
9 Most Breathtaking Towns In Vermont
Vermont, a state in northern New England, is stereotypically known for many things, including maple syrup, ski resorts, small rural towns, and vibrant fall foliage. This state has distinctive seasons and vast stretches of federally protected land with diverse landscapes. The mountains, large natural lakes, countless state parks, and picturesque villages contribute to Vermont's status as a breathtaking place. All this makes it hard to narrow down the state's most stunning towns, but we did our best.
Stowe

A tiny town with fewer than 1,000 residents per the most recent census, Stowe is popular with tourists in the wintertime for its excellent ski resort, Stowe Mountain Resort. This place is open for all four seasons, and has been active since the 1940s, with over 100 trails and at least 10 lifts. One of those lifts takes visitors to the top of Mount Mansfield, over 2,000 feet up. The town of Stowe itself, separate from the resort, is also charming and lively, with plenty of attractions along its main street, Mountain Road. The Stowe Recreation Path, a five-mile-long paved path for walking and biking, winds alongside the downtown strip and makes for quick and easy access to the main drag and all the town has to offer.
Smugglers' Notch State Park is just outside town, winding between the rugged peaks of the Green Mountains, arguably Vermont's most famous mountain range. The park is a hotspot for hiking, boasting a wheelchair-accessible boardwalk trail that allows disabled tourists to experience breathtaking views. Smugglers' Notch is also popular with backpackers, with many campgrounds, some even free, and mountain climbers.
Manchester

Another tiny village near the Green Mountains is Manchester, a quaint mountain town known for its excellent skiing opportunities and as the birthplace of the Orvis Fly Fishing School. This town is between two large mountain ranges, the aforementioned Green Mountains and the Taconic Mountains, with ski resorts on both sides, making it a popular destination for winter sports. The historic downtown area is charming and historic, with many examples of Colonial and Federalist-style buildings, which are common in New England and very pretty.
A couple of interesting attractions can be found downtown, including Hildene, the summer home of Robert Todd Lincoln and Mary Harlan Lincoln, son and daughter-in-law of the esteemed U.S. President Abraham Lincoln. It is a breathtaking property, a glorious Georgian Revival with a thriving garden, an observatory, a cheese-making goat farm, and much more. Also found downtown is the American Museum of Fly Fishing, which has a lot of relevance to this town, which, as was mentioned earlier, takes fly fishing very seriously. If you want to learn how that came to be, this is the place for you.
Or, if you want to get outside, take in some gorgeous water views, and do catch-and-release fly fishing, there are several perfect spots just outside of town. Arguably the most popular is the Battenkill River, a world-renowned fly fishing spot for its abundance of brook trout and its allegedly elusive brown trout, which are said to be fun to try and catch.
Woodstock

Yet another village with less than 1,000 people, Woodstock is also a mountain town, and this seems to be a theme in Vermont because the Green Mountain range is so enormous, covering over 40,000 acres. Besides mountains, Vermont is also known for covered bridges, and Woodstock is home to several of those, too, making it the quintessential friendly Vermont town in many ways. It has a charming downtown with historic Federalist and Greek Revival architecture, and is surrounded by agricultural land, which is perfect for viewing some of the state's trademark fall foliage.
Right outside of town, the uniquely named Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park is a different attraction that combines nature with education. It is a forested national park filled with hiking trails and home to multiple informational exhibits, some inside a visually appealing Victorian mansion. The Ottauquechee River runs alongside Woodstock, too, creating many more outdoor recreation opportunities, since it winds at least 40 miles through eastern Vermont. The river is perfect for fishing and boating. It travels through the town of Woodstock and is cut through by the Quechee Gorge, a massive canyon formed by glacial activity at least 13,000 years ago, making it an amazing and ancient sight to behold.
Shelburne

A slightly larger town of about 6,000 residents, Shelburne is located on the shores of the massive Lake Champlain. This town is encircled on all sides by scenic attractions, mainly the lake, which covers over 500 square miles. Shelburne is home to the Shelburne Bay Park, a hiking area which follows the shoreline with multiple hiking trails, a paved bike path around the lake's edge, and a boat ramp. It is very popular with those looking to see the lake without taking too arduous a trek, and it has many accessible paths.
There are some significant natural areas around Shelburne, too, in case the lake is too busy or is not your thing. The H. Laurence Achilles Natural Area at Shelburne Pond is a nature conservation area with over 400 acres, including many swamps and marshland uncommon in Vermont. Shelburne Pond itself is great for fishing, with a diverse array of fish species due to its high quantity of limestone. Another great conservation area near Shelburne is the LaPlatte River Nature Park, a preserve with many family-friendly hiking trails and very nice river scenery.
Brattleboro

The small town of Brattleboro, which has a population of around 7,000, is on the Connecticut River. Its downtown strip is a lovely historic area connected to the surrounding areas by the Creamery Covered Bridge, which was constructed in the 1870s and gives it a quintessential Vermont feel.
The town has many old buildings that draw in visitors, including one built in 1875: Stone Church, a restored Victorian Gothic structure originally a religious icon in the town but now turned into a live music venue. Brattleboro is also known for being artsy, with the locally owned Brattleboro Museum & Art Center being one of the best in the state. It is home to various contemporary exhibits, sometimes up to 20 at a time.
In addition to the peaceful river waterfront, there are several outdoor attractions around the town. One of those, Fort Dummer State Park, is known for being the first original European settlement in Vermont, with the namesake fort being built in the 1720s. That fort is underwater beneath the Connecticut River, but the state park is still beautiful today. It is popular for its fantastic hiking trails, especially the Sunrise Trail, and well-maintained campgrounds with riverfront access.
Westmore

The northeastern part of Vermont is called the "Northeast Kingdom," a nickname given to Caledonia, Essex, and Orleans counties by former Vermont governor George Aiken in the 1940s. The name stuck, and the area is known for its scenery and rich New England cultural history. Westmore, a tiny village of only around 300 people, is in Orleans County. It is on the southern shore of the state's deepest lake, Lake Willoughby, a sight that will undoubtedly take your breath away with its deep blue, still surface reflecting impressive mountain peaks on all sides.
The lake lies within the greater Willoughby State Forest, an over-7,000-acre park which spreads over two counties in the Northeast Kingdom and is a hotspot for activities like hiking, fishing, and camping, and in the winter, skiing and snowshoeing down the multiple mountain slopes. An acclaimed trail, the Mount Pisgah Trail, is a moderately challenging uphill trek with an incredible payoff, leading to insane lake views and even a sight line into neighboring Quebec, Canada. The Lake Willoughby Natural Area that surrounds the lake is defined by unique glacial topography, being compared regularly to the trademark fjords of Norway because of the massive Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor flanking the sides of the valley, and it is truly a must-see for the area.
St. Johnsbury

Also in the Northeast Kingdom, the town of St. Johnsbury is known as a "shire town," which in Vermont lingo means the administrative center or "seat" of the county, in this case, Caledonia County. The town is objectively beautiful, with dense foliage all around, contributing to the deep emerald greens of spring and summer and typical fall color schemes of oranges, yellows, and browns that make Vermont a picture-perfect destination. There is a hiking path that leads straight from downtown St. Johnsbury to a hilltop called Observatory Knob, from which you can see panoramic views of New England-style rolling hills, forests, and meadows.
The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail is another popular trail from downtown St. Johnsbury with breathtaking views. It is the longest rail trail in New England, stretching 93 miles through 18 towns. It is a multi-purpose trail, meaning you can use it for any method of travel except for a car, including walking, biking, horseback riding, and even dogsledding.
Just north of St. Johnsbury, you will find Victory State Forest, a recreational area with over 16,000 acres and many hiking trails, including equestrian paths. This state forest is known for its swampy lowlands, unique in Vermont and framed by mountains, and its abundance of delicious wild blueberries. One of the mountains is Burke Mountain, home to a ski resort of the same name.
Newport

On the southern shore of the interestingly named Lake Memphremagog is the quaint lake town of Newport, near the Canadian border. This lake is a breathtaking attraction all on its own, stretching between the state of Vermont and the province of Quebec. It is a glacial lake, meaning it is comprised of freshwater pooling over thousands of years from melted glaciers. The lake covers 40 square miles and is over 300 feet deep at some points. It has many small islands dotted throughout its center, and many small bays run off it.
Newport offers lots of lake access and many attractions on its waterfront side. Prouty Beach and its accompanying campground are a 36-acre park with camping facilities, boat docks, and amenities like a playground, basketball court, and shuffleboard area. Prouty Beach also offers a parking area for the Newport Bike Path, another big attraction for Newport. It is a paved and well-maintained path that follows an old rail trail around the lakeside to the Canadian border, about six miles one way. Newport also has a couple of great city parks, namely Pomerleau Park and Gardner Memorial Park, which offer breathtaking lake views and fun opportunities for families to go fishing, go ice skating, have picnics, and play games.
Grand Isle

Speaking of islands, this last town on the list is on one: Grand Isle, located in Lake Champlain. It is the biggest town on the largest island in the lake. It is known for being scenic and tranquil, with a great mix of rural isolation and things to keep you busy. While the downtown area is pretty small, a neat educational attraction to check out there is the Grand Isle Historical Society, which manages the Hyde Log Cabin, a 1780s-era architectural restoration. The museum showcases local and state history exhibits and will teach you anything you want to know about the island.
For outdoor experiences, two state parks are located directly on the island. The one on the south side, aptly named Grand Isle State Park, is a 200-acre stretch of land on the island with 4,000 feet of Lake Champlain beach on its property and a popular waterfront campground. It is an excellent spot for fishing, swimming, and kayaking, and has a nature center on site. The other park on Grand Isle, toward the island's northern end, is Knight Point State Park, which does not have a campground but a beautiful lakefront walking trail, picnic areas, and a sandy beach for swimming.
Vermont is a state that embodies the essence of New England, combining historic downtowns with plenty of scenic outdoor excursions all around them. Whether you are an avid skier wanting to stay at world-famous resorts like those in Stowe or St. Johnsbury, a fly fisher perfecting your craft in Manchester, or a casual fisher wanting to enjoy gorgeous lakes like the ones in Westmore or Newport, this state has everything you need. Vermont is a perfect location to experience all four seasons in their full color glory and witness natural sights that will take your breath away.