{"id":119901,"date":"2020-01-09T18:08:52","date_gmt":"2020-01-10T02:08:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/?p=119901"},"modified":"2023-09-08T00:04:08","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T07:04:08","slug":"best-adventures-near-burlington-vermont","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/travel\/best-adventures-near-burlington-vermont","title":{"rendered":"Best Adventures Near Burlington, Vermont"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vermont isn\u2019t exactly known for its city life. The tiny state is much more famous for its year-round adventures: Ski hills dot the mountains, peaks beg to be bagged, miles of trail are ripe for riding, secret crags hide in the forests and giant lakes hold plenty of paddling (and mysterious sea monsters<\/a>). There\u2019s so much to do you won\u2019t miss the hustle and bustle of city life. But if you do, Burlington\u2014the state\u2019s unquestioned adventure hub\u2014is chock-full of amenities and excitement from places like Flynn Theater, home of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, to the pedestrian-only Church Street Marketplace to Ben and Jerry\u2019s iconic scoop shops.<\/p>\n

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1. Summit Camel\u2019s Hump<\/b><\/h2>\n

With New York\u2019s Adirondacks<\/a> just across Lake Champlain to the west and New Hampshire\u2019s White Mountains<\/a> towering to the east, it\u2019s easy to forget about Vermont\u2019s Green Mountains. They aren\u2019t quite as tall as the White\u2019s Mount Washington (nor do they feature its famously wicked weather<\/a>) and don\u2019t have an iconic peak-bagging bucket list like New York\u2019s 46er peaks, but that hardly matters. One of the best introductions to the region is just an hour east of Burlington. This 5.5-mile loop hike<\/a> over Camel\u2019s Hump, the state\u2019s third-tallest mountain, winds through verdant forests to a rocky, 4,085-foot summit covered in delicate alpine tundra. The views span from spine-like ridges of the Greens all the way to the Adirondacks and Whites in the distance, all without the kinds of crowds you\u2019d find in the neighboring ranges.<\/p>\n

2. Backpack the Long Trail<\/b><\/h2>\n

The north-to-south direction of the Greens also creates a perfect, natural corridor for mountain travel, something the locals took note of as early as 1910. That year, work began on the Long Trail, the oldest long-distance hiking route in the U.S. (and the inspiration for the much longer and more famous Appalachian Trail). The 272-mile footpath bisects the state from the southern border with Massachusetts clear to Canada, crossing not only Vermont\u2019s highest peaks (including Camel\u2019s Hump), but threading together its lowlands, hardwood forests, lakes, ponds and deep wilderness. The route can take a month to complete, but the weekend-ready, 22.2-mile section<\/a> between Bolton and Mount Mansfield will give you a taste of what makes the trail so special. Follow the ridge north, climbing slowly to camp at the Puffer Lean-to below Mount Mayo. You\u2019ll finish the trek the next day atop 4,293-foot Mount Mansfield, the state\u2019s highest point.<\/p>\n

3. Ride the Lifts at Mad River Glen<\/b><\/h2>\n

Spend enough time in Burlington, and you\u2019re bound to be taunted by \u201cSki It If You Can\u201d bumper stickers branded with the name of a single resort: Mad River Glen. The small, co-op-owned ski area 35 miles southeast of the capital in Waitsfield is a cult classic with a reputation for being New England skiing the way it used to be. With no snow making and limited grooming, the mountain relies completely on the elements. It even has one of only two single-chair lifts still operating in the country. So while there\u2019s plenty of beginner-friendly runs, Mad River\u2019s legendary tree skiing, whimsical conditions and steeper, backcountry-like terrain lend more than enough credence to those bumper stickers to make them a point of local pride.<\/p>\n

4. Ski Tour the Bolton Valley Backcountry<\/b><\/h2>\n

Even with its old-school vibes, Mad River Glen is still lift-served, so if you\u2019re interested in earning your turns, make the half-hour drive to Bolton Valley Ski Resort instead. Over the last decade, locals have worked hard to preserve roughly 1,500 acres of backcountry terrain next to the resort, a patch of land that includes everything from cross-country trails to easy tree runs to challenging steeps. Stop by the Bolton Valley Nordic Center for a pass<\/a>, then climb to Paradise Pass before skiing into the Cottonbrook Drainage, which holds some of the best snow. New to the sport? Consider taking an intro to backcountry skiing class at REI\u2019s Williston store<\/a>.<\/p>\n

5. Mountain Bike the Kingdom Trails<\/b><\/h2>\n

Packed with nearly 100 miles of technical singletrack, sculpted flow trails, skills parks, pump tracks and mellow forest roads, northeastern Vermont\u2019s Kingdom Trails<\/a> are well worth the $15 day pass and two-hour drive from Burlington. You can check out our guide to shredding the trail system in a single weekend here<\/a>, but for a good introduction, hop on the Mountainside Loop<\/a>. Beginning and ending at the Burke Mountain Campground, the 16-mile lap links the J-Bar<\/a> and Moose Alley<\/a> trails for flowy downhill, roots, jumps and bridges through the dense New England woods.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re hoping for something closer to Burlington, the Sunny Hollow Nature Area<\/a>, just a short drive from downtown, features a smaller but diverse collection of trails.<\/p>\n

6. Hunt for Champ on Lake Champlain<\/b><\/h2>\n
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A lighthouse on Lake Champlain near Burlington, Vermont. (Photo Credit: Gautam Krishnan on Unsplash.)<\/p><\/div>\n

Vermont\u2019s Lake Champlain is unique among New England\u2019s paddling hot spots for one compelling reason: It comes with the chance to spy a cryptozoological marvel. Champ is supposedly a \u201c20-foot serpent, thick as a barrel\u201d with a \u201chead like a horse\u201d that purportedly roams Lake Champlain. To date, there have been more than 300 reported sightings, but the existence of the sea, er<\/em> \u2026 lake monster has never been confirmed. Toss your kayak or SUP in the water at North Beach Park<\/a>, just north of downtown. From there, it\u2019s a quick paddle to Lone Rock Point, a thrust fault born of the same origins that formed the Green Mountains on the other side of town. That way, even if you don\u2019t spot Champ, you\u2019ll still have plenty of interesting views.<\/p>\n

7. Explore the Island Line Trail<\/b><\/h2>\n

The water isn\u2019t the only way to explore Burlington\u2019s shoreline. The 13.9-mile, paved and crushed-stone Island Line Trail<\/a> travels from Oakledge Park along the lake on a former railroad bed. An end-to-end trek can be done as a long hike or quicker ride and features views of the city and the Adirondack Mountains across the lake. The trail travels along a narrow causeway over the water and finishes with a 200-foot ferry ride to reach South Hero, a small town on Grand Isle, the lake\u2019s largest island.<\/p>\n

8. Rock Climb in Bolton<\/b><\/h2>\n

A straight shot 30 minutes out I-89 from Burlington plops you right in the middle of some of the best rock climbing and bouldering in the entire Green Mountain State. Filled with top-rope routes, tough trad, a range of sport climbs and some top-notch bouldering, the Bolton Area<\/a> is suitable for climbers of every type and skill level. And most of the climbing is less than a 20-minute hike from the car. The Upper West Crag holds lots of sport options up to 5.12, including moderate routes like Private Property<\/a>. On gear, The Rose<\/a> and The Thorn<\/a> are regional classics.<\/p>\n

9. Wander the Church Street Marketplace<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Burlington’s Church Street Marketplace. (Photo Credit: Church Street Marketplace under CC BY 2.0<\/a>)<\/p><\/div>\n

Cap off your trip to Burlington with a stroll through the city\u2019s open-air mall. Church Street Marketplace is a four-block, pedestrian-only promenade in Burlington\u2019s core, lined with historic buildings, street entertainers and music. Festivals are commonplace, and there are more than 100 different places to shop, eat and hang out. Get to town early and grab the French toast at Mirabelles<\/a> on Main Street, or finish the day by stopping into the Church Street Ben and Jerry\u2019s scoop shop on the corner of Cherry Street. Today\u2019s storefront is a modern reincarnation of the very first Ben and Jerry\u2019s, which started serving cones just around the corner in 1978.<\/p>\n

10. Grab a Drink at Magic Hat Brewing Company<\/b><\/h2>\n

If there were a Willy Wonka\u2019s Chocolate Factory for beer, it would be Burlington\u2019s Magic Hat. The \u201cArtifactory,\u201d as they call their unique brewery\/taproom\/fantasyland on the city\u2019s southern edge, is a visual masterpiece of quirky design and kitsch decor. There\u2019s also a can\u2019t-miss brewery tour through the cartoonish factory and 15 different brews on tap. The popular #9 is a \u201cnot quite pale ale\u201d for those who aren\u2019t into a big hoppy flavor, and if you don\u2019t order a dish with Vermont cheese, you\u2019re missing out.<\/p>\n

11. Visit Shelburne Farms<\/b><\/h2>\n

Built in 1886 by Dr. Seward Webb and Lila Vanderbilt Webb, this former summer home 15 minutes south of downtown has morphed into a self-sustaining teaching farm full of livestock, delicious cheese, winding trails, a formal garden and sandy shores. The layout of the lakefront farm was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the landscape architect who designed New York\u2019s Central Park. Olmsted planned the farm\u2019s winding roads to accentuate the rolling topography and organized the estate into its separate farm, forest and park spaces. Today, you\u2019ll also find a children\u2019s farm that lets young ones get up close to cows, chickens, pigs and more, and the estate\u2019s inn (closed in winter) is the perfect place to relax and get ready for another day of adventures.<\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Vermont isn\u2019t exactly known for its city life. The tiny state is much more famous for its year-round adventures: Ski hills dot the mountains, peaks beg to be bagged, miles of trail are ripe for riding, secret crags hide in the forests and giant lakes hold plenty of paddling (and mysterious sea monsters). There\u2019s so […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":26,"featured_media":119918,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[388],"tags":[1639,1528,12,248],"internal-tag":[],"class_list":["post-119901","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel","tag-new-england","tag-northeast","tag-travel","tag-vermont"],"parsely":{"version":"1.1.0","canonical_url":"https:\/\/rei.com\/blog\/travel\/best-adventures-near-burlington-vermont","smart_links":{"inbound":0,"outbound":0},"traffic_boost_suggestions_count":0,"meta":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","headline":"Best Adventures Near Burlington, Vermont","url":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/travel\/best-adventures-near-burlington-vermont","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/travel\/best-adventures-near-burlington-vermont"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/01\/Burlington_Camels_Hump_Hero.jpg?resize=150%2C150","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https:\/\/www.rei.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/4\/2020\/01\/Burlington_Camels_Hump_Hero.jpg?fit=2000%2C1000"},"articleSection":"Travel","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Michelle Flandreau"}],"creator":["Michelle Flandreau"],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Uncommon Path \u2013 An REI Co-op Publication","logo":""},"keywords":["new england","northeast","travel","vermont"],"dateCreated":"2020-01-10T02:08:52Z","datePublished":"2020-01-10T02:08:52Z","dateModified":"2023-09-08T07:04:08Z"},"rendered":"