Trail Care Crew

Bike Trails

With over 45+ miles of hand-built trails on the mountain and many additional off-mountain networks on private land, there is a lot of maintenance to do!  We employ two part-time trailbuilders who design, hand-build and maintain our network.  We have a core group of dependable and dedicated volunteers who put in countless hours swinging a macleod, hauling chainsaws and constantly leaf blowing and clearing debris. 

Volunteer opportunities exist through our regular trail days or by reaching out to us directly at trails@ascutneytrails.com.

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Summit-Bound Hiking Trails

There are six summit-bound trails around the mountain including the “Ascutney Parkway” or CCC Auto road.  Five of these are on State Park land and the Bicentennial Trail is in the West Windsor Town Forest.  We are the eyes and ears of the mountain: with a special longtime agreement with the State, the ATA looks for damage, uncontrolled erosion and downed trees and then coordinates with the state as to how repairs will be made.  The State of Vermont coordinates trail maintenance on their land with the ATA, Vermont Youth Conservation Corps and several other youth volunteer organizations.

In the early spring of each year, the ATA will coordinate public workdays for volunteers who wish to help prepare the trails for the upcoming hiking season: make sure water bars are clear and functional, clear winter debris and remove downed trees.

Our trail day calendar will list upcoming volunteer days and if you come across immediate maintenance needs, please email trails@ascutneytrails.com.

 

Back-Country Ski Trails

The upper-mountain trails of what is known as the Ski Area are being reclaimed and maintained for back-country skiing. Through the coordinated efforts of both ATA and Ascutney Outdoors, mowing crews come in to clear larger areas and volunteers hand-clear sections with loppers, chainsaws and blade trimmers. 

 

Volunteer trail days are traditionally held in the fall in readiness for the upcoming winter season and can be found on our trail day calendar.