Adventure Cycling Association

You’ll meet up with your tour leaders and the rest of the group next to stunning Lake Champlain. Here, you and your fellow adventure cyclists will have an orientation session and map meeting, followed by a hearty dinner. Together we will make any final adjustments to your bicycle, and then it’s time to get some shut-eye in preparation for the days ahead.

Today’s ride will take us on parts of U.S. Bicycle Route 7 as we leave the islands of Lake Champlain and head toward Burlington. Before we get there, we’ll travel across the three-mile Island Line Trail, including a short ferry across an open section of the trail. Burlington, home to the University of Vermont, is a fantastic town to explore. Be sure to pop off the trail and head to Church Street, a historic pedestrian-only plaza, and get your first dose of Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream! We’ll end our day back on Lake Champlain ready to watch the sun set.

After another peaceful evening on Lake Champlain, we’ll head inland toward the foothills of the Green Mountains. We’ve got quiet roads and beautiful farmland ahead of us today, so be on the lookout for some cows and New England’s iconic red barns. Our route will take us through Middlebury, a stunning college town of impressive architecture, before we reach our final destination on Lake Dunmore.

Get ready to climb! Leaving Lake Dunmore, we’ll cycle along the Middlebury River and ascend Middlebury Gap, the highest point of our tour. A fantastic downhill follows before we turn north toward Waterbury. En route, take a moment to check out Warren Falls, a great spot to cool off on a warm day, but don’t dawdle too long. There’s much to explore (and eat!) when we get to Waterbury. Sample some ice cream and take a tour of Ben & Jerry’s Vermont Factory — don’t forget to check out the Flavor Graveyard — or stroll through historic downtown Waterbury to browse boutiques full of Vermont-made wares before grabbing a beer or sampling some BBQ at Prohibition Pig brewery.

A relaxing day today will leave us plenty of time to explore all the fun diversions along scenic Route 100. As we leave Waterbury, consider stopping in at Green Mountain Coffee Café to enjoy a Vermont-roasted cup of joe, and then be on the lookout for Cold Hollow Cider Mill, home to arguably the best donuts in Vermont. We’ll pass through Stowe, a quaint ski town that’s home to Vermont’s highest mountain. Just up the hill is the Trapp Family Lodge — still managed by descendents of the von Trapp family of Sound of Music fame — whose Austrian-inspired architecture will transport you from New England to the Alps. We’ll end our day on the small Lake Elmore.

We’ll continue our loop on the peaceful Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, cycling along the Lamoille River. Keep an eye out for thru-hikers as our route will briefly overlap with Vermont’s 272-mile Long Trail. We’ll eventually turn north toward Canada, basking in more of Vermont’s green countryside until we end our day a stone’s throw away from the Canadian border at Lake Carmi, a relaxing place to swim, fish, and kick back, enjoying our last night together with our new friends.

On our last day of riding, we’ll wind along the Missisquoi River until it meets Lake Champlain. Keep an eye out for great blue herons, black terns, and ospreys as we cycle through the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge before turning south to finish our Vermont Loop. We’ll enjoy lovely views of the Adirondack and Green Mountains as we ride through the small town of North Hero before arriving back to Grand Isle, taking in the views of Lake Champlain one last time before going our separate ways.