Hiking the Best of Vermont

Welcome to Burlington, Vermont! Your adventure begins with an important welcome meeting at your hotel. If you arrive in Burlington early, why not check out the arts and crafts of Church Street Marketplace or the idyllic Shelburne Farms? After meeting your fellow travellers, take a short drive to Smugglers’ Notch – your first chance to stretch your legs. Used by Vermonters as a trading route with Canada during the Napoleonic Wars and Prohibition, it now showcases some of the state’s best sights. Pass through birch forests as you ascend the two mountains that form the notch, stopping for a picnic lunch along the way. After making your way back down, head on to your accommodation. After you settle in, sit down for an included dinner in Stowe.

Vermont’s regal Northeast Kingdom will host you for today’s hike. After breakfast in Stowe, make your way toward the glacially formed Lake Willoughby, home to some of the deepest water in the state. The trail will take you along the forest floor and rocky outcrops, where you’ll be able to look out over the fjord-like views of Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor. After another scenic lunch during the walk, head back to Stowe and use the afternoon to explore the historic downtown, settle in at a local brewery, cidery or winery or soar through the sky on a canopy zipline, before settling in for an included dinner.

Today you’ll reach new heights as you summit Mount Mansfield – Vermont’s highest peak at 4395 feet. It resembles a face when viewed from the east, and many of the ridgeline features you hike along are suitably named – think the Adam’s Apple, Nose, Forehead and Chin. From the Chin, the mountain’s highest point, you’ll even have sightlines over state lines ona clear day. See if you can spot the White Mountains in New Hampshire or the Adirondacks in New York! The elevation will provide the setting for a lunch with a view before you make your descent and head back to Stowe.

After a nice slow start to the morning, head to Elmore State Park. Today’s hike starts on a winding path through beech and maple forest, before you gain elevation on your way to a historic fire tower. Built in 1939 but taken out of service in the 1970s, it now provides sweeping views above the tree line and back over the mountain valley and Lake Elmore. If it’s a clear day, a swim in the lake will be your next port of call, otherwise you’ll circle its banks and make your way back to Stowe for another local dinner.

For your final frolic in the Green Mountain State, head north to Jay Peak, best known for its wintertime role as a ski resort. On your hike, the summit and ski area will instead provide endless rolling views of the Jay State Forest below. Weather permitting, those views may stretch over the border and into Canada! After making your way back down the mountain, a short drive will take you back to Burlington where your adventure will end when you arrive. If you’d like to stay longer, just speak to your booking agent.