The Green Mountain State has plenty to offer in the Great Outdoors. Read our picks for the best outdoor attractions in Vermont for 2015.
Best Half-Hour Hike
Mount Philo State Park, Charlotte
If you’re not quite ready to notch Mount Mansfield or Camel’s Hump into your hiking stick, Mount Philo offers a gentle ascent to a 986-foot summit with spectacular views of Lake Champlain, the Adirondacks, and those more challenging Vermont peaks you’ll tackle next year. Ten campsites are available.
5425 Mount Philo Road. 802-425-2390;
vtstateparks.com/htm/philo.htm
Best Place for a Plunge
Dorset Quarry, Dorset
In a state famous for out-of-the-way swimming holes, one of the most popular and accessible is this former marble quarry, the oldest (1785) in the U.S. Plunge into clear, 60-foot-deep water, where stone for the New York Public Library was cut. No lifeguards; not recommended for children.
Route 30 (park on Kelly Road)
Best Hike & Bike
Millstone Trails, Barre
Once home to more than 75 small quarries, Millstone is now a 1,500-acre preserve laced by more than 70 miles of scenic mountain-biking and hiking trails. Magic Wheel (magicwheelvt.com) at the touring center rents bicycles.
34 Church Hill Road. 802-277-0144;
millstonetrails.com
Best Nature Tour
Siskin Ecological Adventures, East Charleston
Field ecologist Jason Brueck provides a fascinating narrative as he leads hikers and canoeists through his favorite haunts in the Northeast Kingdom, identifying unique birds such as Bicknell’s thrush and blackback woodpeckers, as well as mammals and rare plants.
Ten Mile Square Road. 802-673-5638;
travelthekingdom.com
Best Views with the Least Effort
Barr Hill Natural Area, Greensboro
You don’t even have to hike to the loftiest part of the 250-acre preserve for spectacular views— gorgeous panoramas open up right at the trailhead. But two gentle, self-guided loops (a third of a mile and four-fifths of a mile) at this Nature Conservancy gem offer their own rewards.
Barr Hill Road. 802-229-4425;
nature.org
