Fall roadtrip in Vermont! Looking for 3-4 bases and tips

We used the small town of Littleton, NH as a base, with its adorable main street. We stayed at the historic Thayers Inn, steps from the Chutters Candy Store.

Not Vermont, but nothing is far between the two.

I grew up in Vermont, and my husband and I used to spend weekends in the state when we were still living in NYC.

Bennington is a delightful, slighty funky college town with some excellent B&Bs. Manchester is extremely pretty and has fabulous outlet shopping with the stores housed in Victorian-style houses. Stowe is wonderful. Woodstock is adorable. I love Shelburne, and visiting Shelburne Farms, which is idyllic.

There are tons of cute towns around the coast of Lake Champlain… Mallett’s Bay is just north of Burlington and was an enchanting little beachside town last time I was there.

Those are just off the top of my head. Most of the state is gorgeous.

I grew up and was raised in Boston but have not been back many years. I have traveled some through all the New England states.

You are coming to a region that is very beautiful. You go from pretty to prettier to even prettier.

As far as Fall Colors, it is often difficult to predict the leaves. You will be given percentage of changing of the leaves. You will be told when to expect 10 percent change, 25 percent change etc all the way up to 100 percent change and almost immediately after 100 percent change, the leaves fall of the trees. Weather forecasts will be telling you what percent of change it is that day. And change differs from state to state. Maine changes later than Massachusetts.

I think that you are arriving too early for much change and leaving before full change but you should have a a lot of color by the time that you leave and soon before .

Area is very small. You can drive one direction and be in Canada, another direction, Maine, New Hampshire, Upstate New York and another direction Boston. And sometime it is only 30 to 60 minutes drive. Maybe less.

Mostly New England is small pretty towns. You go from village to village, all pretty and all historical. You should be able to eat very well at a lot of mom and pop restaurants

But I believe it is going to be very touristed and crowded. Some persons probably have have had reservations for a year.

I woiuld go online to Burlington visitor information. There is probably also a Vermont visitor information and New England Visitor information. They will provide a lot of help.

I woiuld go online to Burlington visitor information. There is
probably also a Vermont visitor information and New England Visitor
information.

Yes, I've already done and am doing that, thanks. I'm looking for firsthand recommendations for well-located bases within short drives to other scenic/fun places. I know that it's a crapshoot for color; my own state's color is not the same every year (we have a lot of maple, birch and aspen) and we've hiked Acadia (Maine) in October when it was just starting to see turn but was peak further inland. We had to set the dates based on flight and our personal schedules.

Volva and CWsocial, thanks for those ideas; will look into them (although will likely pass on the inn). :O)

A fall road trip in New England is also something we would like to do in the future. Following!

Yes, in areas traffic can be bumper to bumper on weekends, be cautious

Kathy, what a wonderful trip! I was in Vermont about 10 years ago and loved it. I actually bid on a vacation home there at a fund-raiser, and won, so a friend of mine and I went. It was really lovely—we stayed in Rochester, which was just beautiful and so picturesque. Our place was a little remote and had NO cell phone service, but the town was really charming!

If you have time, take the Ben & Jerry's factory tour in Waterbury. It's a lot of fun and you get ice cream at the end. I also highly recommend the Shelburne Museum, right outside of Burlington. It's a whole complex of amazing buildings with art and history. I really loved it.

Thanks Mardee! Looking forward to it but just started looking at hotel rates!!!!! Gulp.
So, RS Hive People, how's the Killington area? I realize it's a ski destination but it's not all that far from Woodstock and I can land some way more reasonable rates there of what's still open. Or other ideas for that area?

I was thinking of this circle:
Land in Burlington & drive to Montpelier - 3 nights (Sun 9/29; Mon 9/30; Tues 10/1)
To Woodstock - 3 nights (Wed 10/2; Thurs 10/3; Fri 10/4). Or Killington or...
To Bennington - 3 nights (Sat 10/5; Sun 10/6; Mon 10/7)
To Burlington - 2 nights (Tues 10/8; Wed 10/9)
Fly out 10/10

Hotel prices in the Burlington area are high. Not just during fall foliage.

Downtown Burlington is not somewhere I would want to stay. Crime problems. Focus on South Burlington or Williston.

I have stayed at the Homewood Suites in South Burlington and the Home2Suites in Williston numerous times.

One interesting fact about VT--no billboards. The gov't feels they ruin the view.

Have you considered Montreal or is that too long a drive? We did Burlington/Montreal last year and drove between the two.

There is ferry service across Lake Champlain that opens up upstate NY/Lake Placid if you're interested.

Although we are lifelong Floridians, some close friends retired to Burlington about 10 years ago and we have visited Vermont each fall ever since. In fact, we will be there September 28 to October 5 this year. We always stay at the Eagles resort in Waitsfield, on scenic SR 100 in the Mad River Valley about 30 minutes south of Montpelier. That is a central location with easy access to Stowe, Shelburne, Middlebury, Woodstock and nearby Hanover, home of Dartmouth College. You will not find many chain hotels in the scenic areas of Vermont, nor many fast food restaurants. And of course there are no billboards anywhere. Killington is not very “cute” but probably has better lodging rates. We have found best fall colors for your dates in the Northeast Kingdom between Montpelier and St Johnsbury and along SR 100 east of the Green Mountains. The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park near Woodstock is a great visit we have made many times usually combined with lunch at Simon Pearce in nearby Quechee and a walk in Quechee Gorge. Although very scenic, Woodstock is a major destination for fall bus tours so it will be crowded. For a off the beaten path experience, visit the Vermont Granite Museum near Barre and the Hope Cemetery in Barre full of beautiful granite headstones carved by Italian craftsmen. I will be golfing at Sugarbush Resort near Waitsfield and biking along Lake Champlain north of Burlington. Feel free to send me a private message with any specific questions.

Appreciate the suggestions; keep 'em coming!
Montreal is off the plate; focus is on Vermont with maybe a short scoot over the border of New Hampshire.

Farms are also off the plate: I grew up in small-town rural Iowa so plenty familiar with those. :O)

Will look at south Burlington or Williston, Frank. Thanks!

Hope Cemetery in Barre sounds like my kind of stop, Simpgolf! Love crawling old, interesting burial grounds!

Be aware that the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Historic Park and the Billings Farm are two DIFFERENT places. They are adjacent but very different. The former is a large area with a house and trails and conservation history. The later is farm oriented with livestock and a museum. Both are good to visit if the subject interests you.

Ludlow? A better base than Killington?

I would say a visit to Stowe may be a nice addition to your itinerary. Smugglers Notch is a fun drive and the von Trapp Family Lodge is nice for a lunch or dinner (and an enjoyable drive up to the Lodge and area, much like Austria from my albeit distant recollection - I used to visit that area regularly in the late 80's early 90's when my mom lived in Hardwick).

And I second the recommendation for a Ben & Jerry's tour as well as the St Johnsbury area.

Yes, we'll be stopping in Stowe but not staying there. Have a bunch of other stop-alongs on the list (Weston, Dorset, Shelburne, Grafton, Chester, Manchester....) if we can fit everything in.

I just added a link above to Stowe with events in that area. There used to be a fun foliage train ride from Morrisville but I'm not finding it now.

The cemetary in Barre is a must see. Just amazing. If the Rock of Ages quarry is open, try to visit it.

Bragg Maple Farm in East Montpelier is a nice stop. See how maple syrup is processed the old fashioned way. Excellent syrup. I’ve been ordering by the gallon for 20 years.

You have gotten some great suggestions.

I might suggest a loop something like this:

Stop #1 -- Southwestern Vermont, Bennington/Manchester/Dorset area, if you can find reasonable lodging. Explore that area.

Drive thru central Vermont, up Route 100 (stop at the Vermont Country Store in Weston, it's a fun wander-through), enjoy the beautiful drive.

Stop #2 -- Woodstock/Quechee area, if you can find reasonable lodging (there's a theme...). If you can't find affordable lodging there, stay in one of the nearby towns (Norwich would be a good one, or even across the river in West Lebanon, which is not charming but cheap). Lots to see and do in this area, including the national park, Woodstock and Quechee, the gorge, Norwich (King Arthur Flour, if you are a baker -- nice little store and excellent coffee/bakery shop), the town of Hanover and Dartmouth College....

Drive up to northern Vermont, where you should be hitting some really good foliage, based on your travel dates. Head up I-89, then get off at the Waterbury exit and continue north on Route 100, which will be a lovely drive. Explore along that route (Ben & Jerry's, Stowe village, the Stowe gondola if it's running, maybe a walk on the Stowe bike path), then keep going all the way up to...

Stop #3 -- Newport, way up on the Canadian border. Newport is a lovely little blue-collar town with a gorgeous lake and tons of outdoor walking and views. Plus it should be as about as reasonable cost-wise as you can get in Vermont during foliage season. Do a little research and see if it looks like a good fit for you.

If you don't love the idea of Newport, head over to the Champlain Islands instead and stay on one of the lower ones (South Hero or Grand isle, or even North Hero). Again, do a little research to see if what's there appeals to your interests. It will be quiet, but beautiful, although the foliage won't be as great as the mountains, and lodging should be reasonable.

You can then wind up in the Burlington area for your flight home. Like Frank said, Burlington has unfortunately really declined in the last 5 years or so. There are a couple of nice places to stay on the waterfront, and you can certainly walk in the evenings around the central downtown area, but it feels sketchier than it used to. Church Street has the restaurants and the Flynn Theater, and it's OK from there down to the waterfront, but you will probably not want to explore a wider area on foot, especially at night. A cruise on the Ethan Allen is a great activity, especially during foliage season.

If this seems like too big of a loop, I would honestly drop the Bennington/Manchester/Dorset part and stay in the middle-northern half of the state. It will likely be better for foliage, based on your travel dates, and frankly, I think there's more to see and do in the other stops.

There will be tons of activities across the state at that time. A good source to find out what's happening is Seven Days, which will list out local events, theater, performances, etc.

Hope this gets you started. Let me know if you have any specific questions!

ETA: re: your thought to stay in Rutland/Killington area, I wouldn't.... it's not as pretty as some of the other areas. Great for skiing though!

Oh gosh, thanks for the MANY additional suggestions!

LOL, I was (am) sort of freaking out over getting accommodations booked so was head deep into it before picking up the last couple of responses! Yes, I'm running into limited availability and overpriced so-so stuff. We're now on this schedule:
4 nights Montpelier or close by. Sightseeing from this location: Stowe, Waterbury, Barre, Waitsfield + TBD.... Not booked yet

4 nights North Shire Lodge, 4 miles or so south of Manchester: Sightseeing from this location: Woodstock/Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Nat. Historic Park, Chester, Weston, Bennington, Dorset + TBD...

3 nights in Burlington or nearby, Stops: Shelburne Museum, explore north of the city. Not booked yet.

I can't change the Manchester booking or our flights but still have the first 4 nights and last 3 yet to nail down!

I would not sightsee the Woodstock area from south of Manchester — it’s a long drive. Since you have extra days, I think your time would be better spent staying in the Woodstock area rather than going back and forth.

Also, your chances at seeing peak foliage for that time of the month will be much better in the northern part of the state and at higher elevations, so if this is important to you, plan some time in the northern mountains.

Have a great trip!

I will be in Vermont from Sept 27-30 so much shorter trip. Will have a rental car. Flying in and out of Burlington with Airbnb in Morristown. Main objective is seeing fall foliage. Due to my short time, was planning on checking out Burlington and Morristown obviously and Stowe and Montpelier as well. Any other “must see” places in the northern part of the state? I’m hoping I timed my trip right for peak Fall colors in that part of the state.

Deb, the plan right now is to see Woodstock and a bit of its surrounds en route to Manchester. We'll have all day to get there. Since the last post, I've booked accommodations in Montpelier and Williston, and we bought an old-fashioned paper map and guidebook at the bookstore yesterday. My DH is working out some drives he thinks will be fun; he likes to plan those parts of our road trips! :O)

Take the drive up to the top of Mount Mansfield. It’s actually a ski trail for Stowe Mountain Resort during the winter. Gorgeous views. Shelburne museum is popular with the locals. Ben and Jerry’s tour in Waterbury is a perennial favorite, and check out their “Flavor Graveyard.”
Also worth considering a trip just over the New York border to Fort Ticonderoga.
The Northeast Kingdom is pretty, but there’s very little there. Go for the scenery but don’t expect much of anything else. And yes, as mentioned, you’ll be billboard free for the duration of your stay in the Green Mountain state!

Things are looking pretty grim in central Vermont. Yikes, 1 year to the day after catastrophic flooding last year. :O(

Not sure if it works to add my question on here, but the timing and interests are very similar to mine. The difference is that we are big hikers and hope to spend time on great trails of average 5 miles, in the leaves (if they're happening!) and we have more time. Thinking 5 days in Boston 9/25-30 (we'll be a bit jet lagged coming from Alaska) and then driving north to VT and NH. Might fly out as late as 10/17 (avoiding the Head of the Charles). Happy to drive about, visit sites, museums, art, and happiest on the trail. Would love several bases also.