Vermont

Tiny, tight, and one of the more passionate small-state scenes in the country. Rider Hill MX (Vermont Motocross Association) is effectively the home venue, and most Vermont riders chase NESC events across New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Maine for a fuller calendar. Vermont soil is rocky beneath thin loam; tracks set up fast and unforgiving when dry. Season is short: mid-May through October at the outside. Fall riding here is among the best in the country, with cool dry air, tacky dirt after the first rain, and the foliage backdrop that gets photographers out. Black flies in late May, mosquitoes through June, then it civilizes. The Vermont scene is small enough that everyone knows everyone, but big enough that Loretta Lynn's qualifier weekends still pull in a real crowd. Vintage racing runs deep here partly because Vermont riders hold onto bikes longer than anyone, which is a virtue around here.