Exploring Vermont: Road Trips in the Green Mountain State
By Kimberly Graf. Published on January 4, 2025
Vermont is a relatively small state that isn't really known for any one particular thing. It's got great landscapes and a lot of history, so we're going to be looking at some natural destinations as well as some of the oldest inland lighthouses in the US!
Vermont's Lighthouses
We're going to get started on the Isle La Motte, which is a beautiful lighthouse installation in northern Vermont. You can drive right onto the island and experience the charm of the small town. The pinkish lighthouse we're aiming for is famous just for that – it's painted a salmon color, faded and peeling now but still a very unique landmark!
About an hour south is the Juniper Island Light, located in South Burlington. It is the oldest cast iron lighthouse in the United States. There is a boat called the Spirit of Ethan Allen that does lighthouse tours through Lake Champlain and the surrounding areas, and we recommend taking one! It's the best way to see this and the other lighthouses on our trip.
It's pretty amazing that this relic is still standing tall and proud in South Burlington. When you're finished with that, take a look about ten minutes away at the Burlington Breakwater lights. There are two lights, which are currently replicas of the working lights that used to be here. Basically, they mark the edges of a point in the lake where the land juts out, preventing ships from running aground. You can visit the replicas of both of these wonderful lights fairly easily!
On top of that, you can catch beautiful views of Lake Champlain from any place in this area, so it's definitely worth the trip.
Another 14 minutes south is the Colchester Reef Lighthouse in Shelburne. It's now a museum, but it was once a functioning lighthouse on Lake Champlain. Once it was moved here, it became part of a museum installation that houses 39 buildings and over 20 gardens to explore and appreciate. End this trip with a piece of nautical history!
The entirety of this trip is going to run you about an hour and a half, or 52 miles. It's a great day trip!
Natural Wonders of Vermont
If there's one thing that Vermont is absolutely full of, it's natural beauty. From rolling, forested hills to waterfalls and dense snowfall in the winter, you're always going to be able to find something beautiful no matter what season you make your trip!
We'll start in Westmore, Vermont near Lake Willoughby. It's a huge lake with plenty of recreation, including camping spots and miles of trails to hike. You can go boating, or even rent a cabin or a lake house for a vacation. Or a staycation, whichever floats your boat! It's a beautiful lake with cold, clear water – and it's deep, too.
Our next stop is at Elmore State Park, about an hour away. Balancing Rock is an oversized boulder that seems to be balancing on one of the smaller sides. It's stood there like this, right next to a deep ravine, for centuries. Step lightly or you run the risk of dropping it over the side!
Our next stop is twenty minutes away in Stowe. It's a great little resort town, but there's much more to do here than just tool around town. Smuggler's Notch is a system of above-ground caves that you can explore! If spelunking isn't your thing, check out the Bingham Falls.
It's a huge, beautiful waterfall with a blue and green pond beneath it. It looks like a scene right out of an oasis, and you can stop and explore it! You can even get into your swimsuit and take a dip in this picturesque place.
Granville is our next destination. It's about an hour away and houses one of Vermont's most popular natural attractions – the Moss Glen Falls! Right off the roads are large waterfalls that feed right into a stony stream. In the winter they freeze into beautiful ice features that are like nowhere else!
When you're done here, head an hour and a half down to Mount Holly. Here, you're looking for Lake Ninevah, a well-kept secret that is serene and perfect for spending some quiet time with the water. There are only a few homes on this beautiful lake, and it's otherwise secluded.
Our last location is in Brandon, which is 45 minutes to the south again. Lake Dunmore is a beautiful expanse and a perfect place to watch the sunset. It's at the base of Mount Moosalamoo, which is the beginning of the Green Mountain National Forest. It's all trees and rolling hills from here on out!
This beautiful trip will take you a total of 4 hours and 29 minutes of drive time, or 180 miles. If you've got some time, explore Vermont!
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