February 11th, 2010 @ Tim Brady // No Comments

There is something about the feeling of being outside in the Vermont winter. The crisp clean country air and the peaceful silence that comes with a soft snowfall. One great way to get outside and experience this serenity is snow shoeing. Lucky for us, there are plenty of great cross-country ski trails around Brattleboro that also make fore a snowshoers paradise. As a matter of fact, you can snowshoe almost 15 miles of trails right from the backyard of our Brattleboro Inn! But there are also several nearby locations that are well suited for all snowshoeing skill levels.

For first timers, check out the Brattleboro Outing Club. The outing club sets up shop in the winter on the golf course, creating a 14km system of trails for cross country skiing and snowshoeing throughout the picturesque hilly country club. They even rent equipment and offer lessons right on site on the weekends. The outing club is located just across the water from our inn, on Upper Dummerston Road.

If you are looking for something a bit more challenging, or a nice afternoon trip, check out Grafton Ponds. Grafton Ponds is located in Grafton Vermont, about 25 miles up Route 30 (to Rt 35, to Townshend Road). A bit bigger than the outing club, and with snow making equipment and groomed trails, Grafton Ponds is a local favorite for a serious day on the trails. Grafton Ponds rents equipment, offers lessons, guided tours and even snow tubing. All situated in a picturesque community in rural Vermont.

For those who already have equipment or prefer the “wild” side of getting out on a mountain, the Kilburn Loop trail in nearby New Hampshire’s Pisgah State Park should certainly fit the bill. Pisgah State Park has 13,500 acres of forest and covers more than twenty-one square miles.  Trails roam for miles in the park and six different trailheads leading into the park each allow for a specific use such as snowmobiling, or snowshoeing.

Of the trails, the Kilburn Loop is for skiing and snowshoeing as motorized vehicles are prohibited to protect these ungroomed trails. The trail itself is five miles long and loopy. While the trail is rather steep at times, it is also picturesque and offers a series of rewarding views and places to pause.

Sure Pisgah State Park and the Kilburn Loop are a challenge, but a fun one. If you don’t have your own snowshoes, the Outing Club mentioned earlier rents them on site (on the weekends) as does Burrows Specialized Sports in downtown Brattleboro.

Any way you try it, snowshoeing is a great way to spend an afternoon staying active in the winter. And Brattleboro is a great base for any snowshoeing adventure.

Tags: New Hampshire, Outdoors, snowshoeing, Vermont, Winter