Fall Foliage Colors: Vermont
Autumn Tours of New England Countryside, Rural Scenery and Beauty
Sep 10, 2008
When New England’s days get shorter and mornings and afternoons are cool everybody knows that harvest time and its accompanying chorus of color have arrived. While the whole northeast shares this autumn splendor, Vermonters think theirs is particularly beautiful -- and they could be right. Peak should happen within the next two weeks.
A Vermont Season of Color
Vermont is a long thin state and that creates a nice long season from late September through the end of October – sometimes even into early November. It’s a glorious time for a family weekend outing, a romantic getaway for two or they vacation you didn’t get to do during the summer. Don’t worry about hitting the peak, you’ll find it someplace along your route and the joy of foliage season is drinking in the contrasts of red, orange and yellow with light and dark greens of forests and the golden fields.
A Connecticut River Valley Sojourn
One of the most beautiful drives in the fall is on old Route 5, which parallels I-91 along the Connecticut River. This well trod older route winds closer to the shore of the Connecticut River, passing along the way farms selling fresh locally raised produce, maple syrup (look for the small red signs tacked to trees and fence posts), and small villages like Putney and Windsor. Poke around at Basketville and stop at the American Precision Museum in Windsor or pick up a winter supply of potatoes or squash at a farm stand.
Manchester and A Western Peak Peek
Another place to go hunting for the best show is in the Manchester-Dorset region. Reach it from I-9, exiting at Route 103 and traveling west, with a stop at the Vermont Country Store in Rockingham. in beautiful Chester follow Route 11 over the Green Mountains, past the Bromley Ski Area and its huge waterslide, to Manchester. While there check out the chic shops in Manchester Center – perhaps finding a new fly rod at Orvis.
At Manchester take Route 7-A south to Arlington. There is a Norman Rockwell Museum here, and you will want to see Shaftsbury. At Bennington take a short side trip west on Route 9 to the Battle of Bennington Monument (the view from the top includes foliage views of two states) then travel Route 9 west over the spine of the Green Mountains to Brattleboro. Stop at Hogback Mountain for the nature museum and the spectacular view over southern Vermont and Massachusetts.
Autumn in the Northeast Kingdom
Northern Vermont is glorious in the fall, and the best time is the first two weeks of October. Don’t be afraid to use I-91 and I-89 to get there -- the views from these high-riding interstates are outstanding; I-91 is one of the most beautiful highways in the country. Get off at Lyndonville and take Route 114 north through the wilderness to Island Pond and on to Norton, then east along the Canadian border to Canaan. Follow Route 102 south along the Connecticut River back to I-91 at St Johnsbury.
A Look at Burlington and the Champlain Region
Or, head over to Burlington and its many attractions, then wander up Route 7 to Route 2 and across to the Champlain Islands. This is gorgeous farm country that lights up with color. Route 2 will carry you to Route 78 at East Alburg and over to Swanton. Either Route 38 along the shore or Route 7 will take you back to Burlington.
Try Getting Off The Main Road
While these general routes will give you some of the best that the state has to offer, get a map and stray off onto some of the lesser secondary roads. The state has a number of good side roads that are unpaved gravel, many of them bordered by stone walls, and they can often provide some of the most beautiful rural scenery.
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