Rally location for 2026 set: Essex Junction, Vermont

North of the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Catskills and just east of the Adirondack mountains, there’s a tiny state of 600,000 people which is home to some of the best roads in America. I’m talking about Vermont, the Green Mountain State, also known as America’s home to beautiful fall foliage and maple syrup. More importantly, Vermont is where you’ll find the 2026 MOA National Rally and 5,000 of your closest friends.

What makes Vermont special as a rally location is the diversity of activities you will find there. From the food, people, villages to the roads, Vermont adds a special local quality to everything you’ll experience. Vermont is also such a small state that you can find yourself atop Mount Washington, over in Lake Placid or in Quebec by lunch. Just set your GPS to windy roads because we have a lot of them.

Vermont has so much to explore and take in on two wheels. You have our famous notch roads like Smuggler’s, Gap Road and Middlebury Gap, Vermont Highway 100, and the hundreds of dirt roads leading off it going east and west, many with views of the mountains at every curve. There’s the breathtaking Lake Champlain Bridge that joins Vermont with Crown Point, New York, and of course the Northeast BDR which traverses Vermont’s toughest public Class IV roads. Worth seeking out, Vermont’s Puppy Dog Ride (PDR) covers the entire state north to south on groomed dirt roads, passing farms and our famous general stores. The PDR is maintained by the BMW Motorcycle Owners of Vermont and is a breeze even on your RT, as the dirt roads are very well packed.

When you’re off your motorcycle, Vermont has the highest number of breweries per capita and is famous for Maple Creemee (maple infused soft-serve ice cream), Ben & Jerry’s, King Arthur Baking, Green Mountain Coffee, and mom & pop small businesses creating delicious food and homemade crafts and trinkets. There is a lot to see as you explore the state. If you can get a seat, Hen of the Wood is a Michelin-rated restaurant but Mad Taco in Montpelier is also worth a lunch stop. Honestly, eating local will keep you well fed the entire trip.

Our 2026 National Rally will take place at the northern part of the state, but we encourage everyone coming to the Green Mountain State to take day trips in every direction. Chester, Waterbury, Shelburne, Vergennes, and Ticonderoga in New York are amazing destinations to explore. Bring comfortable shoes when you arrive and take in the rich history of this place and the warm and friendly people.

If you want to get some exercise in, Vermont has 1,100 public hiking trails with five 4,000 footers, along with the world-famous Long Trail. Many mountains famous for skiing still operate their gondolas during the summer. A quick ride down to Killington and up a gondola will provide panoramic views for miles on a clear day. If you make it to central Vermont, there’s the Green Mountain National Forest where you’ll find hundreds of fire-roads to explore on your GS—¬just make sure you top up with fuel and turn on the InReach before you start your ride.

I’m so thrilled that the MOA is coming back to Vermont because I know everyone who makes it is going to make memories and have a wonderful time in the Green Mountain State.