6 Bucket-List Small Towns In Vermont

These 6 towns below are breathtaking and worth a spot on your bucket list, with exciting stops like Dorset Marble Quarry, Shelburne Farms, and the Shelburne Museum (the largest museum of art and history in northern New England). In Stowe, skiers and riders can spend the day on the slopes at the foot of Mount Mansfield before unwinding with gondola views, village strolls, and cozy alpine charm. Elsewhere, towns like Jericho show off Vermont’s quieter magic through places like the historic Red Mill, where rushing water, local crafts, and fall color create an unmistakably New England scene.

Brattleboro

Brattleboro's thriving, storied downtown is poised on the lush foliage banks of the West and Connecticut Rivers across from New Hampshire. Boasting three downtown blocks of independent merchants, travelers revel in a real shopping oasis, complemented by farm-to-table dining and urban arts, a stone's throw from the outdoors. The Stone Church is a live music venue, while the town's riverfront museum features contemporary art shows, workshops, and artist talks inside a converted rail station.

Just inland, the bright red lattice-truss Historic Creamery Covered Bridge was built in 1879 to replace one destroyed by a flood. Closed to traffic, you can admire beautiful workmanship steps from Living Memorial Park, featuring trails, a splash pad, and ice skating. The Landmark Retreat Tower, built in 1887 by the Vermont Asylum patients, is along a woodsy path to friendly farm animals, seasonal events, and a local food market at the Retreat Farm, open year-round with parking and a pet-friendly feel.

Dorset

Minutes north of Manchester, Dorset offers a quieter feel near the NY border, with lanes lined with white wooden clapboard houses, a gourmet grocery store, and Dorset Bakery with a lunch menu and freshly baked goodies. Grab a scone and an espresso drink in the morning before exploring the nearby Emerald Lake State Park, with swimming and boat rentals, or a ski trip to Stratton, 30 miles south. Boasting deep ties to Vermont's marble quarries, the area is filled with unique trails and water holes.

The nearby Dorset Marble Quarry boasts distinction as America's oldest (est. 1785) and for supplying notable buildings with stone, such as the New York Public Library. Today, it is a gleaming water pit of up to 60-feet deep, popular among sightseers and local cliff-jumpers. Exploring the area, travelers can soak in the towering views of the 3,760-foot Dorset Mountain north of town and the 3,840-foot Equinox Mountain, the highest peak in the Taconic Range, to the south, both offering panoramic hiking trails.

Jericho

Just east of Essex, Jericho's attractions reflect the cozy, rustic Vermont you crave, not to mention ice cream from Palmer Lane Maple is worth the drive alone for their iconic maple blueberry twist, Vermont-themed gifts, and outdoor benches to savor your treat on a sunny day. Three miles down the road, the Jericho Center Country Store is one of the state's oldest. Poised on a ledge over a rocky gorge, the 19th-century Old Red Mill is another attraction travelers go out of their way for an iconic snapshot.

Now the base for the Jericho Historical Society on the Lee River, the water running through the gorge lends a storybook feel to the exterior, in addition to the free-entry Snowflake Bentley Museum, featuring a unique showcase of snowflake photography. Also on site, you will find the unique merch at the craft shop, from pottery by Vermont artists to handmade teddy bears. Meanwhile, the path behind the mill building leads to a popular spot to photograph its precipitous perch from a bridge on Route 15.

Montpelier

Home to roughly 8,000, the least-populated US state capital is vibrant and compact, with the Winooski River through the heart and countryside attractions just beyond the cute cafés, bookstores, and indie shops. Steps from the all-season farmers market, the gold-domed Vermont State House anchors the historic downtown district with free tours, the Roman goddess Ceres atop, and a trailhead behind, winding up a steep wooded hill to climb Hubbard Park's 1930 observation tower for great views.

Boasting parks and historic appeal, the Lost Nation Theater anchors the city's arts scene with its clock tower and staged performances next to the Savoy Theater, a two-screen art house with a plush, intimate lounge room, popcorn, and adult beverages. Minutes away, the family-run Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks leaves a lasting impression on families, featuring two friendly pet goats on-site and all things maple, such as syrup, popcorn, merch, and soft-serve maple creemee, a regional treat.

Shelburne

Some 40 miles west from the capital, there is no wrong time to stroll through Shelburne's historic village district, listed entirely on the National Register of Historic Places. Praised for farm-fresh dining and local artisan shops, Lake Champlain, which spans nearly the entire state, is by far the greatest attraction here. Summertime through harvest brings outdoor recreation and farm visits, complete with a town beach, foliage views atop Lone Tree Hill, and an antiquated paddlewheel steamer dry-docked outside.

Shelburne's historic appeal reflects shingle-style, Queen Anne, and rural New England styles, like Shelburne Farms, an evocative family outing with friendly animals, the art of cheesemaking, and rolling hills overlooking the lake. From the seven-room Shelburne Country Store, open since the 19th century, to the historic covered bridge and the steamboat "Ti" steps from the impressive Shelburne Museum, couples can end the day on a high note at sunset over wine tasting at Shelburne Vineyard.

Stowe

Stowe, the Ski Capital of the East, captures the best of Americana and modern luxury at the foot of Mt. Mansfield, towering over quaint shopfronts, a white-steepled church, and historic homesteads with Vermont foliage and views worthy of a postcard. Just north, Stowe Mountain Resort is a magnet for die-hard skiers and boarders, with expert terrain and great snow conditions, as well as rustic lodges and expert terrain just a short gondola ride away to the other side of the mountain, steeped in ski tradition.

Magical mountain views set the après-ski stage for skiers, families, and shopaholics at the resort's Spruce Peak Village, from luxury mountain apparel and local artisan markets to spas, hotels, an arts center, and a village green beneath Vermont's tallest, craggy peak. After escaping Nazi-occupied Austria, the von Trapp family settled in the hills west of Stowe, a landscape that reminded them of home. Spend a magical night in authentic Bavarian digs at the Trapp Family Lodge & Resort.

From Stowe Resort to the Old Red Mill in Jericho, New England's most evocative towns make for an enviable ski trip and, of course, that rustic Vermont charm. Home to the nation's least-populated capital, Montpelier, the region's most rural state has a lot going for it in terms of the Green Mountains, which rival those on the West Coast.

Then, there's Lake Champlain, where Shelburne beguiles with art, wine, and farm-to-table dining in a district spanning the Revolutionary War era and the Gilded Age, steps from scenic waterside recreation. Whether you're in it for New England charm, holiday shopping, or an outdoorsy set of mind, these are places to revisit time and time again.