Groton State Forest OHV Trails
Groton State Forest is Vermont's largest contiguous block of state-managed land at approximately 26,000 acres in Caledonia and Washington counties, the Northeast Kingdom's transition zone where the rolling agricultural uplands of the Connecticut River watershed meet the more rugged terrain of the central Vermont mountains north of Montpelier. The forest straddles US-2 near the village of Groton and encompasses multiple ponds, the Groton Bog natural area, and an extensive trail system managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation that includes designated ATV/OHV routes. Vermont's ATV trail network is coordinated through VASA (Vermont ATV Sportsman's Association), and the Groton State Forest system connects with the broader VASA trail corridor, meaning riders who access the forest OHV trails can link into a much larger regional trail network extending across Caledonia and Washington counties through VASA easements and connections. The terrain in Groton State Forest is northern Vermont hardwood and boreal forest: sugar maple, yellow birch, and American beech on the lower slopes; red spruce and fir on the upper ridges and bog margins; and the rocky, glacially sculpted terrain of the northeastern Vermont upland that produces consistently interesting technical trail character. The Peacham Bog area and multiple state forest ponds give the riding landscape a distinctive Great North Woods character. ATVs and registered dirt bikes are the permitted machine classes on designated OHV routes. Vermont ATV registration is required. The Green Mountain Club and VASA maintain the trail corridor connections. Contact the Vermont FPR Groton office (802-426-3042) for current OHV trail designations and seasonal status.