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Day Trips from Killington

Some of New England's most iconic villages, parks, and swimming holes are an easy drive from your Vermont base.

Woodstock & Quechee — ~30 min east

Vermont's quintessential village, a glacial gorge, and a working dairy farm.

Billings Farm & Museum
Working Jersey dairy farm
19th-century farm life exhibits, barns and animals, garden, and gift shop — one of Vermont's finest outdoor history museums.
Visit website
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP
Vermont's only national park
1800s mansion tours and 20 miles of carriage roads and hiking trails on a historic conservation estate.
NPS site
Quechee Gorge
Vermont's Little Grand Canyon
A 165-ft glacial gorge with bridge overlooks, a 1.5-mile loop trail, and swimming holes at the bottom.
State park info
Simon Pearce
Glassblowing & restaurant
Watch artisans blow glass over a working waterfall, then enjoy upscale dining with the same view.
Visit website
VINS Nature Center
Vermont Institute of Natural Science
Live raptor exhibits, reptiles, and a canopy walk 65 ft above the river.
Plan a visit
Covered Bridge Tour
Self-guided driving loop
A 37-mile loop through Middle, Taftsville, Quechee, and the Cornish-Windsor covered bridges.

Plymouth Notch — ~20 min south

Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site
Presidential birthplace
Birthplace of the 30th President, with a living-history farm and Plymouth Artisan Cheese made on-site since 1890.
Historic site

Manchester & Dorset — ~50–55 min south

Designer outlets, historic estates, and Vermont's oldest marble quarry.

Manchester Designer Outlets
70+ outlet stores
Orvis, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Coach, J.Crew, Polo Ralph Lauren and more across walkable village blocks.
Directory
Hildene
Lincoln family home
Historic Lincoln estate with formal gardens, a working farm, and miles of walking trails.
Visit Hildene
American Museum of Fly Fishing
The world's foremost repository of fly fishing artifacts, art, and history.
Museum site
Dorset Quarry
America's oldest marble quarry (1785)
A beloved spring-fed swimming hole with cliff jumping from various heights, clear deep water, and marble walls. $15 parking on weekends.
Dorset Village
Historic village green, H.N. Williams general store (since 1840), and the Dorset Theatre Festival in summer.

Swimming Holes & Cliff Jumping

Vermont's best summer secret — clear pools, smooth granite, and the occasional cliff jump.

Warren Falls
~45 min north on Route 100
Ledges from 10 to 40 ft, clear deep pools, and river-worn boulders. One of the best cliff-jumping spots in the state.
Buttermilk Falls
~20 min south near Ludlow
Two pools on Branch Brook off Route 103, with seasonal cliff jumping.
Quechee Covered Bridge
Near Quechee Gorge
A popular local jump spot in the deep water beneath the bridge.
Bolton Potholes
~1 hr north near Burlington
Emerald-green glacial pools with cliff jumping. Park near Smilie Community School and follow the trail up.
Winooski Footbridge
Burlington area
Bridge jumping into the deep Winooski River, with a sandy beach below.

Burlington — ~1.5 hrs north

Vermont's lakeside city — pedestrian shopping, Lake Champlain, and a great kids' science center.

Church Street Marketplace
Vermont's signature outdoor pedestrian shopping and dining street.
Visit
Lake Champlain Waterfront
Ferries, kayaking, and swimming at North Beach Park.
ECHO Leahy Center
Science & nature on the lake
Hands-on science and aquarium center perfect for kids.
Plan a visit
Vermont History Museum
Statewide history exhibits in downtown Montpelier and Burlington.
Learn more
Magic Hat & Switchback
Local craft breweries
Two of Burlington's most iconic craft brewery tap rooms — tours, tastings, and beer gardens.