Best vermont summer vacation spots
If you are looking for best places to go on vacation, this article can help you. Finding the best place to visit during your summer vacation is always a challenge. In this article, we look at some of the most popular places in Vermont and how they can fit into your summer plans.
Summer is quickly approaching, and you know what that means: tourists! Lots of them. While Vermont’s popularity as a tourist destination has increased considerably in the past 5 to 10 years, most people visiting the state still head for the same few popular resort destinations, missed out on some of our lesser-known, but truly breathtakingly beautiful spots.
Vermont is a place of visual high points– gleaming lakes, towering mountains, brilliant foliage. Vacationers flock here to hike, ski and relax in the great outdoors. But it’s not all the Burlington Country Club and quaint bed-and-breakfasts here. Vermont offers some lively spots– destinations that put you in close contact with locals, both two- and four-legged.
Best Vermont Summer Vacation Spots
Vermont is a great place to spend your summer vacation. You can go hiking and sightseeing, or you can just relax at the beach. There are lots of things to do in Vermont during the summer months. If you are looking for some fun activities to do during your next vacation, then check out these best places in Vermont:
- Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is one of the most beautiful lakes in New England. It has over 200 islands along its shores, and it is surrounded by mountains and forests. You can enjoy swimming, boating, fishing and water sports on Lake Champlain every summer day!
- Stowe Ski Resort
Stowe Ski Resort offers skiing and snowboarding all year round! The resort has 45 trails for skiing and 25 trails for snowboarding along with three terrain parks for freestyle enthusiasts! You can also take a chairlift ride up the mountain at Stowe so that you can see all of its beauty from above before heading back down again!
- Camel’s Hump State Park
Camel’s Hump State Park is located near Burlington Vermont near Lake Champlain Region where visitors can enjoy hiking trails along with camping facilities or picnicking spots too! There
Vermont is a beautiful place to visit any time of year, but if you’re looking for the best vermont summer vacation spots, Vermont has plenty of options.
If you’re looking for an active vacation, Vermont has no shortage of activities to keep you busy. If you’re up for some hiking and biking in the summer, the Green Mountain National Forest is a great place to start—the mountain landscape is diverse enough that there’s something for everyone, whether you’re an avid hiker or just looking for a place to walk your dog. And if you’re more interested in water sports, Lake Champlain also offers plenty of opportunities for swimming and boating.
If you’re looking for something more relaxing, try one of Vermont’s many resorts: The Homestead Resort offers horseback riding and other activities on 100 acres of rolling hills; The Inn at Essex has rooms overlooking Lake Champlain; and The Willoughvale Inn has an old-fashioned charm that will make you feel like you’ve stepped back in time.
Burlington
Burlington, located along the eastern shores of Lake Champlain, offers lots of family-friendly activities, from picturesque Waterfront Park where you can relax and enjoy the scenery or get out on the water. It’s also a great place to watch stunning sunsets with pinks and purples splashed over the Adirondacks. Summer brings a different festival nearly every weekend and the Saturday farmers’ market is a great place to browse and enjoy lunch. You might want to rent bikes to ride the 26-mile Island Line Trail which stretches north all the way to the Canadian border and explore the ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain.
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Dorset
Nestled in the hills of southern Vermont, Dorset is a picturesque historic community that was established back in 1761. Its streets are lined with clapboard homes and divided by a green, looking as if it’s part of a Thornton Wilder scene. Take a dip in the “secret” swimming hole in Cutler Park, check out the shops in the village, and visit the farmers’ market. It’s an ideal place to pick up ingredients for a picnic, including fresh fruits and vegetables, home-baked breads, grass-fed meats, artisan cheeses and wine. It also offers some great Vermont crafts, live local music and hot prepared foods.
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Manchester
Manchester is not only a top getaway in Vermont, but it’s also a popular destination with New Englanders and New Yorkers who want to escape the city, offering outstanding shopping with its famous factory outlets, along with a wide range of outdoor activities, including hiking in the warmer months of the year. The village has a vibrant cultural scene with museums, art galleries, theatrical performances, and concerts, in addition to beautiful scenery and historical allure. If you’re here in mid-June don’t miss visiting the Robert Todd Lincoln’s Ancestral Home, a 1905 Georgian Revival summer home with a formal garden that showcases 1,000 peony blossoms that will be in bloom.
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Newport
The city of Newport sits on the southern shore of Lake Memphremagog in northern Vermont near the Canadian border. Here you can take a cruise in a comfortable powerboat or enjoy a sightseeing ride on the Northern Star, a luxurious two-story inland waterway steamer. Bicycles can be rented in town to explore the surrounding countryside, and you can also visit the Northeast Kingdom Tasting Center or Butternut Mountain Farm, a Vermont company that’s world-renowned for its award-winning maple products featured in specialty stores like Williams Sonoma. The retail shop is filled with all sorts of maple treats.
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Bennington
Bennington lies on the Walloomsac River at the western edge of the Green Mountains in southwestern Vermont. It’s home to Lake Paran, a popular spot for swimming and soaking up the sunshine. A two-mile trail will take you to the Robert Frost Stone House Museum, and if you’re up for a hike, head to the summit of Bald Mountain for a panoramic view of the city and its tranquil surrounds. The Bennington Museum is one of its most popular attractions, hosting the world’s largest public collection of Grandma Moses paintings and Bennington pottery, along with a rich array of Vermont paintings, decorative arts and folk art. You can also tour the pottery works and historic buildings at Bennington Potters, and displays, activities, and, if you’re here in early August, performances at the annual summer Bennington Arts Weekend.
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Middlebury
Middlebury is located between the Champlain Valley and the foothills of the Green Mountains in western Vermont. Rent a bike and ride the 16-mile loop that encircles the town or the multitude of trails in the 400,000-acre Green Mountain National Forest like the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail. This one-mile loop is easy and peppered with quotes from Frost’s work. In season, there are blueberry fields at the far end of the trek too. The park next to the town office hosts free movies and concerts all summer long, and you can also go berry picking at one of the many farms in the surrounding area.
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Montpelier
Montpelier is the smallest capital city in the U.S., but unlike most, it offers the charm and character of a small town with a population of only around 8,000. It boasts a vibrant cultural scene with something for just about everyone and the largest urban historic district in the state, with exquisite historic buildings like the impeccably restored State House, considered one of the best-preserved in the U.S. Other attractions include the Vermont Historical Society Museum, the T.W. Wood Art Gallery, and Hubbard Park, which is sure to be a hit with the kids.