By Outbound Hotels
In the heart of Vermont’s Green Mountains, Stowe is the perfect base camp for summer activities like hiking, mountain biking, searching for secret swimming holes, and more.
Stowe is world-famous for skiing, but locals know better than to count the Vermont town as a winter destination only. When spring and summer arrive, so do endless hours of daylight, and there are so many things to do in Stowe that you’ll need every minute. Set in the heart of the Green Mountains at the foot of Mt. Mansfield, Stowe is ideally situated for an adventurer’s pick of warm weather activities from hiking and mountain biking on nearby trails to paddling and floating on local rivers. And, cooling off in not-so-secret swimming holes is something of a summer tradition in Vermont.
Outbound Stowe is the ideal base camp for all of it. It’s not hard to find things to do in Stowe in the spring and summer—the tricky thing is finding the time to check them all off your list.
1. Ride or Run the Stowe Recreation Path
Stretching for 5.3 miles from downtown Stowe along the West Branch Little River up towards the ski resort, the Rec Path is a car-free artery that links locals and visitors alike to all of what Stowe has to offer. The path runs right past the Cady Hill and Luce Hill trail networks and is the easiest way to reach all the restaurants and shops along the Mountain Road without a vehicle. Accessible from Outbound Stowe’s property, it’s the ideal place to kick off a morning run or bike ride—and it provides easy access to a morning dip in the river afterwards too.
2. Tour Northern Vermont on the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail
A short way up Route 100, the Lamoille Valley Rail Trail runs through Morrisville. At 93 miles total length, it’s the longest rail trail in New England, running through farm, field, forest, and 18 towns from St. Johnsbury to Swanton (and connecting up just shy of the Canadian border). The well-maintained, crushed gravel surface is suitable for all types of bikes—runners, horseback riders, and any other non-motorized traveler are also welcome—and is the perfect way to experience a town-to-town adventure in this part of Vermont. Up in Johnson, VT, Lamoille Valley Bike Tours offers intel, rentals, and even shuttles for one-way riders.
3. Hike the Tallest Mountain in Vermont
At 4,395 feet, Mt. Mansfield dominates the Stowe region’s skyline with its prominent height and extended ridgeline. It’s hard not to want to climb to the top, and there are multiple ways to approach the summit by foot. From town, most opt for the Hellbrook Trail, a relatively short albeit steep and rewarding route that begins from a parking area up the Mountain Road in Smuggler’s Notch. The climb brings hikers up more through the forest above the treeline to Mansfield’s exposed ridge—one of the few in Vermont—for a total of more than 2,500 feet elevation gain. The prize: views over to New Hampshire’s White Mountains on one side and out over Lake Champlain and New York’s Adirondacks on the other.
4. Get the Best Views from Stowe Pinnacle
Hikers looking for a mellower adventure than Mt. Mansfield can still experience Vermont’s forests and mountains with a hike at Stowe Pinnacle. Beginning down the road in C.C. Putnam State Forest, this easy day hike winds up through the woods to an exposed rock overlook that provides some of the best views of the valley and gives a real sense of the tangled mass of hills that make up the Green Mountains. And, the benefit of not hiking Mt. Mansfield is that you get to look at it, and Stowe Pinnacle is the perfect place to do that.
5. R&R in a Scandinavian-Inspired Cabin
Set just outside downtown and right on the West Branch Little River, Outbound Stowe’s property includes 13 modern A-frame cabins. The one-bedroom layout is cozy yet spacious, with a king bed, kitchenette,and living room and work spaces. But the best design element is the floor-to-ceiling windows that look out over the lawn towards the trees, so even when you’re inside kicking back you’ll feel like you’re outside, enjoying that natural scenery you came to Stowe for in the first place.
6. Ride the Trails at Cady Hill
You’d never know that hidden in the tree-covered hill above downtown Stowe there’s a complete network of mountain biking trails. But Cady Hill has become so well-known for its world-class mix of technical singletrack and flowy riding that it’s something of an open secret. Although the network is somewhat small, riders can easily spend multiple hours pedaling every inch of the system or looping any found favorites. If you’re riding at the right time of the season, you can even fuel your ride on wild berries that grow trailside. Didn’t bring your bike? Pick up a rental from the fleet down the road at Pinnacle Ski & Sports.
7. Forest Bathe in Wiessner Woods
For a low-octane forest foray, head over to Wiessner Woods off Edson Hill Road. With negligible elevation gain, the trails here are easygoing and mellow, allowing you to fully take in surroundings made up of spruce, pine, hardwood, and hemlock trees with the mountain skyline beyond. Ideal for a shorter walk, the trails here still have plenty of variety—you’ll pass through woods and meadows where wildflowers are plentiful and there’s even an old sugarhouse that hints at the area’s past as farmland.
8. Take a Dip at Foster’s Hole
Vermont’s swimming hole culture runs deep, and Foster’s is a go-to in Stowe. Easily accessible from the parking area on Notchbrook Road, the pool is reached after a brief walk down a short trail through the woods. Then the trees open up onto a section of the West Branch Little River lined with rocks for sun sitting and a medium-sized emerald green pool that’s guaranteed to cool down even the hottest summer days.
9. Go Chasing Waterfalls
Bingham, Cady, Sterling, Moss Glen. These are the names you should know when it comes to waterfalls around Stowe. Bingham Falls is the most well-known, and for good reason—a quick hike brings you to a mountain river featuring multiple pools and falls for swimming. The main falls are at the bottom and have the largest swimming hole. Cady’s Falls up in Morristown is less popular and features a similar set of pools as well as a seven-foot cascade. Sterling Gorge Falls and Moss Glen Falls are two others with a mix of swimming holes and waterfalls and they’re only a short drive and hike from town.
10. Pick up Provisions at the Stowe Farmer’s Market
Starting in mid-May, the Stowe Farmer’s Market kicks off its season of weekly Sunday gatherings. Located in a field off Mountain Road—accessible via the Stowe Recreation Path if you’d like to bike there—the market draws growers and craftspeople from across the region and it’s the best place to sample and stock up on produce, cider, spirits, slices of pizza, and all kinds of Vermont-made goods.
11. Paddle the Waterbury Res
The Waterbury Reservoir is just off Route 100 but from the water’s surface you’ll feel like you’re in a far more remote wilderness. Umiak Outfitters has shoreside rentals for canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddleboards so you can get out on the water and try to spot bald eagles and loons. Early risers who get out for sunrise will be rewarded with some of the most serene scenery Vermont has to offer.
12. Drive into Smuggler’s Notch
The Notch Road is snow-covered and closed in the winter but in the summertime, it’s one of the most scenic drives in the state. It isn’t uncommon to spot climbers bouldering on your way through, and if you care to take a walk yourself you can stop and hike up to Sterling Pond.
13. Finish Out the Day at Eastside Bar + Bites
Any activity-filled day is best capped with good food and drinks, and Outbound Stowe’s restaurant, Eastside Bar + Bites, can match the bar set by all that adventuring. Local beers, a full cocktail (and mocktail) menu plus casual eats like cheddar popcorn, fish tacos, and signature fried chicken sandwich, all made with local ingredients, are just the thing to refuel while rehashing the day—and planning the next.
