The Shires in the Fall
Top Picks in the Shires
Vermont is world-renowned for its bright, colorful fall foliage, making the season a celebration. Hand-picked by the editors of Yankee Magazine, these 5 highlights are just some of what The Shires offers in autumn.
Sunderland, Vermont
Mount Equinox Skyline Drive
The highest point in southern Vermont’s Taconic Mountains, 3,848-foot Mount Equinox offers spectacular four-state views for visitors driving the 5.2-mile paved toll road to the summit. Owned by the only community of Carthusian monks in North America (whose secluded monastery is visible at one point along the way), the road leads up through a sea of forest colors to a viewing center. There, the vista ranges across New Hampshire’s White Mountains, New York’s Adirondacks, the Berkshires of Massachusetts, and Vermont’s own Green Mountains. On clear days, the sharpest eyes might even spot Mount Royal, rising above the city of Montreal nearly 170 miles to the north.
Shaftsbury, Vermont
Robert Frost Stone House Museum
Vermont’s first poet laureate moved from New Hampshire to Shaftsbury in 1920, seeking “a better place to farm and especially grow apples.” From 1920 to 1929, he lived there with his family in an 18th-century farmhouse—which also turned out to be a good place to grow his reputation. Visitors to the Frost house can see the room where he wrote “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” along with framed letters and drafts of poems that would appear in the first of Frost’s four Pulitzer Prize–winning books. A path on the property features plaques of Frost’s poems as it leads through apple trees descended from ones that the author grew himself.
Manchester, Vermont
Lye Brook Falls
Splashing down rocky stairs for nearly 125 feet, Lye Brook Falls is one of the most cinematic-looking waterfalls in Vermont. Yet the hike to the falls is surprisingly meditative and low-key, as it leads through the thickly forested Lye Brook Wilderness. Follow the Lye Brook Falls Trail for 2.4 miles, rock-hopping over streams, and listen for the telltale roar of water up ahead. That’s the cue that the falls are about to come into view. They’re a particularly lovely sight in autumn, with the tiers of cascades and horsetails framed by green, orange, and gold leaves.
MAD TOM ORCHARD
– East Dorset, Vermont
Named one of New England’s most beautiful apple orchards by Yankee Magazine, this family-owned orchard is nestled in the hills of southern Vermont with views all around. It’s a classic PYO destination: small, kid-friendly, with cider doughnuts made fresh on the weekends. Sylvia and Tom Smith took over the orchard in 1999 from Tom’s dad, who had grown mainly McIntosh and Cortland apples. Under their stewardship the eight-acre orchard now includes varieties like Ginger Gold, Sansa, Blondee, and Crimson Crisp. For pie bakers, there are plenty of Northern Spy apples, too. Little red wagons are on hand for transporting apples and delighting small children.
FALL FESTIVALS
– Bennington, Vermont
As the first town founded in what would eventually become the state of Vermont, Bennington has made its slogan “Vermont Begins Here!” But it could also declare “Fall Begins Here!” thanks to a pair of festivals that set just the right tone for the season. Things kick off Labor Day weekend with Garlic Town USA, billed as Vermont’s biggest family farmers’ market. Attendees can get their fill of garlicky goodness—in everything from pickles to fudge to cheese curds—at this one-of-a-kind event that also sees sidewalk sales, live music, and family activities. Then October brings the return of Harvest Fest, inviting everyone to join in a day of food, games, and downtown spirit amid Vermont’s famous fall foliage.
More to See and Do
Places to Visit In Fall
Yankee Magazine’s editors hand-picked 5 places to visit in each Vermont region. Explore things to do in autumn statewide.
