Stowe, Vermont fall foliage

The classic view is from the village itself: the white steeple of the Stowe Community Church against the slopes of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak. The Stowe Recreation Path starts behind the church and runs 5.3 mostly flat, paved miles up the valley along the West Branch of the Little River, through meadows and woods with mountain views, which makes it an easy way to see the color on foot or by bike. Farther up Route 108, known locally as the Mountain Road, a short trail leads to Bingham Falls, and the road then climbs into Smugglers’ Notch, where the cliffs and high slopes typically turn about a week before the village.

A good loop starts in Stowe and follows Route 108 north up the Mountain Road and through Smugglers’ Notch, a narrow pass with tight hairpin turns and huge boulders at the top, before dropping down to Jeffersonville. From there, Route 15 heads east through Johnson to Morrisville, and Route 100 brings you south back to Stowe. The road through the notch is a seasonal road that closes for winter and isn’t suited to large RVs or trailers; if it isn’t an option, Route 100 south toward Waterbury makes a gentler drive through the valley.