Transportation around and within the Green Mountain National Forest can be characterized as a rural road system.  There are no freeways, interstates, or expressways that cross the area.  Paved State roads and paved and graveled town roads typify the roadway network around and leading to National Forest land, while smaller, mostly graveled roads define the Forest Service owned system of roads within the Forest.  Forest roads are primarily used for recreation and forest management activities.  They also provide some access to private land holdings within the National Forest.  Forest roads are typically unplowed and closed to automobile use during the winter season, although many of them are open for use by snowmobiles.

Most forest roads are single lane or 1-1/2 lanes with occasional pull-outs.  Almost 60% of Forest roads have a graveled surface, while about 40% of the roads have only a native material surface.  Less than 2% of Forest roads are paved.  There are currently approximately 243.6 miles of Forest Service jurisdiction roads on the GMNF.  Roads under Forest Service jurisdiction are assigned a maintenance level from 1 to 5.  These maintenance levels (along with the corresponding number of miles for each on the GMNF) are defined as follows:

  Maintenance Levels                  Miles on GMNF

  Level 1 –Basic Custodial Care (Closed)                    95.1

  Level 2 –High Clearance Cars / Trucks                     67.3

  Level 3 –Suitable for Passenger Cars                       44.7

  Level 4 –Passenger Car (Moderate Comfort)            35.5

  Level 5 –Passenger Car (High Comfort)                     1.0

 

The Forest performs annual road maintenance on most of the passenger car (Levels 3-5) roads on the Forest.  Level 1 and 2 roads get much less regular maintenance.  Interested in ADOPTING A FOREST ROAD?  Please contact John Kamb, Roads Program Coordinator at 802-747-6724 for details.

Please see the following links for more detailed information on the GMNF Forest Road System and its management:

ROAD CLOSURES

Forest roads open for public access (Levels 2-5) are generally open from May 1st to December 15th for highway legal vehicles unless closed temporarily for construction, the safety of forest visitors, or to protect the roadbed or natural / cultural resources in the area. Please see the GMNF Motor Vehicle Use Map link below for more detailed information on Forest Road travel information. Please also reference the Current Conditions webpage for temporary road closure or delay updates due to construction or road maintenance work. If you are traveling on a Forest Road and leaving tracks, please turn around and stay off the road until conditions improve.

ROAD MAPS & REPORTS

GMNF Transportation Atlas:

North Half Map                     South Half Map

Motor vehicle use designations, previously defined by Supervisor’s Closure Orders are now shown on the 2009 Motor Vehicle Use Map that is available free to the public on March 1, 2009.  This map will be updated on an annual basis, unless changes are made in the interim to open or close roads.  Any changes before the annual publication date would require that a new map be prepared and made available to the public.  The publication of this map is only a change in administrative procedures and doesn’t change whether individual roads or trails are open or closed.    

The publication of this map is in response to a change in national policy regarding the management of motor vehicles on all National Forests.  The Forest Service’s final travel management rule revises regulations at 36 CFR parts 212, 251, 261, and 295 to require designations of roads, trails, and areas for motor vehicle use. The designation of these roads and trails will be shown on a motor vehicle use map available free to the public and on the internet.

This change in law enforcement procedures applies only to National Forest System roads, trails and lands. On the Green Mountain National Forest many roads are under town and county jurisdiction, with only a portion of the roads under jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service.  Since there are no approved trails for wheeled motorized use, the map will not show any motorized trails.  There is no change in management of snowmobile trails, which are not shown on this map.

Link to 2011 Motor Vehicle Use Map

GMFL Road Database Reports:  (under construction)

GMFL Road Accomplishment Reports:  (under construction)

ROAD PLANNING & CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS

2010 Green Mountain NF Road Projects  (map to be posted shortly)

GMNF Roads Analysis Process (RAP) Report 

Nordic Project Travel Analysis 

Natural Turnpike Travel Analysis

Upper White River Travel Analysis

Dorset Peru Landscape Assessment         (to be posted July, 2010)          (go to project page)  

ROAD RELATED LINKS

USFS Transportation Web Page:  http://www.fs.fed.us/eng/transp/

USFS Travel Management Information:  http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/ohv/index.shtml

VTrans Town Highway Maps:  http://www.aot.state.vt.us/planning/mapgis/town%5Fmaps1.htm

VT Local Roads:  http://personalweb.smcvt.edu/vermontlocalroads/

Ancient Roads Information:  http://resources.vlct.org/results/?s=label:Ancient+Roads

 

This page was last updated on 18 February, 2011.