The Best Places to Visit in Vermont & New Hampshire on Your Next Family Summer Vacation
Do you find yourself longing for cooler breezes during the hot, humid summer months? The northeast United States is a great choice for a summer trip! There are plenty of fun things for families to do, whether you’re more inclined to tour an iconic ice cream factory or crawl through a cave.
This trip report will you give you the low-down on the best places to visit in Vermont and New Hampshire on your next family summer vacation!
Burlington, VT
Burlington, the largest city in Vermont and home of the University of Vermont, sits on the shores of Lake Champlain. The lake makes for beautiful views and cool breezes during the summer. With an adorable downtown area set between the lake and the university, Burlington can easily keep your family busy for a few days.
Battery Park
The beautiful Battery Park, situated on the shore of Lake Champlain, can amuse your family for at least half a day. The eastern section of the park, on the bluff, has a decent playground, large green space and band shell for events. There’s also a stone pathway along the edge of the bluff, looking out over the lake.
From the bluff, head downhill (west) on College Street to the shore of the lake. Stroll on the Battery Park promenade, which follows the shore of the lake, for stunning views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks beyond. If you get tired, you can rest on one of the many swings situated along the promenade. You can also book a boat tour from the pier. (We didn’t take a boat cruise, but it’s on our list for next time!)
If you need a break from being outside, check out the Echo Center, an interactive science and nature museum situated on the shore of Lake Champlain. After entertaining the kids at the museum, grown-ups can grab a local beer (or cider!) at Foam Brewers. This local brewery is just a few blocks from the Echo Center and was hopping when we visited on a Tuesday afternoon.
Downtown
If you worked up an appetite walking around the lake front, American Flatbread is a great lunch or dinner option. With delicious and creative wood-fired pizzas, locally-brewed Zero Gravity beer and a cozy atmosphere, this is our go-to dinner spot in Burlington. Bonus – they have toys and plentiful crayons to keep the kids entertained!
When you’re finished eating, stroll through City Hall Park to the pedestrian mall just a block away. The no-cars-allowed Church Street offers plenty of interesting sights – people-watching, ice cream stands, restaurants and shopping. We like to visit Outdoor Gear Exchange for low prices on new (and used!) outdoor gear.
Greater Burlington
If you’re craving something sweet, do not miss the Lake Champlain chocolate factory. You can take a free, 30-minute factory tour complete with taste testing! They say the tour is for ages 7 and up, but our 4 and 6 year olds survived (we bribed them with the promise of chocolate). After the tour, buy Lake Champlain goodies, factory “seconds” or the fantastic Spicy Aztec Mocha from the coffee shop.
After all that chocolate, you might need a little exercise! If you want to stretch your legs (or you have a high-schooler), take a walk around the University of Vermont. The campus is beautiful, with a mix of old and new buildings, and is worth a quick visit if you’re in the area and enjoy college tours.
Vermont – Outside of Burlington
Stowe & Waterbury
Waterbury, VT is a short 30 minutes east of Burlington and is home to the mecca of ice cream – the Ben & Jerry’s factory! Take a 30 minute factory tour to see where the magic happens, and learn about the ice cream making process. Adult tickets are $4 and children 12 and under are free. The tour ends – of course – with an ice cream sample! You can also buy ice cream from the factory ice cream store, with some flavor options that aren’t available anywhere else (yum). When we were there, they also had tents set up for kids to make tie-dye t-shirts, buy ice cream sandwiches and more. There’s even a small playground if you have to wait for your tour time.
After enjoying some ice cream, head north just a few miles to Stowe. In the winter, Stowe is an adorable ski town. In the summer, the pace slows a bit but there’s just as much to see and do! Hike the beautiful trails at Cady Hill Forest, a 258 acre recreation area just outside of Stowe. From the parking lot off of Mountain Rd, take the Cady Hill Climb trail to Green Chair for a gorgeous view and a fun photo-op! (There’s a green chair lift seat mounted on a frame at the top of the Green Chair trail.) Just watch out for mountain bikers since this is a popular biking area.
Speaking of mountain biking, if that’s more your thing, rent a bike from AJ’s and then cruise along the Cady Hill Forest trails. You can also mountain bike at Stowe Mountain Resort and the Von Trapp Family Lodge trail network. Stowe is definitely a great place for dirt!
Norwich
Norwich is an active little town on the Vermont-New Hampshire border. It’s just across the Connecticut River from Hanover, NH (home of Dartmouth College). If your kids are under 10, check out the Montshire Museum of Science. The museum has multiple indoor science exhibits and an extensive outdoor area. When it’s hot out, kids will love the splash area. To dry off, hike the extensive trail network, which includes a short and easy trail along the Connecticut River. This museum can easily keep your kids entertained for half a day – or more – depending on their appetite for hiking. Don’t forget to climb to the lookout tower for a panoramic view of two states and the river. We spotted several kayakers!
After the museum, head into the town of Norwich for some sustenance! We loved dinner at the gorgeous, historic Norwich Inn. The main restaurant has delicious food for grown-ups and kids. There’s also a bar and patio for more casual seating. We haven’t stayed at the inn, but we definitely will on our next trip. After your meal, stroll around the corner of Dan & Whit’s general store (just next to The Norwich Inn) and buy some ice cream from the side window. Expect a GIANT cone of soft-serve coated in sprinkles and a big, big mess. Let’s just say our kids needed a long shower when they got back to the hotel! They were happy, happy children.
If baking is more your speed than science (why choose just one?), be sure to visit King Arthur Flour’s Vermont campus in Norwich. You can enjoy a pastry in the cafe, shop in the bakery store or even take a baking class! Sounds delicious!
Quechee Gorge
Described as the Grand Canyon of Vermont, Quechee State Park is definitely impressive. Quechee Gorge is the deepest gorge in Vermont, with the Ottauquechee River flowing through it. The centerpiece of the park is the overlook bridge. From the bridge, you can see 165 feet down to the river below.
While at Quechee Gorge, start at the small visitors center that shares the history of the area. From the visitor’s center, head downhill on the Quechee Gorge trail. At the bottom of the gorge, the river flattens out. Take a dip to cool off, but watch out for sharp rocks and spots where the current still flows!
From the visitor’s center, you can also hike uphill along the river. The trail passes a dam at the top of the gorge and continues to Dewey’s Mill Pond.
New Hampshire
Lost River Gorge & Boulder Caves
Lost River Gorge was the highlight of our most recent trip! The gorge is located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The gorge tour takes you down and up over 1,000 wooden stairs. The staircase is built into the side of the gorge and enables visitors to see the river and caves. Although it’s a strenuous walk physically because of all the stairs, the walkways mean that there aren’t any tripping hazards.
You’ll follow the stairs all the way to the bottom of the gorge, which is where the first cave is. Then, the stairs will ascend the gorge, with many caves along the way. Most caves are easy to access, but there are a few that are a tight fit for adults. If you’re claustrophobic, skip Lemon Squeeze!
My 4 and 6 year olds handled all of the caves well, although the 4 year old didn’t go through Lemon Squeeze five times like big sister did! Definitely wear sturdy pants and closed-toe shoes for this tour, because you’ll be doing a lot of crawling in the caves. These are wet caves since they’re formed by huge boulders along the river, so expect a few puddles along the way! The caves are lit by strategically placed lanterns, but at times you’ll definitely be in the dark.
Lost River Gorge is privately owned, so there’s an admission price, but it’s well worth the cost! The main ticket area has a small store, snacks and restrooms. Kids can fill out a scavenger hunt card and pick out a prize at the end.
Bretton Woods Resort
Located in the heart of New Hampshire’s White Mountains, the Bretton Woods resort area offers gorgeous surroundings and fun mountain activities for all ages. At the Bretton Woods Adventure Center, kids can drive mini go-karts on a circular track. My 6 year old drove and her 4 year old sister rode along. They LOVED it!
The whole family can take the ski lift to the top of the mountain for a higher-altitude view of the Presidential Range, including Mt Washington. If you have older kids or want to do some adult activities, the Adventure Center also offers mountain bike rentals and tubing on the Ammonoosuc River. You can take a zipline canopy tour, climb inside or out, or take an off-road tour of the mountain!
Just a few minutes down the road, the Omni Mt Washington Resort at Bretton Woods is worth visiting, even if you don’t stay there. The massive hotel opened in 1902 and was a popular resort destination for guests from Portland, ME and Boston. In 1944, at the end of World War II, the Bretton Woods International Monetary Conference was hosted at the hotel. If you’re an econ nerd like I am, you know that the World Bank and the IMF were created at this conference.
History aside, the resort was recently acquired and renovated by Omni. It retains its turn of the century charm, with a massive wrap-around porch and period art and furnishings. You can take a self-guided tour of the hotel with a pamphlet they provide or enjoy drinks and appetizers on the back patio with beautiful views of Mt Washington. If you’ve got someone to watch the kids for a while, check out The Cave, a prohibition-era speakeasy with stone walls. It’s one of the most unique places I’ve seen to grab a drink!
If you’re a resort guest, there are many more options for entertainment, including indoor and outdoor pools, evening campfire events, marshmallow roasting and more. The hotel does offer childcare for an additional fee, in case you’d like to golf, go to the spa or eat dinner on your own.
A Fun & Cool Family Summer Vacation
As you can see, families will find plenty to do in Vermont and New Hampshire during the summer! I hope that this list of awesome places to visit in Vermont and New Hampshire inspires you when you’re planning your next vacation. Whether you’re crawling through a wet cave or enjoying a drink on the patio of a historic resort, you won’t regret visiting this part of the country.
