Burke

A single mountain has defined this Caledonia County town for generations -- first as a source of timber, then as a Civilian Conservation Corps project in the 1930s, and now as a ski resort that anchors the local economy. The town was chartered in 1782, and its early settlers farmed the valleys while the mountain loomed above, too steep and rocky for agriculture but rich in the spruce and hardwood that fed the region's sawmills.

Burke Mountain Resort, now operated as part of a larger development that includes the Burke Mountain Hotel and Conference Center, has transformed the town from a quiet farming community into a four-season recreation destination. The Kingdom Trails network, a system of mountain biking trails that has won national recognition, draws tens of thousands of riders each summer and fall. The economic impact has been significant -- new businesses, restaurants, and lodging have followed the trails.

With about 1,690 residents, Burke balances its identity as a recreation destination with its roots as a working Vermont town. The selectboard and town meeting system keeps governance local, and the annual meeting inevitably includes debates about managing growth, maintaining roads that serve both residents and visitors, and preserving the character that made Burke attractive in the first place.