We are almost there!

We only have $13,000 left to reach our goal!

We are so close to our annual giving campaign goal!! We set an ambitious target of $130,000 and we are 90% of the way there. 168 donors have helped us raise $117,000 so far - we need your help to close the gap and raise the remaining $13,000!

The Mad River Path relies solely on donations to fund our work, and this year is a big one. We have exciting projects in the works to begin implementing the findings of last year’s scoping study and connect the existing segments of the path into a continuous corridor. Thank you to those of who have already contributed to this work in any way, whether that is through donation, volunteering, or being an active member of our vibrant community.

There is no gift too small, make your contribution today!

2026 Summer Camp Registration is Open!

Biking to School with Tobin

Tobin, a sixth grader at Waitsfield Elementary School, rides his bike to school every day. He’s lucky to live in the village with continuous sidewalks between his home and school, but that’s not the case for so many other kids. With a connected Mad River Path, providing a safer alternative to biking on roads like Route 100 in the Mad River Valley, more kids like Tobin will be able to ride their bikes, walk, or wheel to school.

Please support the Mad River Path’s annual giving campaign to help us make this vision a reality.

---

Summer Camps are Open!

From the Heart of the Valley, Mad River Path Adventures offers accessible day and overnight adventure camps for students ages 9 – 15 and families. Our dynamic programs are designed and led by professional guides. Students enjoy adventure sports and the art of wilderness living while developing close connections to nature and the social skills for thriving in an interconnected community.

We believe that outdoor adventure should be a part of everyone’s experience and teach the know-how that often translates into a lifelong love of adventure and discovery in our special backyard and beyond.

Registration is open now and space is limited! Don’t wait to secure your spot!

---

Don’t Forget - Triathlon Prices Increase Jan 1!

Register for your spot in the Mad River Triathlon now and lock in at the 2025 rates! Prices will increase on January 1. You can register now and switch categories down the line without losing your discount, or swap out members of your team.

p.s. have you seen our new triathlon website yet??

Holiday Reflections from the Heart of the Valley

Longtime board member and volunteer Charlie Hosford helped build the Heart of the Valley boardwalk ten years ago. What was once just pallets in the mud is now a four-season pathway between services in the Irasville village, thanks to the spirit of community collaboration in the Mad River Valley.

At Mad River Path, we are literally building the future in which we wish to live - one less reliant on car travel and rooted in harmony with our environment and with each other. we need your help to achieve this vision!

If you haven’t made your gift yet, now is the time! There’s no gift too small; every dollar donated is one step closer to our goal of a connected Mad River Path, and it will take all of us to get there.

Thank you for your support!

---

Thank you to the town of Waitsfield for increased pedestrian safety!

Two crosswalks in Waitsfield received major upgrades this week, thanks to the efforts of the town of Waitsfield and the Mad River Valley Planning District. Rapid Flashing Beacons were installed by the Waitsfield Road Crew and Work Safe at the crosswalks by Carol Road and Old County Road. This seemingly small improvement took a lot of effort in both grant writing and permitting. Thank you for the holiday gift of safety for the children walking to school and all the pedestrians in town!

---

Reminder: Triathlon prices go up Jan 1st

Don’t wait - register now for the Mad River Triathlon and lock in your spot at the 2025 rates! Not sure who you’ll be participating with? Add members later and/or transfer categories down the line and keep your early bird deal.

A Message from Board Member Karrie Thomas

Our annual giving campaign is well on its way, but we still need your help to reach our goal!

Play the video above to hear a message from our board member, Karrie Thomas, about the value of a connected Mad River Path to our community.

Your donation will allow us to begin connecting the sections of the path into a continuous active transportation corridor, as well as improve the existing segments of the path for greater accessibility.

Make your gift today!

---

The Mad River Triathlon is back!

Don’t miss out on early bird pricing before Jan 1st.

The Mad River Triathlon is back for its third year as a fundraising collaboration between the Mad River Path, Mad River Riders, MRV Backcountry Coalition, and the Friends of the Mad River. This four-sport event is a unique celebration of our valley and its natural resources, allowing participants to experience everything the Mad River Valley community has to offer.

We have a new website to share with you, and registration is open! Register before 2026 to lock in your early bird rate for the triathlon! Prices increase Jan 1st.

Annual Giving Campaign Update - Thank You to Our Donors!!

In 2025 we installed a new bridge at Cloud Water Farm, one of many recent upgrades to the Mad River Path.

We owe a big THANK YOU to all of our donors and community partners who have supported our annual giving campaign! We had a successful Giving Tuesday, and thanks to your generous donations we are well on our way to our goal: raising the funds necessary to begin connecting the existing segments of the Path into a continuous active transportation corridor.

So far, 100 individual donors and organizational partners have helped us raise $55,000 towards our goal. We are halfway to our goal!

We have an ambitious goal but we believe in the power of community to create the world we wish to live in. A world where we exist in and with nature, and non-vehicular travel is safe, accessible, and fun for all people. Help us realize this vision with a gift to our annual giving campaign. A gift of any amount gets us one step closer, literally, to completing the Mad River Path.

Lawson's Finest Liquids Pledges $5,000 GivingTuesday Match

The scoping study for the Mad River Path is now complete! In a year, we moved the project from a concept to an engineered corridor, endorsed by the Agency of Transportation. But the work is just beginning. We need your help to start connecting the existing segments of the path into a continuous, accessible active transportation corridor from Warren to Middlesex.

With federal funding eliminated or threatened from all sides, we are relying on the strength of our community more than ever. GivingTuesday is coming up on Dec 2nd, and we’ve received a pledge from our Path partners at Lawson’s Finest Liquids to match donations up to $5,000! Make your gift go further on GivingTuesday and make an impact right here in our valley.

Please join me in sustaining the work of Mad River Path. Our goal is to raise $130K by December 19, 2025.

Mad River Path and Mad River Riders Explore Closer Collaboration

The Mad River Riders and Mad River Path boards met last week to discuss furthering collaboration between the two organizations.

Mad River Riders and Mad River Path have been working together for more than 35 years, but our partnership accelerated in the last few years. Together in 2020 and 2021, the Path and the Riders designed, built, and installed more than 40 trailhead kiosks highlighting an interconnected trail network and welcoming people to explore. After collaborating on a winning proposal for a VOREC grant, the organizations built a 200-foot bridge over the Mill Brook, expanded trailhead parking, constructed an innovative compost toilet, and teamed with landowners to preserve public access and improve the path into Waitsfield village. 

The Conservation and Recreation Visioning (CRV) project, born from the same VOREC grant, led to the Path and the Riders working closely with conservation groups to improve outdoor recreation opportunities and protect and preserve wildlife habitat. The latest Path-led project is to connect Warren and Middlesex, with a shared-use path,  intersecting with the Cross Vermont Trail and bringing the Velomont off-road bike corridor through the Valley, linking us to our neighbors to the South and North. Working together with the Friends of the Mad River, both organizations are in the midst of developing the Attitude of Gratitude Recreational Ethics project.

At the meeting, the board members acknowledged that we have a shared vision for a world-class trail system with links to our schools, villages, and businesses. Both groups work toward a welcoming valley, where people of all backgrounds and abilities can enjoy healthy recreation, immerse themselves in nature, make friends, and build community. Likewise, both groups believe that the sustainable future of the MRV lies in the thoughtful and intentional growth of the four-season recreational economy.

The organizations agreed on a set of steps to explore further collaboration, including learning more about each other’s finances and engaging a professional consultant to facilitate further dialogue. 

---

Our 2025 Annual Giving Campaign is Underway!

The scoping study for the Path connecting Warren to Middlesex is now complete. In a year, we moved the project from a concept to a corridor, endorsed by the Agency of Transportation. But the work is just beginning! The next year is about finding a path forward, manifest community, improve safety for children, the elderly, and other vulnerable groups, and create conditions for sustainable economic growth and less car-centric valley. 

In 2026, with your support, we will:

• Build the organizational capacity to move from scoping to implementation

• Organize an effective five-town implementation coalition 

• Begin improving the existing sections of the Path for accessibility and inclusivity

• Seek federal, state, and private grants for the implementation of phases I and II of the ATC

• Secure funding for and conduct demonstration projects along VT-100 (a prerequisite for receiving federal funding)

• Engage in dialogue with the landowners to find win-win solutions for path connectivity

• Continue to promote active transportation through e-bike lending 

• Complete Attitude of Gratitude recreational ethics project

• Offer affordable nature immersion opportunities for children, families, and adults

Please join me in sustaining the work of Mad River Path. Our goal is to raise $130K by December 19, 2025

---

Only 2 spots left in our 2026 Chic Chocs Backcountry Ski Trip!

Don’t miss out on the last few spaces in our annual hut-to-hut backcountry ski trip in the Chic Choc mountains of Quebec. Click below to learn more and register.

Our 2025 Community Report is Here!

2025 Community Report

Our 2025 Community Report is here! Mad River Path has had an exciting and busy year of backcountry adventures, improvements on the path, and the completion of our scoping study. We’ve increased organizational capacity and have some exciting projects in the works to share with our community. Thank you to those who continue to support the Mad River Path year after year!

---

We’re Hiring! AmeriCorps Community Engagement & Trail Steward

Mad River Path seeks a creative, imaginative person to help support their human powered transportation infrastructure projects and programs! The member will participate in a number of projects spanning education, recreation, transportation, trail maintenance, and volunteer management. This position is Full Time (1720 hours) and is split between office and field service.

---

Mad River Path receives $5,000 Rotary Club Grant

Mad River Path received a $5,000 “Keeping Momentum” grant from the Mad River Valley Rotary. This grant will help us complete the remaining Scoping tasks and transition to the Implementation Phase of the Active Transportation Corridor. Thank you, Rotary!

---

Registration is open for the 2026 Chic-Chocs Backcountry Ski Trip!

Mad River Path's annual adventure in the Chic-Chocs is open for registration!
February 21-26, 2026

The Chic-Chocs, the furthest northeastern Appalachians, rise above the Gulf of St Lawrence forming a vast upland Plateau that receives three hundred inches of snow each year, thanks to a dramatic compilation of climactic factors. Parc National de la Gaspesie offers a system, of cozy huts, that allows us to backcountry ski into the depths of this enchanted northern wilderness while enjoying the warmth of a wood stove and fire-cooked meals at night. Expect powder, encounters with moose, and northern lights if we are lucky!

Final Active Transportation Corridor Public Meeting Recap

On a chilly Wendesday evening we gathered at the Lareau Pavilion to present the major findings of the Mad River Path scoping study. Completed over the summer by our partners at VHB, the scoping study involved a process of community input, surveying current conditions, and identifying the priorities for implementation.

Attendees gathered and mingled to discuss the results of the first two public meetings: the first in November 2024 which identified the preferred alternatives for the path, and the second in March 2025 at which attendees voted for the various paths forward. At the final meeting, Mad River Path Executive Director Misha Golfman and VHB Director of Transportation Jenn Conley presented the major findings of the completed scoping study and the plan for upgrading and connecting sections of the path.

Major Findings of the Scoping Study

Three alternatives were evaluated: Alternative A would improve existing trails only, Alternative B would add widened bike lanes along Route 100/100B, and Alternative C would build a 10-foot separated path from traffic.

The study demonstrated strong community support for Alternative C with over 200 residents participating across two public meetings resulting in 218 out of 280 votes (78%) supporting a fully separated shared-use path.

The study identified the preferred alternative to be a hybrid approach that prioritizes safety by combining new construction of a 10-foot wide, shared-use path, with improved existing trails where feasible. This approach would provide safe active transportation access for all ages and abilities, linking villages to schools, businesses, and recreation areas, serving as a major tourism and economic development driver, and creating Vermont’s premier multimodal corridor.

Implementation will begin with a 1.1 mile section from Warren Village to Riverside Park.

Thank you to everyone who attended the public events — your input was crucial for moving this project forward and securing the funding necessary to implement the vision. We will continue to use our community’s feedback as we seek grant funding and work with towns and landowners.

Stay tuned for updates as we begin to connect the Mad River Path from Warren to Middlesex!

We're Hiring! AmeriCorps Community Engagement & Trail Operations Steward

Mad River Path seeks a creative, imaginative person to help support their human powered transportation infrastructure projects and programs! The member will participate in a number of projects spanning education, recreation, transportation, trail maintenance, and volunteer management. This position is Full Time (1720 hours) and is split between office and field service.

Mad River Path is a community-supported organization leading the implementation of an Active Transportation Corridor from Warren to Moretown in the Mad River Valley, Vermont. We connect communities and provide access to nature and opportunities for outdoor recreation for valley residents and visitors. We believe that inclusive and safe human powered transportation infrastructure fosters positive social change, healing our relationships with nature and each other, and leading to a sustainable future.

The Community Engagement & Trail Operations Steward will:

• Maintain 15 miles of paths as a part of a stewardship team

• Assist teaching groups of 10 students ages 9 – 14 in the backcountry settings

• Organize activities for students and volunteer work parties

• Design and implement trail improvements and engage with the trail users

• Assist with the completion of the Active Transportation Corridor Study

• Plan and develop host site outreach materials to update community about programs and events

Position begins January 13 and ends December 11, 2026.