Okemo, VT

We are renting a house this summer right outside of Okemo, VT. We'll have kids ranging from 12 to 2. Any ideas of 'must visit' locations or activities. It's a lake house, so we're also hoping to rent a boat once or twice during the week. Any suggestions would be great. Thanks!

Okemo, VT

My parents have a house in Ludlow. I love going there in the summer. Okemo always has a lot going on-there is zip lining, a mountain coaster, ropes course, mini golf. There are often concerts - check the website. We usually drive to Bromley Mountain, about 30 minutes away. They have a big adventure park during the summer and there are activities for all ages. On the way back stop in Weston - an adorable village and home of the Vermont Country Store. You could spend hours browsing and sampling all the cheeses and jams, and they have a great candy section.

Another favorite spot is Billings Farm in Woodstock. It is a working dairy farm and museum and is just so beautiful. It really gives a great picture of Vermonts farming history. My kids love it and it is a must do for us. A little past Woodstock is Quechee and Quechee Gorge. There is a not terribly hard hike down to the river at the bottom of the gorge that we all enjoyed.

You said you are staying on the lake, but we go to Plymouth Lake State Park to swim. There is a beach and playground and snack bar, and you can rent paddle boats and kayaks.

Also worth a visit is Calvin Coolidge's homestead in Plymouth Notch-it's where he was sworn in as president. It's a neat bit of history and not far.

And if you are into hiking, the Healdville trail in Mt. Holly takes you to the top of Okemo.

And definitely go to the Hatchery for breakfast in Ludlow.

Have fun! It is one of my favorite places.

Message edited 5/26/2015 9:10:42 PM.

Okemo, VT

This is so helpful. We are actually staying in Ludlow and are looking for all sorts of adventures. Thank you!

Re: Okemo, VT

It would be about an hour drive ( a bit less) but there is a town called dorset, Vt. They have an old marble quarry on the side of the road that you can swim in, jump of cliffs. There are huge cliffs and smaller ones for little guys (like 2 feet). It's a local spot but, really super fun. It can get crowded on weekends but, that is half the fun. The town itself is really cute. It's also really close to Manchester which has great places to eat. THe quarry is on rt 30 and you can see it on the side of the road. There are ladders and wooden walkways and bridges to make it safe. It's a rock quarry so the sides go straight down and there are no jutting rocks to hurt yourself on. We have a lake house nearby that I spent my summer at and we always went here. I just took my 5 year old last year and we had a blast.

There are also parts of the Appalachian Long trail nearby. There is a really fun hike and the trail keepers are usually super nice. Sometimes they sit at the trail head and give you snack, drinks and beers to hike with. It's a trail with wooden bridges, streams to walk through and tiny rocks to climb over... no big deal but, the kids think they are rock climbing.


link to google images

Message edited 6/5/2015 7:21:00 AM.

Re: Okemo, VT

Thank you, this looks really fun and perfect for our group!