Scenic Foliage Drives →
Vermont Foliage Driving Tour
(page 2 of 4)
Take Route 14 north to Route 2 in East Montpelier. From here we are going to head west to Shelburne (just a little south of Burlington). In Montpelier, you can choose between I-89 or Route 2; both will lead to Burlington, and both offer good views. Route 2 will be slower, as it passes through more villages. On the interstate, allow about a half hour. (Don't think we are ignoring Montpelier; we're coming back this way!)
Next stop is Shelburne Farms. It is located at the intersection of Bay and Harbor roads, off Route 7 (take I-189 from I-89) in Shelburne. Originally designed as a model agricultural estate in 1886 by Dr. William Seward Webb and Lila Vanderbilt Webb, Shelburne Farms has magnificent 19th-century buildings in the most pastoral setting imaginable.
Retrace your route and take Route 2 (Williston Road) east from Burlington, stopping for snacks at Cheese Traders and Wine Sellers. In 10,000 square feet there is a huge inventory of cheeses, over 3,000 wines, and every Vermont microbrew you could want. Another good deli stop is the Cheese Outlet located downtown (if you're looking for an excuse to go into town). You'll be in the country when you reach Richmond, 12 miles away. Our route calls for a left at Richmond's only intersection, but if you want to see the famous Round Church, turn right, cross the bridge, and look to the left. (There is parking on the circle.) The church, built in 1812, actually has 16 sides.
Turn back to Richmond, head north on Jericho Road, and continue five miles to Jericho Center. The marker on the green commemorates Wilson "Snowflake" Bentley, a turn-of-the-century Jericho farmer who took the first photographs of snowflake crystals. Continue beyond Jericho Center on Brown's Trace Road for three miles to Route 15, then turn right. Ahead and a bit to the right stands Mount Mansfield -- that's the chin of the mountain's illustrious profile farthest to the left (north); the nose and forehead lie farther south. (Use your imagination.)
Stay on Route 15 for half a mile, then bear right and continue three miles to Underhill Center. Head straight through town to Pleasant Valley Road, watching for a sign (a mile north) for Underhill State Park, where some of the best Mount Mansfield hiking trails begin. Although there are signs, your best bet is to carry a copy of the Green Mountain Club's Long Trail Guide. A ramble along the old CCC Road or Cantilever Rock Trail offers a way to see the colors at less than highway speed.
Return to Pleasant Valley Road and follow this rolling byway north through woodlands and meadows, bearing right at the fork six miles ahead onto Upper Valley Road, which delivers you to Jeffersonville by way of dairy farms and some fine views of the Lamoille River valley. If you're ready to call it a day, on the corner of Route 108 and Upper Valley Road you'll find the historic Smugglers Notch Inn. This 18th-century village inn has been hosting guests long before skiers descended on the area. Innkeepers Pat and Lisa Martin serve dinner in their large dining room, or you can choose from a handful of family restaurants in town. Don't miss a stroll down Main Street in Jeffersonville. This charming rural town has some lovely galleries, including the Mary and Alden Bryan Memorial Art Gallery, known for its landscape paintings.
Reader Comments
Comment from Diane Pouliot on October 11, 2009
Having been born and lived in Vermont all my life the author presents a wonderful route to visit for foliage. I would also like to point out though that moving from Burlington to Manchester Vermont has also opened up a whole new vista of foliage. How nice it would be to take the "option" drive from I-91 into Vermont and cross over the mountains on VT Route 9 - where the scenery and landscape are as remarkable as the people who work and live on the farms and in the smaller towns. Head over to Bennington and then catch Route 7 or Historic Route 7A where the Green Mountain Boys used to roam to see some of Vermont's Southern most beauty.. Towns rich with color and history and foliage to take one's breath away ....Arlington-home to Norman Rockwell; Manchester-home to Robert Todd Lincoln, Dorset and Danby and on through up to Rutland, Vt all are well worth a quick trip off of I-91. And head back down US VT 7 all the way to CT to see more than just VT at it's finest. Southern VT is sometimes forgotten along the travels- but with the only Shires in Vermont, it is well worth the travel to our part of the state....
Registered users can add comments.
Registration is free, and just takes a moment.
Login or Register.