AN OLD MILL AND WATER WHEEL AT SHELBURNE MUSEUM
ESTIMATED LENGTH: The main loop is 49 miles. The side trip to Huntington is 21.5 miles, one way; 43 miles roundtrip. Side trip into Burlington city is 4 miles one way, 8 miles roundtrip to start of trek.
ESTIMATED TIME: 2 to 4 days
HIGHLIGHTS: In many states, the diminutive city of Burlington rising up a gentle hillside on the shore of Lake Champlain would be a byway in itself. But in the rural Vermont constellation, the compact but busy Queen City serves as a jumping-off point for our exploration of towns and hamlets to the south or ranging eastward into forested terrain toward the Green Mountain spine of Vermont. In Shelburne, south of Burlington, the family-friendly Shelburne Museum is the major destination, with multiple historic buildings set in landscaped lawns. Exhibit buildings showcase classic and modern art and design, along with extensive Americana that includes the side-paddlewheel steamboat, Ticonderoga, sitting out in a grassy meadow on site where visitors can climb aboard and explore. At neighboring Shelburne Farms, a splendid visitor-friendly family estate, paths lead through woods and meadows to Lake Champlain, the mansion welcomes dining and overnight guests, and the impressive barns invite families to visit. The neighboring town of Charlotte is home to Mount Philo State Park, offering some of the most visually striking views of Lake Champlain and New York State’s Adirondacks. In Ferrisburgh, visit the Rokeby Museum, the eighteenth-century home of the Robinsons, a Quaker family dedicated to fostering the cause of abolition and supporting the Underground Railroad in the years before the Emancipation Proclamation. Driving over narrow roads past farm and forest toward the Green Mountains in the east, discover the Green Mountain Audubon Center in the hills of Huntington close beside the Greens. The center’s hiking trails wind through woods and meadows and connect near a picturesque pond, with more trails crossing over from the neighboring Birds of Vermont Museum, where a collection of carved birds is the centerpiece of a destination dedicated to educational programs about Vermont’s avian populations.
GETTING THERE: Take I-89 at Exit 14W to visit downtown Burlington, or use Exit 13 to access the US 7 corridor for towns and attractions south of the city.
The trip begins just off I-89 Exit 13 at a traffic light at the junction with US 7. This is a dense commercial part of the drive, known as Shelburne Road, and we’ll drive around rather than through this section to regain the US 7 corridor farther south.
At the traffic light turn left, but keep to the far left lane heading south and turn left onto Swift Street at the next light (a Denny’s Restaurant is on the corner). Follow Swift up the hill to Spear Street, where you’ll turn right at the traffic light and head past contemporary houses with lake views. In about a mile you’ll come to Overlook Park on your right.
At the start of your explorations, it’s worth a moment to stop at this scenic overlook to contemplate a view and the Adirondacks rising layer upon layer on the far side of the lake. There’s ample parking, a stone wall to sit on, and a picnic table. An informational marker provides background and geological information about the lake and its environs.
AT OVERLOOK PARK THE VISTA IS ACROSS ROLLING PLAINS TO LAKE CHAMPLAIN AND BEYOND TO NEW YORK’S ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS
Burlington, Vermont’s Queen City
To reach the waterfront and Battery and Cherry Streets, take Shelburne Road (US 7) north. Stay left after the small island in the road onto St. Paul Street, left on Maple Street, and right onto Battery Street. Proceed through lights to hotels on Battery and its intersection with Cherry Street.
While you’re in Burlington, walk to the waterfront. From Battery Street, cross over and visit ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain (802-864-1848), grab lunch at the boathouse, then walk the promenade or bike the bike path.
Another option is to turn uphill to cobbled Church Street Marketplace, an outdoor walking mall where shops, galleries, and restaurants line the streets, tables are out for alfresco dining, and the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts (802-652-4500) and City Hall Park are within easy reach. It’s a walker’s city; parking can be tough, but there’s lots to do.
Continue on Spear Street over the Shelburne line where it cuts through the middle of the course at Kwiniaska Golf Club (802-985-3672). Members and nonmembers alike are welcome to reserve tee times at this semiprivate course with views from the fairways and the clubhouse eastward, where forests and rolling hills stretch toward Vermont’s Camel’s Hump Mountain.
KWINIASKA GOLF CLUB OFFERS VIEWS OF CAMEL’S HUMP MOUNTAIN
SHELBURNE MUSEUM AND SHELBURNE FARMS
At the stop sign just past Kwiniaska Golf Club, turn right onto Webster Road and follow about a mile, taking a sharp turn to the right and reaching US 7 at a traffic light. Turn left here to drive into Shelburne Village.
On your way into town, the Trinity Episcopal Church (802-985-2269) will be on your left, its sanctuary windows easily visible. These are some of the Tiffany windows that grace the church, courtesy of the Webb family, whose members also founded Shelburne Museum and Shelburne Farms and whose descendants remain active in the life of the town to this day. The central elements of the church’s chapel were completed in 1886 after the congregation lost its previous building to fire. A year later, William Seward Webb and Lila Vanderbilt Webb came to town. Heirs to well-known railroad fortunes, the Webbs built a 400-acre estate on the shore of Lake Champlain. As members of the Trinity congregation, they soon began contributing to the church, financing new construction, enlarging sanctuary space, and sheathing the building in stone. They hired Louis Comfort Tiffany to create several of the stained-glass windows depicting biblical scenes for the sanctuary.
Beyond the traffic light in Shelburne Village, the Shelburne Museum (802-985-3346; open May 1–Dec. 30, daily 10 AM–5 PM; Jan. 2–April 30, Wed.–Sun., 10 AM–5 PM; $) stretches along the highway; an entrance is at the far side of the village. The extensive grounds include 39 buildings of varying vintage, many of them older New England structures here as architectural illustrations of a particular era, now housing historic exhibits and folk art for the museum. The collections themselves are primarily the work of Electra Havermeyer Webb, daughter-in-law of William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb. Electra was interested in artifacts and folk art that reflected American culture. She collected such varied items as cigar store Indians, quilts, pottery, dolls, toys, weather vanes, and duck decoys. In 1947 she founded the Shelburne Museum to preserve and display a collection of horse-drawn carriages, eventually creating the foundation of today’s museum and transporting historic buildings to the site to house her “collection of collections.” The side-paddlewheel steamboat Ticonderoga sits landlocked on the lawn, where visitors can climb aboard to view interiors, decks, halls, crew quarters, and more. The vessel is a luxurious, early twentieth-century excursion boat that plied the waters of the lake until its retirement in 1953. The museum chronicles America’s history, but programs and exhibits reflect ongoing progress in design, engineering, and the arts as well. New items are added regularly, and educational programs are integral to the museum’s mission. The white-columned art gallery holds an eclectic range of exhibits, and the museum boasts fine art by masters like Rembrandt, Degas, and Manet. It has also mounted exhibits of circus posters, fiber arts and quilts, and rock ’n’ roll photography. The grounds of the museum are landscaped with flower gardens, an apple orchard, and a wealth of lilac bushes that draw visitors from throughout New England each spring.
At the traffic light in the heart of the village, turn right on Harbor Road and head 1½ miles out to the Webbs’ lakeshore estate, now open to the public as Shelburne Farms (802-985-8686). Bear right and stay on the narrow, quiet, and tree-lined road to reach the stone pillars and parking lot for Shelburne Farms. Cars are not permitted onto the estate except those with reservations at the inn, so park here and walk the trails or catch a tractor-pulled wagon to visit the barnyards and animals. A kiosk for tickets and information is beside the lot. This is a working farm and education center tasked with developing and teaching sustainable farming and land management.
While in residence in the last century, the Webbs hired architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the historic master of landscape artistry, to design the grounds of their estate. Now 400 acres of rolling meadows, forest, and pastureland touch along the shore of Lake Champlain. The estate has passed into the hands of a nonprofit organization whose mission is to use the model farm for environmental education. Its imposing mansion and barns with round turrets and expansive rooflines are breathtaking as they rise out of the wooded landscape. Many are still in use and most are open to the public. Visitors to the farms can hike miles of easy trails past meadows, pastures, grazing animals, and along the lakeshore, or to and from the intricately designed barns and the mansion. Gracious dining is available in the nineteenth-century halls of the mansion, now The Inn at Shelburne Farms, offering lodging and a restaurant (802-985-8686, main; 802-985-8498, inn reservations; restaurant open for breakfast 7:30–11:30 AM, dinner 5:30–9:30 PM, Sunday brunch 8 AM–1 PM; $$–$$$).
Shelburne Bay Park
The waters of Shelburne Bay offer boat access to Lake Champlain. The Shelburne Bay Park features a nature trail on one side of the street and boat launch and beach area on the other, just across Harbor Road and a short way up Bay Road from the entrance to Shelburne Farms. Visitors can approach from US 7 onto Bay Road north of Shelburne Village, but that route includes driving under a low railroad trestle. The town road department says it’s deemed a two-way passage through the underpass but it could be tight for trucks and wide vehicles (overhead clearance is 11 feet). The park has a mile-long bike, hike, and recreation path used year-round. It’s dog friendly; leashes required. Fishing is popular along the LaPlatte River across the road from the boat launch, or in the waters of the bay. The boat ramp is managed by the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, and rules apply for putting clean boats into the lake.
If you remain on Spear Street past Kwiniaska Golf Course, you will circumvent Shelburne village. The trees are closer to the road now. You start to see older farmhouses and pastures, terrain more like what you would expect in Vermont. Turn right on Irish Hill Road and head down the hill. The road changes to Falls Road after you cross a small bridge and enter a neighborhood of neat little houses in the southern reaches of Shelburne. Pass an access to the LaPlatte River Nature Park on your right next to the bridge, where walking trails follow the LaPlatte River for a short way; the parking spots here are wheelchair accessible only. Another entrance to the trail is nearby on Falls Road behind the Shelburne Supermarket in Shelburne Shopping Park (to get there, continue to the intersection of Falls Road and Mount Philo Road, where Falls Road turns right and passes the entrance to Shelburne Shopping Park on the way to Shelburne Village).
At the corner of Falls Road and Mount Philo Road, turn left onto Mount Philo Road and follow 5 miles to Mount Philo State Park in Charlotte. This is a quintessential Vermont drive, the road rolling and winding past working farms, with the landscape of Vermont’s agricultural engine spread out to the east and Camel’s Hump and Mount Mansfield on the far horizon.
Mount Philo is Vermont’s oldest state park, sitting on 237 acres of forest and hillside. The original park was developed on 150 acres donated in 1927 by owner Frances Humphreys, with more acreage added later. At the top of the mile-long access road, the terrain opens up for some of the most striking and expansive views of the Champlain Valley and the Adirondacks from the 968-foot summit. The Civilian Conservation Corps developed roads, lodges, and the campground on the original parcel in the 1930s. A small lodge sits under shade trees at the summit, where open, grassy stretches invite picnics. The lodge can be rented for events, weddings, or celebrations. A restroom is close by. Seven tent sites and three lean-tos are available. For hikers, a ¾-mile trail leads from the entrance on Mount Philo Road to the top. Hikers see deer and the occasional moose during the climb and watch bird migrations and predatory raptors on the hunt. Cars can drive up, trailers are discouraged, and buses and RVs park at the bottom.
State Park Road intersects Mount Philo Road at the entrance to the state park. Take State Park Road a short stint to US 7 in Charlotte. Turn left and follow south into Ferrisburgh. Dakin Farm (800-993-2546), is on your right, a great “What Vermont Tastes Like” shop. It features Vermont food products of their own making and more from providers around the state. Continue down US 7 to Rokeby Museum (802-877-3406) on your left. The eighteenth-century farmstead and separate new museum facility are located on the site of the Robinson family farm, originally a prosperous sheep farm that was brought into service for the Underground Railroad by the Robinson family, Quakers who made it their life’s work to support abolition before the Emancipation Proclamation. Hiking trails crisscross the farmland, and old farm equipment is on display in outbuildings and the farmhouse, where original items owned by the Robinsons decorate the home and are on display. The Underground Railroad Education Center is new. Free & Safe: The Underground Railroad in Vermont details the work of abolitionists pre–Civil War with photographs, letters, and books. Reproductions of events detail the history of the Robinson family, the people they helped to freedom, and the life of abolitionists in the run-up to Lincoln’s proclamation. Open mid-May to late-October, daily 10 AM–5 PM. See the house by guided tour only, Fri.–Mon. 11 AM–2 PM. Free admission Tues. 1–5 PM. $
THE ENTRANCE TO MOUNT PHILO STATE PARK
Return back up US 7 north. The road opens up here and there for views of the lake, farms, and small shops that dot the level roadside, but it’s mostly uneventful. Watch for long views to the east and the mountains when the town of Ferrisburgh is here and then gone (don’t blink or you’ll miss it). Now drive through the town of Charlotte. The Berry Farm (802-425-3652) on your left sells fresh fruit, jams from their own berries, and baked goods. This is also a place to pick your own strawberries, raspberries, black raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and pumpkins, depending on the season.
Proceeding north a mile and a half, you will come to the traffic light at Ferry Road. Turn left here to drive up to the crossroad beside the Old Brick Store (802-425-2421) in Charlotte’s tiny village center. This is a good place to stop for road food, browse the local fare, or get a deli lunch and eat in. (Straight over the hill and all the way at the end of Ferry Road, there’s a landing that feeds passengers onto the small Lake Champlain Ferries’s Charlotte, VT–Essex, NY crossing [802-864-9804] for scenic passage across the lake to Essex, New York. Fares here are paid by cash or local check only; no credit cards are accepted at this crossing. Larger ferries with more amenities regularly leave from the Burlington waterfront or farther north at Grand Isle.)
Back at US 7 headed north, continue into Shelburne. The Vermont Teddy Bear Factory (800-988-8277) is on your right just before you come into town. It’s a popular tourist stop to see how teddy bears are made and perhaps create one of your own (tours about 30 minutes; 9 AM–6 PM daily in summer, alternate hours in fall and winter).
Stop at the Shelburne Vineyard and Winery (802-985-8222, open daily all year; call for various winter and summer hours). Stay for a taste or a look at winemaking. Past the winery, come to the traffic light and Shelburne Village. Shelburne Museum is on your left. Drive straight through, stopping at Harrington’s of Vermont store and café (802-434-4444), famed for their smoked meats and specialty foods. Browse the shop or pick up fresh deli fare to eat in or take out.
THE OLD BRICK STORE IN CHARLOTTE OFFERS TAKE-OUT OR A DELI LUNCH ON SITE
Green Mountain Audubon Center and Vermont Bird Museum
For a half-hour, cross-country trek through farm country and forested roads in the Green Mountain foothills, start at the light on US 7/Shelburne Road as you enter Shelburne Village with the museum on your left. Turn right down the hill onto Marsett Road, which becomes Falls Road, then Irish Hill Road. Continue over Spear Street to Dorset Street and turn right. These roads roll past small farms, open fields, and occasional woodsy patches on the way toward the spine of the Greens. Stay on Dorset Street half a mile and veer left on Shelburne-Hinesburg Road, which becomes Shelburne Falls Road, drive straight for almost 3 miles, then straight through the traffic light onto CVU Road. Continue straight to meet Richmond Road 0.6 mile up the hill. Go straight on Richmond Road for about a mile and a half to Texas Hill Road. Take a right onto Texas Hill Road (it is dirt, so may be difficult traveling in mud season), and follow just over 2 miles to Main Road in Huntington (it is paved). Turn left onto Main Road and follow 0.7 mile to Sherman Hollow Road.
The Green Mountain Audubon Center (802-434-3068; 255 Sherman Hollow Road; open Mon.–Fri. 9 AM–4 PM) invites visitors to explore the forests in the foothills and on the slopes of the Green Mountain range. The 250-acre site conducts nature study programs and provides 5 miles of hiking trails through hardwood forest, hemlock swamps, and along the Huntington River. Trails are open to the public year-round. Call for event schedules and program details.
The Birds of Vermont Museum (802-434-2167; 900 Sherman Hollow Road; open May–Oct., daily 10 AM–4 PM; other times of the year by appointment; $ for nonmembers) maintains 40 acres on the upper side of Sherman Hollow Road in nature trails, feed lines, and educational sites. Another 60 acres on the lower side of the road alongside the museum are being developed. A pond is upland of the museum, with trails around the pond meeting those coming up from the Audubon Center down the road. On the museum grounds are pollinator gardens and a walk-in treehouse. The focal point of the museum is a collection of lifelike wooden carvings of birds used to teach visitors about Vermont’s avian community. The seeds of the collection were carved by Bob Spear, author of Birds of Vermont. Spear helped to found and was director of the Green Mountain Audubon Nature Center and was its director for seven years. On retirement he turned a family barn into a museum for his own carvings, collecting additional items and growing the collection to more than 500 species. The museum conducts educational programs and demonstrations. Call for details.
Follow US 7 through Shelburne Village, up the commercial/retail corridor of US 7 and past innumerable shops, restaurants, car dealerships, and motels. From here, drive into Burlington or watch for signs to I-189 back to I-89 North and South on your right.
Best Places to Sleep
There are many national inns and motels along US 7.
HILTON BURLINGTON (802-658-6500), 60 Battery Street, Burlington. Facing the waterfront with magnificent views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks, the hotel has gracious Hilton service throughout. The location is convenient to Church Street, attractions, theaters, and nightlife. $$$–$$$$.
COURTYARD BURLINGTON HARBOR (802-864-4700), 25 Cherry Street, Burlington. On the corner of Cherry and Battery streets, with views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks are spectacular. It’s a short walk across to the waterfront, or turn up Cherry Street to Church Street for shopping, restaurants, theater, and more. $$–$$$$.
HOTEL VERMONT (802-651-0080), 41 Cherry Street, Burlington. Quintessentially Vermont, with five floors and 125 rooms convenient to everything Burlington and beyond, this hotel has a local feel. It’s near the waterfront, within walking distance of amenities, and is a popular gathering spot for local events and dinner out. Parking has plug-ins for electric cars. $$$–$$$$.
HEART OF THE VILLAGE INN (802-985-9060), 5347 Shelburne Road, Shelburne. This stately Queen Anne–style inn has nine guest rooms furnished in antiques but with contemporary comforts, private bathrooms, fridges, USB charging outlets, and more. It’s convenient to the museum, restaurants, the incomparable Flying Pig Bookstore, and the Shelburne Country Store. $$–$$$$.
INN AT SHELBURNE FARMS (802-985-8498), 1611 Harbor Road, Shelburne. This 100-room mansion is sited on a bluff overlooking Lake Champlain. The Webb family, who built the estate, continues to be involved in the nonprofit that maintains it. The family’s Edwardian-era furnishings still predominate. Guests can enjoy the richly paneled game room and play the piano in the library. Guest rooms vary in size and elegance, from the luxurious master bedroom to affordable but inviting former servant rooms under the eaves with some of the best views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. $$–$$$$.
MOUNT PHILO INN (802-425-3335), 27 Inn Road, Charlotte. Four crisp and attractive suites are situated beside Mount Philo State Park, with easy travel to the Middlebury area, Burlington, or small towns and attractions in the countryside. All suites include a kitchen for cook-your-own breakfasts, with provisions provided. Nick House, a spacious vacation home, is also available; call for rates. Suites $$–$$$.
ELLIOTT HOUSE (802-985-2727), 5779 Dorset Street, Shelburne. Lovely rooms in this Greek Revival converted manse all have private bathrooms. There are also landscaped gardens and a pool. $.
SLEEPY HOLLOW INN, SKI AND BIKE CENTER (802-434-2283), 427 Ski Lodge Drive, Huntington. This rustic old inn and grounds were renovated in 2000 by new owners. All rooms have private baths. Cross-country skiing is available on the grounds, as well as biking and hiking in warm weather. The views are spectacular. $–$$.
Best Places to Eat
PAULINE’S CAFÉ AND RESTAURANT (802-862-1081), 1834 Shelburne Road (US 7), South Burlington. Gourmet cuisine in warm surroundings, this restaurant-bar is popular for its eclectic, locally sourced menu and creative cuisine. Lunch: Mon.–Fri. 11:30 AM–2 PM; Dinner: Sun.–Thurs. 5–9 PM, Fri.–Sat. 4:30–9:30 PM; Brunch: Sat.–Sun. 10:30 AM–2 PM. Reservations suggested for evening. Dinner entrées $$–$$$. Wednesday is $10 burger night.
HARRINGTON’S OF VERMONT (802-985-2000), 5597 Shelburne Road, Shelburne. Across from Shelburne Museum, Harrington’s sells gourmet and specialty foods and their signature meats. Grab a soup-and-sandwich lunch and bakery dessert to eat in the small but comfy café corner. Open daily until 5 PM. $$.
BARKEATERS RESTAURANT (802-985-2830), 97 Falls Road, Shelburne. This comfortable, rustic restaurant and bar is convenient to US 7, but off the beaten path on Falls Road. The varied menu features local foods. Open for lunch and dinner Tues.–Sun. $$.
RUSTIC ROOTS (802-985-9511), 195 Falls Road, Shelburne. Primarily a breakfast and lunch destination, there’s also an early seating dinner on Fri. and Sat. only, 6–7:30 PM, call for reservations. Food is local and expertly prepared. Meals are $ for breakfast and lunch; dinner $–$$.
INN AT SHELBURNE FARMS (802-985-8498), 1611 Harbor Road, Shelburne. Open to the public May–late Oct. for breakfast and dinner by reservation. The dining room is elegant, the view splendid, and the menu features produce and cheese from the farm itself. $$–$$$.
OLD BRICK STORE (802-425-2421), 290 Ferry Road, Charlotte. Park beside the store or on the road and stop in to browse. A good place for road food, or pick up a deli lunch and eat in. $.
HINESBURGH PUBLIC HOUSE (802-482-5500), 10516 VT 116, Hinesburg. This popular spot offers genteel dining on locally sourced farm-to-table fare. The small but eclectic menu caters to vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diners. Open Mon.–Thurs. 4–9 PM, Fri.–Sat. 3–9 PM, Sunday 4–8 PM. $$–$$$.
GOOD TIMES CAFÉ (802-482-4444), 10805 VT 116, Hinesburg. Soup, salad, hot sandwiches, and gourmet pizza with a Cajun twist are just some of the offerings on this interesting menu. Great for lunch or dinner, Tues.–Sun. 12–8:30 PM; take-out orders until 9 PM. $.