Autumn is a second spring that turns all leaves into flowers”- Fall is definitely the time of the year when leaves speak to us, the story of existence as well as the beauty of letting things pass by. Fall leaves throw such a fantastic show before their demise. Growing up in tropical climate, I had not experienced this stark contrast in nature until I moved to the west. Though I love the bright summer, Fall makes me nostalgic, reminding me of days passed by and hopeful for days to come and is definitely my favourite season of the year.
New England on the east coast of the USA is one of the most gorgeous places to experience the ultimate beauty of Fall and the state of Vermont takes the crown. During the Autumn season here, you will have one of the best leaf-peeping experiences- whilst enjoying the natural Fall exhibition just during your drive, strolling in scenic state parks, hiking mountain ranges or even exploring stunning waterfalls in this area. In this blog, I cover my itinerary and some stunning visuals of my Fall Road Trip in Vermont that I bet will inspire you to plan your adventure in this Autumn wonderland. I came back with strong feelings for the state of Vermont and its people- it is by far my most favorite state in America. I will also go again, so let us say this was a beginning for me too.
When to go to Vermont?
The Fall foliage starts in mid-September and lasts until mid-October. I visited at the beginning of October when the leaves are more reddish however if you're looking for yellow colours, visiting earlier is advised. Personally I would recommend aiming for "Peak Foliage" in mid-October and the USA long weekend of October 12th for Columbus day is perfect for this Fall Road Trip.
Need a Rental Car?
If you are visiting internationally flying into New York or Vermont, you could go for a rental car option. Remember that you drive on the right side of the road in USA. Your international driving license is valid, if you feel comfortable to drive. The rules are pretty easy with wide road and clear junctions combined with the fact that most of the cars in the UAS are automatic.
Where to to stay in Vermont?
Vermont is more like a European Travel experience, when it comes to the stay. There are many inns and B&Bs run by locals which I would recommend as your first choice to experience the local life. I stayed in an lovely Airbnb which was very similar to a Scottish B&B and I would rate my stay here is one of the best Airbnb stays ever.
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We had this Vermont Fall adventure as part of a Two Week East Coast Road trip traveling from Florida to Boston. This portion of the trip starts from Albany, covering the Green Mountain National Forest up until Montepellier, the capital city of Vermont. We also covered the scenic 100 route and two mountain ranges, Mount Mansfield and Killington. Below is the route we followed colour coded per day. Let us enjoy Fall visual show of Vermont together.
Our first stop in Vermont was the Jamaica State Park which is located in a small picturesque village Jamaica in the south of Vermont. The state park needs a pass to enter and it is best to check the activities before you go. We only strolled around the village.
The short walk from the village to the park is stunning with amazing views of colourful houses embedded into nature along the West River and an amazing bridge called the Wardsboro bridge forming a great frame.
There is a hike from here to the Ball Mountain Dam via Hamilton Falls which we missed as our itinerary was tight, I would advice planning to spend a long time here. From here we headed upwards to the village of Weston. On the way you will get this stunning view which is same as my feature image. Here is the exact stop: 60-52 River Road, Jamaica, VT 05343
Weston felt was like walking through a European town with the houses, road and shops here reminding me of Austria/Switzerland. Adding to the Autumn charm, the village houses were fully decorated with pumpkins all ready for Halloween. I really loved the orange theme in this post-card perfect Green Mountain Town village in autumn.
There are some really cute little shops here selling local crafts and produces. I had heard that this town is perfect to celebrate Christmas in, and the Christmas shop here really had strong European vibes so you can note this village if you’re planning a European style getaway in the USA.
Another attraction is here the Old Mill Museum, which has a mountainous backdrop and a stunning waterfall. We did not go inside the museum as it was closed the day we visited however the view from the outside museum was breath-taking enough for us. Someone from the village had even left a pumpkin beneath the trees, how cute!
The route to Woodstock via Plymouth was one of the best scenic routes during the trip. We didn’t stop in the town itself but we just stopped along the way to admire the views.
The view of mountains and reflections in the lake is simply splendid. This route is just stunning throughout so much so it was confusing which pictures to take and which pose would be best. In the end I can see we ended up taking less pictures and spent more time just enjoying the view.
We arrived in Woodstock village around sunset, of course this is what happens if you take a scenic route and keep stopping. Woodstock village is very famous in New England and is on the top list of scenic towns with amazing houses and post-card views around. Though we missed exploring the village properly, we could experience the the local shop here which was so thrilling with lots of diverse farm productions. I almost wanted to buy everything and the bakery here was calling to us loudly.
These pumpkins and Squashes are just a small part of what they produce. Aren’t they so diverse? I have never seen these shapes and colours before, I spent alot of my time just staring at pumpkins and I wished I could have brought them home with me.
After strolling here, we headed towards Montpellier where our Airbnb was booked for the night. I definitely need to go back to Woodstock as I could not explore it properly. We arrived late in Montpellier, found a local Thai restaurant to eat at and headed to the Airbnb to crash.
Waking up in Plainfield, Montpellier in our Farm Stay Airbnb is still one of my most favourite stay experiences. This house is located in a private estate with a lake and the morning view was breath-taking. Our host was such a lovely lady who had everything sorted for us like a typical B&B in Europe. They also had an Apple tree with such low-hanging apples that I tried to act eating one while standing on the ground.
The Airbnb house has a vintage style and is decorated very well. The prayer flags caught my attention and I added it to my list of home decoration straight away. I wish we had more time here, I will definitely go back and stay exactly here again if it is still available.
The Airbnb was in a hilly area far away from the city. The route was rather scary at night, but during the day was a blissful autumn experience of leaf-peeping. We headed towards the Montpellier city first.
We stopped at Montepellier and went via Cliff Street towards Hubbard Tower to get a top view of the city. There were a lot of hikers around here and would recommend not missing this view if you visit. This town qualifies to be the most scenic Fall Town view in my mind, just like I have Tromso for the best winter view. The capital city of Vermont and the vibes here caught my attention, there is something so positive about the people and region here.
The State House of Vermont is located in its capital town, Montpelier. Stopping by this cute state house was a heart warming experience as it stood gorgeous and constantly reminded me of the Glory of this State and its People. It was just stunning with its golden dome and fall backdrop.
We drove towards Stowe taking the scenic route 100. This drive was just epic and was sad I could only do a part of it and hope to revisit and finish the full route.
We arrived at the original Ben and Jerry’s factory which is the Mekkah for Ice-cream lovers. The vibe here is too cheerful, both adults and kids queued up to get their hands on their favourite flavour.
Here you can taste all their new flavours and pay a visit to the ice-cream grave yard where there is a grave stone for every flavour that didn’t succeed in the market.
One of the highlights of my trip was the drive and hike up to the Mount Mansfield, the highest mountain point in Vermont. This literally felt like being in a Hollywood movie even looking at cars coming down from that steep hill while we queued to drive up.
Climb up and you are in the middle of a FALL HEAVEN literally. It is all Yellow, the Coldplay song was singing in my head throughout the drive here. This mountain is a not to miss and the best for leaf-peeping and complete with a cute little chapel.
We just did a short section of the Sunset Ridge Trail as we did not have much time left of the day. The view from here is amazing.
A list and map of trails can be found here.
Some of our autumn-fied poses, part of our travel rituals are shown below.
At this point one of our friends had to leave so we had a short break in the trip before the rest of us continued to visit Killington the next day which is another mountain range famous for skiing. Look at the view- amazing isnt it?
The Killington Mountain Lodge is very popular among families and was packed during our long weekend visit. It is perfect for a Fall Foliage getaway and they have amazing rooms to stay here.
What attracted me the most during my Fall Road trip in Vermont, apart from the leaf peeping experience, stunning scenery and picturesque villages is the really nice people and their commitment to using local products that even McDonald’s does not exist there. Vermont is known for its natural landscape, and its capital town Montpelier is amongst the least populated cities of USA. It definitely is an Autumn Wonderland!
73 comments
Vermonttttt! I’ve only been once and it was pouring so I didn’t get to do as much outdoor exploration as I would’ve liked. I’d love to check out the state park and Woodstock Village/Mount Mansfield are so pretty! Your photos are beautiful! <3
Thanks Farrah. It is a shame you didn’t get to see much during last time but as you have rightly noted some top places, it is a great outdoor experience. I hope you can go soon sometime when world is back up normal.
Wow the fall colors are stunning. I need to plan a road trip in Vermont for next year. We really don’t get a change of seasons here in Miami. Would love to experience the colors of fall. Such a great post. Will pin so I have this guide when I make it there.
Thanks Chrissy. If you are close to a tropical weather I can imagine how this can feel quite amazing and out of the world. I grew up in such climate too so it is all magical for me and Fall is my favorite season now. I am glad you find the blog useful.
Lovely post! Vermont is definitely one of the most beautiful places to see fall foliage. What a great itinerary for a road trip as there is a lot to see. It’s been years since I’ve been back and hopefully next year I can!
Thanks Vanessa. Vermont is definitely everyone’s favorite for Fall. I hope you can go there again soon as much as I would love to as well. Travel itch is forever.
Vermont is one of my favorite states for Fall foliage and love all your photos. Brings back fond memories! B&J was definitely one of the highlights!
Vermont is love I agree. I wish to go back again too. Thank you so much for reading the vermont fall experience