Website  About  Lodging  Dining  Events & Festivals  Things To Do  Directory  

Happy New Year!

There's white stuff on the trails and the trees are looking frosty and festive.  It's time to bundle up and enjoy all that winter has to offer in and around Burke.  There's lots of snowmaking going on at Burke Mountain and plenty to do for all ages including apres ski events, base lodge sledding, trivia nights, Sunday brunches and more.  For cross country and fat bike fun, head on over to the Kingdom Trails Nordic Center.   Today is the Resolve to Revolve fat bike demo day at KT so you can try something new - starting now!  You can also book a guided tour with instruction just next door at Kingdom Cycling & Experiences.
 
Unpack & Unwind

Whether you're coming to ski, bike, snowmobile or just chill out, lodging choices abound near the trails and slopes.

East Burke Rentals  is ideally located walking distance to village shops and restaurants plus it's just a quick drive to the KT Nordic Trails and Burke Mountain.  A cottage and guest house are available and each sleeps 6-8 people. Both have full kitchens, free WiFi, laundry facilities and more.

Enjoy a stay on a most picturesque road at the Carriage House at Darling Hill.  The spacious, 3 bedroom rental sleeps up to 8 people and offers secure storage for your winter gear.  Snowmobile, fat bike and Nordic trails are close by and it's just a hop, skip and a jump away from the slopes.

Located in nearby Newark, Hawk Rock Cabins are tucked away in the woods on over 2,600 private acres with direct snowmobile trail access.  It's just a short drive (or snowmobile ride) to Burke and Island Pond.  Beautifully crafted log cabins have 1-4 bedrooms, full kitchens, radiant heat, washer/dryer and much more.

In This Issue

 


    

Burke in the News

A brilliant display of Christmas Trees is lighting up the green in East Burke Village as part of the Burke Area Chamber of Commerce annual holiday contest.  Each tree was 'adopted' and decorated by a local school or business.  The judges have spoken and winners were chosen at a Tree Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, December 15th    READ MORE...

  
 
 

 

  

Deal of the Month

Great dining and great dining deals abound in the Kingdom.  Head over to Juniper's at the Wildflower Inn on Tuesday and grab a burger and a beer for just 12 bucks.  Check out Burke Publick House for dinner on Thursdays when all bottles of wine are half price.   Over at the Foggy Goggle Osteria, Thursday means $3 drafts and every night features menu specials including seafood on Fridays and Mexican Mondays.
 
Into the Woods and Onto the Cliffs

Of course, Burke is known for top notch ski, Nordic and fat bike trails, but there are some other lesser known, but equally world class recreational opportunities in the area.

If you drive past Lake Willoughby in the winter, you're likely to see some cars parked along the otherwise deserted southern shore.   Look up into the cliffs and it all makes sense.  Little spots of moving color can be seen as climbers make their way up along the ice draping Mt. Pisgah.   This is a well known spot among ice climbers and according to climbing.com: "Lake Willoughby appears as if a witch scratched her nail across the map, carving a five-mile-long lake with sheer cliffs along its eastern side. The splintered rock presents little for summertime climbers, but winter temperatures provide solid ice on top of otherwise friable rock. It becomes what world-traveling ice climber and Canadian Rockies guidebook author Joe Josephson has called "the single greatest ice climbing cliff on Earth."    To experience climbing for yourself, contact Kingdom Adventures Mountain Guides in Burke to book a one day Intro to Ice Climbing course.

There's nothing quite as refreshing to body and soul as a trek into the woods amidst the crisp silence of winter.  Backcountry adventures abound in and around Burke whether you like to snowshoe with the pup or ski along the forest trails.  The Northeast Kingdom Backcountry Coalition is a group of volunteers who promote conservation practices and maintain those less traveled trails in the NEK including spots in East Haven, Westmore and Kirby Mountain.  You can join them at one of their volunteer work days and help make it possible for others to enjoy a peaceful backcountry journey.

Driving around, you've surely noticed snowmobilers gassing up at Mike's Gas and then zipping off into the woods.  Snowmobiling is a popular and exhilarating way to get around in the region with lots of places to stop along the way for a bite to eat.  Many lodging properties proudly boast direct snowmobile trail access.  We also have a dedicated group of volunteers who make up the Burke Drift Skippers snowmobile club.  These are the folks to thank for well groomed and regularly maintained trails.  If you've never tried snowmobiling before, contact NEK Adventures for a guided tour and get ready for an adventure you won't soon forget.

Tradition abounds here and a favorite winter one will soon start as the lakes begin to freeze over.  Soon enough, Shanty Town season will commence as anglers set up all manner of rustic huts and tents on the lakes.  Single digit or negative temps won't deter these hardy folks. Come morning, they head out there in search of gullible fish and to enjoy the  camaraderie  of like minded folks sharing tips and stories while hunched over a hole in the ice.  Wanna learn more?  Visit the VT Fish & Wildlife website or just meander onto the ice or head into a lakeside market and you're sure to find friendly Vermontahs happy to chat fish and ice.
 

WINTER ADVENTURES AWAIT!
 
    Burke Area Chamber of Commerce
PO Box 347
East Burke, VT  05832
802-626-4124