Darling Hill Update

Dec 16, 2019

Trail access changes on Darling Hill

Recently three Darling Hill landowners notified the Kingdom Trail Association that they no longer wish to provide bike access on their properties.

We fully respect their decision, as it is their private property and they have the sole right to determine the use of their land. We are beyond grateful to each of them for allowing Kingdom Trails access over the past 25 years and continuing to allow Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, jogging, and horseback riding.

Kingdom Trails understands the concerns for the pressure and stress the continued strong growth in trail use and area visits has put on landowner’s properties as well as the roads and small villages where trail access exists. While the success of the trails has brought meaningful economic benefit to the area, challenges and tension points exist around traffic, congestion and pedestrian safety of residents and visitors alike.

Kingdom Trails fully recognizes these issues and we are taking action.

This past July, we were awarded a USDA grant for a Network Feasibility and Infrastructure Study. The study, through engaging our landowners and community, along with a systems approach, will advocate possible ideal Welcome Center locations, needed parking, access portals, assess traffic to recommend safe flow and dispersion methods, pedestrian crossings, as well as trail network capacity balance. The study will explore how trails, integrated with economic development, enhance visitor experiences, support local workforce, and most importantly improve residents’ quality of life. Kingdom Trails believes this study will aid in addressing many of the concerns community members and landowners currently have.

This study will be completed by the end of season 2020. In the meantime, we continue to strive toward mitigating congestion and creating a safe community. Kingdom Trails is working collaboratively with the Town of Burke to reconstruct East Darling Hill Rd. The project consists of new subbase, drainage and asphalt, plus a 5-foot bike lane for uphill cyclists. Additionally, KTA purchased two parcels of land adjacent to the road. This acquisition will secure a critical trail connection for KTA, ensuring that trail users will be able to have an off-road option instead of using East Darling Hill Rd for both uphill and downhill bicycle travel, avoiding a dangerous conflict between cycle and car, increasing the safety of our community and visitors, drivers and riders.

We have also worked hard to spread and disperse trail traffic through new trail development. These new trails are directed well off Darling Ridge headed to East Haven. The Flower Brook connector trail was built this summer to discourage trail users from biking along VT 114 from downtown East Burke to East Haven. KTA also works side by side with the OneBurke committee, exploring options to extend trails to the Burke Town School and possibly West Burke. A similar goal is our work with the Lyndonville Select Board, building a trail to connect to the potential new Lyndon Green Space where the old town garages currently are. These efforts would not only relieve congestion on Darling Ridge and East Burke, but broaden further economic opportunities to our neighboring towns.

While the Kingdom Trails network will be affected by this change in access and connectivity, miles of diverse trail terrain remains for all skill levels that promise a lot of smiles, technical challenges and enrichment with our stunning landscape and host communities. Further, KTA is committed to continuing to provide and enhance the incredible trail experience members have come to expect, as well as striving toward our mission of offering recreation and education opportunities to foster the health of our local community, surrounding environment, and regional economy.

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