| Directions:
1/2 mile south of Rochester on Route 100 turn right onto route 73 (Brandon
Gap Rd.) After about 2 miles, where 73 makes a sharp left, go straight on Forest
Road 42. (Bingo Rd.) Park along the road.
General Description:
The Green Mountain National Forest along the
backbone of Central Vermont's Southern Green Mountains offers unlimited recreation opportunities
any season of the year. The Manchester Ranger District is ideal for mountain biking on a network of secluded forest
and old logging roads which lead over rolling hills and verdant mountain peaks;
along cold mountain streams and beaver ponds; through dense pine forests and
lush green valleys.
Non motorized off-road vehicles such as mountain bikes and other bicycles
may be ridden on gravel and paved Forest Service Roads when those roads are not
gated or posted closed to bikes. (Bicycle use is specifically prohibited from
the Long and Appalachian Trail, it's side trails, Wilderness, Primitive Areas
and Special Areas).
The following Forest Roads are recommended for mountain bike riding.
Forest Roads & Mountain Bike Trails:
Mt. Tabor: (Danby) Forest Road 10
Located off Route 7 in Danby between Manchester and Rutland in the Southern part
of the state, the 14 mile FR 10 which cuts directly through the GMNF makes for
a beautiful ride. Park at the AT/LT parking lot on the west end of forest Road
10 to avoid the steep climb out of the valley.
It's a gravel road (cars allowed) that travels past beaver ponds, Devil's
Glen Cave and scenic Utley Brook. Tributary roads to Forest Road 10 -- Roads
60, 30 and 279 add more miles of forest exploration. There is a small picnic
area on the Danby side with a spectacular river gorge just below it and great
views of the mountain from your table.
Moses Pond Road/Weston Loop: (Weston) (
Approximately 9 mile loop)
Leave your car on the Green in Weston village. Ride north out of the village
on Route 100, then turn left on Greendale Rd. (FR 18). Two miles north, after
crossing a bridge, take an immediate left onto Forest Road 17 and climb steadily
along scenic Jenny Collidge Brook. After a mile and half, turn left onto FR 17A
which runs right into Moses Pond Road (FR 29). From this high point, it's a lovely
4 mile coast downhill into Weston.
Wallingford Pond: (Wallingford) (Approximately
1 mile one way)
Park in the parking lot near the end of Wallingford Pond Road (FR 20). At the
bulletin board take the old road into the woods and follow the highly-eroded
road a mile to the pond. Don't forget the picnic lunch.
Forest Road 71: (Somerset and Stratton)
Park at the Landing Strip Campground. From here you can follow FR 71 north and
FR 83 west; Somerset Road to Somerset Reservoir to the east; or Castle Brook
Road, FR 325 to the west.
Little Pond Road: (Woodford) (2 miles
one way)
Park in the parking lot on Route 9. Bike two miles over rough road to the pond.
Look out for blackberries (in season) along the way.
Kelly Stand Road/Arlington-West Wardsboro
Road: (Sunderland, Stratton)
From the west, this route is a strenuous climb. Tributary roads such as FR 70
and FR 85 add miles of forest roads to explore.
For more information:
Manchester Ranger District
2538 Depot Street
Manchester Center, VT 05255
Phone: (802) 362 – 2307
Fax: (802) 362 – 1251
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Romantic
Directions & description