2020 Circumburke Challenge Will be Cancelled
September 15, 2020
The Circumburke Trail Challenge is a 27-mile backcountry course for trail runners and mountain bikers to test their limits. Traditionally Circumburke has been a one-day event that circumnavigates Burke Mt. on a route through state land connecting Kingdom Trails, the Victory Hill sector, and Burke Mt. singletrack in a wild corner of Vermont’s NEK. Participants have embraced the intense physical and mental challenge that the course offers. Previous challenges have brought over 600 racers as well as their families and friends to the area.
This year, with careful consideration for safety, the event had been restructured in partnership with VT State Parks and Recreation to offer multiple date choices, capping registration numbers each day to protect the local community by avoiding a large group gathering, and allow for social distancing on course.
Conceived in 2010, the event has been produced in partnership between Victory Hill and Kingdom Trails to help provide economic support to the region during the Fall tourist shoulder season. With the cancellation of so many recent events and the resulting economic impact facing the area, KTA had been hopeful that Circumburke would provide a timely boost to morale and local businesses.
In 2020, the event was planned to be produced solely by KTA, the Circumburke Challenge has historically served as a fundraising event for the Kingdom Trail Association with a portion of the proceeds designated for access to Vermont state land and dedicated to maintaining and building trails to provide recreation and education opportunities, fostering the health of the local community, surrounding environment, and regional economy.
A part of the route of the Circumburke Challenge passes through a section of the Victory Hill Sector trails, an integral part of the course that is currently closed to bikes due to an ongoing Act 250 Jurisdictional Opinion proceeding. The final decision to cancel the event was made in consideration of the potential for further Act 250 complications for Victory Hill, as well as the potential impact on KTA’s own pending Act 250 Jurisdictional Opinion.
KTA wishes to thank all Circumburkers and our communities for understanding the decision to cancel the 2020 Circumburke Trail Challenge. Those who have registered for the 2020 event will receive a full refund. KTA looks forward to hosting the Circumburke in the future to celebrate epic single track and trail users and to help provide an economic boost during a slower time of year for the economy of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom.
If you would like more information on the Circumburke Trail Challenge, please email info@kingdomtrail.org
7/11/26 Community Chat
Canadian Community Month Offers Below Kingdom Trails Kingdom Trails is a world-renowned, community-supported trail network at the heart of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, built through long-standing landowner partnerships and careful stewardship. It remains the central hub of the region’s mountain biking community. As part of Canadian Community Month, Canadian visitors are welcomed with special membership access and benefits designed to make visiting more accessible. Offers: Canadian dollars accepted at par for annual and day memberships purchased in-person at the Kingdom Trails Welcome Center New and current Canadian annual members will receive a complimentary guest day membership to share with a friend or family member, redeemable anytime during the 2026 riding season. Canadians who purchased day memberships earlier this season may upgrade to annual memberships at par, with the amount already paid in USD credited toward the upgrade Please note that the at-par rates will be applied at checkout in USD as a discount according to the current daily exchange rate; the KT Welcome Center is unable to accept Canadian currency at this time.
From the Executive Director: Hi Everyone! Well, July has certainly brought the heat, but luckily here at KT there are plenty of shady trails to choose from. Speaking of trails...we are opening a new one this weekend: "Cheddar Slice" connects the bottom of Butter Tubs to the bottom of the Dashney Loop, creating a roughly 4-mile family-friendly loop and adding another way to connect the Moose Alley and Dashney zones. Connectivity has been a big focus this year, and there is more to come later this season. Thank you to all our generous Landowners, members and supporters. Have a wonderful weekend and a very Happy Fourth of July!! -Georgia Celebrate the Fourth with Us! As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, we invite you to celebrate with us throughout the month of July. If you're riding on Saturday, July 4, be sure to stop by our newly refreshed Welcome Center! We'll be serving complimentary cookies and lemonade throughout the day—a small way of celebrating the holiday and welcoming riders, families, and visitors to Kingdom Trails. Later in the month, join us at Lyndonville's Stars & Stripes Celebration on Saturday, July 18. The celebration begins with the 10:00 a.m. parade, followed by the festival, where you'll find the Kingdom Trails tent. Stop by to say hello, learn about our newest initiatives and chat with our staff about everything happening at Kingdom Trails this summer. The festival runs from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. and features food trucks, vendors, children's activities, live music, a Rotary BBQ, axe throwing, and more—making it a fun day for the whole family. We hope you'll stop by, say hello, and celebrate with us! CLICK HERE to read the full newsletter.
