Summary
Mountain biking at Burke Mountain Resort: lift-served bike parks, Kingdom Trails, and family-friendly trails in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.
We loved our ski trip to Burke Mountain Resort this past February (add link to article) so much that we promised to come back — and here we are! Vermont summers aren’t the longest, so our family grabs every chance we get outside. When the forecast looked too iffy for camping, we pivoted to a spontaneous stay at the Burke Mountain Hotel instead.
Burke Mountain Hotel
Once ski season wraps up, the hotel shakes off winter and turns into a summer basecamp for exploring the Northeast Kingdom (NEK). Even the giant stuffed bears in the lobby traded their winter gear for bikes! The hotel is a great fit for families (pup included, if you’ve got one) — rooms of all sizes with a view and kitchenette, restaurants covering breakfast through dinner, an arcade, and an outdoor pool and hot tub calling your name. We booked a one-bedroom again for our family of three (see our previous post for the full rundown).
Camping fans, take note: the hotel also runs its own campground, and it’s a good one. I wandered through and found it laid out like a classic Vermont State Park — tent sites and lean-tos tucked into the woods for real privacy. Think tent and car camping, not the sardine-packed RV fields you see elsewhere. One camper practically lit up telling me about the perks: free showers, plus free run of the hotel’s pool and hot tub. And getting there? Easy — just stroll or bike across the overflow lot to the footbridge that drops you right at the hotel’s door.
Summer in the Northeast Kingdom
Ask someone to describe Vermont in summer, and they’re probably picturing the NEK. Bordered by Canada to the north, the Connecticut River (and New Hampshire) to the east, and the Green Mountains to the west, this unspoiled corner of the state delivers clear glacial lakes like the iconic Lake Willoughby, rolling hills with sweeping vistas, and bogs that shelter about half of Vermont’s moose population. Small farms dot the countryside throughout.
Burke Mountain sits right at the heart of the NEK, and the hotel makes the perfect launchpad for summer adventures. Burke Mountain itself offers lift-served mountain biking and hiking. Down the hill, East Burke Village hosts the world-class Kingdom Trails mountain biking network, plus a great swimming spot where a brook meets the east branch of the Passumpsic River. This little hub packs in all the summer essentials: a country store, bakery, restaurants, a bike/outdoor shop, and — of course — a creemee stand! Beyond that, the NEK offers endless trails to hike and lakes to explore.
I’m used to roughing it on our summer outdoor trips, so this visit to Burke taught me something: you really can have it all — outdoorsy adventure and the comforts of civilization. Thumbs up from the whole family.
East Burke: A Mountain Biker’s Paradise
My son and husband couldn’t wait to get back to Burke for the summer season, since East Burke has a reputation as a world-class mountain biking destination. Naturally, I agreed without really thinking it through. Coming from an urban/suburban upbringing, I’d always gravitated toward road biking, so I figured mountain biking couldn’t be that different — I know how to ride a bike, after all. Turns out, the mountain biking I did on this trip opened up a whole new world.
If you’re already into mountain biking, East Burke delivers paradise: the infrastructure, the scenery, the terrain, all of it. Kingdom Trails, a non-profit, manages, maintains, and builds over 100 miles of trails for every ability level. Burke Mountain Resort runs a lift-served bike park (plus a shuttle to the summit for advanced riders). Bikers rule this town — you’ll spot bike racks outside every business. The hotel goes all-in for summer riders too, with a wash station just outside the bike room and a large, secure storage room where you can hang your bike vertically.
For the 2026 season, the hotel runs Thursday specials (early check-in, free bike park passes, meal vouchers!) and discounts trail-pass holders’ rooms. When we scanned the parking lot, a good chunk of the plates were out-of-state — word’s clearly getting out! Our family tried both lift-served biking at the Burke bike park and cross-country riding at Darling Hill on the Kingdom Trails.
Burke Mountain Lift-Served Bike Park
The Burke Mountain Bike Park lets you and your bike ride the chairlift up, then leaves the rest to physics on the way down — a great option if pedaling uphill isn’t your idea of fun. We’d reserved our rentals the day before, then drove down to Sherburne Base Lodge the next morning to grab our tickets and bikes. I appreciated the family-friendly pass options (4-hour vs. full day, 18-and-under vs. adult), plus a coming discount for Kingdom Trails ticket holders and a $5 try-one-ride deal.
PRO TIP: Bring your ski RFID card — it works for biking too!
Burke recently added a fleet of high-end Transition bikes, a small U.S. company owned by mountain bikers themselves, ranging from 20″ hardtails for little kids up to full-suspension adult bikes. The rental prices seemed steep at first glance, but once I learned the 20″ kids’ bike retails for $1,400, renting made total sense. As a self-proclaimed gear nerd, I know that the right equipment makes or breaks a new sport. While we waited for our bikes to get sized, we ran into Cody, the bike patrol lead (ski patrol in winter), who helped us map out family-friendly trails. She explained that the bike patrol checks trail conditions before the lift opens and patrols throughout the day — good to know the same safety standards carry over from winter to summer. Soon after, Gabe, Burke’s General Manager, showed up to lead our mountain biking tour.
The Burke Mountain Bike Park suits riders who already know their way around a mountain bike — the terrain expects you to handle braking, shifting, and edging with some confidence, but both seasoned riders and newcomers to the sport can take mountain biking lessons with advanced registration. Comfortable biking, but new to downhill? Start like we did, with beginner lesson outlining the basics.
I had no idea what a “berm” was, Gabe walked our family through mountain biking basics, and his attention to detail (and patience) impressed me. On terrain ranging from flat ground to inclines to a pump track, we learned how to pedal like a mountain biker (standing, pedals parallel, midfoot placement), how to modulate our brakes (single-finger trigger, both brakes together), and how to turn (lean the bike, don’t crank the handlebars). I’d taken a quick lesson years ago and tried brushing up on YouTube with my son the night before, but nothing replaces hands-on coaching. Even my husband, an experienced rider, picked up new tips. Once Gabe gave us the green light, we headed to the lift for our first run, with Cody along to keep things extra safe.
The Sherburne Express lift runs beginner-to-expert terrain from 10am to 6pm, Thursday through Sunday. (Coming soon…even more beginner terrain.) Gabe showed us how to load our bikes onto the lift’s bike rack, then we hopped on ourselves. Gabe pointed us toward “Roly Grail” for our first run — a fast, flowy trail that’s become an NEK icon. Since it runs alongside the hotel, he mentioned it’s a great option whenever you need a quick break.
That first flow trail run turned out fabulous and, honestly, breathtaking (pun very much intended). Our family loved weaving through the woods with water rushing beside us and berms that felt fun rather than punishing. Our son, unsurprisingly, wanted to go again immediately with my husband, Gabe, and Cody. We broke for lunch to refuel before our cross-country adventure that afternoon.
Cross-Country Mountain Biking at Kingdom Trails
Kingdom Trails manages over 100 miles of trails for every ability (including adaptive riders), many connecting straight into Burke Mountain’s network. Beyond Burke, two other spots make it easy to get info or rent bikes for the whole family:
- East Burke Village — the official Kingdom Trails Welcome Center, plus bike rentals at East Burke Sports (smallest size: 24″)
- Darling Hill — trail ambassadors staff a booth on weekends, with bike rentals at Rifugio
PRO TIP: Bikes rented at Burke Mountain work outside the park too — just make sure your vehicle can transport them if you head elsewhere.
After lunch, we met Gabe, loaded our rentals into a truck, and drove to Darling Hill — a great spot for families. We arrived to find the area buzzing with families, including toddlers on balance bikes. Ample parking, restrooms, and Rifugio (a bike shop tucked into a converted barn) round out the amenities — rent bikes, book a lesson, or join a guided tour right there. Rifugio’s outdoor bar serves the whole family too (chocolate milk alongside the beer and coffee), with gorgeous NEK views to match. Since we visited on a Saturday, two volunteer trail ambassadors were on hand to help visitors get oriented. Darling Hill caters especially well to families, with trails spanning beginner to advanced, plus a self-contained skills area called “Wildflowers Backyard Trails” where kids and beginners can ride within sight of Rifugio. A sheltered picnic table rounds things out nicely for families.
After chatting with the trail ambassadors, we rode a cross-country loop on Beltway that looped back to the skills area. Wildflower-lined open fields gave us gorgeous views the whole way. Once we got moving, we picked up how to use the gears and dropper seat on the uphills — the shifting on these bikes felt wonderfully responsive. Our son loved the downhills but found the climbs tough going; with some encouragement from Gabe, he pushed through and made it back up. Despite being tired, he still played in the skills area for a while before we headed back to the hotel. My husband, meanwhile, kept riding — tackling the acclaimed “Heaven’s Bench” before looping back.
We’ve only scratched the surface of Kingdom Trails and can’t wait to come back and explore more. I also noticed the area’s rural roads look perfect for gravel biking and bikepacking. A separate non-profit, NEK Gravel, manages 1,000 miles of gravel roads across the region — definitely on our list for next time.
Plenty of Options for Fueling Up
Mountain biking — lift-served or fully human-powered — burns serious calories. I love having a kitchenette for quick hydration and snack breaks, but on vacation, we also love eating out for a few meals.
We revisited The View Pub at the hotel, and the food held up beautifully. My husband ordered the fried chicken sandwich with bacon and fries, our son got the kids’ burger and fries, and I went for the refreshing Vietnamese-inspired noodle salad bowl (Gabe’s recommendation — he had no idea how much I love noodles). With more daylight in summer, we soaked in the Willoughby Gap view throughout the meal.
PRO TIP: You can also grab the noodle salad bowl at the Kingdom Cafe grab-and-go.
We made a point of supporting local businesses too. For breakfast, lunch, and snacks, we picked up baked goods and coffee from Auntie Dee Dee’s Bakery on Mountain Rd — exactly the hyperlocal, high-quality fuel we needed to start (and restart) our days. Every time I mentioned the bakery to people we met, their eyes lit up. On one especially rainy morning, we checked out the Northeast Kingdom Country Store for bagels instead.
A Scenic Drive to a Family-Friendly Hike at Lake Willoughby
Biking may steal the spotlight in the NEK, but the hiking here is just as spectacular. Our family loves exploring at a slower pace, and while Burke Mountain has its own great trail to the peak, the views from the resort inspired us to head further afield to Lake Willoughby. This glacial lake sits flanked by Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor, forming the dramatic Willoughby Gap. The drive to the south shore takes about 20 minutes from the hotel, parking at the state forest is free, and you’ll find an accessible beach for swimming plus a boat launch. Several trails lead to different peaks and viewpoints at varying difficulty levels, but we stuck with the family-friendly 2-mile South Shore Loop.
My son and I tackled the hike while my husband relaxed on the beach. We hiked counterclockwise, following well-marked blue blazes along the shoreline — lake views on one side, trees and rocks on the other, plenty to keep kids engaged the whole way. The trail winds past boardwalks, streams, bridges, and boulders. At one point, my son heard running water and tracked down a hole hiding an underground stream. About a mile in, the trail climbs uphill, and we noticed most families turning back here for an out-and-back hike. We pushed on through the loop instead. Aside from that first short climb, the rest of the hike back to the parking lot went easily. We got lucky, too — it started raining just as we wrapped up. On a hot day, the beach makes a perfect post-hike reward.
Pool and Hot Tub: The Cherry on Top
My friends joke that we could skip every other attraction as long as there’s a pool at the hotel — and honestly, we still can’t argue with that. Our son swam repeatedly in the large outdoor pool, with Burke Mountain rising in the background. One end runs about 3 feet deep, the other about 6 feet — perfect for cannonballs and general water chaos. We shared the pool with families of every age, from babies to teenagers, and it never once felt crowded. After a full day of adventure, the hot tub delivered pure relief for kids and adults alike.
Burke Mountain Resort: A Year-Round Family Destination
We gave Burke an A+ for our ski vacation, and now we’re giving it an A+ for summer too. Between Burke Mountain, East Burke, and the wider NEK, the family-friendly attractions speak for themselves. But what keeps us coming back is the genuine hospitality we haven’t found anywhere else. When we hit a small kid-related snafu on checkout morning, the staff jumped in graciously to help. The whole resort just has a great vibe — happy employees, friendly guests. We’re already talking about making Burke Mountain Resort an annual family tradition.
Chi grew up in California and saw a patch of snow for the first time at 22. Since then she became an avid lover of the outdoors (camping, backpacking, climbing, road biking, and hiking). After moving to Burlington, Vermont during the COVID pandemic, she became a winter enthusiast (skiing, skating). She enjoys observing and exploring natural areas in Vermont and beyond with her husband and son (and sometimes dog). She is a scientist by day and stays busy gardening, foraging, teaching yoga, and contributing to community building initiatives.