Directions from New York: Take I-87 to Exit 42 for Rouses Point. Follow NY Route 11 to Rouses Point Bridge and connect to VT Route 2 to Alburg Village. The trailhead is in the Alburg Industrial Park across from the Fire Station. Signs on Route 2 indicate the entrance to Industrial Park.
Directions from Vermont: Take I-89 to Exit 21 in Swanton, VT. Follow Route 78 west through Swanton Village and the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge, and across the Missisquoi Bay Bridge. At its intersection with Route 2, turn north onto Route 2 to Alburg Village. The trailhead is in the Alburg Industrial Park across from the Fire Station. Signs on Route 2 indicate the entrance to Industrial Park.
Features: The trail's 3.5-mile path crosses slightly rolling terrain through agricultural farmland and patchy marshland from Alburg Village to 100 yards west of the railway trestle over Lake Champlain at East Alburg. The cinder and gravel surface allows for year-round activities.
Allowed Uses: For safety and maintenance considerations, only non-motorized uses are permitted, with the exception of motorized wheelchairs and snowmobiles.
Services and Accommodations: Restaurants and other services are available in Alburg Village. No services are available along the trail. Accommodations are available in adjacent towns. Stop by the Alburg Welcome Center on Route 2 or contact the Lake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce in North Hero, VT for more information.
Cautions: Extra care and caution should be used when crossing Route 78 at the Mud Creek State Wildlife Management Area. Route 78 is an intensely traveled truck route and a major traffic connector between I-87 in New York and I-89 in Vermont. Bicycle travel across the Missisquoi Bay Bridge is not advised due to the roadway's width, condition, and lack of shoulders; high speed of vehicular travel; and driver inattention while enjoying the view of Lake Champlain.
For More Information: Alburg Snow Springers, 802-796-3346 or Alburg Town Clerk, 802-796-3468.
Copied on October 24, 1997 using a flatbed scanner and OCR software by Kenyon F. Karl <[email protected]> from an undated information sheet provided by the Northwest Vermont Rail Trail Council.A new sign at the beginning of the entrance road indicates that the trail is managed cooperatively by:
Town of Alburgh
Alburgh Sno Springers
Vermont Agency of Natural Resources
Vermont Association of Snow Travelers
Road to Alburgh Trailhead. Digital photograph by Kenyon F. Karl on June 22, 1998.
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| Miles | Station Name |
|---|---|
| 10.31 | East Alburgh |
| 13.87 | Alburgh |
Railroad Mileage from Fonda
Dark Face indicates Train Order & Telephone Office
From Central Vermont Railway Employee Timetable 13, effective September 24, 1939.
Near Mud Creek Waterfowl Hunting Area (Route 78
Crossing). Digital photograph by Kenyon F.
Karl on January 24, 2000.
Another picture of the Rail-trail has been posted to the Auberge Alburg Web Site!
A 3.5 mile section of the Trail from Lonsdale to Quinnville is described in section 22 of the Official Rails-to-Trails Conservancy New England Guidebook by Cynthia Mascott published in 2000 by Globe Pequot Press. This trail listing contains a photograph, historical description, trail head directions and parking, a trail map, trail details, a local trail manager contact, and much more.
Limited parking is available at the cul-de-sac adjacent to the beginning of the
trail in Alburg.
Limited groceries and limited food service is available at the General Store in
Alburg, adjacent to the entrance road to the Rail-trail. Toilets and water are
presumably available upon request.
Kay's Restaurant is adjacent to the entrance road to the Rail-trail in Alburg.
Because its primary customers are long distance truck drivers, it is open from 3
am to 8:30 pm on weekdays, but closed on weekends and holidays. Toilets and water are
presumably available upon request when open.
Auburgh Village Deli & Country Store just south of the entrance road to the
Rail-trail in Alburg is apparently open only during the warm weather
months. Toilets and water are
presumably available upon request when the Deli is open for business.
Auberge Alburg
is listed in the Vermont
section of the Worldwide Hostel Guide. Bed
and Breakfast rooms are usually available on a year-round basis. Hostel accommodations
and a limited number of camp sites are available during warm weather months. The
facility is located on the town's very narrow and busy main street about a half-mile
south of the entrance road to the Rail-trail in Alburg.
The Mud Creek Waterfowl Hunting Area adjacent to the Route 78 crossing near the
mid-point of the trail offers shelter in its heavily vandalized cabin. An old
fashioned outhouse is nearby. Parking may be available during waterfowl
hunting season.
Thomas Mott Homestead B&B
is located south of the Blue Rock Road crossing about two thirds of the way to the end of trail at
East Alburgh. A sign for a separate recreational vehicle campground was
also observed on that road.
No trail facilities or services were observed at or near East Alburgh except for trail access at two crossings!
Local ServicesEach location map on this Web Site is a link to a map on the Mapblast Web Site which in turn contains a link to a Business Directory of the surrounding area.
Northwest
Vermont Public Transit Network expects to begin operation of a local
transit service from St. Albans and Swanton to all of the Island communities in
February of 2000. This bus should feature a bike rack and stop on signal
on Route 78 that parallels the rail-trail to East Alburg. The bus should
also make a scheduled stop near the entrance road in Alburg.
Greyhound Lines
provides intercity bus service to St. Albans and Swanton
from Montreal and Burlington on a daily basis. Detailed
timetables for this service as well as connecting bus service in
Vermont can be found at the Vermont
Transit Web Site. Vermont Transit accepts bicycles
in boxes on a space available basis.
Amtrak Adirondak
Service provides daily passenger service at Rouses Point NY to
both New York City and Montreal. Numerous other Amtrak and
commuter rail connections can be made at New York City. and VIA
Rail connections can be made at Montreal. Note that the Adirondak features a baggage car equipped with
bike racks
for unboxed bikes. Although Amtrak will also handle bikes in boxes
on this train as checked baggage from connecting Amtrak trains, traditional
baggage service is not available at Rouses Point!
Books about the trail:
A 3.5 mile section of the Trail from Alburg to East Alburg is described in section 25 of the Official Rails-to-Trails Conservancy New England Guidebook by Cynthia Mascott published in 2000 by Globe Pequot Press. This trail listing contains a photograph, historical description, trail head directions and parking, a trail map, trail details, a local trail manager contact, and much more.
This trail is described in Great Rail Trails of the Northeast by Craig Della Penna. The information includes a historical background of the trail as well as a detailed description keyed to bicycle odometer readings from the author's in person trip down the trail.
The Vermont Principle Route of the Lake Champlain Bikeway passes through Alburg on Route 2 near the Alburgh Trailhead of the Rail-trail. Supplementary information about the Bikeway is available on this Web Site.
The proposed Champlain Rail-Trail will provide a traffic-free route for the bikeway between the Canadian Border and Burlington. Note that this proposal may likewise include a westward extension of the existing Alburgh Rail-trail to a point near the bridge to Rouses Point NY.
| Item | From | To | Year | RR | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 249 | East Alburgh | Rouses Point, NY | 1962 | CV | 7.3 |
Sign images are from the Manual of Traffic Signs by Richard C. Moeur.
Updated on August 07, 2001 by Kenyon F.
Karl <[email protected]>.
Unintentional errors are likely!
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