Killington Resort filed an Act 250 permit with the state on May 6, 2025, for a new mountain bike trail.
It’s an amendment to its existing permit “for the addition of a blue or intermediate level mountain biking trail within the existing Ramshead mountain bike trail network,” according to the Act 250 application. “The trail will be lift serviced by the Ramshead ski lift and extend the length of the lift. The trail type is consistent with other single track flow trails in the network and will enhance the disbursement of rider trail density in this area. The trail has been designed to avoid delineated riparian and wetland impacts. The trail is partially located on our State leased land, Pico Pond leased land and KPSRP owned land,” the permit states.
“It’s currently in the permitting process and looking like it will be completed by the end of next season,” said Brooke Geery, Killington Resort marketing specialist.
The resort is working again with Gravity Logic — whom it tapped for its massive five-year buildout of Snowshed and Ramshead 2018-2022 — on this new expansion.
Two years ago the resort had said the cost for the new trail would be about $300,000. The work was first announced as part of the $30 million upgrades the new independent owners planned to spend on improvements to the mountain.
The new trail will start at the top of the Ramshead head and snake down just north of Blue Magic on the far boundary for more than two miles, with an intermediate pitch, the resort stated. It will be mostly single track with a “narrower feel” than the nearby Blue Magic Trail.
The new Ramshead Trail will intersect with Blue Magic at several points, giving riders the option to easily switch between the trails, creating multiple different experiences on different laps. The trail will use natural terrain to create jumps and step downs, and will have wooden features including berms, diving boards and whale tails. Stay tuned!
New access for Sherburner awaits funding
The Pesky Cairn Connector Trail, which used to bypass the main entrance of Gifford Woods State Park and provided access to both the Pesky Cairn and Sherburner Trails has been closed forcing summer trail users to travel through the main park entrance and pay for entrance. Either State Park passes (seasonal or $5/day) or Killington Mountain Bike Club (KMBC) membership are now required to travel through the fee-controlled area. The good news is that parking is included.
KMBC members must visit the Park office during business hours with proof of KMBC membership, either as a primary or add-on VMBA chapter (a screenshot VMBA membership works great) to receive their Season Pass.
KMBC had a grant, permits and was working on engineering plans for a new trail connector that would provide access to the trails outside of the fee-controlled area of the Park and forego the need to enter through Gifford Woods. But the grant funding the project got canceled.
“Usually the permitting is the hardest part,” said Ben Colona, president of KMBC and owner of Base Camp Bike & Ski. “We have the plans but now not the funding… It requires a bridge with a pretty big span across a river… The original quote was $80,000, but that was a few years ago. It’s probably double that today,” he said.
Currently, there is no known timeline now for this project to be restarted, so this summer access to the popular Sherburner trail and Pesky Cairn will only be through the main entrance.
Pine Hill Park’s Carriage Trail is closed this summer due to logging in Proctor
Due to logging on the 600 acres of Proctor Library lands, the Carriage Trail is closed from Resting Brook to Proctor. Pine Hill Park asks all riders to please respect this trail closure by staying off the trail.
Download the 2025 GRIP magazine.
