Get the interstate. The backroads of Vermont offer a beautiful way to slow down. In valleys flanked by Green Mountain summits, dirt lanes wind past meadow lit by fireflies. White-steepled churches preside in the village centers where country stores are located.
Between your destinations, wherever they are, you will find farm-to-table dining, artist galleries, Civil War history, family-run farms, mountainside hiking trails, and clear-water swimming holes. Here are some of the state's finest backroads, and their detour-worthy stops, that invite the kind of leisurely discovery only in a place like Vermont.
The photo is by Dawn Mikkelsen.
Mountain scenery and picture- perfect villages are what you should go for.
The highest drive in Vermont is the Lincoln Gap, a 2,428-foot-high pass that is 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 888-270-6611 You will be driving at a 24% grade at one point on the eastern side of the route. Bicycling magazine named this the steepest paved mile in the US in 2008.
The old-fashioned Warren Store is located in the village of Warren on the Mad River side. Warren Falls has a stone staircase of natural pools and a beloved swimming hole.
The summits of the Lincoln Gap Road can be seen from there. At the top of the pass, blue-blazed trees mark an intersection with the Long Trail, which traverses the Green Mountains along the entire length of Vermont. That is where the pavement ends. The road goes for 2 miles or so before coming to an end just to the south of Lincoln.
Continue driving northwest on East River Road and then River Road to Bristol Falls and Main Street. Farmhouse Chocolates has some of their organic, handmade candies to celebrate the journey.
Felix Lipov has a photo.
Go for craft beers and big views.
One of Vermont's prettiest drives is the 10 mile route between Underhill and Cambridge, which has great views of the state's highest peak.
Poorhouse Pies is known for everything from classic Vermont apple pie to veggie-packed quiche, so start your day with a baked good. Just after the Underhill Center Post Office, you can find Pleasant Valley Road. As the pavement goes north, keep an eye out for the view of Mansfield to the northeast. Valley Dream Farm in Cambridge is the best place to take a picture of the 4,395-foot mountain.
Pick up Route 15 and go to the Cambridge Village Market to replenish your road trip supplies. Stop for a circa-1872 photo session at Jeffersonville's Grist Mill Covered Bridge before heading towards the college town of Johnson. You can stretch those legs and get a Vermont souvenir at either Johnson Woolen Mills or The Vermont Flannel Company.
Rock Art Brewery, the new Soulmate Brewing Company, and Lost Nation Brewing are some of the nearby craft breweries.
The photo was taken by John Couture.
Pick your own orchards and historic architecture.
The meandering course of this 47-mile, two-lane highway between Brattleboro and Manchester is defined by the West River. There are rotating exhibits at the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, located in a former railroad depot. At Retreat Farm, families should stop at the forest playground and storybook walk.
Scott Farm is known for cultivating more than 130 varieties of heirloom apples, so if you want to fill up on fruit, you have to take a detour from Route 30 to Dummerston. The 1892 home of author Rudyard Kipling is now a National Historic Landmark. And, believe it or not, a vacation rental.
The town square of Newfane is flanked by grandiose Greek Revival architecture. Break for lunch at the Four Columns Inn, where the backyard flower beds lead to a forest-edged stream. Since before the Civil War, the drive to Manchester has been a chic country escape. The American Museum of Fly Fishing is located at the former hillside estate of Robert Todd Lincoln, the son of the 16th President.
The photo was taken by Jonathan A. Mauer.
Art, literature, and outdoor activities are things to do.
Kelley Stand Road goes through the heart of the Green Mountain National Forest and is a great way to get to the mountain town of Stratton. If you start at the nearby museum, you will see midcentury creatives like Paul Feeley and Helen Frankenthaler. The Robert Frost Stone House Museum is located in Shaftsbury and is where the poet lived and wrote.
You can hike, swim, or canoe at the Grout Pond Recreation Area if you follow Kelley Stand Road out of East Arlington. The summit of southern Vermont's highest peak is a great place to view the forest. The Fire Tower Restaurant is named after the wooden structure that sits on top of the ski mountain.
If you are visiting later in the year, Kelley Stand Road is a great place to take a foliage drive. In winter, the road isn't maintained for vehicle traffic, but you could still take in the scenery by snowmobile, snowshoe, or cross-country ski.
The photo is Snehit.
Go for: mazes, maple syrup, and a shrine to dogs.
The Northeast Kingdom of Vermont is a place where small towns are gathering spots for a largely rural population. Start with lunch at the community-owned Peacham Cafe. The gift shop at the Maple Farm is located on the northwest side of Mack Mountain Road.
The century-old Hastings Store is on the east side of 2. Place $1 bets on the exact date and time the pond ice will break up in the next year for a chance to win some cash. The Great Vermont Corn Maze is the largest in New England.
There is a lot of artwork in St. Johnsbury. The St. Johnsbury library has paintings from the 18th and 19th century. The Dog Chapel at Dog Mountain is an artist's touching shrine to visitors.
Where are you going next? The entire state of Vermont is a wonderful backroads kingdom.
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