Vermont is one of those places that fall dreams are made of, and it’s exactly what you picture when you think of fall in New England. I called New England home for 7 years and I made sure to get to Vermont each fall. It’s just that beautiful! Who doesn’t love beautiful fall colors, a million craft breweries, and friendly locals? Not only that but cider donuts (drooling thinking about them)! The charming town of Stowe, Vermont has all of that and more! It’s one of the many reasons Stowe, Vermont is the perfect New England fall day trip…
The Basics:
Where Is Stowe, Vermont?
There is just something so quintessentially New England about this charming mountain town. It is located in Northern Vermont and is an easy day trip from most places in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. The town sits in the shadow of Mt. Mansfield, the highest peak of the Green Mountains. Although it is most famous for its trails and ski resorts.
Best Stops Along The Way?
If you have a long drive (3 hours-ish) it’s always good to break up the trip. And there are some truly great detours along the way.
Sleepy Hollow Farm –
If you’ve searched “Vermont in the Fall” on Pinterest, chances are you’ve seen some epic photos of Sleepy Hollow Farm.
On my first fall trip to Stowe, I attempted to find the elusive Sleepy Hollow Farm, which is located close to Woodstock, Vermont, and just a slight detour from Stowe.
There are no directions to the farm but other bloggers/photographers attempt to get you pretty close to the location. No GPS, Google Maps or Waze can’t get you to Sleepy Hollow Farm. Guys, I failed hard. I never did find the farm.
But on the bright side the scenery on Cloudland Road is gorgeous whether I got to take a few photos at the farm or not.
General Directions:
- Take Cloudland Road from Woodstock (you can enter this on Google or Waze and you will get to Cloudland Road).
- Keep driving on Cloudland Road and you will see photographers set up with tripods to take photos of this gorgeous farm surrounded by the beautiful fall colors.
- When you see this get off the road and look to your right – and there she is in all of her glory – Sleepy Hollow Farm.
I hope you have more luck finding it then I did!! I’m determined to make a return trip just to find this farm!
If you fail hard like I did make sure to stop and check out Woodstock, Vermont. It is the most charming little town and you will not regret even a quick visit; I promise!
Quechee Gorge –
- 6800 Woodstock Road, Quechee, Vermont 05049
- Daily 9 am – 7 pm
On my second fall roadtrip to Stowe I decided to check out Quechee Gorge, which is also just a slight detour. Quechee Gorge is the deepest gorge in Vermont at 165 feet and is located within Quechee State Park. Bonus: It’s dog friendly! I brought Loki with me and he loved all of the attention he got at the gorge.
After a quick stop at the visitor’s center where Loki was welcomed in for a drink and some love, I headed off on the trail directly behind the visitor’s center. It was a quick, easy walk that takes you to the Quechee Gorge Bridge. The bridge is really the best way to view the gorge.
The gorge itself is beautiful but it wasn’t exactly what I had expected. You only really have views of the gorge from the bridge. I thought you could hike down closer to the water and maybe you can and we just missed it? There was a lot of fence on the trails blocking the gorge itself and making it impossible to see down below.
The view from the bridge is gorgeous and if you need to get out and stretch your legs it’s completely worth a stop! Beware that the gorge gets pretty busy; it was fairly packed when I arrived early on a Friday afternoon. I can’t imagine what it’s like on weekends.
8 Reasons To Visit Stowe, Vermont In Fall
1. Smugglers Notch
All of those photos that you’ve seen of Smugglers Notch in fall – yep, that’s right outside of Stowe! Most of the notch is located in Mt. Mansfield State Forest. It’s a gorgeous drive and one that I absolutely recommend.
2. Bingham Falls
If you are looking for a short and easy hike within Smugglers Notch State Park check out Bingham Falls. It is .5 miles, rated easy and offers a waterfall. Dogs are also allowed to use this trail.
- Distance: .5 miles
- Rating: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 144 ft
3. Stowe Mountain Toll Road
Another great scenic drive is Stowe Mountain Toll Road.
- Cost: $33 for the two people and 2 dogs
- They accept both cash and cards
- Dogs are allowed at the top parking lots as long as they are on a lead
The drive itself is gorgeous and takes about 20 minutes to arrive at the top with a max speed of 15 mph.
Once you reach the 3rd parking lot at the Mount Mansfield Visit Center it’s an easy 5 min walk to gorgeous 360-degree views.
Tip: Be aware that it is COLD at the top. It was 37 degrees on the day I went so if you are planning on hiking make sure to dress warmly. Sturdy shoes are also recommended as the trail is easy but it was wet and muddy and had a few slippery spots during my visit.
The views are absolutely stunning and worth freezing your butt off for!
The toll road closes to incoming traffic at 4 pm and since I only arrived at 3:45 I was pretty pressed for time. Thankfully the road closes to outgoing traffic at 5 pm which gave me about 15 minutes to enjoy the views.
4. Take A Hike
Any hike in this area is gorgeous during fall but here are some great options…
The Nose to The Chin via Long Trail –
- Distance: 2.8 miles
- Rating: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 1,053 ft
Moss Glen Falls Trail –
- Distance: 5.2 miles
- Rating: Easy
- Elevation Gain: 951 ft
Nebraska Notch, Lake Mansfield Trail –
- Distance: 3.2 miles
- Rating: Moderate
- Elevation Gain: 780 ft
5. Grab A Bite To Eat
One of my favorite places to eat in the fall, because I can take Loki with me is…
The Blue Donkey
- 2160 Mountain Road, Stowe, Vermont 05672
- Tues – Sat – 11 am – 4 pm (Closed Sunday and Monday)
Loki and I love that The Blue Donkey because he is allowed on the outdoor patio. They were so sweet and brought him a bowl of water and even some extra fries. The burgers are amazing and the beer and cider are awesome. Give them a try!
The Bench (Open For Takeout)
- 492 Mountain Road, Stowe, Vermont 05672
- Mon – Fri – 4 – 9 pm
- Weekends – 11:30 am – 9 pm
The Bench is a rustic bar and grill that offers wood-fired pizzas, burgers and a nice selection of draft beer.
Matterhorn (Open For Takeout)
- 4696 Mountain Road, Stowe, Vermont 05672
- Mon-Fri – 5 pm – 11 pm, Weekends – 12 – 11 pm
This place is more of a hangout, but the food is worth a stop!
6. Check Out Downtown
Checkout the charming downtown area of Stowe. Make sure not to miss Shaw’s General Store or The Country Store on Main.
Shaw’s General Store
54 Main St, Stowe, VT 05672
Or just take a stroll around the downtown area and take in all of the great fall decorations.
7. Don’t Skip the Breweries
Vermont is a craft brewery dream! Whatever you do, don’t skip the breweries!
Here are some of the best…
Von Trapp Brewing
- 1333 Luce Hill RD, Stowe, VT 05671
The tours are canceled for this year and the observation deck is closed but you can still enjoy the Bierhall and Gift Shop (Mon – Sun, 11:30 pm – 9 pm)
The Alchemist
- 100 Cottage Club Road, Stowe, Vermont 05672
Idletyme Brewing Company
- 1859 Moiuntain Road, Stowe, Vermont 05672
- Daily 11:30 am – 9 pm
Stowe Cider
- 17 Town Farm Lane, Stowe, Vermont, 05672
- Daily 12-8 pm
Smugglers’ Notch Distillery
- 2657 Waterbury Stowe Rd, Waterbury, Vermont 05676
- Daily 10 am – 5:30 pm
8. You Can’t Miss These Cider Donuts:
Cold Hollow Cider Mill –
- 3600 Waterbury Stowe Road, Waterbury Center, Vermont 05677
- Daily 8 am – 6 pm
On your way out of town don’t forget to stop at Cold Hollow Cider Mill. There’s a reason that it’s one of Vermont’s most popular tourist attractions and the top producer of fresh apple cider in New England. They know what they are doing!
My favorites are the warm cider, cider slushies, cider donuts, and the dutch apple pie. I always get a half-gallon of cider to take home and it’s gone within a day. The cider donuts here are more traditional (i.e. not covered in cinnamon or sugar) and I love that!
Stowe, Vermont really is the perfect New England Fall Day Trip! It’s got everything you could ask for in a fall day trip – hiking, gorgeous fall colors, beer & cider, cider donuts – the works! Make sure to check out Stowe the next time your in Vermont, especially during fall. Have you been to Stowe, Vermont? Did you love it as much as I do?
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