How to Vacation in Stowe + Burlington VT in the Fall
Vermont in the Fall…a dream trip! One of the best places to see foliage, the beautiful green mountains, picturesque towns and so much adventure! What part of Vermont should you visit? Stowe and Burlington!
Miles and miles of rolling fields of farmland. A place where you can truly feel as one with nature. The Green Mountains sit off in the distance making for an amazing backdrop. Beautiful mountains to explore and a bustling downtown that’s a must see.
A state that’s fun to visit anytime of the year but if you come in the Fall and you’ll see the most vibrant leaves everywhere. The perfect long weekend getaway. So many outdoor adventures, there is something for everyone! Vermont is awesome.
My boyfriend and I visited in mid October, we loved it and thought it was a great time to go! We went the camping route and had a lot of fun.
Here, I will tell you the best places to visit, fun activities to do, where to stay and more in Burlington and Stowe in October!
Let’s dive right in!
How to Vacation in Stowe + Burlington Vermont in the Fall
Getting there
If you live in New England, not too far from VT you should drive.
If you’re coming from far, fly into Burlington International Airport.
Rent a car, you will need one for sure! The airport is in a good location to everywhere you’ll want to explore.
Where to stay
Serenity Meadows: Camping!
If you have the gear to camp and want to save some money on the fancy hotels go here!
Ed, the owner and host of the property is so sweet. His property is located in Fairfax, VT. 35 minutes from Stowe and 35 minutes from Burlington, an awesome centralized location in a quiet farm town.
You can find him on HipCamp. There are campsites and mini cabins located all over his property. Electricity, shower, bathroom, wifi, kitchen are all available. He goes above and beyond to make you feel at home.
He’s also very knowledgeable and passionate about permaculture. Most of the plants growing on his land are edible, he’ll be happy to give you a tour around.
There’s a really good pizza place only five minutes down the road from Serenity Meadows: Stones Throw. You should order from here one night and bring it back to your site for dinner.
When to visit
Fall is a beautiful time of year to visit Vermont. In the fall you’ll get to experience the leaves changing, you’ll see vibrant colors on the trees that are world famous! A great time for hiking and being outside.
Summer is great as well! You can enjoy Lake Champlain to the fullest at this time.
Winter is also a great time to visit! Vermont gets a lot of snow so if you enjoy the snow and activities like skiing or snowboarding you would love to be here in the winter!
Things to do
Stowe
Stowe is such a beautiful mountain town. Visit in the fall and you’ll see lots of people are around exploring the mountains and what the picturesque town has to offer.
Hike
The perfect hike to get a good workout in, see amazing views, not too hard and only takes a couple hours!
- Mostly pretty flat, picks up steepness on & off but never too difficult
- Boots or hiking shoes required- need grip for some of the steeper rocks at the top
- Bring a camera: trail has a lot of beauty and you’ll definitely want it for the top!
- Level: Moderate
- Park at: Upper Hollow Rd, Stowe, VT 05672
Shop
Tangerine & Olive, Located: 232 Mountain Rd, Stowe, VT 05672 The cutest shop that has all unique things Vermont!
Clothes, hats, jewelry, art, stickers, mugs, and so much more. Everything is very nice quality. The shop is located just outside of downtown with easy parking.
Explore the mountain resort
Explore the mountain resort and all it has to offer!
Depending on the time of year, you can head over to the Gondola and take a ride up to the top of Mt. Mansfield or drive up the toll road.
Also check out Spruce Peak and walk around the stores and restaurants.
Coffee
The Beanery: Located at Spruce Peak.
A nice place to stop and grab a coffee and baked goods. DELICIOUS coffee!
Food
Whistle Pig Pavilion: located at Spruce Peak.
Whisky bar with BBQ style menu. Great beer and cocktail list as well. Share one of the BBQ plates (so good), a perfect meal after a hike with a nice cold beer.
Drink
If you like hard cider make it a point to visit Stowe Cider Brewery!!
Located just a few minutes from downtown Stowe, Stowe Cider is in a big barn with lots of seating indoor or out. They are dog friendly and have a tasty food truck on site.
Get a flight so you can taste as many types as possible! They are all delicious so whatever you choose you can’t go wrong. The vibe at Stowe Cider is good, a fun place to hangout.
Burlington
A very fun, bustling, unique, historic town like nowhere I had been before. Burlington is an awesome place!
The people are very nice and there is SO much to do! Bars, coffee shops, restaurants, stores, bike rentals, Lake Champlain, breweries, etc. A “must see” you should add to your list if you haven’t visited yet!
Rent e-bikes
Once you ride an e-bike you’ll only want to ride that style from now on…believe me!
Who knew e-bikes were so much fun!? Speeds up to 20mph believe me you’ll never want a regular bike again. Rent some e-bikes from Local Motion located downtown Burlington.
Do the 4 hour rental because you’ll want to ride the Island Line Trail! Easily accessible to the trail from Local Motion.
It’s a trail that goes along Lake Champlain for the majority of the ride. You end up going out onto a causeway that makes you feel like you are out in the middle of the lake.
Rent the bikes from 10am-2pm if possible, it’s a good window to go for a ride.
The Island Line Trail is 20 miles long total there and back. Seems like a lot but it goes by fast when your bike is going 20mph and you only have to lightly peddle.
This is such a fun activity to do, I cannot recommend it enough!
Church Street MarketPlace
Dozens of stores, restaurants and bars. Truly something for everyone. Church Street Market Place is walking only, no cars are allowed to drive down it.
The street is filled with people walking around looking for where they want to eat or shop. There’s some big name shops like Patagonia and Free People then there’s also all kinds of small local shops, the perfect mix.
Food
The food options in Burlington are amazing!
Once you know you’re traveling to Burlington make your lunch and dinner reservations asap. These restaurants are well known and fill up fast, some places book tables three months out.
Leunigs Bistro
A French restaurant, one of the oldest places to eat downtown. Go here for lunch or dinner if you can!
If you plan on hanging out around Church Street head over here first and put your name on the list then continue to shop while you wait for your table. The food and drink are delicious and the staff are great.
South End Sliders
A little food cart that sells sliders!
Two sliders, perfect size with any toppings you’d like. Parked right across from some fun bars, South End Sliders is the perfect place to go if you want a quick bite to eat before a night on the town or a quick bite after a night on the town.
Grab some sliders and fries and walk over with your food to the Red Square to eat!
Sweetwaters American Bistro
Great food and great location! Sure to find something for everyone here.
Open late for takeout as well!
Drink
The Red Square
You can bring any of your own food here! How cool…Grab some of those sliders across the street and head on over!
Watch some live music while you enjoy your sliders and a drink. Later in the night the dance floor opens, this place is a lot of fun.
Rí Rá Irish Pub
An Irish pub right downtown! Stop in for some drinks or get food too. The staff are so friendly. A fun, upbeat place that’s always lively.
Ake’s Place
The town sports bar, every town has one and Ake’s Place is a fun one!
Great beer on tap, lots of TVs with games being played. This place fills up fast so arrive early to avoid waiting in line.
Foam Brewers
If you like craft beer go to Foam Brewers! Amazing beer, great snacks and awesome people. Good vibes all around at Foam Brewers.
Indoor and outdoor seating, if you go on a Saturday night there is often live music.
Open late for a brewery, so much fun!
Horseback riding
Horseback riding is such a fun and different activity! Why not do it while in Vermont!?
Lajoie Stables is open all year long, you can go on a hot summer day or in the middle of winter! It is a beautiful place located in Jeffersonville, VT on 300 acres of land surrounded by Vermont’s Green Mountains.
They currently have 65 horses in retirement. The beautiful horses graze around the property taking turns for on and off days of giving people mellow rides around the property. You don’t need to have any prior riding experience to do this, they make you feel very comfortable and safe on the horses.
LaJoie Stables
When you arrive they’ll greet you and bring you right into the barn and get you sized up for a horse. From then they’ll help you up and teach you the basics.
You’ll head out with only your friends and/or family you booked the horseback riding with as well as one guide to take you around the property. You will go on a ride through the woods and fields with beautiful views.
The guides are great and very good at answering any questions you have. This experience was so much fun, a cool different way to see Vermont!
If you can, make it a point to visit the Green Mountain State! Vermont is so much fun, the people are all down to earth, and there is so much to do/explore!
Everything listed here is totally doable over a long weekend getaway in Vermont. Head to VT on a Thursday night that way you have all day Friday, Saturday and some of the day Sunday!
Planning out some of the activities and booking reservations at restaurants ahead of time will make everything easier, I recommend doing that. Plan some key things you want to do but don’t forget to leave a little free time for spur of the moment activities and exploring.
Have you been to Burlington or Stowe? What time of year did you visit? What did you think?
Comment below and let me know!
Check out my Full Packing List for Vermont in the Fall + Camping!
sierra
Hello there! It's wonderful to have you here. I'm Sierra, a NH native with a love for travel and adventure. I have a constant desire to explore beautiful places around the world and go on awesome adventures! I seek to inspire others to travel to see all the beauty and culture the world has to offer! 🌞⛰️🌼🫶🏼🦋🌲📸🥾💛
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