The 6 Best Weekend Getaways in Vermont

A slope-side perch high above Mountain Road gives Topnotch Resort a bit of perspective—the outdoor pool, backyard fireplaces, and many of the rooms look straight towards the summit of Mount Mansfield. The 120-acre property means lots of privacy and space for exploring, from an onsite hiking trail to a long list of outdoor games. Guests can grab a loaner set of bocce balls for afternoon tournaments on the lawn, and since the resort is pet-friendly, you can even bring your pooch.

Onsite spa services celebrate local ingredients: think Vermont maple sugar scrubs followed by goats’-milk body cream, or a total hops massage that starts with hop-infused body oil and ends with a craft brew from nearby Ten Bends Beer. Yoga and some fitness classes are included for overnight guests, or you can rent a bike and ride the Stowe Recreation Path into the nearby village.

Gas fireplaces light up after sunset here, so pull up an Adirondack chair and watch the first stars appear above mountains. Don’t forget to ask for a s’mores kit to bring out with you; they’re stocked with marshmallows, graham crackers, chocolate, and toasting sticks.

Grab a wooden rocking chair on the broad, shady porch of the Kimpton Taconic to watch the afternoon unfold in Manchester, a Vermont community that’s drawn travelers seeking refuge from city life for centuries. That history’s on display inside the hotel, from country inn-inspired art to comfy leather sofas and crisp linens. A heated pool and in-room spa services are decidedly modern luxuries.

Discovering Manchester is all about getting outside. After a hike to nearby Lye Brook Falls or a fly-fishing session in the Battenkill River, warm up with a glass of wine or Vermont craft beer during the evening social hour.

Organic coffee and tea service kicks off leisurely mornings here. Grab the yoga mat in your room to add a stretching session by the pool, or bring it along to a class at the nearby Heart of the Village Yoga Studio.

In a state that’s devoted to fresh-from-the-farm cuisine, dining is a highlight: visit the inn’s onsite restaurant, The Copper Grouse, for updated comfort food such as maple-plank salmon, clam chowder with smoked bacon, or a burger topped in sharp, Cabot cheddar.

Perched at the edge of Mount Philo State Park, the Mt. Philo Inn has unmatched access to a 237-acre preserve that was the very first state park in Vermont. Walk out to the backyard of the cozy inn to connect to the Mount Philo Trail, a 1.9-mile loop leading to a gentle summit that’s just 968 feet above sea level.

Inside the pet- and cannabis-friendly inn, décor is hand-crafted by local artisans, with features that include elegant wraparound staircases and Vermont-marble countertops. Each of the four 2- or 3-bedroom suites are furnished with homey antiques.

The en-suite chef’s kitchens are perfect for whipping up meals with organic vegetables from nearby Philo Ridge Farm and Market. Complementary breakfast baskets arrive daily, overflowing with local and organic ingredients. (Hot tip: Vermont maple syrup is best served over stacks of buttermilk pancakes, made using mix from Ferrisburgh’s Dakin Farm.)

Before you leave, snap an essential souvenir photo in the old-fashioned phone booth that’s perched on the inn’s front lawn.

Black-shuttered windows look out across the village green from Woodstock Inn & Resort, which is easy strolling distance from downtown art galleries and cafes. The resort tempts active guests with offerings that include falconry, fly-fishing classes from Orvis, and garden tours. Trails here link to a network of bike paths and hiking routes that stretch more than 60 miles through the valley, while golfers can play 18 holes at the neighboring Woodstock Country Club.

When you’re ready to explore the village, borrow one of the inn’s fleet of shiny cruiser bikes—complete with a big front basket—and pedal to the nearby Middle Covered Bridge across the Ottauquechee River. Less than a mile farther along is the unmissable Billings Farm and Museum, where you can visit a herd of Jersey Cows and wander a maze made from 64 varieties of sunflowers. Just try to make it back to the inn for the afternoon tea, when hot drinks and fresh baked goods are served in the lobby.

In classic New England style, Newfane’s village center is cinched around a town green the size of a postage stamp. White clapboard houses face a whitewashed courthouse and church, and overlooking it all is the picture-perfect Hotel Four Columns.

Rooms offer an unfussy blend of antiques and modern furnishings—suites with in-room Jacuzzis and fireplaces are especially cozy when nights turn cool. Treatments at the onsite wellness center range from soothing craniosacral therapy to deep tissue designed to work sore muscles. Dinner is served in the onsite Artisan Restaurant, with a menu of comfort food sourced from the onsite market garden and a handful of local farms.

Before you settle in, though, grab your shoes for a trek up the 2.53-mile hiking trail that leaves right from the back garden, crossing slender Smith Brook as it winds up a forested hillside.

Overflowing with proud history, Bennington offers a glimpse of Vermont’s Revolutionary War era; a short stroll from the elegant Four Chimneys Inn is the Bennington Battle Monument that recalls a decisive clash that happened nearby in 1777.

That history infuses the inn itself, which is built on the site of an original 1783 house that burned down over a century ago. Manicured grounds are bordered by a low, stone wall, and surrounding foliage turns brilliant in the fall. Each of the inn’s 11 comfortable rooms is different, with the option to choose features including gas fireplaces, jetted tubs, private glassed-in porches, and four-poster beds with old-fashioned charm.

Made-to-order country breakfasts are served at private tables in the inviting dining room, and on warm days, you can take your coffee out onto the sunny back porch.

If you do walk from the inn to the Bennington Battle Monument, pause at the Old First Church to pay your respects to another Vermont legend: the poet Robert Frost, who once had a farm just up the road, is buried in the cemetery out back.