Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry

Location Richmond, VT
Acreage 1,144
Protected Since 2013
Featured Recreation Land

Ski into the backwoods of Vermont

Wherever you are in Vermont, you’re probably not far from Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry. This prized backcountry and Nordic ski area is within 30 miles of nearly half the population of Vermont.

The Valley isn’t just for winter adventurers, either. These woods are a favorite destination for hikers and birdwatchers. A disc golf course near the base lodge allows for summer recreation and exercise.

No matter the season, the trails can give you a unique taste of Vermont.

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Credit Sheri Larsen

100 kilometers of trails for exploration

With a high base elevation, Bolton Valley Nordic has consistently good snow, even when other parts of Vermont are looking a little bare.

Its 100 kilometers of Nordic and backcountry trails are just a starting point.

Seasoned skiers will find plenty to explore off the beaten track and into the woods.

Snow reports provide info on conditions and help plan your adventure.

(Photo: Harrington’s View)

Rediscovering lost mountain trails

The first backcountry trails at Bolton date back to the 1920s. Then owner Edward Soheir Bryant, a forester, owned and reforested 10,000 acres surrounding Bolton Valley. He cut a dozen trails high up in the mountains along with three rustic cabins.

When the neighboring Bolton Valley Resort opened in 1966, skiers rediscovered the old trails.

One of those skiers, Clem Holden, remembered skiing up to one of the cabins in 1939 as a teenager while Edward Bryant was still alive. He met fellow skier Gardiner Lane, and the two went on to lead the charge to clear and expand the Nordic and backcountry trail system and re-open the two remaining cabins, Bryant Camp and Bolton Lodge.

They formed a community of volunteer trail stewards, lovingly referred to as the Old Goats. Though its founders have since passed, the Old Goats are still the backbone of Bolton Valley Nordic, meeting every fall for trail days and every winter out on the trails they help maintain.

(Photo: An archive pic of the Nordic touring center at Bolton Valley in the 1980s; Gardiner Lane is second from left.)

Make the most of winter on skis

Whether it’s your first visit to Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry or you’re a seasoned pro, you’ll almost certainly start on Broadway. Broadway begins as a groomed green trail, perfect for remembering how to ski on those early season days. From there, you can choose your adventure. Do you stick to the groomed trails, or head off into the powder?

Skiers looking for a few hours of Nordic skiing will enjoy the mostly mellow Maple Loops. These groomed trails meander through moderate slopes, offering a chance to appreciate the beauty of the Bolton woods.

For many skiers, the magic of Bolton starts where the grooming stops. An early exit from Broadway will land you on Gardiner’s Lane, one of the first trails cut by Gardiner Lane. Today, Gardiner’s Lane connects to a tangle of other loops and treasures of the backcountry.

Explore rustic camps and connect to the Trapp network

Or head out on the Bryant Trail, named for the property’s first owner. This trail leads to Bryant Camp, one of the two rustic cabins on the property. Both cabins are reservable and popular overnight destinations in summer and winter.

Past Bryant Camp, Bryant Trail becomes the Bolton-Trapps Trail, a 9-mile connection between Bolton Valley and the Trapp Family Lodge. Lane worked with Johannes Von Trapp to cut the trail in 1972, traversing Nebraska Notch in the Mount Mansfield State Forest between the two properties. Today, the trail overlaps with the Catamount Trail, the 300-mile ski trail connecting Quebec to Massachusetts.

Bolton-Trapps remains a favorite for intrepid skiers looking for a day-long ski. While the trail is well-skied, it feels about as remote as Vermont gets. It won’t feel like you’re within a few miles of Vermont’s largest population centers.

But on a perfect winter weekend, you won’t be totally alone. Most skiers you’ll pass on the trail will share your joy of being out in the wilderness, experiencing the best that Vermont has to offer.

Visit Bolton Valley Nordic & Backcountry

Public Access
Dogs Allowed
Parking

Make Bolton Valley Nordic your next destination to explore the best of Vermont in all seasons. Trail passes (both single-day and season), lessons, guided tours, and equipment rentals are available from the Backcountry and Nordic Center found at the base. For more information, visit boltonvalley.com.

You can plan ahead and book a remote cabin (Bryant Camp or Bolton Lodge) for a cozy getaway in the backwoods. Or make a day of it by skiing between Bolton and the Trapp Family Lodge on the Bolton-Trapps Trail.

Please note: Skiers are required to have trail passes on all Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry trails, including visitors to Bolton Lodge and Bryant Camp. However, skiers who pass through the property while traversing the Catamount Trail are not required to have a trail pass. Hikers and birdwatchers may enjoy the marked trails in the summer and fall at no cost.

Get directions to the Bolton Valley Ski Area here.

There’s ample parking at Bolton Valley. The Nordic Center is located to the left of the main base lodge, past the five tiers of parking.

Visit the Bolton Valley website for winter trail maps, summer trail maps, as well as snow conditions.

How the community saved this Vermont treasure

Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry isn’t just a prized recreation destination.

It’s on a swath of forest that makes up a crucial connection between Mount Mansfield State Forest and Camel’s Hump State Park. Uninterrupted, connected forests allow wildlife to travel, feed, and breed safely. The forest also contains the headwaters and most of the watershed for Joiner Brook, a tributary of the Winooski.

Happily, VLT conserved the 1,100+ acre parcel in 2013 after a huge community effort.

In the early 2010s, members of the Old Goats learned that the property was under contract to be sold to a private buyer. The buyer planned to shut down the Nordic center and close the trails. The community wasted no time. They pulled together a group called Friends of Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry.

The Friends of Bolton mounted an impressive campaign

The Friends wrote a letter to the buyer, sharing the importance of the property and asking for time to figure out a way to conserve the land. They were successful. The buyer graciously withdrew his offer in support of conservation.

The parcel was already on the radar of conservationists because the Chittenden County Uplands Conservation Project had named the tract of forest as high priority for conservation just a few years before.

Given the land’s cultural, ecological, and recreational importance, VLT agreed to work with Friends of Bolton Valley to protect it.

An enormous two-year fundraising effort ensued, resulting in $1.85 million raised to buy and conserve the 1,144 acres. Hundreds of individual donors and several large grants made the effort a success, and VLT bought the land in June 2013.

The land was immediately transferred to the State of Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) to be managed as part of the Mt. Mansfield State Forest.

We hold the conservation easement together with the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board, ensuring that the land is protected and stewarded for forest health, wildlife habitat, and continued recreation for generations to come.

(Photo: Friends of Bolton Valley and community members at a celebratory ski in 2013)

Credit Sheri Larsen

Caring for the land today

Today, FPR collaborates with various groups to maintain the trail network as well as the two cabins, Bolton Lodge and Bryant Camp.

The Friends of Bolton Valley Nordic and Backcountry continue to maintain the trails, as they have since the 1970s.

Bolton Valley Resort has a license agreement with FPR to operate the resort and identify maintenance needs on the property.

The Green Mountain Club maintains Bryant Camp and Bolton Lodge through a separate agreement with FPR, while the Resort helps provide and transport firewood for the cabins.

The number of organizations involved with stewarding the landscape in this location highlights the love Vermonters have for their land and how they choose to engage with it.

(Photo: View of Camel’s Hump from backcountry trail Heavenly Highway 2)