What to do in Vermont
with kids.
Kyle grew up in Wallingford, a small town on Route 7 just south of Rutland, and lived in Vermont for his first 25 years. His family is still there, so we are back in the Rutland and Killington area with our two girls all the time. We have also taken the girls to Woodstock and Quechee, to Stowe, and to Burlington on Lake Champlain. This page is those four bases: what each one is good for, how far it is, and when to go.
Places to go in Vermont with kids,
at a glance.
Vermont is easiest one base at a time. Pick by how long you want to drive and what your kids like doing outside.
| Base | What is there for kids | From Boston | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Woodstock and Quechee | Quechee Gorge, a raptor center, a dairy farm museum | About 2.5 hours | A first Vermont weekend |
| Rutland and Killington | The biggest ski mountain in the East, Route 7 small towns | About 3 hours | Ski weekends, central Vermont |
| Stowe | A paved recreation path, Mount Mansfield, Ben & Jerry's nearby | About 3.5 hours | Summer and fall, three nights or more |
| Burlington | Church Street, the lake waterfront, a science center | About 3.5 hours | A small-city break, paired with Stowe |
Drive times are from Boston, since that's where most readers start, and are rough estimates in normal traffic. We have been to every base on this list with our girls. The attractions named under each one are the well-known family stops there, listed from research; we don't claim to have done every one. Hours and prices change by season, so check each place's own site before you go.
Things to see in Vermont.
The Green Mountains run the length of the state, and Mount Mansfield, near Stowe, is the highest point at 4,393 feet. Lake Champlain fills most of the western border, with New York on the other side. In between are small towns, farms and about 100 covered bridges.
Vermont also makes more maple syrup than any other state, so a sugarhouse stop is easy to work into almost any drive. That is the honest pitch for Vermont with kids: it is outdoors, small-town and low-key. Families who need a theme park will be happier in New Hampshire, where Story Land is.
Best places to visit in Vermont for a first trip.
Woodstock and Quechee are the closest of our Vermont bases, and the two towns are about 15 minutes apart on Route 4, so they work as one stop. We have done both with the girls. If you have never been to Vermont and want one weekend that feels like the postcards, start here.
The headline in Quechee is Quechee Gorge, about 165 feet deep, which you can see straight down from the Route 4 bridge, with a trail to the bottom for kids who want a short hike. Close by, the VINS Nature Center keeps rehabilitated owls, hawks and eagles. In Woodstock, the Billings Farm & Museum is a working dairy farm set up for visitors, and next door is the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, Vermont's only national park.
An honest note: these are the standard family stops, and we name them because they are what the area is known for, not because we can describe a visit to each one. For dated events in this area, like A Forest of Lights at VINS, see our Vermont winter and holiday events list.
Kyle's Vermont: Wallingford, Rutland and Killington.
This is the part of Vermont we visit most, because it is where Kyle's family lives. Wallingford is a small Route 7 town south of Rutland. It is not a tourist base in the way Stowe is. It is regular, working Vermont rather than a resort town.
Killington, about 20 minutes east of Rutland, is the largest ski resort in the eastern United States, and it is the reason most families come to this part of the state in winter. In the fall it hosts the Killington Harvest Faire, one of the dated events on our Vermont fall events list.
Stowe: the best place to go in Vermont for a longer stay.
We have taken the girls to Stowe, and it is the most complete Vermont base for a family: a walkable village, a big mountain right behind it, and enough to do for three or four nights. At about 3.5 hours from Boston, it is too far for a quick overnight.
The easiest thing to do with kids is the Stowe Recreation Path, a paved, 5.3-mile path that follows the river out of the village. It is flat enough for bikes, scooters and strollers. Mount Mansfield, the state's highest peak, sits above town, and Stowe Mountain Resort is the ski mountain in winter. The Ben & Jerry's factory in Waterbury is about 20 minutes south, and it is an easy stop on the drive in or out.
Burlington: Vermont's small city on the lake.
Burlington is the other place we have taken the girls in northern Vermont, and it is a different trip from the rest of this page. It is a small city on the shore of Lake Champlain, and the lake faces west toward the Adirondacks, so sunset on the waterfront is the classic Burlington evening.
Church Street Marketplace is the car-free downtown, four blocks of shops and restaurants that work well with kids who need to roam. Down the hill, the waterfront has a park and a long lakeside bike path, and ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain is the science center right on the water, useful on a rainy day. Shelburne Farms, a large working farm just south of the city, is the other stop families plan around.
Pair it with Stowe. Burlington and Stowe are roughly 45 minutes apart, so a long weekend or a full week can split between the lake and the mountain without much driving.
A Vermont weekend getaway or a Vermont family vacation?
For a two-night Vermont weekend getaway, pick Woodstock and Quechee. The drive is the shortest, and the towns are close enough that you never get back in the car for long. Our weekend getaways from Boston list ranks Vermont against the New Hampshire and Maine options by drive time.
For a Vermont family vacation of five nights or more, split it between Stowe and Burlington. Route 100 runs down the middle of the state, and the drive from Killington to Stowe on it takes about 2 hours, through the kind of valley towns people picture when they think of Vermont. The mistake to avoid is a different base every night. The state is small on a map but slow to drive, and kids feel every hour of it.
Vermont summer with kids.
Summer and fall are our two favorite Vermont seasons, and summer is the easy one with kids. Days are long, Lake Champlain is warm enough to enjoy from the shore, and the recreation paths in Stowe and Burlington are at their best.
When is the best time to visit Vermont?
Summer and fall. Fall is the season Vermont is famous for, and northern Vermont usually peaks from late September to mid-October, a little ahead of the coast. Our fall in New England with kids guide has the foliage timing by region.
Winter is for skiing at Killington or Stowe. Spring is the one season we would plan around: mud season softens the back roads in March and April. It is also maple sugaring season, though, and our spring in New England with kids guide covers both.
What families ask us.
What is there to do in Vermont with kids?
Pick a base and stay in it. Woodstock and Quechee have the gorge, a working dairy farm museum and a raptor center. Stowe has the recreation path and Mount Mansfield. Burlington has Church Street and the Lake Champlain waterfront. Killington is the big ski mountain. We have done all four areas with our girls.
What are the best places to visit in Vermont with a family?
For a first trip, Woodstock and Quechee, about 2.5 hours from Boston and the easiest drive. For a longer stay, Stowe and Burlington, about 3.5 hours from Boston and roughly 45 minutes apart, so they pair well. Rutland and Killington sit in the middle at about 3 hours.
What are the main things to see in Vermont?
The Green Mountains, with Mount Mansfield as the high point at 4,393 feet. Lake Champlain along the western border. Quechee Gorge, about 165 feet deep. Covered bridges, of which Vermont has about 100, and sugarhouses, since Vermont makes more maple syrup than any other state.
When is the best time to visit Vermont?
Summer and fall. Those are our favorite Vermont seasons with the girls, and Kyle grew up there. Summer is lakes and long days outside. Fall is foliage, which peaks in northern Vermont from late September to mid-October. Winter is for skiing, and spring brings mud season and maple sugaring.
Is Vermont good for a family vacation?
Yes, if you like being outside and don't need a theme park. The towns are small and easy with kids, the drives are short once you are there, and every season has something. Plan one base per two or three nights rather than trying to see the whole state.
How far is Vermont from Boston?
About 2.5 hours to Woodstock and Quechee, about 3 hours to Rutland and Killington, and about 3.5 hours to Stowe or Burlington, in normal traffic. Fall foliage weekends add time on the main roads, so leave early.
Keep exploring.
The seacoast, Mount Major, Ice Castles, the Cog Railway and North Conway, region by region.
From the Tunbridge World's Fair to the Stowe Foliage Arts Festival, with dates and prices.
A $99 planning consultation, or full booking from $499.
Planning something further afield?
The Boston-to-Europe family flight guide: which routes run year-round, the order we book things in, and how far ahead to buy for a school vacation week.
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