What to Know About Burlington, Vermont Before You Go

Burlington, Vermont is the biggest city in the state of Vermont, having almost 45,000 people living in the city. Although Burlington Vermont’s population is small, it still has a ton of fun things to do, particularly, fun outdoor activities. Depending on the season, Burlington has great skiing/snowboarding nearby, nordic skiing, hiking, bike trails, kayaking, shopping, and more. 

I am from the capital region of New York, which is not too far from Burlington, so I have traveled here many times. Each time I’ve gone to Burlington, I’ve had a great time. Again, I think the city is more geared towards outdoorsy people, but there are still other fun things to do in the city as well, that I will talk about.

In this article, you will read about Burlington Vermont hotels, Burlington Vermont weather, Burlington Vermont things to do, Burlington Vermont restaurants, Burlington Vermont directions, Burlington Vermont outlets, Burlington Vermont airport, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Church Street Marketplace, Fleming museum of art, Ethan Allen Homestead Museum and Historic Site, Oakledge Park, North Beach Park, Church Street, Burlington Farmers Market, Catamount Trail Association, Waterfront Park, and more.

This article is all about Burlington Vermont.

Burlington Vermont :

Burlington Vermont Directions

There is no easy way to get to Vermont, as there are not many highways in the state. Vermont is filled with many different backroads and county road routes. Especially, coming from New York, there is no easy way to get to Vermont, and that includes Burlington. Another option instead of driving, is flying. Burlington Vermont Airport is about eleven minutes from the main downtown area or Church Street. Some of the main routes to drive on, to get to Burlington coming from New York, are Route 22A towards Vergennes and Ethan Allen Highway. If you are coming from Boston, some of the major routes you will take are Interstate 89 and 189. You can find exact directions via Google or Apple Maps.

Burlington Vermont Hotels

Burlington has a ton of hotels, AirBnBs, Bed and Breakfasts, HipCamps, campgrounds and more that you can stay in if you need a place to stay. Cost wise, I think it’s cheapest to stay in an AirBnB or a HipCamp. If you want to be near the downtown area, you want to be near Church Street or Waterfront Park. Otherwise, you will probably have to drive to Church Street. I would still bring a car or rent a car if you are going to Burlington. Most of the activities in Burlington and Vermont, in general, involve driving to, there is no public transportation, and it would be way too long of a walk to get to your destinations. Thus, in my opinion, a car is very much needed.

Burlington Vermont Weather

Depending on the time of year, Burlington offers different activities. Burlington Vermont weather, is very similar to upstate New York or anywhere in New Englands weather. In the summer months, June through September, the weather is warm. It will be anywhere from 75℉ to 95℉ plus humidity. Vermont does get thunderstorms, and very rarely gets tornadoes. There have been tornadoes that touch down in Vermont, but again it’s very rare if they do.

In the winter months, December through March, Vermont will get snow. The past couple years they haven’t gotten as much as their use to, but I would say they average anywhere from 36 to 72 inches of snow per year. The temperature does vary in the winter, most of the time the temperature is anywhere from 15℉ to 30℉ but they will have some really warm does that get up to 50 degrees. Thus, nowadays, winter is kind of a mix bag.

Burlington Vermont Things to Do : Summer

Burlington offers a lot of fun activities for both the summer and winter seasons, especially for outdoor lovers. In the summer there is plenty of nearby hiking, mountain biking, disco golf, mountain coasters (Bromley Mountain), high rope courses (Bromley Mountain), festivals, Burlington farmers markets, biking, kayaking, boating, paddle boarding, and more. Here are some cool activities near or in Burlington.

1. Hike a 4,000fter : Mount Mansfield
2. Hike any peak or ski mountain to the top
3. White Water Rafting
4. Kayaking & Paddle Boarding
5. Mountain Biking
6. Rock Climbing
7. Colchester Causeway Bike Trail (about 15 minute drive from Burlington)
8. Walk along Waterfront Park path
9. North Beach Park
10. Other Beaches on Lake Champlain & See the Many Other Lakes in Vermont/Near Burlington
11. Golf
12. Disco Golf
13. Church Street Marketplace or Essex Junction
14. City Marathon
15. Jazz Festival
16. Brewers Festival
17. Festival of Fools
18. South End Art Hop
19. Renaissance Fair
20. Shelburne Farms
21. Go on a Brew Bus
22. Burlington Paint N Sip

Also, if you have kids the ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, is a really nice interactive science and nature museum for children. In addition, the center sometimes holds different events throughout the year. You can see what events they are holding, here, at their website.

Burlington Vermont Things to Do : Winter

Now, there are tons of things obviously to do in the summer, but winter is Burlington’s main season. Vermont is known for its many different ski resorts and has a lot. It’s like the Colorado of the east coast. In my opinion, for the east coast, it has the best ski mountains. Now, unfortunately, the really good resorts, you will have to drive to. The ski resorts listed below are all about an hour to an hour and a half away, driving. However, I promise, the ones listed are completely worth the drive.

1. Skiing/Snowboarding
2. Ski/Snowboard at Jay Peak, Smuggler’s Notch, Mad River Glen, Sugarbush, Pico, and more
3. Winter Hiking/Snowshoeing
4. Cross – Country/Nordic Skiing
5. Ice Skating
6. Snowmobiling
7. Fat Bike
8. Church Street Marketplace
9. Burlington Vermont Outlets
10. Renaissance Fair
11. Fleming Museum of Art
12. Ethan Allen Homestead Museum and Historic Site

Day Trips From Burlington

Okay, now a lot of the fun activities I mentioned, do involve driving to your destination. Basically, everything listed you will have to drive to except for shopping on Church Street, walking along Waterfront Park, and seeing the museums listed. In this section, I will tell you what are the best day trips to take both in summer and winter time and how far of a drive they are from Burlington.

1. Hike Mount Mansfield or Camel’s Hump : Both are about a 45 minute drive from Burlington
2. Hike Cannon Mountain or some of the White Mountains : about a 2 hour drive from Burlington
3. Go winter hiking at one of the Green Mountain Peaks : anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour away
4. Skiing/Snowboarding at Jay Peak, Smuggler’s Notch, Mad River Glen, Sugarbush, Pico, and more : All are about an hour to an hour and a half away
5. Cross – Country Ski at Sleepy Hollow : about 30 minutes from Burlington
6. Go Mountain Biking at Sugarbush in the summer : about an hour away
7. Go to Bromley Mountain’s High Ropes Course & Mountain Coasters in the summer : about 2 and a half hours away
8. Check Out Stowe & Ben & Jerry’s Factory Tour : Ben & Jerry’s is about 30 minutes away and Stowe is about an hour away

Burlington Vermont Restaurants

Lastly, after all these possible adventures and activities you will probably want to find a good place to eat. Here you will find some great restaurants and bars after a long day of hiking, skiing, or whatever you’re up to, to eat/drink at.

Thank you so much for reading. I think Burlington is such a fun, cute, little city that has a lot of outdoor, cool activities to do. If you don’t like to drive, then this probably isn’t the city for you, as many of the activities you will have to drive to and there isn’t many guided tours that will drive you to your destination. Thus, I would think about what you want to do before you go to Burlington, so you can somewhat plan out what your days are going to look like. So, you’re not bored. Thank you for reading and I hope you visit Burlington, Vermont soon!

In this article, you read about Burlington Vermont hotels, Burlington Vermont weather, Burlington Vermont things to do, Burlington Vermont restaurants, Burlington Vermont directions, Burlington Vermont outlets, Burlington Vermont airport, ECHO Leahy Center for Lake Champlain, Church Street Marketplace, Fleming museum of art, Ethan Allen Homestead Museum and Historic Site, Oakledge Park, North Beach Park, Church Street, Burlington Farmers Market, Catamount Trail Association, Waterfront Park, and more.

Recommended Articles :

1. 11 of the Best Ski Resorts in Vermont
2. Everything You Need to Know About the Green Mountains
3. How to Spend a Summer in Vermont
4. Everything You Need to Know about One of Vermont’s Best Ski Resorts : Pico