Mount Ascutney
3.5 miles, 2,280 ft of climbing, 12.3% average grade.
Short, savage, and beautiful: 3.5 miles at 12% through Mount Ascutney State Park, ranked by PJAMM as the hardest bike climb in Vermont. Ascutney concedes nothing, the switchbacks come steep from the first turn and the ramps touch 15% before the summit parking lot ends it.
Highlights
- Vermont's hardest climb, mile for mile, 12% with 15% ramps
- Tight wooded switchbacks with no recovery for the first two miles
- A monadnock: one lone mountain, visible from half of Vermont
- Peak-season foliage arrives just after race day
Must Know
- The steepest sustained grades come early, don't detonate in the first mile.
- The summit lot is below the true peak; the hang-glider launch a short walk up has the view.
- September mornings in Vermont start cold; the descent back down is chilly.
Lodging
Windsor and Hartland have inns and B&Bs; Claremont, NH (15 minutes) has the budget options. Mount Ascutney State Park itself has a campground at the base.
Food & Views
- Harpoon Brewery's taproom in Windsor is the de facto post-race hall
- Windsor's small downtown for coffee and diner breakfasts
- Views: the hang-glider launch platform near the summit
Nearby Routes
- Road: the Connecticut River valley roads on both banks
- Gravel: Reading and Brownsville's town-road network
- Hike: Weathersfield Trail up Ascutney's south face
- MTB: Ascutney Trails' cross-country network at the old ski area