Inside scoop: Navigating Craftsbury's Nordic trails (and parking) on race days

Mercifully, we’ve never achieved this level of gridlock - but that doesn’t mean that we can’t experience a high volume of skiers looking for parking.

Race weekends are a celebration of Nordic skiing! It's a great opportunity to see racers of all ages and abilities...but perhaps you're wanting to celebrate the quieter side of Nordic skiing, away from the madding crowds. We get it: living in Vermont, we're not acclimated to traffic either. But it's the weekend, and you want to ski. What's a dedicated skier to do?

Even on a busy weekend, the trail system can soak up a lot of people and offer almost everyone a good ski experience.

Remember that there is more skiing away from the main campus than at it.
Our core trails around campus are about 40 of the 105k of trails that we groom. There's a LOT more to Craftsbury than the trails right at campus. The facilities impacted by racing does necessitate a change to your approach, but hey: it's a great chance to explore other parts of the trails.

Find alternate parking.
Park at alternate access points along our trailsystem. Check out the map above for directions and getting a sense of your options. Dustan Road offers quite a bit of public parking and you can access the Common Trail not far from your car. Craftsbury Common offers limited parking around the Common. Hosmer Point parking gets you to the north end of our trail system without hassle. Highland Lodge offers a convenient access point to the Greensboro trails. Public parking at the common in Greensboro gets you a short walk away from the trail that ends at the town hall a block or so away (and great access to regional treasure, Willey's).

Parking on the Common allows easy access to the Common Trail.

Pack a map.
If you're following our advice, you may be accessing parts of the system differently than usual. Bringing along a map is a great idea. Print off a copy, or get a geo-referenced pdf that shows you offline where you're at without relying on a cell signal! Maps are here, and here's the free app for viewing them offline.

Buy your day pass or annual membership online.
How to pay without the Activity Center? Online! We offer day passes and annual memberships online. Buy them before you leave home.

Think fast and light.
Base out of your car as much as possible. Show up at the trailhead in your gear, ready to ski. Need food? Pick it up when you go through the village with their general stores, past Highland Lodge or pack your own.

Or just stay with us.
You’ll forgive us for the self-serving suggestion, but you know who’s not stressed about parking or traffic? Our guests in their trailside lodging. They scoot out after breakfast for a day of exploring, sans worry about mundanities. Read more about lodging.

Race weekends are a different experience than many people’s experience of skiing at Craftsbury. In addition to experiencing the speedy side of the Nordic world, with a bit of planning they can offer you an excuse to explore other parts of the trail system that you may not visit as often.

Exploration can have huge payoffs!