Some of the most scenic vantage points for fall colors across the Mad River Valley are up in the hills and mountains. Here on the backbone of Vermont, you can practically walk from sweeping vistas to cozy forest hollows that dot the landscape. At premiere vacation rental Wilder Farm Inn on the Mountain, winding mountain roads and rolling trails run right from the front door to classic, photo-worthy fall landscapes and off-the-beaten path leaf-peeping gems.
Green Mountain Gaps
If you enter the Mad River Valley via Route 100 (another one of the most scenic bike rides or drives in the Northeast), simply continue 15 minutes past another of our premiere vacation rentals - Wilder Farm on the Mountain - to the top of the spectacular App Gap of the Green Mountains. In front of you, look out over Vermont’s pastoral Champlain Valley and across Lake Champlain to New York’s Adirondack High Peaks. Turn around and let the Green and Northfield Mountains take your breath away (if the winding climb by bicycle didn’t already)! Before you head back into the Valley, Vermont’s Long Trail winds directly through the App Gap viewpoint on its way from Massachusetts to Canada, with rugged hikes to wild viewpoints in both directions.
Best Backyard Trails
As you descend back into the Mad River Valley alongside Mill Brook, you pass Mad River Glen Ski Resort and the delicious fare at the Mad River Barn. Soon after, on your right, Mill Brook and Chase Brook flow together on their way down to the Mad River. Look closely on your left, and you might be able to glimpse walking and mountain bike trails through the golden leaves. The Chase Brook Town Forest trailhead weave together the entire western side of the Mad River Valley with rambling forest trails, one of which runs across the hillside just above Wilder Farm on the Mountain! With just a little bit of searching, you stumble upon Marble Hill Farm and the Sugar Run Trail, as stunning views of Mount Ellen and the Slide Brook Wilderness funnel you into a brilliant forest tunnel.
Scenic Backroads
Just a minute further, and you return to Wilder Farm Inn on the Mountain. When you cross Mill Brook, Number Nine Road and Bragg Hill take you past an abundance of picturesque farms high above the Waitsfield Common. If you have a moment to peel your eyes from the watercolor-worthy woods below you, keep an eye out for migrating birds (and maybe a glider ride from our friends at Sugarbush Soaring)!
After you have explored the all around Wilder Farm on the Mountain, check out our friends at the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce; they love giving out tips for fantastic fall activities all around the Valley!
*Photo courtest of Sugarbush Soaring