Vermont is a beauty to behold in fall as the colors of orange, pink, scarlet, and yellow foliage saturate its outdoor scene. From mountains and vineyards to waterfalls, covered bridges, lakes, and rivers, the colors are everywhere. Like most states in the country, the foliage in Vermont typically peaks in mid-October, making it the best time to visit. Thankfully, visitors can always find a variety of ways to explore the state and soak in its autumn glory, ranging from festivals and apple picking to wine tasting, scenic drives, and hiking, among others. Without further ado, here are the top destinations to visit in the Green Mountain State this fall for unforgettable experiences.
Mount Philo State Park, Charlotte
Autumn colors in the Champlain Valley, as seen from Mount Philo State Park in Vermont.
Mount Philo State Park is Vermont’s oldest state park and a prime destination for relishing foliage scenery. This beautiful park sits atop the 968-foot Mount Philo, offering mind-blowing views of Lake Champlain, the Green Mountains, and the Adirondack Mountains in New York with foliage colors around them. There is an access road to the mountain’s summit to take in these sensational views. However, a 1.2-mile hike to the same summit is more rewarding. Additionally, there are picnic benches, campsites, and restrooms at the top.
Champlain Orchards, Shoreham
View of Mount Defiance in Fort Ticonderoga, NY, as seen from Shoreham, VT. Editorial Credit: PunkToad via Flickr
Champlain Orchards is one of the oldest running orchards in the state and a lovely destination to visit for apple picking in the fall. Once here, visitors can explore the orchard to pick some apples or traverse the farm to see its over 175 varieties of fruits. Some notable fruits available for picking here include pears, raspberries, cherries, currants, plums, and peaches. As for apples, the orchard has about 146 varieties, many of which are available for picking in October. Meanwhile, a Cider Garden is open in the Orchard from Friday to Sunday every week and offers cider-tasting opportunities, games on the lawn, and picnic areas. The garden also features a scenic walkway with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains framing it.
Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge
The Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge connects VT and NH. Editorial credit: Joseph Sohm / Shutterstock.com
Vermont is renowned for its hundreds of covered bridges which are often surrounded by spectacular foliage in autumn. The Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge is one the state’s most iconic bridges crossing the Connecticut River and connecting Windsor in Vermont to Cornish in New Hampshire. The bridge is about 160 years old, making it one of the oldest-covered bridges in the country and its 449 feet length also makes it the second-longest of its kind in the US. Visit this iconic bridge this fall to marvel at its history and also appreciate the surrounding gorgeous foliage as it reflects in the calm waters below.
Great Vermont Corn Maze, Danville
Aerial view of a fall corn maze in Vermont.
Fall is a perfect time to embark on unique adventures like exploring a gigantic corn maze. So, this fall, visit the Great Vermont Corn Maze in Danville for an adventure of a lifetime. This corn maze is the largest in New England at 24 acres and also the most complex, making it incredibly epic. The maze takes about two hours to completely navigate and it has bridges and other unique surprises to entertain visitors. The smaller Scenic Maze is also in the cornfield and is less challenging as it can be completed in less than an hour. Additionally, there’s a play area featuring a hay bale castle and a mini golf course for children to enjoy.
Stowe Foliage Arts Festival, Stowe
Aerial view of Stowe Mountain Resort in Stowe, Vermont.
The Stowe Foliage Arts Festival is one of the most iconic festivals in Vermont for art lovers, featuring 150 selected artists and artisans. It is a time to enjoy the finest crafts and artworks of the region at the peak of the foliage season while enjoying other fun activities. There will be plenty of good eats at the festival, live music, draft beer to sample, fine wines, and specialty foods like maple and syrup, alongside a demonstration of craft works during the art fiesta. The festival is a three-day event that usually takes place from Friday to Sunday. The 2024 edition of the event is set to take place from Friday 11 to Sunday 13, October, and it’s not limited to art lovers. Plus, the event is usually held outdoors, complemented by foliage views and crisp air.
Green River Reservoir State Park, Hyde Park
Green River Reservoir State Park, featuring a serene lake surrounded by dense forests and natural landscapes.
The Green River Reservoir State Park is a top-notch leaf-peeping destination in Vermont, where visitors can cherish the scenery of foliage while enjoying water sports. The park is home to a 653-acre stunning lake, which is the main highlight here, and it never fails to dazzle when autumn calls. During the season, the foliage around the lake is soaked in shades of yellow, orange, and red, serving as a visual treat for visitors to this park as the colors reflect on the water. Visitors are invited to swim, boat, and fish in the water or enjoy picnics and camping on its shores.
Lake Willoughby, Northeast Kingdom
Lake Willoughby in Vermont during autumn.
Lake Willoughby is the deepest lake in Vermont and one of the best places to visit in the fall. This magnificent lake is flanked by Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor on both sides, creating a postcard-perfect travel magazine picture. Since both mountains are heavily forested, their foliage is a collage of beautiful and bright colors in the fall, and the scenery becomes more striking. Boating and swimming on the lake’s beaches are typical activities to enjoy the fall season here. However, hikers can explore the north and south trails leading to Mount Pisgah’s 2,751-foot summit to savor the panoramic views of the lake and its beautiful foliage.
Lye Brook Falls, Manchester
Tall fall trees at Lye Brook Hollow in Manchester, VT, USA.
If chasing waterfalls to capture foliage colors in fall sounds like fun, then Lye Brook Falls is the best place to be when autumn peaks in Manchester. Typical of waterfalls, there is a trail that leads to this cascading natural splendor, and it’s the 4.5-mile out-and-back Lye Brook Falls Trail. This is a moderate trail that even kids can hike along with their parents, making it more family-friendly and exciting. The trail takes about 2 hours of walking, with uphill climbs, to arrive at this waterfall, and the rewards come in the abundant foliage surrounding it. At 125 feet, this is one of the tallest waterfalls in Vermont, making it more appealing to visit.
Scenic Route 100 Byway
Main Street in Manchester, Vermont, during fall, lined with trees displaying vibrant orange and red foliage.
The Vermont Scenic Route 100 Byway is one of the most naturally and historically endowed routes in the state worth visiting in October. As one of the most famed routes in the state, it flaunts the nickname – Vermont’s Main Street and stretches for 216 miles, covering nearly the entire length of the state. The fall foliage scenery here is as stunning and lovely as they come. From lucid, charming lakes and dense forests to snaking rivers, mountains, ponds, and valleys, the route is decorated with natural attractions adorned in colors of red, orange, yellow, and gold. For history buffs, the President Calvin Coolidge Site, the birthplace of America’s 30th president, is along the route, including Weston – an entire village registered as a historic town.
Smuggler’s Notch Route 108 Scenic Drive
Winding Smuggler’s Notch Road in Vermont.
The 3.5-mile Route 108 Scenic Drive through Smuggler’s Notch State Park offers enchanting views of fall foliage and can take about an hour to complete. Simply head to Stowe, take Route 108 as it heads north, drive through Smuggler’s Notch, and meander into Jefferson and Route 100 in Morrisville before heading back to Stowe. Be prepared for a visual treat, as the route is not only filled with colorful foliage on display but with tons of natural attractions like mountains, forests, and boulders. Additionally, the Stowe Recreational Path runs parallel to the route for 5.5 miles, adorned with cornfields and meadows. The route also courses through Mount Mansfield, the state’s highest peak, where tourists can either drive or hike to its summit for sweeping views of fall foliage.
Mount Mansfield, Stowe
Scenic ropeway on Mount Mansfield in Stowe, Vermont.
Mount Mansfield is the highest peak in Vermont at 4,393 feet and one of the few places in the state with an authentic alpine tundra ecosystem. Views from this peak are dreamy, offering one of the best foliage scenery in Vermont. In the valley below, various plants dazzle in picturesque colors of orange, red, yellow, and gold, and the foliage around Lake Champlain (the state’s largest lake) is all the more enchanting. Thankfully, tourists can easily drive to the summit of Mount Mansfield from Stowe Mountain Resort. For adventurous leaf peepers, the 5.1 miles Sunset Ridge Trail in Underhill State Park leads to the top but is a bit challenging since the track is unpaved. However, hiking offers a more rounded foliage-color experience as hikers enjoy the views from various viewpoints of the trail, starting from its trailhead.
Lake Champlain, Burlington
Autumn leaves surrounding Lake Champlain.
Lake Champlain is the largest lake in Vermont and one of the largest in North America. A typical day at the lake spoils visitors with incredible views of the Green and Adirondack Mountains overlooking it. But a bright day in the middle of October means tourists will enjoy not only mountain and lake views but also the dazzling foliage sights in a riot of colors as they fence the lake. The best way to enjoy this scenery is by boating or kayaking. For hikers, the 1.6-mile Baldwin Trail and the 0.2-mile Southern Defenses Trail offer sweeping views of the foliage reflecting on the lake’s shimmering waters.
Why Fall in Vermont is a Must-See Experience
Fall in Vermont is an invitation to explore the great outdoors and soak in the charming colors of the season. While autumn scenery can be seen almost everywhere in the state, these destinations offer some of the best views along with exciting activities for everyone, including families with kids. Visit these stunning spots in the Green Mountain State this fall to experience vibrant foliage, seasonal festivities, and unforgettable outdoor adventures.
A person holds a giant penny at a mock funeral for the coin, which was discontinued in 2025, in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
What good is a penny at this point? Penny candy is a thing of the past, and a modern-day penny-pincher wouldn’t get very far if this were their get-rich strategy.
(This newsletter, though, costs you less than a penny. Chip in if you can.)
U.S. mints no longer make pennies, a decision that saves taxpayers an estimated $56 million annually. When the U.S. Treasury Department announced the country would stop minting them, it marked the end of an era — sorta.
Though those pesky copper-colored coins remain in circulation, some businesses, both in Vermont and nationwide, have begun experiencing penny shortages.
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Enter H.837. The bill outlines a plan that could allow retailers to phase out the penny by rounding up or down cash transactions to the nearest nickel.
Other states, including Arizona and Indiana, have passed rounding legislation, and a handful of others are considering it. As written, Vermont’s bill wouldn’t require rounding, a similar approach favored in other jurisdictions.
Some Vermont businesses have already adopted rounding. But lobbyists for Vermont businesses say some of their members fear the practice — without explicit state blessing — could open a business up to a lawsuit over alleged unfair and deceptive practices.
Worried or not, rounding will likely become more necessary as pennies get harder to find, Maggie Lenz, a lobbyist for the Vermont Retail and Grocers Association, told the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee Tuesday. She encouraged the state to create a rounding framework, but discouraged lawmakers from making such a program mandatory.
Rep. Tony Micklus, R-Milton, agreed that rounding should be optional, but said the state should mandate a specific rounding framework for the businesses that choose to round.
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H.837’s approach, which would round down totals ending in 1,2,6 and 7 cents, and round up totals ending in 3, 4, 8 and 9 cents, would seem to be the fairest to consumers and businesses, those who testified agreed.
But the change is likely not net neutral. Zachary Tomanelli, a consumer protection advocate for the Vermont Public Interest Research Group, cited a Federal Reserve study that indicated rounding could cost consumers $6 million annually nationwide. That’s because businesses price goods in ways that tend to lead to rounding up.
He called the cost modest and said he generally supported the bill.
Despite H.837 not making it past the crossover deadlines, there’s still hope that pennies might make it into Vermont’s currency cemetery. Rep. Michael Marcotte, R-Coventry, the commerce committee’s chair, said his committee could stick the rounding legislation in the Senate’s economic development bill.
That said, you might not want to ditch your pennies quite yet.
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In the know
Here are some numbers for you: Between 2012 and 2022, Vermont’s primary care workforce declined by 13%. In that same time period, the specialist workforce grew by 23%. That’s according to testimony Jessa Barnard, with the Vermont Medical Society, gave to lawmakers in the House Health Care Committee Tuesday. She said the numbers are reflective of a trend in medicine nationwide, attributed to the fact that primary care docs often make less but pay the same high cost for medical school as their peers in more specialized roles.
In Vermont, Barnard said that this widening gap is leading to a particularly acute shortage. According to a report her organization put out in 2022, the state needs 115 primary care providers to meet the national benchmark for our population size. That figure includes OBGYNs, pediatricians and family medicine docs. By 2030, as our state’s population grows even older, the Vermont Medical Society expects the state to need 370 more primary care physicians to meet the national benchmark.
— Olivia Gieger
Sen. Alison Clarkson, D-Windsor, spoke with members of the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee Tuesday afternoon about S.327, an economic development bill that supports a number of public resources for business owners across the state.
The bill has had a tough go of it so far.
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Clarkson handed out copies of what she referred to as “the actual bill,” which meant the package voted out by her own Senate Economic Development Committee before being “pretty much fully gutted” on its way through the Senate Appropriations Committee.
In a tight budget year, she said, this bill’s focus was on “supporting what works really well” for Vermont businesses. For Clarkson, that means continuing to invest in the initiatives like the Vermont Economic Growth Incentive program, a set of grants to help businesses expand in the state, which is scheduled to end in January. The Senate, she pointed out, has voted to extend the program for several years in a row, most recently through S.327.
“I am charging the House with doing the same thing,” she said.
Clarkson is also in favor of deepening the state’s relationships with outside investors by funding state delegates abroad. Vermont, she argued, should have more well-placed representation in areas like Québec — which this bill would provide for — and in the future Taiwan, which recently pledged to invest heavily in U.S. tech industries.
“We need somebody whose hand is up saying ‘yes, over here!’” Clarkson said.
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House commerce members met informally with a delegation from Taipei later Tuesday.
— Theo Wells-Spackman
On the move
The Senate advanced a bill Tuesday that would allow parents in Essex County to pay tuition to send pre-K students to New Hampshire schools.
In Vermont’s most rural county, families struggle to access pre-K programs, at least on this side of the border.
But S.214, legislation originally proposed by Sen. Kesha Ram Hinsdale, D-Chittenden Southeast, would allow for a handful of families near the New Hampshire border in Essex County to tuition their pre-K-aged children to New Hampshire schools, Sen. Steve Heffernan, R-Addison, said on the Senate floor.
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Kindergarten through grade 12 are already able to tuition to New Hampshire schools.
The Senate will need to vote on the bill once more before sending it to the House.
Vermont and the federal government faced off Monday over the state’s first-in-the nation law aimed at forcing polluters to pay for the effects of climate change with the Trump administration warning it would spur “the type of chaos that the Constitution is designed to prevent.”
The hearing before Judge Mary Kay Lanthier of the U.S. District Court for the District of Vermont comes as the administration has unleashed a broad assault on state-based climate efforts, including suing to invalidate the Vermont law establishing a “climate superfund” to recoup money from the oil and gas industry.
The Biden appointee did not tip her hand, pressing attorneys for the state and the federal government over whether the state is within its rights or stepping on federal authority. The administration is challenging a similar law in New York, and a ruling against Vermont would likely jeopardize that law and chill efforts in other states to adopt climate superfunds.
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Vermont argued the law — “a modest action” — was passed by state lawmakers in 2024 to help raise money to deal with climate change.
RUTLAND, Vt. (WCAX) – Attorneys defended Vermont’s landmark climate superfund law on Monday, as it faces a lawsuit filed by the Trump administration.
Vermont lawmakers passed the Climate Superfund Act in 2024 after devastating flooding in 2023 and other extreme weather events.
The law requires certain large fossil fuel companies to help cover the costs of climate-related damage linked to their emissions between 1995 and 2024.
It is being challenged by the federal government, along with the American Petroleum Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and attorneys general from 24 Republican-led states.
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They argue Vermont is overstepping and that climate policy should be handled at the federal level.
Attorneys for Vermont and environmental groups asked a federal judge in Rutland to dismiss those challenges, arguing the state has the right to hold companies accountable.
“It was an intense and technical day of legal arguments over whether the Climate Superfund Act passes muster under federal law, and whether it is appropriate under our Constitution and other doctrines, and is going to survive this series of lawsuits that have been filed against it,” said Christophe Courchesne of the Vermont Law and Graduate School.
Vermont was the first state to pass a law like this. New York followed, and more than 10 other states are considering similar measures.
This case could help decide whether those laws move forward.
