| Directions:
From I-91 North take Route 58 West 12 miles to Route 100 North. Take Route
100 North for 8 miles to Westfield.
General Description:
This mountain bike ride is a combination
of quiet, paved and unpaved roads which leads to many surprises: a covered bridge, popular swimming
hole and a beautiful waterfall.
Big Falls are located along a side road in Troy. There is an obvious unmarked parking area at the
Falls. A few hundred yards before the Falls, the Missisquoi River flows over
and around a wide ledge of rock in a series of three steps, then falls through
a very narrow gap to crash through a narrow
gorge. This is quite a beautiful spot.
Another highlight of the ride is the ninety-two foot School House Bridge.
It stands at a bend in the Missisquoi River, next to a ford and a sandbar. At low
water, you can walk out on the sand within a hundred feet of the span. (see
Historical Note below).
The Route:
Departing from Route 100 in Westfield, ride north on North Hill Road (paved)
for 4.2 miles. Continue riding straight on North Jay Road in Jay (paved).
5.9 miles: Junction with Route 105. Keep straight
on North Jay Road. The paved road gives way to unpaved terrain.
It becomes paved for a short stretch after another 4 miles.
10.3 miles: Go straight towards the village green in North
Troy. In three tenths of a mile (10.6 miles
from the start), make a right turn on Route 243 after you pass the North Troy
business district. After another tenth of a mile, make a left onto Route 105.
12.2 miles: Right turn on River
Road and you are back on unpaved terrain again. Thank goodness!. Keep pedaling another mile and a half to Big Falls. Stop here for lunch and views.
After visiting the Falls, continue straight on unpaved River Road in the
direction you were going for about 2.6 miles.
16.5 miles: Come to an intersection with Veilleux Road. There is a covered bridge (School House Bridge) and swimming hole
to your right at the intersection. Stop and check it out, then proceed straight on unpaved River Road for 3.9 miles. In
about 3 miles it becomes paved again.
20.4 miles: Make a right turn onto Route 100 South. In about 0.4 miles make a left onto Route 100 South in Troy.
22.4 miles: Arrive at the junction
of Route 100 and North Hill Road in Westfield.
Historical Notes:
The School House Bridge (Circa 1910)
Barn red, the ninety-two foot School House Bridge stands at a bend in
the Missisquoi River, next to a ford and a sandbar. The bridge is interesting because of it's three pairs of flying buttresses and the
low roof line. The height of the plank-lattice trusses on this bridge are one to two feet shorter than usual, leaving insufficient
space for hay wagons to pass through. If the conventional
interior bracing system had been used, this would not be the case. It is the only bridge in the state where
the truss is held together with single pins (trunnels); all others use two. A
new metal roof was put on in 2002.
For more information:
Northeastern Vermont Development Association
36 Eastern Avenue, Suite 1
PO Box 630
St. Johnsbury, VT 05819
Phone: (802) 748-5181
Fax: (802) 748-1223
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Historic / Romantic
