Fall Foliage Scenic Drive - Central Vermont Area
This fall foliage scenic drive in Central Vermont offers some of
the best views in the Green Mountain National Forest.
This scenic drive is a loop tour of about 150 miles. It follows
mostly Route 12 south from Montpelier to Woodstock, before
heading north on Route 100 and 100B back to Montpelier. There's
a whole bunch of surprises on the way, but it's no surprise
you'll experience some magnificent fall foliage views all along
this scenic drive.
The tour is best done over the course of a weekend or several
days, although it's possible to do the drive in one day and
forgo many of the attractions and rambles suggested.
Let's get going...
Start from Montpelier, a small city on the northern fringe of
central Vermont. Montpelier can be easily reached from
Interstate 89. Montpelier is 182 miles from Boston and 198 miles
from Hartford.
Take Route 12 out of Montpelier and head south to Northfield
Falls. Northfield Falls has four covered bridges and the famous
Falls General Store. Vermont has some of the finest examples of
covered bridges anywhere in New England, but two of them in
Northfield Falls can be seen at once, as you look through one to
other. This is unique in New England and definitely worth taking
the camera out to capture.
Continue on Route 12 making your way to Bethel.
Bethel is one of those Vermont towns that's a natural part of
the scenery. Could this be why it's home to the White River
National Fish Hatchery? The hatchery focuses on restoring
Atlantic Salmon to the Connecticut River. It's open 8:00am -
3:00pm daily.
>From Bethel you'll continue your last piece of the southern
route to Woodstock.
The Woodstock area offers a number of attractions, including
Billings Farm and Museum, and Quechee Gorge. Woodstock itself is
one of those picture-perfect Vermont villages that's fun just to
stroll around checking out the boutiques and restaurants.
The Billings Farm and Museum was established in 1871, and today
it's a working farm, and a museum depicting farm life in the
late 1800s.
Quechee Gorge is Vermont's little Grand Canyon. Not quite as big
a hole in the ground as in Arizona, but at a mile long and
plenty of hiking and walking trails on offer, it's a chance to
stretch the legs and admire the splendid scenery. Be sure to
walk to the picnic area overlooking the falls.
The next 20 miles of the scenic drive takes you cross country on
Route 4 to Killington. Killington is a world famous ski area
that covers six mountains. And at over 4,200' offers spectacular
views from the summit. There's very few better places to
appreciate the fall foliage than at the top of Killington Peak.
If it's running take the K1-Gondola from base. You can ride the
Gondola daily from September 24 - October 10th.
Killington is about the half-way point in this tour, and with
the beautiful town of Rutland close-by plenty of lodging if you
decide to linger overnight. Just be sure to make reservations
during the peak fall foliage season.
The next section of the tour follows Route 100 as it borders the
Green Mountain National Forest. You'll pass through the towns of
Pittsfield, Hancock, Granville, and Waitsfield as you cover
perhaps the most scenic views and diverse terrain you'll see on
this drive.
Just North of Hancock and close to Route100 on Route 125 is
Texas Falls. The trail to the falls is an easy hike and offers
marvelous views anytime of the year, but especially during fall
foliage season when the colors dazzle.
The larger of the two waterfalls is Moss Glen Falls just north
of Granville a few miles up from Hancock. The drive from Hancock
towards the falls is a two-lane winding road that passes through
a seven mile stretch of untouched wilderness, and worth taking
slow and easy.
The final leg of this central Vermont scenic drive from
Granville to Middlesex and back to Montpelier continues to
provide startling scenery and great photo opportunities. Route
100B connects with Route 100 just south of Moretown village, and
you'll take 100B north to Middlesex and then join Interstate 89
for the quick hop back into Montpelier.
Vermonters quip the state really has five seasons - spring,
summer, fall, winter, and the famous mud season. But my personal
favorite in Vermont is the fall. Take this tour and you'll
understand why.