Road trip – A one-week itinerary in Vermont

Last summer, we hit the road again with our converted camper van. And in order to maximize our time on the road, we decided to head to a state not too far from home: Vermont.

We have been to Vermont a few times before, spending most of our time in Burlington (the largest city in the state) and Montpelier (the capital). But for this road trip, as with our recent American road trips, we mainly wanted to spend time enjoying nature, visiting state parks and doing as much hiking as possible.

It was extremely hot during this week in July, so we had to change our plans a few times to do hikes that were less strenuous. But despite everything, we had a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to get back on the road again!

Here is the recap of our week in Vermont.

Day 1 – Ottawa, ON to Plattsburgh, NY

Like last year when we went to Connecticut, we decided to hit the road after work and stop just across the US border in Plattsburgh, New York. And like last year, we once again spent the night in the parking lot of the Valcour Brewing Company, via Harvest Hosts. We really liked this brewery built on the site of old military barracks near Lake Champlain and we were happy to be back, to kick off this new road trip!

Day 2 – Plattsburgh, NY to Manchester, VT

Our initial plan was to take advantage of our time in this corner of New York State to go hiking in the Adirondacks. But torrential rains in the previous days had forced the closure of a few roads in the area (including the one leading to the trail we wanted to follow) and we had to change our plans.

Since we had to go through Ticonderoga before crossing to Vermont, we decided to stop there to visit its historic fort. There is even a hiking trail there. It was not the Adirondacks, but it was still an interesting visit!

Then we headed to Manchester, a pretty little town in southern Vermont, nestled in the heart of the mountains. With the extreme heat, we opted for an easy hike, around the cute Equinox Pond.

We spent the night at a mini-golf course, again via Harvest Hosts.

Day 3 – Manchester, VT to Mount Ascutney State Park, VT

From Manchester, we headed east of the state, en route to Mount Ascutney State Park where we would spend the night. As we were passing through the Green Mountains, and more precisely near the White Rocks National Recreation Area, we took the opportunity to do a not very long hike, but with beautiful views: the Ice Beds Trail.

It was too hot in the afternoon to do any demanding hikes. So we decided to stop near the Black River to dip our feet in it, before going for a swim at the Stoughton Pond Recreation Area near Perkinsville. After cooling off, we headed to Mount Ascutney State Park, where we would spend the next two nights.

Day 4 – Mount Ascutney State Park, VT

Located in southeastern Vermont, Mount Ascutney has an elevation of 3,130 feet (954 metres). The state park protects this isolated mountain, has a few campgrounds and several hiking trails.

We decided to follow the Weathersfield Trail to the top of the mountain. This 9-kilometre (5.6-mile) hike offered some beautiful views and allowed us to reach the summit, which has an observation tower.

In the afternoon, with the heat, we opted to return to the Stoughton Pond Recreation Area before returning to spend the night at the state park.

Day 5 – Mount Ascutney State Park, VT to West Lebanon, NH

After two nights at Mount Ascutney State Park, we headed north to the cute village of Woodstock, home to Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. This park is the only national park in Vermont and it was my favourite part of this road trip! In addition to having an interesting history, it has several hiking trails.

After taking a break at a café in Windsor, we headed to Quechee State Park, a state park featuring the deepest gorge in Vermont. In addition to hiking the short trail there, we also took the opportunity to cool off in the waters of the Ottauquechee River.

We then headed to West Lebanon, just across the border from New Hampshire, to spend the night.

Day 6 – West Lebanon, NH to Little River State Park

Since we had enjoyed our previous days’ visits to state parks, we decided to visit another one. This time, we stopped at Allis State Park, in central Vermont. There is a fire tower there, as well as a short hiking trail, which we followed.

Then we continued our journey towards the north of the state. Initially, we wanted to go hiking in the Stowe area, but we quickly realized that the torrential rains of the previous week had caused the closure of several roads in this area too. Not quite knowing what to do, we ended up stopping at the very touristy Ben & Jerry’s factory near Waterbury.

Then we took the road to Little River State Park, where we would spend the night.

Day 7 – Little River State Park, VT

Little River State Park is one of the most popular state parks in Vermont. We originally planned to use it as a base to explore the mountains in the area (like Camel’s Hump or Mount Mansfield), but with the road closures in the area, my plans fell through.

So we took the opportunity to explore the state park’s trails, learn more about its history, and also go swimming in the Waterbury Reservoir.

Day 8 – Little River State Park, VT to Ottawa, ON

After two nights at Little River State Park, we hit the road home. We may not have done all the hiking we wanted to do, but we did discover some lovely places. Vermont, we will be back soon!