VAST Trail System – Burke Mountain Connector

What started as logging roads to harvest Burke Mountain’s timber now serves as a gnarly summer ATV route that follows the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) winter corridors. The trail cuts through active timber operations before climbing granite ledges that offer views across the Northeast Kingdom’s rolling hills. Key waypoint is the old fire tower foundation at 3,267 feet, where granite slabs create technical rock crawling sections that separate the tourists from the locals.

This is genuine technical terrain requiring lifted 4WD with skid plates and recovery gear. Rock slabs demand careful line choice, and the timber cuts can be muddy swamps after rain. Summer and early fall offer the best conditions when the ground firms up. No permits needed on state land portions, but respect active logging operations. What you get is raw Vermont backcountry without the crowds, plus some of the best foliage views in the state come October.