Amid Vermont's Green Mountains Is An Uncrowded, Enchanting Four-Season Town Full Of Cute Inns

Choosing the most beautiful part of Vermont, one of the country's most scenic states, is like deciding between diamonds, rubies, and emeralds. However, the Mad River Valley in central Vermont can lay a strong claim to the crown. Flowing north from Granville Notch in the Green Mountain National Forest, the Mad River runs through a forest valley for 26 miles, passing tiny villages, berry farms, ski resorts, and all manner of bucolic accoutrements. This also makes Route 100 — the scenic byway that runs alongside and goes all the way up to Fall's Color Capital, home to one of the most photographed hikes of Vermont — extremely popular. The traffic particularly concentrates in fall, when the twin towns of Warren and Waitsfield fully capture the Vermont quintessence. 

The buzz continues into winter, too, when the green hills and meadows turn into ski trails at Sugarbush Resort, Mad River Glen, and Ole's Cross Country Ski Center. In summer, the valley becomes prime swimming-hole real estate, with cool mountain dips at almost every bend. In between find one of Vermont's best farmer's markets, a leading brewery, titular distillery, farm and food tours, arts and crafts fairs, kayaking, fishing, and hiking and biking trails galore. Springtime is a bit more volatile, as so much depends on the weather, snow melt, and potential flooding, but come mid-May, the Mad River landscape around Warren and Waitsfield begins to settle and dapple with wildflowers, heralding the start of the tourist season.

With just 2,000 people, tiny Warren can disappear in a blink behind the curtain of dense forest that surrounds it. Named after Revolutionary War hero Joseph Warren, who died on the slopes of "Bunker" Hill in 1775, the hamlet counts few buildings along its Main Street area. But one of them is a true Vermont gem — the Pitcher Inn. The 19^th-century inn suffered a devastating fire in the 1990s but rose proverbially from the ashes with the help of savvy Vermont architects and designers, who crafted a truly one-of-a-kind experience. Each of the nine guest rooms are set to a theme that manifests in luxury-level masonry, woodwork, furnishings, and artwork, as well as names like the Ski Room, Mallard Room, and Hayloft Suite.

Across the street is the Warren Store, a beloved jack-of-all-trades selling groceries, sandwiches, and artisanal local products downstairs, and clothing, jewelry, and gifts upstairs. Both are three miles from Sugarbush Ski Resort, Warren's chief sight and raison d'être since 1958. Descending from six mountain peaks topping out at 4,083 feet are 111 trails and 16 lifts to get skiers back up them. The healthy mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced runs are augmented by four terrain parks and 20 wooded areas, as well as a Ski & Ride School, health and fitness facility, dining options, and three types of lodging. Those seeking a little less speed and a lot more tranquility on the snow can head over to Ole's Cross Country Ski Center, for 30 miles of groomed cross-country trails.

Less than three miles up the road from the Pitcher Inn, Route 100 enters the similar-sized but slightly more happening Waitsfield. Mad River Glen is the ski resort here and offers a more a quirky, grassroots experience that endears it to many. Firstly, the resort is a co-op — the only one in America — and strenuously resists any hint of commercialism. It also embraces an all-natural philosophy, banning snowmaking above 2,300 feet and keeping grooming to a minimum. Snowboarders are not allowed, either, on the 53 trails. As with Sugarbush, the ski trails at Mad River Glen turn into hiking ones in the summer months. They pair well with the Waitsfield Farmers Market, where more than 50 local vendors dispense produce, honey, baked goods, meats, cheeses, and more.

In any weather, a visit to Lawson's Finest Liquids, one of Vermont's best breweries is a must. The grand-hall-style taproom opened in 2018 can pour ales and lagers for up to 200 people. Winter turns on the fireplaces, while summer opens up the patio. Live music performances keep the place a-rocking all year round. Almost next door is the tasting room of Mad River Distillers. Waitsfield also offers some good dining options, including the original American Flatbread restaurant, Scrag & Roe, Hyde Away, and The Mad Taco. For accommodation, Waitsfield boasts the über-romantic Inn at the Round Barn Farm, a favorite spot for weddings, thanks to 45 acres of gardens, ponds, and historic farm structures, including the iconic 1910 round barn.