Vermont

10 Of The Most Captivating Small Towns In Vermont

Published

2 months ago

November 17, 2024

10 Of The Most Captivating Small Towns In Vermont

Vermont’s small towns celebrate everything that makes this state so unique: scenic beauty, rich history, and a deep sense of community. From charming villages in the mountains to lakeside gems and historic havens, these towns invite visitors to slow down, soak in their character, and discover hidden treasures. Whether you’re drawn to the rustic landscapes, vibrant arts scenes, or the warmth of local traditions, Vermont’s small towns offer the perfect opportunity to experience the Green Mountain State at its finest.

Stowe

Aerial view of Stowe, Vermont with mountains and colorful fall trees.

Stowe is Vermont’s exemplary small town in the Green Mountains, with stunning views of Mount Mansfield, the state’s highest peak. Known for its year-round appeal, Stowe is one of the most popular destinations in Vermont, attracting visitors for outdoor adventures like skiing and snowboarding in winter at the renowned Stowe Mountain Resort.

In the warmer months, hiking enthusiasts flock to trails such as the Stowe Pinnacle Trail, a challenging hike with rewarding views at the summit, and the Mount Mansfield Ridge Trail, which takes you along the longest and highest ridge in Vermont. Fall brings another wave of visitors for fall foliage as the town’s dense forests turn into a vibrant display of red, orange, and yellow leaves.

Popular spots in town include The Green Cup Café, known for its cozy atmosphere and fresh, locally sourced meals, and Stowe Mercantile, a quaint general store selling local goods, handmade Vermont crafts, and specialty foods. For a true taste of the area, head to The Trapp Family Lodge, where visitors can explore the beautiful grounds and enjoy a traditional Austrian meal at the lodge’s restaurant—owned by the von Trapp family of The Sound of Music fame.

Woodstock

Woodstock is one of Vermont’s most scenic towns, known for its iconic landmarks like the Middle Covered Bridge and Taftsville Covered Bridge, which add timeless charm to the landscape.

At the heart of Woodstock is the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, a tribute to Vermont’s conservation legacy. Visitors can tour the historic mansion, stroll through gardens, and explore scenic hiking trails. For art lovers, the Gallery on the Green and Collective—The Art of Craft are must-visit spots that showcase works by talented regional artists. Woodstock also hosts annual cultural events, such as the Woodstock Film Series and art shows, which draw visitors year-round.

Woodstock’s culinary scene is equally vibrant. A local favorite is the farm-to-table restaurant The Prince & The Pauper, renowned for its seasonal Vermont-inspired dishes.

Manchester

Set against the majestic Green Mountains, Manchester boasts a quaint village center and an appealing blend of history, nature, and refined shopping experiences. A major historical landmark is Hildene, the grand estate of Robert Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln’s son. Visitors to Hildene can tour the elegant mansion, explore its breathtaking formal gardens, and enjoy sweeping views of the Green Mountains from the property.

For outdoor enthusiasts, The Equinox Preservation Trust has the popular Equinox Mountain Trail, a challenging hike to the summit of Equinox Mountain, where panoramic views of the valleys and peaks await. Manchester’s proximity to the Battenkill River makes it a top destination for fly fishing, while Lye Brook Falls Trail and Prospect Rock Trail include scenic hiking opportunities through Vermont’s lush landscapes.

The village center is an inviting area to explore, with upscale shopping at the Manchester Designer Outlets and local art at Tilting at Windmills Gallery, showcasing works by regional and national artists. Food lovers will find a treat at The Silver Fork, a local restaurant known for its fusion of global flavors and fresh Vermont ingredients, and Mistral’s at Toll Gate, which is a delightful dining experience along the Battenkill River.

Middlebury

Middlebury is set in Vermont’s scenic western region and has a mixture of history, culture, and nature, making it a captivating town to visit. Middlebury College enhances the town’s arts and culture scene, drawing visitors to the Mahaney Arts Center. For a touch of local history, the Vermont Folklife Center has exhibits and workshops that celebrate and preserve the region’s cultural traditions. Another historical landmark is the beautiful Middlebury Congregational Church. Visitors can also take in the picturesque Middlebury Falls, Otter Creek, and the Battell Bridge, which overlooks the rushing waters.

Middlebury also serves as a gateway to the scenic shores of Lake Champlain. Button Bay State Park has hiking trails, lakefront walks, and swimming, while the lake itself is popular for kayaking and fishing.

Middlebury’s food scene is deeply rooted in Vermont’s agricultural heritage. The Storm Café, located along the river, and American Flatbread Middlebury Hearth, known for its wood-fired pizzas made with local ingredients, are standout spots for farm-to-table dining. Middlebury also hosts a vibrant farmers’ market that showcases fresh local produce, artisan cheeses, and Vermont specialties.

Montpelier

As the state capital, Montpelier is a small town with a big personality. Despite being the seat of government, Montpelier has managed to retain its small-town feel, with a population of just over 8,000 people. The town is known for its stunning neoclassical Vermont State House, where visitors can take a guided tour and learn about the state’s history and government.

Capitol Grounds Café serves freshly roasted coffee and baked goods in a welcoming setting for a cozy coffee break, while Three Penny Taproom is a popular spot for sampling Vermont’s famed craft beer. Notable shops include The Drawing Board, a beloved local art supply store that doubles as a gallery for local artwork, and Buch Spieler Records. The town also hosts numerous festivals annually, including the Montpelier Farmers Market, which brings together local farmers, artisans, and food vendors to celebrate Vermont’s agricultural bounty.

For outdoor lovers, the town’s proximity to the Winooski River means opportunities for kayaking, while nearby hiking trails like North Branch River Park Trail and East Montpelier Trail provide stunning views of the surrounding hills and valleys.

Waitsfield

Located in the Mad River Valley, Waitsfield is a quintessential Vermont town known for its relaxed pace of life and stunning natural surroundings. The nearby Mad River is perfect for a variety of outdoor activities, including kayaking, tubing, and fishing, while the surrounding mountains provide excellent hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing opportunities, with popular trails like Sunset Ledge Trail.

The nearby Sugarbush Resort has world-class skiing and snowboarding in winter, and its scenic chairlift rides provide incredible views of the valley in the warmer months. Waitsfield is also home to numerous festivals, including the Mad River Valley Bluegrass Festival, which celebrates Vermont’s music and community spirit.

Brattleboro

Brattleboro is a dynamic, artsy town that is always buzzing with creativity. Its location along the Connecticut River provides a beautiful setting, and the town’s vibrant arts scene is one of its defining features. Brattleboro has numerous galleries, theaters, and music venues, making it a hub for Vermont’s artistic community. Notable spots include the Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, which hosts contemporary art exhibits; Latchis Theatre, an Art Deco-style venue that hosts films and live performances; and Stone Church, a popular music venue housed in a beautifully repurposed historic building.

The town also hosts events like the Brattleboro Literary Festival, which draws visitors from all over to celebrate the written word, and the Brattleboro Farmers Market, where local vendors showcase Vermont’s finest produce and artisan goods. Brattleboro’s historic district, with its mix of antique shops and eclectic cafes, has plenty to explore. The town also has several beautiful parks and walking trails, including the Retreat Farm and the nearby Putney Mountain for scenic hikes.

Jeffersonville

Grist Mill Covered Bridge surrounded by fall foliage in Cambridge, Vermont.

A small town that packs a big punch, Jeffersonville is a hidden gem in northern Vermont. In the Green Mountains, this picturesque town provides easy access to Smugglers’ Notch State Park, where visitors can enjoy scenic trails like Sterling Pond Trail for hiking, as well as skiing and wildlife spotting. White-tailed deer and red foxes are common, while black bears can sometimes be seen in the park’s more remote areas. Birdwatchers may spot species like the peregrine falcon, pileated woodpecker, and various types of hawks.

Jeffersonville’s downtown brims with small-town appeal, featuring local businesses like The Farm Store, which specializes in Vermont-made goods, and Mootsies Bakery, known for its delicious pastries and fresh bread. Nearby Smugglers’ Notch Resort has family-friendly skiing experiences with fewer crowds than larger resorts, making it ideal for a relaxed getaway.

Hardwick

Hardwick is a town that exemplifies Vermont’s agricultural heart. It’s known for its thriving local food scene, with farms providing fresh produce, meats, and artisanal goods that are celebrated at the Hardwick Farmers Market. The town is home to the High Mowing Organic Seeds farm, one of the largest organic seed companies in the country, and the neighboring Cellars at Jasper Hill, which produces world-renowned artisanal cheeses.

For outdoor enthusiasts, Hardwick is surrounded by lush, accessible landscapes perfect for all-season adventure. Nearby Lake Elmore is a local favorite. Its pristine waters are ideal for fishing, kayaking, and swimming in the summer months, and trails like the Elmore Mountain Trail lead to the summit for sweeping views of the Vermont countryside. In winter, the area around the Craftsbury Outdoor Center provides opportunities for cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and even ice fishing.

Hardwick’s strong sense of community is evident in its local events, including the annual Hardwick Fall Festival, which brings together food, music, and crafts to celebrate the region’s agricultural roots.

Shelburne

Shelburne is a beautiful town located on the shores of Lake Champlain and has some of the most scenic views in Vermont. The town is home to the renowned Shelburne Museum, an expansive 45-acre property featuring a collection of over 150,000 pieces of American art and artifacts—including a restored 220-foot steamboat “Ticonderoga.” Just down the road, Shelburne Farms, a 1,400-acre working farm, and nonprofit environmental education center, sits on a beautiful lakeside property where visitors can explore the grounds via the Farm Trail or Lone Tree Hill Trail, both with peaceful walks through meadows, woodlands, and gardens.

Shelburne’s waterfront is a hub for outdoor activities. Shelburne Bay Park has hiking trails with sweeping lake views and access to kayaking and paddleboarding. Views of the distant Adirondack Mountains add a stunning backdrop for boating and picnicking.

You’ll find a mix of beloved local spots in the town’s quaint village center. Stop by the rustic-farmhouse-style Village Wine and Coffee for a morning espresso, or enjoy brunch at Rustic Roots. The Bearded Frog serves creative New American cuisine for dinner, and Folino’s Wood-Fired Pizza provides casual dining with locally sourced toppings and a brewery next door.

Discover Vermont’s Hidden Gems

Vermont’s small towns are rich in character and charm, each with its own unique appeal. From stunning landscapes to historic landmarks and tight-knit communities, these towns glimpse the heart of Vermont. Whether you’re drawn to the beauty of the mountains, the tranquility of lakesides, or the warmth of local traditions, Vermont’s small towns promise an unforgettable experience for any visitor. So take the time to explore these gems and discover the essence of Vermont at its most captivating.

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Vermont

Vermont state police seek help locating 60-year-old Enosburg man – Newport Dispatch

Published

1 hour ago

January 4, 2025

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Vermont state police seek help locating 60-year-old Enosburg man – Newport Dispatch

ENOSBURG — Vermont State Police are seeking assistance in locating John Reynolds, 60, who has not been seen since Nov. 13.

Reynolds is believed to be in the Enosburg/Berkshire area.

While there are no signs that he is in immediate danger or that his absence is under suspicious circumstances, concerns have been raised regarding his welfare.

Authorities are urging anyone who might have information about Reynolds’ whereabouts to reach out to the VSP St. Albans at (802) 524-5993.

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Vermont

US Chamber, oil industry sue Vermont over law requiring companies to pay for climate change damage

Published

10 hours ago

January 3, 2025

Press Room

US Chamber, oil industry sue Vermont over law requiring companies to pay for climate change damage

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a top oil and gas industry trade group are suing Vermont over its new law requiring that fossil fuel companies pay a share of the damage caused over several decades by climate change.

The federal lawsuit filed Monday asks a state court to prevent Vermont from enforcing the law, which was passed last year. Vermont became the first state in the country to enact the law after it suffered catastrophic summer flooding and damage from other extreme weather. The state is working to estimate the cost of climate change dating back to Jan. 1, 1995.

The lawsuit argues the U.S. Constitution precludes the act and that the state law is preempted by the federal Clean Air Act. It also argues that the law violates domestic and foreign commerce clauses by discriminating “against the important interest of other states by targeting large energy companies located outside of Vermont.”

The Chamber and the other plaintiff in the lawsuit, the American Petroleum Institute, argue that the federal government is already addressing climate change. And because greenhouse gases come from billions of individual sources, they argue it is impossible to measure “accurately and fairly” the impact of emissions from a particular entity in a particular location over decades.

“Vermont wants to impose massive retroactive penalties going back 30 years for lawful, out-of-state conduct that was regulated by Congress under the Clean Air Act,” said Tara Morrissey, senior vice president and deputy chief counsel of the Chamber’s litigation center. “That is unlawful and violates the structure of the U.S. Constitution — one state can’t try to regulate a global issue best left to the federal government. Vermont’s penalties will ultimately raise costs for consumers in Vermont and across the country.”

A spokesman for the state’s Agency of Natural Resources said it had not been formally served with this lawsuit.

Anthony Iarrapino, a Vermont-based lobbyist with the Conservation Law Foundation, said the lawsuit was the fossil fuel industry’s way of “trying to avoid accountability for the damage their products have caused in Vermont and beyond.”

“More states are following Vermont’s lead holding Big Oil accountable for the disaster recovery and cleanup costs from severe storms fueled by climate change, ensuring that families and businesses no longer have to foot the entire bill time and time again,” Iarrapino added.

Under the law, the Vermont state treasurer, in consultation with the Agency of Natural Resources, is to issue a report by Jan. 15, 2026, on the total cost to Vermonters and the state from the emission of greenhouse gases from Jan. 1, 1995, to Dec. 31, 2024. The assessment would look at the effects on public health, natural resources, agriculture, economic development, housing and other areas. The state would use federal data to determine the amount of covered greenhouse gas emissions attributed to a fossil fuel company.

It’s a polluter-pays model affecting companies engaged in the trade or business of extracting fossil fuel or refining crude oil attributable to more than 1 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions during the time period. The funds could be used by the state for such things as improving stormwater drainage systems; upgrading roads, bridges and railroads; relocating, elevating or retrofitting sewage treatment plants; and making energy efficient weatherization upgrades to public and private buildings. It’s modeled after the federal Superfund pollution cleanup program.

The approach taken by Vermont has drawn interest from other states, including New York, where Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law a similar bill in December.

The New York law requires companies responsible for substantial greenhouse gas emissions to pay into a state fund for infrastructure projects meant to repair or avoid future damage from climate change. The biggest emitters of greenhouse gases between 2000 and 2018 would be subjected to the fines.

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Vermont

With major changes to Act 250 underway, a new board takes the reins

Published

19 hours ago

January 3, 2025

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With major changes to Act 250 underway, a new board takes the reins

This story, by Report for America corps member Carly Berlin, was produced through a partnership between VTDigger and Vermont Public.

Gov. Phil Scott has appointed the members of a new board that will administer Act 250, Vermont’s statewide development review law.

The new Land Use Review Board replaces the old Natural Resources Board, a shift mandated under Act 181, a major land-use reform law passed last year. That law takes steps to relax Act 250’s reach in existing downtowns and village centers across the state, and also lays the groundwork for extending Act 250’s protections in areas deemed ecologically sensitive.

But the new law also changes how Act 250 is administered. The Land Use Review Board is made up of five full-time members with relevant professional experience — a significant change from the former citizen-board structure. The new members have backgrounds in municipal and regional planning, environmental law, and civil engineering. The review board will also play a key role in overseeing a years-long mapping process that will cement Act 250’s jurisdiction in the future. (Regional district offices still make permitting decisions on individual projects, however).

“Vermont faces a significant housing crisis and the work of this board will play a very important role in helping us address it, while protecting our beautiful landscape and environment,” Scott said in a statement announcing the appointments earlier this week. “I’m confident this board has the diverse expertise, work ethic, and passion to tackle the work that’s required in Act 181 while also forwarding common sense improvements to the law to further our shared goals.”

The new board chair, Janet Hurley, currently serves as the assistant director and planning program manager for the Bennington County Regional Commission. Before that, she worked as a local planner throughout the state, in Manchester, South Burlington, Milton, and Westford, according to a press release from Scott’s office.

Since Act 250 was enacted in 1970, “it can certainly be credited with saving Vermont from rampant development,” Hurley said in an interview. “But it can also certainly be responsible for the depth of our housing crisis, because the burden of Act 250 permitting — often duplicative, especially in our town and village centers — just made housing development that’s affordable much more difficult to achieve for so many years.”

In the past, new housing projects would trigger Act 250 review based on how large they were, and how many homes a developer had already built in a given area during a given timeframe. That system could in fact lead to the sprawl it was trying to prevent, prompting developers to avoid bumping up against Act 250 permitting by building “smaller scale, single family home development dispersed around our towns and villages,” Hurley said.

Act 181 shifts the permitting program toward “location-based jurisdiction,” meaning some areas of the state that already have robust local zoning review and water and wastewater infrastructure could be exempt from Act 250 altogether. That new system will take years to implement, though, and the transition will be one of the board’s primary tasks.

As that longer process plays out, lawmakers made temporary exemptions to Act 250 last year. They were designed to encourage dense housing in already-developed areas, and so far, the carve-outs appear to be working as intended. Hurley thinks loosening Act 250’s rules around housing will make a big difference.

“The market just can’t bear the cost of construction at this point, and so any relief to the financing of new housing development is going to be meaningful,” Hurley said.

More from Vermont Public: Vermont loosened Act 250 rules for housing. Here’s where developers are responding

Still, members of the board think Act 250 will continue to play an important role in years to come.

“The housing crisis requires us to act swiftly, and that means a lot more housing, period,” said Alex Weinhagen, current director of planning and zoning in Hinesburg and another new board member. “But larger projects have impacts, and the whole point of having a development review process is to make sure that we acknowledge those and that the projects, you know, do what they can to minimize them.”

To Weinhagen, Act 181’s goals were to reform statewide development review so that “it’s smarter, it works better, it’s applied consistently across the state, and it’s only used when it’s needed — and not used in places where there’s adequate local level development review happening,” he said.

The board will study whether appeals of Act 250 permits should be heard by the board itself — or continue to be heard in state environmental court. Legislators and administration officials hotly debated the issue last session, arguing over which option would in fact speed up lengthy appeal timelines, and ultimately directed the new board to assess it further.

The other members of the new board include L. Brooke Dingledine, an environmental attorney in Randolph; Kirsten Sultan, an Act 250 district coordinator in the Northeast Kingdom with a background in engineering; and Sarah Hadd, a former local planner and current town manager for Fairfax, according to the press release.

The new board appointments took effect on Jan. 1, and the board will begin its work on Jan. 27.

Have questions, comments or tips? Send us a message.

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