The Trip
In October 2021 I took a trip to Stowe and Burlington Vermont to see the fall colors and explore a new state. This was part of a larger trip throughout New England with my mom, sister, and brother-in-law. This was the second stop on the trip after Boston, and we had just 1.5 days to see as much as we could in the area.
Going to Boston? See my post 2 Days Boston Itinerary
I chose Stowe as one of our stops because it is well know for having impressive fall colors. I added Burlington as a stop because it was nearby and I’ve always heard great things about the small city.
Here is a recap of my experience and some of my recommendations for Stowe and Burlington during the fall.
Getting to Stowe and Burlington
Stowe and Burlington are in northwestern Vermont, about 3 hours from Boston, and 40 minutes apart from one another. Stowe is a small town in the mountains, while Burlington is a small city on the shore of Lake Champlain and home to the University of Vermont.
There is a small airport in Burlington, however we were on a roadtrip so renting a car out of Boston made the most sense.
Where to Stay
If you are visiting this area during peak fall foliage, expect it to be busy and try to book accommodations ahead of time. We booked somewhat last minute and ended up staying at La Quinta Inn & Suites in South Burlington. This hotel was fine and relatively cheap, but very basic and outside of the downtown.
If you stay in Burlington, I recommend staying in downtown. If you stay in Stowe, you can opt to be near the town, near the mountain resort, or more remote.
Stowe
Hiking Mt Mansfield
After driving to Stowe from Boston we were excited to get out and move, so we headed straight to Stowe Mountain Resort to hike. Mt Mansfield is not only the tallest peak at the resort, but also the tallest peak in Vermont at about 4,400 feet elevation.
A popular attraction is to take the Gondola up the mountain through the colorful trees. Because our time was somewhat limited, we chose to take the gondola and keep hiking up from there. We were surprised at the steep price of $30 per person.
At the top of the gondola are bathrooms, a small lodge, and a restaurant- the Cliff House. We continued up the mountain on the Cliff to Long trail route at about 1.5 miles roundtrip. This hike is rated as hard, and while it was very doable for us, I do not think it is for everyone and should not be attempted in the rain. There are sections where you have to climb over and under boulders, hold onto metal handles, and watch out for drop offs.
The difficult section of the trail is over pretty quickly and then meets up with the Long Trail on the ridge of the mountain. The Long Trail was easy with a gradual incline to the summit of Mt Mansfield. On the ridge you have 360 degree views of the surrounding area including New York and Canada.
We followed the same trail back to the top of the gondola to make sure we got back to our car. We chose to keep hiking instead of taking the gondola back down which was steep, but fun to wind through the colorful trees.
Next time I would probably skip the gondola and do a roundtrip hike. Some other hike ideas are the Mount Mansfield Loop Trail, which actually starts on the western side of the mountain, Long Traill to Profanity Loop, Stowe Pinnacle, and Mt Hunger.
Food & Drinks in Stowe
After the hike we wanted to check out some of the popular breweries in the area. We went to the Alchemist Brewery which was undergoing indoor renovations, but has a huge lawn as a beer garden and even a couple disc golf baskets. After that we tried to go to Idletyme Brewing Co, but the wait was very long so we left and headed toward Burlington.
My tip, make reservations ahead of time!
Burlington
Dinner in Downtown Burlington
When we arrived in Burlington we went straight to at American Flatbread where we ate delicious pizza. After dinner we wandered down church street and got ice cream and truffles at Lake Champlain Chocolates.
Breakfast at Myer’s Bagels
The next morning we got breakfast at Myers Bagels where you can watch the team making fresh bagels. I got the Conquistador bagel sandwich which was very tasty.
Walk and Bike the Island Line Trail
After breakfast we parked by the lake and walked along the Island Line trail which spans 14 miles. We stumbled upon e-bikes and decided to rent them to see more of the trail. We biked about 12 miles roundtrip being somewhat conservative with our time since later that day we had to drive to the White Mountains.
I highly recommend renting a bike and biking along the path, the views of the lake and the forest are not to be missed. If you make it further than we did, there is a section of the trail called the Colchester Causeway (a causeway is a raised path) that brings you out into the lake.
Eat a Creemee
I love soft serve ice cream and decided I had to try a maple flavored ‘creemee’. After the bike ride I found a Creemees stand near the water and College St, and got a maple and raspberry swirl cone. I recommend sticking with just the maple flavor.
Drink Cider at Citizen Cider
For our final stop in Burlington before heading to New Hampshire, we chose to get drinks and snacks at Citizen Cider. All of the food and drinks exceeded my expectations, it was so good.
Final Thoughts
We all really enjoyed both Stowe and Burlington and would have loved to have more time in both. I would be happy to do a multi-day trip to just this area to do more hiking, biking, eating, and lake activities in the warm months. The fall colors in Stowe were incredible, and the town has so much to explore. Burlington had a really great vibe and everyone was so active.
Other Ideas in Stowe and Burlington
Other places that were recommended:
Burlington
- Honey Road
- The Farmhouse
- Penny Cluse
- Revolution Kitchen
- Pizzeria Verita
- Zabby and Elf’s Stone Soup
Stowe
- Von Trapp Brewing
- Sunset Rock hike
- Bingham Falls hike
- Doc Ponds
- The Roost
- Artisan Coffee
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