This Scenic Drive in Vermont is a Fall-Foliage Paradise

There is no shortage of scenic drives in Vermont, and Vermont Route 125 through the Green Mountains is one of our favorites for gorgeous scenery and easy outdoor recreation.

This trip starts in East Middlebury and travels just 15 miles through the Green Mountain National Forest to the town of Hancock. Don’t let the short driving time fool you into thinking that this is a humdrum road trip.

The journey takes you through Robert Frost Country, through Middlebury Gap (2,144 feet), where the Long Trail crosses the highway and leads to a lovely mountain lake and one of the state’s most beautiful waterfalls.

It’s a fantastic route for picnicking, and sturdy footwear and bug spray are both recommended.

Ready to make this trip a reality? Fill up your gas tank and start this trip in Middlebury, where Route 7 meets Route 125, or in Hancock, where Route 125 meets Route 100.

Ripton Country Store

For a touch of nostalgia going back 140 years, stop into the Ripton Country Store, where you can stock up on Vermont products (they have sharp cheddar and maple syrup) and grab a sandwich and some penny candy for your adventure.

If you’ve got nothing but time, you can head to the back of the store and relax in the rocking chairs next to the ancient wood-burning stove. Maybe one of Ripton’s 600 residents will join you.

Robert Frost Interpretive Trail

The poet Robert Frost taught at Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English in Ripton for 42 years. On January 20, 1961, he became the unofficial first Poet Laureate of The United States. He was named Poet Laureate of Vermont in July of the same year.

Head to the Robert Frost Interpretive Trail in the Green Mountain National Forest for a glimpse of the beautiful landscape that inspired Robert Frost. Here, you can meander along an easy, universally accessible path, where you’ll find many of his poems mounted on posts along the trail.

The Robert Frost Interpretive Trail was recently redone to make its entire mile-long length universally accessible. It now features two connected loops that wander through the varied landscapes that inspired Robert Frost.

Several benches along the route encourage you to linger in the landscape, read the poems, and reflect on the beauty of Vermont’s wilderness. Picnic tables near the parking area also encourage you to stay awhile, listen to the birds, and enjoy a snack before continuing your journey.

Robert Frost Cabin and Homer Noble Farm

Every summer and fall between 1939 and 1963, Robert Frost lived and wrote in a small cabin on what was then called the Homer Noble Farm.

The Ripton property is a National Historic Landmark owned by Middlebury College. It’s open to the public during daylight hours, and while you can see the cabin where Frost lived and wrote, the inside of the cabin is off-limits.

To visit the cabin, turn onto Robert Frost Road (Forest Road 396), just past the Robert Frost Wayside picnic area. Drive the short distance and park in the parking area near the white farmhouse. From there, it’s a short 1/4-mile walk to the cabin.

It’s easy to see why this spot inspired Frost to write some of his best poetry.

Hike to Pleiad Lake on the Long Trail

As you continue to head east on Vermont Route 125, you’ll gain a significant amount of elevation as you pass Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf Campus. This beautiful campus is home to Middlebury’s summer creative writing, theater arts, and literature programs.

Parking for the Long Trail and Pleiad Lake is two miles past the Bread Loaf campus.

The Long Trail is a 272-mile trail that follows the ridgeline of the Green Mountains from the Vermont-Massachusetts state line in the south to the Canadian border in the north. It was the first long-distance hiking trail in the United States.

Park your car on the south side of the road and hike the Long Trail south to Pleiad Lake, which is especially lovely in the fall. The hike is 1 mile round-trip and gains just 220 feet of elevation. Once you reach the lake, there are several spots along the shore to relax and enjoy the scenery.

I hiked to Pleiad Lake for the first time in 2023, and I can’t wait to return with Eric and the dogs this year.

Texas Falls

Not only is Texas Falls one of Vermont’s most stunning waterfalls, but this lovely area also includes a riverside picnic area and a short, easy nature trail through the woods.

Texas Falls began to form at the close of the ice age, approximately 12,000 years ago, when melting glacier ice began to cut through the glacial till and bedrock.

The falls are located on the Hancock Branch, which drains east into the White River and eventually into the Connecticut River. The falls are actually a series of plunges flowing through a narrow, steep gorge.

To get there, turn off Vermont Route 125 onto Texas Falls Road (Forest Road 39). Parking is located at the Falls Observation Site at 0.5 miles and the picnic area at 0.7 miles.

From the parking area on the left side of Forest Road 39, cross over the road and walk back along the road for a short distance to the footbridge. This is an excellent viewing area to view the largest of the waterfalls.

You can meander around and check out the different vantage points of the falls or head into the woods and walk the Texas Falls Nature Trail, a 1.2-mile loop through a mixed forest with lots of beech, cherry, and birch trees.

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