Building Trails for Lincoln’s Future
With support from the Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) Community Grant Program from the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation, we are revitalizing the trail system on our land and adding an ADA accessible boardwalk for all Lincoln residents to enjoy.
What are we doing?
Developing and maintaining 13,000 feet of trails suitable for mountain biking, hiking, skiing, and snowshoeing.
Building and maintaining 1,200 feet of ADA-compliant trail including sections of raised wooden boardwalk that will help connect the different facilities on Lincoln Sports’ land and provide an opportunity to access the land for everyone.
Building gravel parking lots to better serve our town’s transportation needs during events such as youth sports. This project is supported by the ARPA distribution provided by the town of Lincoln.
Updating the infrastructure that supports the trail systems with an informational kiosk and new signage.
Lincoln Sports owns 55 acres of forest at 34 Gove Hill Rd. This hillside was formerly the site of a ski hill, hiking trails, and incredible access to the outdoors directly in the center of town. We are looking to revitalize this land and create new and engaging uses. With support from the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation as well as an ARPA grant from the Town of Lincoln and individual donors Lincoln Sports will be:
Our ADA boardwalk won’t look exactly like this but we are excited about building something similar for our community!
What will it look like?
We are still in the planning phases of this project so check back for updates but some early renderings are provided below from vendors we have been working with in preparation for this project.
This illustration is an early draft of the potential trails to be developed. These trails are subject to (and likely will) change as we continue with the planning and development process.
An early map of what the combined gravel and raised boardwalk may resemble.
The ADA boardwalk will be a combination of raised wooden platforms and gravel paths.
A curvy section of a trail built by one of or potential trail builders.
When is this happening?
It’s starting now! We are targeting 2026 for the trails to be open for public use. Like any outdoor project with many moving parts and reliance on weather, there may be some changes in our plan.
Our Partners
Alex Barrett, from Long View Forest, has supported Lincoln Sports from the beginning with forest management and consulting services. You may have met Alex during a walkthrough of our land! See the Forest Management Report Long View produced here.
After a review of potential local trailbuilders, Lincoln Sports chose L&D Trailworks to build our trails. Check out some of the trails L&D has built in the past here.
Katie Sparkes (sparkes.katie@gmail.com) is our grant writer consultant and helped Lincoln Sports tremendously in this and other grant applications. Feel free to reach out to her if you are a nonprofit looking for grant writing support. Thank you Katie!
Lincoln Sports’ Commitment
Lincoln Sports is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supported by seven volunteer board members who are residents of Lincoln. While we are deeply rooted in the town of Lincoln (operating summer camp, youth soccer and basketball, Hill Country Holiday) we are a separate entity to the town and operate independently. The town of Lincoln has generously allotted funds to Lincoln Sports during the annual town budget meeting to help support youth sports, summer camp camperships, and land management and through the ARPA hearings. It is important to note that there are no actions that are taken by Lincoln Sports that commit the town of Lincoln to any future financial obligation.
We believe these updates to the Lincoln Sports land can have tremendous benefits to the community. Accessible access to nature for members of our community that don’t have access to some trails, mountain biking access for Lincoln youth that don’t have the ability to travel far outside of town lines, opportunities for learning and engagement for both the Lincoln Community School and Lincoln Sports Camp. Throughout this process the board of Lincoln Sports is committed to:
Creating outdoor access opportunities for our entire community that continues to promote a love for the outside and moments for intergenerational exchange.
Being collaborative and communicative during our process to ensure all Lincoln community members feel that they have a voice in this process.
Respectfully building trail systems that take into consideration the natural flora and fauna on the property.
Want to help or have questions?
Get in touch with us at info@lincolnsports.org. Looking forward to hearing from you.