The best time to ride a motorcycle in Vermont

Vermont has one of the shorter riding seasons in the East. Snow can linger in the mountains into May and return by late October, and the weeks in between are when the gaps, the notches and VT 100 are at their best. The valleys, especially the Champlain Valley and the lower Connecticut River valley, warm up first and stay rideable a little later. The mountains and the Northeast Kingdom start later and end sooner.

Inside that window, each month has its own personality: May is cold and sandy, June is green with long days and black flies, July and August are the most reliable, September is crisp and quiet, and the foliage weeks are glorious and crowded. Our Vermont road guide lists the classics with the best season for each.

Vermont's unofficial fifth season is mud season, usually March and April, when the frost comes out of the ground and the state's many dirt roads turn to deep, rutted mud. Paved roads aren't much better: sand from a winter of plowing, frost heaves that can unsettle a bike, and potholes that open overnight. GPS shortcuts love dirt roads, so check a route before you trust it in spring.

May is when most Vermont riders get going, on dry days in the valleys first. Snow can still fall at elevation, and the seasonal notch and gap roads open only once crews have cleared them, so check before you plan a mountain loop. Late May into June brings black flies in the woods; keep your visor down when you stop.

July and August are the safest bet in Vermont: warm days, cool nights in the mountains and every road open. Afternoon thunderstorms build over the ridges, so start early and plan to be off the high gaps by mid-afternoon on stormy days. Pack a warm layer, because the top of a gap can be much cooler than the valley you left.

Big summer rains have hit Vermont hard in recent years, including the July 2023 floods that washed out roads across the state. After heavy rain, expect gravel washed across corners and check for closures before you head into the hills.

Fall color usually starts in the far north and at higher elevations in late September and works south and downhill through mid October. The Northeast Kingdom, Smugglers' Notch and the high gaps peak first, then southern Vermont and the valleys follow. Every year is different, so watch the state's foliage reports in September.

It's the most beautiful riding of the year and the busiest. VT 100, Smugglers' Notch and US 4 fill with leaf peepers, tour buses and cars stopped in the road for photos. Ride early, ride midweek, book rooms well ahead and expect cold, damp mornings. By late October, snow can return to the mountains.

For laws, events and the overview of riding here, see the Vermont motorcycle rides hub.

By November, most Vermont bikes are put away. Roads are salted and sanded from the first storm until spring, and the cold is serious. A good storage routine means the bike starts on the first dry day of May.