Caledonia Trail Collaborative

08/24/2026

This week, on Monday 8/24, Wednesday 8/26, and Friday 8/28, from 3:30-5:00pm, the "XMAS trails": Raser's Edge, Varsity, GMC, Buckshot, and Sleigh Ride will be closed for a St. Johnsbury Academy Mountain Bike team time trial event.
The trails can be used at any other time this week, save for these three 90-minute sessions.
A sign will be placed at the Raser's Edge entrance off of Sweet Road to remind users.
The team will host two more time trials this season that will have the same minor impact: one week in September and one in October.
The Rank'n Roll loop and all of the trails east of Swett Road will not be impacted.
If you do ride the XMAS trails this week, you'll see some markers and flagging for the time trial. Don't fret; just ride around it!
Let us know if you have any questions!

08/20/2026

It's official: After an amazing building season that saw around 150 individual volunteers contribute hundreds of hours of labor, our latest trail, "Varsity," at 1.1 miles long, is OPEN! This amazing crew of 9 volunteers finished the last section on Wednesday night, completing our longest handbuild-only trail to date. This work got finished just in time for the debut fall season of St. Johnsbury Academy's new Mountain Bike team! Yes, "Varsity" and other trails on the "XMAS land" will be the Hilltoppers' home base for training, along with plenty of trips to Kingdom Trails throughout the season. But don't let that stop you from checking it out! Grab your bike and make your way over to Varsity after work or over the weekend. You will love its old-school, hand-built, loamy New England vibe.
Thank you to every single volunteer who swung some steel during the construction of this trail. And thank you to our generous landowners who make these community trails possible.
Check Varsity out on Trailforks:
https://www.trailforks.com/region/crow-hill-trails/?activitytype=1&z=14.7&lat=44.41234&lon=-72.06035&content=trails,labels,region,poi,directory,polygon,waypoint,nst,routes_featured

08/20/2026

Tonight’s super crew helped finish Varsity, our new mile+ trail. Thanks to them, and to EVERYONE who helped out this spring and summer. The trail surface is still soft and needs a little finishing work, but it’s definitely ready for some bikers and hikers. You’ll find the entrance at the north end of GMC. So get out there and have fun! Woohooooo!!!

08/17/2026

Youth mountain biking is awesome! This is a great program for 5th-8th graders who want to ride and (maybe) race. We can vouch!

Registration for Fall Youth Mountain Biking is OPEN!

🚵‍♂️ St J REC Youth MTB (born out of and formerly a part of Hilltopper MTB) is a youth mountain biking program welcoming young riders in grades 5-8. Scholarships, loaner equipment, and helmets available.

📆 Weekly rides meet Thursdays at area trails including Vermont Children's Theater (VCT), Moose Haven, Burke Mtn, and area St J trails. Led by Finn Maquire (continuing youth leader from Hilltopper MTB), participants will ride on the same days as the Hilltopper Club MTB program, allowing programs to continue to collaborate, share resources, and support all riders. Full schedule available during registration. NOTE: If your rider will be requesting a loaner bike during the registration process, a required bike fitting is scheduled for Thursday, August 27th at 3:15pm at St. Johnsbury Academy.

🤔 Curious what happened to the Hilltopper Youth MTB program? Due to the exciting advancement of Hilltopper MTB into an official Varsity sport, the youth program is no longer able to continue operation under the same group. St. Johnsbury Academy will continue to run a Club MTB program for high school students that is separate and in addition to their new varsity team. Thanks to a dedicated group of SJA MTB leaders and St J Rec's desire to continue offering this unique opportunity for our community, we are thrilled to accept the passing of the torch and continue building the program. Through a strong commitment to collaboration, we are positive our riders and families will continue to experience the highest quality experience through the St J REC Youth MTB program.

🔗 Link to the Youth Scholarship Fund application and CivicRec program registration site in comments.

07/25/2026

After two more days with Operation Creation last week and a successful volunteer trail work event on Wednesday, Phase 2 of “Varsity” is now open!! This new 0.25 mile section brings “Varsity” up to a total of 0.75 mile of new hand-built trail completed so far this season. It can be accessed from the XMAS Loop. You can’t miss it. Give it go!
Thank you landowners and volunteers! Your vision, generosity, and elbow grease contribute greatly to our community.

07/25/2026

After two more days with Operation Creation last week and a successful volunteer trail work event on Wednesday, Phase 2 of "Varsity" is now open!! This new 0.25 mile section brings "Varsity" up to a total of 0.75 mile of new hand-built trail completed so far this season. It can be accessed from the XMAS Loop. You can't miss it!
Thank you landowners and volunteers! Your vision, generosity, and elbow grease contribute greatly to our community.
Check out the Crow Hill Trails on Trailforks: https://www.trailforks.com/region/crow-hill-trails/

07/22/2026

We are so delighted with our years-long (since 2019!) collaboration with Operation Creation from St. Johnsbury Academy. This year's crew got so much done, and had a good time doing it. Thank you for your contribution to recreational trails in our community!
And congratulations to Hilltopper Mountain Biking. We look forward to seeing the team on the trails!

07/22/2026

See you tonight? We’ll meet at the Crow Hill lot (560 Clark Rd, Danville) and go from there. We’ll have tools.

07/10/2026

After a very successful Sophomore Stewardship Day in April, a day with some HilltopperMTB racers in June, two after work Wednesday events, and two days with some incoming 9th graders from Operation Creation last week, we are pleased to announce the opening of the first leg (0.5 miles) of “Varsity,” a trail that will eventually circumnavigate the XMAS tree land. “Varsity” is named to commemorate HilltopperMTB’s new status as a varsity team sport at St. Johnsbury Academy in the 2026-27 school year. Congratulations, HilltopperMTB!
“Varsity” can be accessed from the west side of XMAS Loop or the south end of GMC. We recommend riding it from the top, but it should be a good climber, too. Check the attached map to see where you can drop in!
Thank you to our generous landowners for making this possible. Your commitment to recreational trails in the St. Johnsbury and Danville area is a gift! Thank you to our volunteers and local partners for all of your support and elbow grease!
Now get out there and ride Crow Hill. It just keeps getting better!
https://caledoniatrailcollaborative.org/crow-hill

07/10/2026

After a very successful Sophomore Stewardship Day in April, a day with some HilltopperMTB racers in June, two after work Wednesday events, and two days with some incoming 9th graders from Operation Creation last week, we are pleased to announce the opening of the first leg (0.5 miles) of "Varsity," a trail that will eventually circumnavigate the XMAS tree land. "Varsity" is named to commemorate HilltopperMTB's new status as a varsity team sport at St. Johnsbury Academy in the 2026-27 school year. Congratulations, HilltopperMTB!
"Varsity" can be accessed from the west side of XMAS Loop or the south end of GMC. We recommend riding it from the top, but it should be a good climber, too. Check the attached map to see where you can drop in!
Thank you to our generous landowners for making this possible. Your commitment to recreational trails in the St. Johnsbury and Danville area is a gift! Thank you to our volunteers and local partners for all of your support and elbow grease!
Now get out there and ride Crow Hill. It just keeps getting better!
https://caledoniatrailcollaborative.org/crow-hill