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Best Places to Visit in Central Vermont: Woodstock, a National Park, and Quechee
A visit to central Vermont makes for a great fall getaway, with its woods ablaze in beautiful shades of red and gold. The area is pretty at any time of year, but I’d recommend early October as the best time to enjoy Vermont’s fall colors. More than three-quarters of Vermont is covered in forest, making the state an ideal place for fall road trips.
By the way, for the latest and most authoritative information on the foliage in Vermont, you can check the regularly updated tracker at Vermont Fall Foliage Reports.
Of course, there’s far more to see here than trees. So what are some of the best things to do on a short trip to or through central Vermont? What are the best places to visit?
If you have a day or two here, the picturesque downtown area of Woodstock, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park, and the town of Quechee are excellent places to visit in Vermont. They’re worth the bulk of your time. In fact, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park is the one and only national park in Vermont.
The easiest and most enjoyable way to get around and enjoy these places is through a combination of driving your own vehicle and walking.
If you have a week, this trip pairs especially well with a visit to another East Coast national park nearby in Maine: Acadia National Park. For example, you can spend some time in central Vermont on your way to or back from Acadia.
Top Things to Do in Central Vermont
Here’s a quick overview of some of the top things to see and do in central Vermont. If you rush, you can see them all in a day, but two days is ideal to fully appreciate them.
- Woodstock Farmers’ Market and West Woodstock Bridge
- Walk around downtown Woodstock
- Middle Covered Bridge
- Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
- Billings Farm and Museum
- Taftsville Covered Bridge
- Sugarbush Farm
- Vermont Institute of Natural Sciences Nature Center
- Quechee State Park and Quechee Gorge
Let’s take a closer look at each of the best places to see in central Vermont, going roughly from west to east.
Itinerary for a Day in Central Vermont in Detail
If you’re driving in from the west, one of the first sights you’ll come across is the Lincoln Covered Bridge. You’ll need only a few minutes or less to see it. Built in 1877, it’s a plain, brown, 136-foot truss bridge. Enjoy a view of the Ottauquechee River from it.
Woodstock Farmers’ Market and West Woodstock Bridge
Further east is the charming Woodstock Farmers’ Market. You’ll find a variety of fresh Vermont produce and other treats here. Their bakery has a nice selection of desserts that vary with the seasons, like cookies, muffins, pies, and shortbreads. This is a good place to load up on snacks, sandwiches, or groceries for a good meal or two.
It’s open from 0900-1800 Tuesday through Sunday (closed on Monday).
Of course, this is not the only one of Vermont’s farmers’ markets. Like the sign below says, wherever you are in Vermont, there is one nearby. Check the map or the official page of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, and see if another one is conveniently located on your way through the state.
Take a short walk to the southwest of the farmers’ market along the river, and you’ll soon see the steel West Woodstock Bridge. It’s the oldest truss bridge in the state and was built in 1900. It’s also on the National Register of Historic Places. Walk across it to the center and enjoy a view of the river like this one if you’re visiting in the afternoon. You’ll only need a few minutes for this sight.
Walk Around Downtown Woodstock
Proceed to the heart of Woodstock. Woodstock is a classic, picturesque New England town and is an especially terrific place to visit in Vermont in the fall. Ladies Home Journal Magazine once called Woodstock “The prettiest small town in America.”
Here you’ll find covered bridges, red barns, and a village green with centuries-old trees lining the roads. Historic homes and other buildings in the Federal, Georgian, and Greek Revival styles abound. Some of these are as old as the trees, like the First Congregational Church (established in 1781).
Walking down the streets of downtown Woodstock to take in the sights is one of the most enjoyable activities you can do in central Vermont. You can easily spend at least a couple of hours doing this. Don’t take my word for it. Many other travelers feel the same way, and you can see for yourself how busy the town can get on fall weekends.
To avoid the crowds and find convenient parking, here’s a tip: come back early on a Sunday morning. That’s the best time to nab a good parking spot downtown for free.
On the Village Green, be sure to check out the Norman Williams Public Library. Established in 1883, it holds more than 55,000 volumes.
Middle Covered Bridge
Check out another one of Woodstock’s major bridges, the Middle Covered Bridge, just to the west of the Village Green. Built in 1969, this town lattice truss bridge crosses the Ottauqechee River and is well over 100 feet long.
It’s a popular spot among tourists. You’ll almost certainly see people snapping and posing for photos here if you visit on the weekend.
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
Then walk from downtown Woodstock up to Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park. The walk is about half a mile long. Along the way, stop for a moment to admire the view from the Elm Street Bridge (aka Iron Bridge, built in 1870) down to a river below flanked by trees and the yards of some of the homes in the area. There are walkways along either side of this bridge.
After a few more minutes, you’ll arrive at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park.
This national park covers around 555 acres and encompasses a historic mansion, gardens, and nature trails.
There is no entrance fee; the park and a tour of the mansion are both free of charge.
Take a look at the official map of the park and surrounding area from the National Park Service to get oriented.
Official National Park Service map of Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
The Carriage Barn Visitor Center is usually open during warm weather months from 1000-1700 daily. However, it’s closed from the end of October through the end of May as well as on major holidays.
Inside the visitor center in a small theater off to the left of the entrance doors, you can watch a 30-minute film about the history of the park, environmentalism, and the people responsible for the creation of the park. As far as I can tell, this is the only one of the national parks dedicated to the history of land conservation.
The area in and around Woodstock was not always as green and picture-perfect as it looks today. By the mid-19th century, a wave of settlers had devastated the land and cut down the vast forests that once stood here. A Woodstock native named George Perkins Marsh was born here in 1801. A diplomat and writer, he later penned one of the pioneering books dedicated to environmentalism, Man and Nature, in 1864.
Later, another conservationist named Frederick Billings (also president of the Northern Pacific Railway) purchased the farm from the Marsh family. Billings built on Marsh’s legacy of environmentalism, creating one of the country’s first forest management programs. His wife and daughters continued his work after his death.
Laurance and Mary Rockefeller later purchased the land and donated it to the public as Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in the 1990s.
Each hour on the hour, you can also take a quick 10-minute tour of the first floor of the mansion. You’ll walk down a main corridor and look into the richly adorned rooms on either side of it. A ranger will escort you through and can answer any questions you might have.
You’ll find more than 20 miles of walking trails and carriage roads on the grounds. If the weather’s nice and you have the time, it’s a good idea to do some exploring on foot. Even if it’s not nice out, take an umbrella and look around. You can spend a couple of enjoyable hours hiking the park’s trails.
Explore the gardens just outside the historic mansion, then hike the trails. You’ll walk past clusters of white pine, red pine, sugar maple, Norway spruce, European larch, and Scotch pine.
Keep walking west up to the Pogue Point area, which overlooks a large pond. You can walk the short Pogue Loop trail around it. There are several good overlooks in the area. Don’t miss the South Point lookout area.
Billings Farm and Museum
Next door to the national historic park is Billings Farm and Museum. This is also the place where you can park your vehicle if you’ll be visiting Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller.
Unlike the national historic park, Billings Farm and Museum has an entry fee here of $17 per adult. It’s open from 0900-1700 from late May through late October, and 0900-1600 at other times of the year.
At Billings Farm and Museum, you’ll find a history museum indoors and a working dairy farm outdoors. Just past the visitor center, you’ll find farm life exhibits. Beyond that is an 1890 Farm Manager’s House with adjoining ice house and dairy bar. Take the walking path past gardens and pastures. You’ll also find dedicated barns for chickens, cows, horses, and various small animals.
If you’re here in the afternoon, you’ll be able to view the daily cow milking and see the sheep up close. Check the schedule of activities in the visitor center for specific times of the day’s activities.
Taftsville Covered Bridge
At the eastern edge of the Woodstock area, you’ll find another covered bridge. Built in 1836, the Taftsville Covered Bridge is the third oldest bridge in the state. At about 200 feet long, it’s also the second longest covered bridge in Vermont.
In 2011, Tropical Storm Irene devastated the bridge, and it was closed down for about two years for repairs. Thankfully, today you probably won’t notice any damage.
Across from the bridge, you’ll see the Taftsville Country Store (established in 1840).
Sugarbush Farm
From the Taftsville Covered Bridge, you can drive north about three miles to reach the charming Sugarbush Farm. Entry is free of charge and it’s open daily from 0900-1700. Here you can visit a historic farm house built in 1865 and enjoy delicious samples of 15 kinds of cheese and four grades of maple syrup. The on-site shop also offers assorted Vermont jams, spreads, meats, and mustards.
Vermont Institute of Natural Science Nature Center
Retrace your route back to the covered bridge. If you drive further east on Route 4, you’ll soon arrive at Quechee’s Vermont Institute of Natural Science (VINS) Nature Center. It’s typically open from 1000-1700 daily. An entrance ticket is $18 for each adult.
Here you’ll find 17 bird enclosures, walking trials, and a forest canopy trail, among other things. Exhibits show how birds evolved from dinosaurs. You can also watch live raptor programs and listen to talks on the center’s resident reptiles.
Quechee State Park and Quechee Gorge
A short walk from the VINS Nature Center, you’ll enter Quechee State Park. The highlight of the park is the scenic Quechee Gorge (which some call “Vermont’s Grand Canyon”). You can hike the well-marked trail to the bottom of the mile-long gorge. Carved out by the last Ice Age, it’s 165 feet deep. The Ottauquechee River runs through it.
Marvel at the bizarre jagged rock formations set in the water at the bottom of the gorge. You can even walk across them. This probably goes without saying, but watch your step while doing so, especially if the weather is inclement.
If you don’t want to descend all the way down to the bottom, you can still enjoy superb views from the road (Route 4) running across the bridge above it. Pedestrian walkways flank either side of the road, from which you can look down through openings in the fencing at the massive sprawling gorge. The road over the steel bridge in use today dates to 1933, and occupies the space where the original Woodstock Railroad bridge was built in 1875.
Other Attractions in the Area
Hopefully this description of some of the state’s top tourist attractions will make your visit to central Vermont a memorable and enjoyable one.
This list is not exhaustive; if you have more time, check out some of the other notable attractions and activities in central Vermont, such as:
- Calvin Coolidge Historic Site
- New England Maple Museum
- Hike up to Mount Tom
Southern Vermont is another one of the best places to visit in the fall. The drive from Manchester to Bennington is particularly scenic, and these cities are loaded with attractions and activities and are among the best cities to visit in Vermont.
If you have more time in the area, don’t miss one of the most popular national parks on the east coast at Acadia National Park in Maine. On your way east, if you need a place to sleep overnight, you might also check out the interesting historic Hotel Coolidge. It’s located just across Vermont’s border in White River Junction, New Hampshire.