Montpelier & Wells River Rail Trail: East Montpelier - Plainfield

Two miles of pleasant, gradual trail made from old railbed in quiet wooded setting.
Trail Activity
Walking Bicycling Horseback riding
Length
2.00 miles, One Way
Difficulty
Easy
Towns
East Montpelier (VT), Plainfield (VT)
Surface
Packed Earth/Dirt, Gravel/Crushed Stone/Cinder
Pets
Permitted on leash
Fees
No
Other Activities
Snowmobiling

Description

Pleasant, wide, gradual flowing trail made from old railbed. Quiet wooded setting. Some interesting 19th century granite stone work.

In winter, the western half of the trail is groomed by local snowmobile clubs and open to motorized use. The eastern half of trail is not groomed, and not currently open to motorized use in any season.

ALERT: The historic floods of 2011 washed out a section of trail - creating a gap 75 feet wide and 35 feet deep. It effectively closes the trail as a through route (but you can still go in and out from each end). The washout is at about the halfway point between Route 14 in East Montpelier and Country Club Road in Plainfield. We are working to repair the damage, you can help!

Trail Manager

Visit Cross Vermont Trail Association online for more information or contact:

Cross Vermont Trail

Cross Vermont Trail
29 Main St Suite 4
Montpelier, VT 05602
Phone: (802) 498-0079
greg@crossvermont.org
View website

Trail Tips

Be Considerate of Other Visitors
Yield to pedestrians on multi-use trails. Warn others that you are passing from behind with a friendly "Excuse me" and a smile.
Legend
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Trailhead Information

Public parking at the western Route 14 trailhead, about 0.8 miles south of the junction of Route 14 and Route 2 in East Montpelier. There is no public parking at the eastern trailhead at Country Club Road in Plainfield.

Click on a parking icon to get custom directions
Please Log In or Create Account to add comments.
deliamo
July 22, 2025
Beautiful flat walk through the woods. Plenty of parking at the parking lot off of Rt. 14 across from the Animal Shelter. Speaking of animals, expect to see many people walking their dogs here. The beginning of the trail is mowed grass, and then it becomes smooth packed dirt. No roots or rocks. A new bridge has been built over the washout, so the trail can be taken all the way to Country Club road. It's a gorgeous, tree shaded walk with plenty of birds to listen to. The end of the trail near Country Club road has stone barriers to prevent motorized vehicles from accessing the trail, which might be difficult to navigate in a wheelchair, but that is almost at the end so it's a fine place to turn around and head back to the parking lot. #accessible
carl802
September 26, 2021
Nice walk, cool in the summer. 2021 lot of trail improvement in the mini bridge and wash out.
Don’t take fat tire bikes when it’s been wet. Will smash the trail, be cool.
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