Stowe is the village most people picture when they picture Vermont — a white-steepled church at the end of Main Street, a mountain road climbing into the Green Mountains behind it, and Mount Mansfield, the highest point in the state, filling the skyline. It is a genuine year-round resort town rather than a place that wakes up for one season, which is why it has the accommodation range it does. For a foliage road trip it is the natural northern base: northern Vermont turns first, so Stowe is where you start the colour and work south.
- Northern Vermont turns first — this is where a foliage trip should begin
- Smugglers' Notch, a boulder-walled mountain pass closed to lorries and unforgettable in October
- Mount Mansfield by gondola, toll road or foot, for the view down the whole valley
- A working village with real restaurants, not a strip of gift shops
- The best accommodation range in northern Vermont, from farm inns to full resorts
Region: Northeast Best time: Late September to the first week of October for peak colour — Stowe sits in northern Vermont, which turns two to three weeks before the Maine coast. December to March for skiing. Late October is quiet and cheap but largely bare. Getting there: About 3.5 hours from Boston (I-93 then I-89), or 45 minutes from Burlington. There is no useful public transport for a foliage trip — this is a driving destination. Getting around: You need a car. Stowe village and the Mountain Road resort strip are a few miles apart and the scenic drives are the point. The free Mountain Road shuttle runs in peak seasons if you would rather leave the car at the hotel.
Areas & nearby villages
Stowe Village
The postcard centre — church spire, Main Street shops and the start of the recreation path.
Mountain Road (Route 108)
The resort strip climbing towards the ski area, where most hotels and lodges sit.
Smugglers' Notch
The narrow pass above the resort, squeezing between boulders. Closed in winter and to large vehicles year-round.
Waterbury
Ten minutes south — the interstate junction, with breweries, a cider mill and cheaper beds.
Morrisville
Fifteen minutes north, unpolished and much less expensive if Stowe is booked out.
Things to do
- Drive Smugglers' Notch — Route 108 threads between fallen boulders with the colour closing overhead — the single best short drive in the state
- Mount Mansfield — Gondola, toll road or the hike up — Vermont's highest point, and the view that explains the trip
- The Stowe Recreation Path — 5.5 flat miles along the West Branch river, the easiest way to be inside the colour rather than looking at it
- Trapp Family Lodge meadows — Austrian-style lodge founded by the von Trapps, with meadow walks and a brewery at the bottom
- Cider and cheese at Waterbury — Cold Hollow Cider Mill's doughnuts and Cabot's creamery, ten minutes down the road
- A foliage chairlift ride — Several Vermont resorts run lifts through October purely for the view — no hiking required
A few perfect days
- Day 1Arrive and orient
Check in, walk the village end to end in twenty minutes, then drive up the Mountain Road at golden hour to see how far the colour has come.
- Day 2The Notch and the mountain
Smugglers' Notch early before the pull-outs fill, then the gondola or toll road up Mansfield. Afternoon on the recreation path.
- Day 3Cider, cheese and south
Waterbury for the cider mill and a brewery, then pick up Route 100 southbound — the drive is the day.
Eat & drink
- Vermont cheddar, maple everything, and cider doughnuts eaten warm at the mill
- Farm-to-table is not a marketing phrase here — the good restaurants are on Mountain Road and book up in October
- Craft beer: Vermont punches far above its size, and the Waterbury breweries are ten minutes away
Road trips through Stowe
National parks & day trips
Where to stay
Compare hotels and rentals across Stowe.
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