that you don’t come across often on the bike trails was a group of horseback riders just out enjoying the trail as anyone else would.  The trail ends at another small parking area with a couple benches near the river.  We stopped there for another 20 minutes, not because we needed a rest, but because it was such a pleasant spot to be in.  

One last thing of note, the trail is narrow and fast at times, with some quick turns so be cautious as it is a moderately crowded trail.  It almost felt like a paved single track at times, and you won’t feel out of place riding a mountain bike down the trail.  Overall, I would highly recommend anyone visiting the area to carve out a couple hours to spend on the Stowe Recreation Path, you won’t be disappointed.

A funny little sidenote.  We are both big fans of NOBULL sneakers and own multiple pairs.  Above the parking lot is small store front that said NOBULL, so we were excited to see they had a store there and went to it right after we finished our ride.  We walked in and were pleasantly welcomed in and told its not actually a store at all (with a big sign on the door saying it isn’t a store, oops!) but a sample and research room.  We then had our own 20-minute private showing of all the prototypes and new styles coming out in the next year.  Shout out to NOBULL for being so welcoming and friendly to a couple excited fans.

A Brew

While we didn’t stop at any of the restaurants on the trail, I don’t think you could go wrong with any, as all had outdoor seating right along the trail and menus listing plenty of local Vermont brews.  A bike isn’t a complete ride without a brew though and we found a wonderful little farmers market store a few miles down the road, the Woodstock Farmers Market, where they had a great selection of local brews and a small deli that made it the perfect lunch spot. We had a little post ride picnic while enjoying some Zero Gravity Green State lagers and it was the perfect wrap up to the several hours we spent exploring along the Stowe Recreation Path.