Route 17 - MAD RIVER GLEN | Vermont Motorcycle Roads and Rides

Motorcycle Roads & Rides > Routes > United States > Vermont

Route 17 - MAD RIVER GLEN

Average Rating - This road has been rated by 10 visitors

State: Vermont
Date Submitted: February 1, 2007
Submitted by: Anonymous
Motorcycle Road Length: 24072 Miles

Written Directions

Start out in the town of Waitsfield and take Route 100 south for a short mile and then get on Route 17 heading west. You'll Pass Mad River Glen ski area. Continue on to the town of South Starksboro (end). About a 15 mile trip.

Scenery

Beautiful country, mountains everywhere...and the twisties, amazing! Along the way you'll pass through the Camel's Hump State Forest.

Road Quality

Pretty good. They just re-paved a small section that was very questionable, so the road conditions improved greatly. Couple of bumps here and there, but good overall. Watch out for sand around MarchApril.

Roadside Amenities

Plenty to see. Nice spot at the picnic table. Good resting area up top. Great hiking too.

Photo contributed by a visitor in Jun 09 - "Great road! We made a special trip here from Laconia in 08 and Warrensburg NY in 09. But I do agree - ride within your limits. On our way up the mountain we almost had a collision due to a rider drifting into our lane on one of the turns... "

Photo contributed by a visitor in Jun 09 - "Rt. 17 Ap Gap."

Additional Info

- View the weather forecast for this area from Yahoo weather .

Nickname (optional) Anonymous

Add a Photo Add a Video

View more photos of this route


Reviewed by k1200rs on November 1, 2011 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: k1200rs
motorcycle_year: 98 k1200rs
motorcycle_make: NMW
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: The only part of this road that is "ride-able" are the lower sections. The upper where the twisties are is nothing but pot holes, frost heaves and snakes{Someones great idea of "fixing" cracks in the road} 20 years ago when it was fresh pavement, oh boy could you have fun, not now.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on August 19, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: brothercannon
Comment: The first 5 photos are not of rt 17
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on May 19, 2010 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Dennis
motorcycle_year: 2009
motorcycle_make: BMW
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: Vermont's little Dragon...crazy fun! You have to experience it.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on August 12, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Judith Loebel
motorcycle_year: 2000
motorcycle_make: Honda
motorcycle_type: Cruiser
Comment: Discovered this road completely by accident June 2009 on Honda Valkyrie. Haven't stopped talking about it since; will return ASAP. Do need to be extremely careful as mentioned and in spring---this can last well into June here---the frost heaves can present a completely different set of hazards and thrills. Husband is still "proud" that he managed to knock my prosthetic leg OFF on this drive. Instead of the "Mad River Glen----Ski It If You Can" bumper stickers of old we should get new ones that read---"Mad River Glen---Ride It If You Dare"
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on August 1, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Neil_K
motorcycle_year: 2002
motorcycle_make: BMW
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: One additional comment about the Gap Road. This is indeed the finest super-twisty riding in VT - many travel from throughout the NE on weekend rides to enjoy it. To do this properly, one should really begin at the junction of t 17 with 116 in Starksboro, and ride over the Gap, then right onto German Flats Road, right again at the Sugarbush Access Road, to end at the base of Sugarbush's Lincoln Peak, Reverse and repeat. The other commentors are correct that this is a road that sees accidents. you will see numerous peg-drag marks on the lower opening turns on the Starksboro side. Nearly every turn is blind, and cars do not necessarily stick their line. If you are in it for sport riding, show up at 6am on a weekend and share the road with the Porsche drivers : ) Ride safe.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on July 27, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: brothercannon
motorcycle_year: 2008
motorcycle_make: Kawasaki
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: It's Rt. 17 is a great section of road. It has an amazing decreasing radius turn. You do need to be careful because there is a fair amount of traffic on this road. Gravel and sand tend to spill out onto the road after a rain storm.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on May 29, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: Steve Allen
motorcycle_year: 2008
motorcycle_make: Suzuki
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: Route 17, a.k.a. Ap Gap, great ride if you stay in control. We have already had one fatality this year (5-25-09). I have lost count of the accidents I responded to while on the Mad River Valley Ambulance Service on this road. Great ride, but please do not ride beyond your ability.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on April 22, 2009 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: randy
motorcycle_make: Ducati
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: Gee nice pictures, but wrong road.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on April 13, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: coldnight
motorcycle_year: 2001
motorcycle_make: Triumph
motorcycle_type: Sport-Touring
Comment: Most of the pictures above are from RT 108 between Jeffersonville and Stowe, Vermont. Rt 17 is an amazing road - I love it. Beware of gravel early in the year or after a rain - the auto traffic doesn't clear the road completely of sand used in winter.
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No

Reviewed by Guest on March 22, 2008 (0 out of 0 members found this review useful.)
Creator: JD
motorcycle_year: 2007
motorcycle_make: Triumph
motorcycle_type: Sport
Comment: This is the most fun road in the Northeast, rivaling roads here in my new home, Southern California. Make an epic loop out of Rt 17 by heading west and then south on Rt 116. Take that to Middlebury and head back east on 125, finally to rt 100, where you'll take that back up to Waitsfield and the start of rt 17 again. When I left VT, these roads were in great shape, and I'm sure the scenery is still as beautiful as ever!
Was this review helpful? Yes \| No