Take a step deeper into real Vermont, and discover characters as colorful as our famous fall foliage.
Third-generation dairy farmer George Woodard flashes a wry grin as he takes you on a hayride through his meadows. His stories and jokes have kept you entertained all afternoon while you’ve been soaking in Vermont’s radiant fall scenery—a blazing patchwork of sugar maples sweeping up to Camel’s Hump’s pointy summit. There’s nothing like exploring Vermont on a walking tour during autumn’s explosion of red, orange, and gold. Strolling through picture-postcard villages and rambling high ridgelines on the Long Trail are reasons enough to visit. But discovering the region through locals’ eyes, meeting friendly bovines, sampling exquisite craft beers, and traversing undiscovered trails from Quechee Gorge to Lake Champlain bring you a step closer to the heart of the Green Mountain State.
Highlights
- Walk a stretch of the nation’s first long-distance hiking route, the Long Trail. Country Walkers is proud to help maintain this historic trail.
- Explore the magnificent grounds of Shelburne Farms, a former Vanderbilt estate on the shores of Lake Champlain, now a nonprofit organic farm and education center.
- Get a personal sense of Vermont history by visiting a friend and local dairy farmer whose farm has belonged to his family for over a century.
- Discover Vermont specialty products such as maple syrup, cheese, and craft beer.
Positive Impact
Country Walkers is proud to support the Green Mountain Club with a donation on behalf of each guest on this tour. Take in the natural history of Vermont as you step along one of the most spectacular portions of the legendary, 270-mile Long Trail, the nation’s first long-distance hiking trail. Built between 1910 and 1930, it follows the spine of Vermont’s primary mountain ranges from Massachusetts to the Canadian border—your route includes the dramatic ridgeline of Mount Mansfield, the state’s highest peak. Green Mountain Club, the stewards of this “footpath through the wilderness,” promote conservation and education of Vermont’s mountains and rural lands.
Accommodations
Beautiful country and great group of travelers but alas not up to CW standards. This was my 10th trip with CW so I definitely will return but this trip was not well vetted by CW.
Vermont: Fall Foliage
Weather, peak leaf colors, fellow travelers, terrific guides and a good itinerary made for a perfect week. Thank you CW! For those who wonder, this rating of easy to moderate was right on. Age range was 60's to 80's and everyone was able to participate comfortably.
Vermont: Fall Foliage
Expert Local Guides
Experience your destination like an insider with people who call it home.
Ann Pollender
Born and raise in Vermont, Ann has always had an affiliation for the Green Mountains. She has hiked the state through trail (the Long Trail), as well as all of Vermont’s fire towers! A lover of education, Anne spent over 30 years teaching at her local high school and coaching field hocky. Transitioning to an outdoor classroom in tour guiding was easy for this life-long adventurer. Her goal is to show CW guests all the special aspects of Vermont, including how to put Maple Syrup on all food!
Mary Simons
Over two decades ago, Mary Simons faced a difficult choice-should she move to Vermont or Maine? She ultimately chose Vermont, thanks to an offer of a teaching job, and she finds great peace living in her woodsy cabin with views of the stunning Green Mountains. However, she still spends as much time as she can visiting the beautiful, rugged coastline of Maine. When not guiding, she is the director of a traveling immersion journalism program for high school and college students. Mary is a skilled conversationalist that is certain to make guests feel cared for while time in one of her favorite areas of New England-Acadia National Park.
Matt Witten
Matthew Witten is writer and performer as well as a guide who has studied the environment and history as a longtime adjunct of the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum staff. A native Vermonter, Matthew leads boating and hiking trips and travels as a performing musician, songwriter, and storyteller. He also coordinates a network of River Watch volunteers, who monitor streams in western Vermont.
Marina Meerburg
Born and raised in Stockholm, Marina Meerburg first started working as a guide at an Austrian ski resort after graduating from the Stockholm School of Economics. It was at that resort that she met her husband, the two of them eventually moving to Stowe, Vermont. Marina continues to guide when not working as a freelance translator or a ski instructor at Stowe Mountain Resort. She is an avid outdoor and exercise enthusiast, as well as a certified Nordic Walking instructor.