KT Over the Years
Early 1980s — The First Rides
Before Kingdom Trails was a trail network, local riders were exploring old Nordic ski trails, logging roads, farm lanes, and forest paths around East Burke and Darling Hill. New connections were gradually added, creating the beginnings of what would become Kingdom Trails.
1988 — East Burke Sports Opens
John Worth and Vince Jacob opened East Burke Sports as mountain biking was beginning to take hold in the Northeast Kingdom. The shop became an informal hub for local riders looking to explore the growing collection of trails around East Burke and Darling Hill.
Early 1990s — Built on Permission
Most of the emerging trail network crossed privately owned land. Doug Kitchel, John Worth, and others began approaching local landowners one by one, asking permission to connect trails across their properties.
Those conversations established the principle that continues to define Kingdom Trails today: access is made possible through relationships and trust.
1994 — Kingdom Trail Association Is Formed
What had been an informal collaboration began taking organizational form. An early board was established, and the nonprofit Kingdom Trail Association was created to build, maintain, promote, and protect the trail network while formalizing relationships with participating landowners.
1998 — The First Kingdom Trails Map
As the network expanded, navigating it became increasingly important. Kingdom Trails printed its first trail map in 1998 and charged riders $3, which included both the map and access to the trail network.
The trails were growing so quickly that new routes sometimes appeared almost as fast as updated maps could be printed.
Early 2000s — From Local Secret to Destination
By the early 2000s, word of Kingdom Trails was traveling well beyond Vermont. National cycling and outdoor publications began introducing riders across the country to East Burke and Darling Hill, helping transform a local trail network into a nationally recognized riding destination.
2000s — A Growing Organization
As visitation increased, Kingdom Trails evolved from an overwhelmingly volunteer-powered effort into a professionally managed nonprofit. Staff were hired, a professional Trail Crew emerged, visitor services expanded, and mapping, signage, maintenance, grooming, and trail construction became increasingly sophisticated.
The organization grew, but volunteers, local businesses, and landowners remained at its foundation.
2011 — Burke Bike Park Opens
The opening of Burke Bike Park brought lift-served gravity riding to Burke Mountain, complementing Kingdom Trails' extensive cross-country network and giving visitors even more ways to experience the region by bike.
That same year, Kingdom Trails was welcoming approximately 50,000 annual visits.
2015 — Save Our Sidewinder
When property containing one of Kingdom Trails' most beloved trails was put at risk, the community responded.
The Save Our Sidewinder campaign raised more than $300,000 in roughly five weeks, helping permanently protect 133 acres along the Passumpsic River.
Late 2010s — Extraordinary Growth
Events including Circumburke, WinterBike, NEMBAfest, and Rasputitsa brought thousands of visitors to the region. Kingdom Trails became an increasingly important part of the Northeast Kingdom's outdoor recreation economy as riders stayed, ate, shopped, and explored throughout the surrounding communities.
With that success came new pressures on trails, roads, parking areas, neighborhoods, and landowners.
2019 — A Reminder of What Makes Kingdom Trails Possible
In late 2019, several Darling Hill landowners chose to discontinue mountain bike access across their properties.
It was a difficult moment, but it reinforced a principle that had been true from the beginning:
Access is a gift, not a right.
The experience deepened KTA's focus on landowner relationships, stewardship, community engagement, responsible visitor behavior, and sustainable growth.
2020s — Planning for Responsible Growth
Kingdom Trails' Network Capacity Study brought together landowners, residents, businesses, municipal leaders, trail users, and other stakeholders to consider how visitation was affecting the community.
Its recommendations helped shape KTA's approach to parking, road crossings, connectivity, infrastructure, visitor movement, and community engagement—and reinforced the importance of making decisions about the network alongside the people who live around it.
Ride With Gratitude
That commitment is reflected in Ride With Gratitude, Kingdom Trails' philosophy of responsible recreation:
Respect the gift. Protect nature. Care for others. Be the example.
A New Direction
One recommendation from the capacity-planning process was the development of a new Community Hub and Welcome Center. KTA spent years studying the idea, but changing circumstances—including dramatically higher construction costs—led the organization to reconsider the approximately $4.5 million project.
Rather than proceeding simply because significant work had already been invested, KTA chose to redirect resources toward trails, its Trail Crew, landowner and community relationships, and long-term financial sustainability.
2024 — 30 Years of Kingdom Trails
Kingdom Trails celebrated its 30th anniversary.
What began as a handful of informal routes had grown into more than 100 miles of multi-use trails, welcoming mountain bikers, hikers, runners, Nordic skiers, snowshoers, and fat bikers from Vermont, New England, Canada, and around the world.
2025 — A Historic Partnership
Bear Den Partners, the new owners of Burke Mountain and Kingdom Trails' largest private landowner, made a $100,000 contribution to KTA—the largest corporate gift in the organization's history.
2026 — The Next Chapter
Georgia Gould became Executive Director, bringing renewed focus to trail stewardship, financial stability, and community partnerships.
KTA continues investing in the quality and resilience of its existing network, safer trail connections, beginner and adaptive recreation opportunities, its partnership with Burke Mountain, and the stewardship necessary to care for the landscape beneath every mile of trail.
Today — Still Built on Trust
More than three decades after Kingdom Trails was formally established, more than 100 private landowners continue to make the network possible.
The bikes have changed. The trails have changed. Maps have gone digital and a volunteer-built network has become a professional year-round operation.
But the most important part of Kingdom Trails has not changed.
It is still built on trust.
Landowners share their property. Volunteers share their time. Businesses and donors share their resources. Residents share their communities. And every person who uses the network is entrusted with treating that generosity with respect.
That is the story of Kingdom Trails. And it is still being written.
