7 Things to Do On an Off-Season Getaway to Killington, Vermont

Weekend road trips are the kind of thing I live for. I love hopping in the car (with 25 snacks packed, of course) and driving away to a place I’ve never been to explore with my husband for a couple days.

In being new to New England, one thing I’ve wanted to take advantage of here is the opportunity to explore new-to-me states. I grew up in New Jersey before spending my 20s on the west coast, but road trips weren’t really a thing we did growing up. My parents have always been more about beach getaways and tropical locales, so I never went on family trips to places like Maine or New Hampshire.

So! Over the long Memorial Day weekend, Adam and I ventured north to see Vermont for the first time ever. We opted to stay in the area of Killington. We know Vermont is known for its ski towns, but since I’m pregnant and skiing was not in the cards for this novice this winter, and also since we aren’t big winter people, we were interested in what a spring getaway there would look like.

While there were some seasonal places that close down until ski season starts back up and we did have to be careful as to what times places were open (talk about a sleepy town!), we packed in a lot during our Vermont weekend. And today, I thought I’d share some ideas for fun things to do during an off-season getaway to Killington. Let’s get to it!

Go cheese tasting.

Eating local food is a must-do for me when traveling, so naturally, our first stop on our road trip was food motivated. Along the route from Western Connecticut to Killington lies Grafton Village Cheese Co., an awesome gourmet shop where you can mosey around tasting a variety of locally made cheeses, dips, chocolates, jams and more.

The Grafton Cooperative Cheese Company was founded in 1892 by dairy farmers and is part of the Windham Foundation, which works to promote Vermont’s rural communities. From smoked garlic and sage cheddar cheeses to apple cider infused varieties, Adam and I happily ate too much cheese at Grafton!

There’s no shortage of places to taste cheese throughout Vermont. Check out the Vermont Cheese Council’s trail map to find farms to taste at.

There was also an Indian soul food truck parked outside of Grafton, where we tried a flavorful veggie-packed dosa wrap.

Lace up your hiking boots.

Moving from California to Connecticut, my idea of what constitutes a hiking trail has changed, as most of the trails I’ve hiked on are more like walks in the forest with minor elevation changes (I plan on journeying into New York state more to find more serious hiking now that it’s nicer out). So I was excited to get my heart pounding hiking in Vermont!

We opted to visit Killington’s Giffords Woods State Park and hike Sherburne Pass Trail to Pico Peak – a 5-mile up & back trail that leads you through a steady incline through a forest to the top. With a growing baby in my belly constricting my oxygen and pushing on my lungs, I was huffing and puffing pretty good, but I made it!

I suppose there’s a reason it’s categorized as a ‘hard’ trail on the AllTrails app. Up and back the trail took us 3 hours to complete. It was a workout with an awesome calorie burn and beautiful mountain views!

Other hiking trails in the Killington area include:

• Killington Peak Loop
• Mendon Peak
• Canty Trail
• Bear Mountain Loop
• Pine Hill Park

Go maple syrup tasting.

Doesn’t everyone think of maple syrup when they think of Vermont? Local farmers provide the bulk of syrup sold in America, and they’re proud of their state’s signature sticky sweet commodity. Check out this article for ideas of Vermont sugar houses to taste at. We opted for a visit to nearby Sugarbush Farm in Woodstock, where we tasted some maple syrups, took a walk through the woods to see where their maple trees are located, visited with the farms’ goats and cows, and did a self-guided tour.

Check out Thundering Brook Falls.

If you want to experience some outdoorsy fun but you aren’t much of a hiker, or have kids or older people with you, Thundering Brook Falls is a nice option. It’s just shy of a 1/2 mile walk to reach the waterfalls and soak up beauty in nature.

A tip for all hiking trail adventures around Killington: Bring bug spray! Like all of the northeast, Vermont has gotten a lot of rain this year, and with all of the standing water around, it was extremely buggy on both our hike at Giffords Woods State Park and at Thundering Brook Falls. 

Dine at a farm-to-table restaurant.

I’m a locavore through and through, and I love that Vermont oozes pride for the local food its farmers, growers, and producers purvey. Besides tasting at farms, another great way to experience local food in an area is to dine at a farm-to-table restaurant.

We had dinner at Roots the Restaurant in the nearby town of Rutland, where I noshed on black bean cakes and sipped on a delicious mocktail that the bartender created for me. My entree was so interesting and flavorful: sweet basil house made ravioli filled with a corn, ricotta, garlic, and parmesan filling, with crispy tofu tossed in a charred tomato jus with mushrooms, sweet onions and spinach.

Roots is committed to supporting local agriculture through its partnerships with local farmers and vendors, and they also are focused on implementing energy efficient practices in their restaurant. Delicious food through conscious practices is my cup of tea!

A few other farm-to-table eateries that I’ve heard of in the area include:

• Crux (only open in fall and winter)
• Red Clover Inn & Restaurant

Walk around the Quechee Gorge.

Located in the town of Hartford is Quechee State Park – home to the Quechee Gorge, which was formed by glacial activity around 13,000 years ago. After driving (and cheese eating) all morning on our first day of the trip, we enjoyed getting our steps in walking around the gorge.

While you’re in Quechee, other options of things to see and do include shopping at an antique mall, cheese tasting, spas, distillery and brewery tasting rooms and museums. You can even make Quechee Park your home base and camp there during your visit to Vermont May through October (pets are allowed too).

Eat pancakes at Sugar & Spice.

With pancakes being my all-time favorite breakfast food, it only seems right that I would find a popular flapjack eatery when visiting the maple syrup capital of America, right? Sugar & Spice wound up being the most crowded place we found ourselves at during our Vermont trip. It’s not only a family restaurant, but also a working sugar house complete with a gift shop where diners can purchase Vermont goodies.

I couldn’t decide which type of pancakes to get, so I ordered 1/2 pumpkin + 1/2 of their signature sugar & spice pancakes that have cinnamon and maple syrup baked into the batter. The restaurant also offers all of the usual American breakfast foods, including omelettes and oatmeal.

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All in all, my Vermont getaway gave me a great sense of what The Green Mountain State is all about, and I had a wonderful time exploring the area!

Tell me.. Have you ever been to Vermont? If so, what’s your favorite thing to do there?