Grand Unification Loop

Dogs Off-leash

E-Bikes Unknown

This is the best of the growing singletrack trail network at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. It's a great mix of challenging, technical sections with roots and rocks galore to super fast and flowing machine-built sections with jumps and other obstacles to try.

Craftsbury has meals, lodging, food, and supplies located on site as well as a small bike shop offering rentals. Check in the Craftsbury Outdoor Center office located opposite from the parking lot and trail kiosk for more information. Craftsbury is located less than an hour from Kingdom Trails in East Burke, VT so a great option to connect for a weekend of riding.

The loop starts in front of the Craftsbury Outdoor Center's bike shop, in the corner of the upper parking lot, by the big bike kiosk.

From there, head uphill to your right and across the upper field towards the far kiosk. Following the yellow signs, dip left off the doubletrack onto Spring Chicken and traverse the boardwalks through the swamp. Pop out across the ski trail and tackle a punchy, root-strewn climb. Bear right on the singletrack and head down a short grade, keeping an eye out for the Spring Chicken Connector on the right.

Take the next left and head up the short hill towards Square-a-Bit on your left. Follow Square-a-Bit all the way to the intersection with Sauna Trail and the titular sauna. Stay straight/right and then pop a quick left down into the Playground. Exit the Playground into Elinor's Field and follow the yellow signs. Turn right back onto singletrack on Sauna Trail, heading towards the sauna itself. Turn right at the sauna, staying on Sauna Trail.

After the triple bridges, bear left onto Spring Chicken, heading for the Wave. This section has a few intersections, so keep an eye out for the yellow signs to stay on track. After navigating the Wave, a log ride made out of a gnarled old cedar tree, head uphill and take a left onto Lost Nation Cutoff, which eventually spits you out at Log Landing, a ski trail intersection. This is a great place to grab a drink and if you need to pop back to your car, you're less than 0.5 miles to the lot.

Once you've grabbed a drink or bite to eat, bang a right onto Ski Trail and then a quick left after twenty meters or so onto Cutler's Cutoff. At the end of Cutler's Cutoff, take a right and follow the yellow signs for a mile back towards Elinor's Field. Your next piece of singletrack, Dental Work, will be on the left.

Dental Work feeds directly into Screwdriver, a stupidly fun bit of hand-built downhill. At the bottom of Screwdriver, swing left and immediately back onto Bullseye (also left). After the double bridges, take a right at the intersection (do not go up RIP Tamarack on the left) and descend to the ski trail. Another quick left will get you back to Rocketman headed uphill. Stay straight on Rocketman until you hit another ski trail, then turn left onto the doubletrack.

Get ready to climb, because you're headed up for about half a mile. Follow the yellow signs until the right turn onto Upper Bonus. Upper Bonus drops from the high point of the trail network and spits riders onto Moo Moo Farm, a straight downhill chute. After Moo Moo Farm flattens out and traverses the sidehill, turn right onto the top of Rocketman. Shoot across the ski trail at the bottom of Rocketman onto Spaceman. If you keep your speed up through the lefthand berm youʼll be rewarded with The Launchpad, a small kicker with a landing that drops away, rewarding riders with a brief moment of weightlessness.

Spaceman will spit riders out onto a short climbing portion of Disappearances. At the next intersection, turn left and climb uphill for another mile or so. Follow yellow signs and turn right onto another segment of Moo Moo Farm. Pick your poison on the Thick or Thin Bridge before crossing the Ski Trail and starting onto Kuchka. Woodwardʼs Wheelie, the Outdoor Centerʼs first “flow” trail, waits as a reward after Kuchkaʼs final climb. Stay on Woodwardʼs, pumping the bumps and slapping the well-shaped berms all the way down. For an extra challenge, see if you can gap the Table Top bridge.

From here on out, riders are on machine-built trails with clear markers. At the end of Woodwardʼs, bang a left onto Peanut. After a mile, a left takes riders onto Leapfrog, which is a quick traverse over to Northern Borders. Keep an eye out for the gap jump halfway through on the right. One more premier trail awaits.

After Northern Borders and a quick traverse along Frog, riders drop to the main segment of Disappearances, a fun downhill run. At the bottom of Disappearances, riders will be in a familiar spot. A right turn will hook back onto the Grand Unification Loop before its second long climb. A left will bring riders to Northern Borders, which you can ride in reverse if youʼre feeling fresh.