Trail Accessibility Hub
There are plenty of ways to design and maintain trails to make them more inviting to people with a wide range of physical abilities.
That’s why we are partnering with Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, Vermont Mountain Bike Association, Upper Valley Trails Alliance, Northern Forest Canoe Trail, Community Geographics (the organization that maintains Trail Finder), and local trail users to address the challenges people face when seeking to build or use accessible trails in Vermont.
We’re pleased to announce that we have been awarded a $644,000 grant from the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) Community Grant Program (CGP) to improve accessibility on public trails in Vermont. The project, co-led by our five partner organizations, takes place between June 1, 2024 and December 2025, concluding with a final set of recommendations to the the State of Vermont on how to continue the work.
WHO WE ARE
Understand what the Trail Accessibility Hub is and the trail organizations dedicated to increasing outdoor access for all.
What We Do
Developing resources, increasing professional capacity, and providing hands-on assessments to expand trail access for people of all abilities.
Getting Started
Explore the Trail Accessibility Hub and the resources for designing, building, and adapting existing trails for every body.
Trails for Everyone
Vermont is known for thousands of miles of trails through diverse and beautiful landscapes, but people with disabilities can’t access the same quantity or quality of recreation assets able-bodied people enjoy.
According to a 2021 CDC survey, nearly a quarter of Vermonters have a disability, including 10% with mobility-specific disabilities. Yet only 1% of the state’s 7,750+ miles of trails are listed as “accessible” by Trail Finder and less than 100 miles of more than 1,000 public mountain bike trail miles have been assessed for adaptive mountain bike (aMTB) use.
Fortunately, we can do something about it.
Building Access, One Trail at a Time
In this five-minute video, you’ll see how the Trail Accessibility Hub is connecting partners and trail users to create a more inclusive future for outdoor recreation in Vermont.
Trail Assessments
Apply professional and practical recommendations to improve and build trails for people of all mobilities. Apply for a trail assessment this field season.
Making Trails More Accessible to All: Stories from the Field
VINS: Edie’s Accessibility Review for Trail Finder
Getting Into—and Above—the Woods in a Wheelchair
Quechee, Vermont
Before the Trail Accessibility Hub even launched, Edie Perkins inspired us all. At our May 2023 Annual Meeting, she shared how her life changed after being struck by a car while cycling in 2017. Edie is now paralyzed from the chest down and uses a wheelchair to get around. An athlete, handcyclist, and avid outdoor adventurer, she…
Louie’s Landing, Missisquoi River: Water Accessibility
Recommended updates to an aquatic entry point
Swanton, Vermont
An adaptive trail assessment set forth trail upgrades that made Pine Hill Park trails more accessible to adaptive mountain bike riders.
Indian Brook, Winooski Valley: Water Accessibility
Recommended updates to an aquatic entry point
Essex, Vermont
An adaptive trail assessment set forth trail upgrades that made Pine Hill Park trails more accessible to adaptive mountain bike riders.
Colchester Pond, Winooski Valley: Water Accessibility
Recommended updates to an aquatic entry point
Colchester, Vermont
An adaptive trail assessment set forth trail upgrades that made Pine Hill Park trails more accessible to adaptive mountain bike riders.
Ludlow Area Sports Trails: Adaptive-Friendly Mountain Biking Trails
~2 miles of adaptive-friendly mountain biking trails
Ludlow, Vermont
After a trail assessment, LAST trails were updated to be more accessible to adaptive mountain bike riders.
Pine Hill Park: Adaptive-Friendly Mountain Biking Trails
Five miles of adaptive-friendly mountain biking trails
Rutland, Vermont
An adaptive trail assessment set forth trail upgrades that made Pine Hill Park trails more accessible to adaptive mountain bike riders.
Are you interested in an assessment or want to learn more about the Trail Accessibility Hub? Fill out the form below.
Accessibility Hub Partners
