No matter what time of year you tour Vermont's Mad River Valley, there are distinctive landmarks and surprises around every corner and over every hilltop. In addition to the stunning natural seasonal transitions that take the valley by storm every few months, the long and full history of people in central Vermont have left distinctive markers throughout the landscape. The namesake Mad River was a natural highway of sorts and key to the fertile landscape of the valley for the indigenous Abenaki population and 18th century European settlers. It gets its name from historic floods that forced Waitsfield’s first “downtown” up onto the plateau now called the Common.

Covered Bridges

Vermont has the highest concentration of covered bridges out of any state in the US, and there are three spread through the Mad River Valley. Romantic, picturesque, and distinctive, covered bridges were originally designed to weather Vermont’s burly winters. Today, they are great swimming and picnic spots in the summer! (Enjoy some tasty pastries at the Sweet Spot, or sample the work of some skilled local artists while you visit.) The Great Eddy Bridge (on Bridge Street) is the heart of Waitsfield Village and connects both town roads and walking and bike routes. It is also one of the oldest covered bridges in Vermont and is just as critical to getting around today as it was in 1833.

A gentle and peaceful ramble along smooth gravel roads takes you over the Pine Brook Bridge on the way down the valley to Moretown. Head south and you can find the Warren Covered bridge (leading you to the ‘almost famous’ and definitively delicious Warren Store and swimming hole).

Fantastic Farmhouses

Travel up the hill from Waitsfield village in any direction, and enjoy a cornucopia of creative craftmanship in all manner of dwellings throughout the Valley. Rural architecture is defined by evolving dwellings (look for the silo on your right as you travel west past the Mad River Green; it belongs to the former “Blue Building” which is now red, has a yellow barn addition, and houses Kid Creations children’s art studio, Three Mountain Cafe, and the original occupant: Bisbee’s Hardware). However, the 1960s and 1970s are identified by Mad River Valley historians as a clear turning point in the character and look of the villages Waitsfield, Warren, and Fayston. As people flocked to Sugarbush Ski Resort and Mad River Glen, charming and cozy farmhouses (check out the premiere vacation rental Wilder Farm Inn on the River) became neighbors to worldly ski chalets (Wilder Farm Inn on the Mountain) and radical, whimsical towers and hobbit holes (a ride up Prickly Mountain Road in Warren is proof that ‘funky survives into the 21st century’). Yestermorrow Design School in Warren even hosts classes and events around resilient and sustainable architecture in Vermont throughout the year.

Land, Sea, Sky: How will you go?

There’s a way for everybody to tour the landmarks of the Mad River Valley! Take advantage of the quiet gravel roads that link the communities of the valley, or the web of interconnected mountain bike and hiking trails that permeate just as far (in fact, Waitsfield has over 50 miles of singletrack against 36 miles of town roads)! In the summer, float down the Mad River with the help of Clearwater Sports or Downstream Enterprises Adventure Concierge Service. In the winter, try to spot a-frame cabins and yurts through the trees from the Catamount backcountry ski trail. Our friends at Sugarbush Soaring will even help you soar above the valley on glider rides and lessons from the airport in Warren. What is your favorite way to explore somewhere new?