This Vermont Road Trip Bursting With New England Charm Takes You To The State's Most Majestic Waterfalls

Vermont might be the Green Mountain State, but after this road trip, you're going to be calling it the "Waterfall State." This route, which is essentially a 190-mile loop, takes you to 10 different waterfalls. If you're trying to decide how you and your hiking buddies can split up the driving in advance, you should be aware that you'll be spending five hours behind the wheel. However, don't let the relatively short drive fool you into thinking you'll be home in time for dinner. While you won't have to spend too long hiking around the woods looking for these beautiful falls, you could easily spend a few hours exploring the area around each of them.

The first stop on this route is Texas Falls, near Hancock. You may know this place as one of the most affordable ski resort towns in the United States, but it also provides easy access to Green Mountain State Forest — where you'll find Texas Falls. These falls are made up of classic plunges where the water surges off the edge of a gorge and plummets into the pool at the bottom. There are campsites in Green Mountain National Forest, so if you're hoping to get an early start, your best bet may be to spend the night and head to the falls in the morning. You can hike the Texas Falls Nature Trail, which takes most hikers about an hour, but you can also stop at the footbridge near the parking area for a quick (but stunning) view. From here, you're only around 40 minutes from the next stop — the dramatic Falls of Lana in Salisbury. There, the misty horsetail pours over the edge of a gorge and into the sunlit pool below.

Just a little over 30 minutes from Falls of Lana is Bartlett Falls, which is extremely quick to get to from the road. These beautiful falls are just 15 feet tall, but are quite wide and fill a very large pool of water at their base. There's even an alcove behind the falls for adventurous travelers to visit. The experience of being behind the falls is an incredible one, but when the falls are at their best and flowing hard, it's too slippery to safely navigate.

After about 40 minutes in the car, you'll find yourself at a very different waterfall: Bolton Potholes. As its name implies, here you will find deep, wide, circular holes in the rocky landscape. The stream rushing through tumbles down into the holes, creating a beautiful network of freshwater pools.

Next, drive 25 minutes to Stowe, also known as "Fall's Color Capital." While it might be best known for its autumn color, you might want to time your trip for early spring when the melting winter snow makes the waterfalls even bigger and more impressive. Bingham Falls and Moss Glen Falls are both in Stowe and are among the very best waterfalls you'll see on the entire trip. You'll need to hike around 20 minutes to reach Bingham Falls, but when you do, it'll be worth the journey. It's 25 feet tall and practically blasts down a sheer gorge wall. Stowe's Moss Glen is about 100 feet taller and has remarkable formations of falls fanning out and cascading down the side of a towering ravine.

After just an hour on the highway, you'll be at Marshfield Falls. These 115-foot falls have two bridges running across them, so you'll have no trouble getting the perfect view of the cascades rushing along rocky steps to the bottom. You can even see the falls from the road — no need for a lengthy hike. You could then drive straight to Warren, which is a popular stop on a scenic, year-round Vermont road trip. But before you do, consider stretching your legs at Roxbury Falls (and as a bonus, find its little-known neighbor Little Ellis Falls.)

About an hour of driving will bring you to Warren Falls. The actual waterfalls here aren't the most impressive, but the dramatic blue pools and surrounding rocky walls are worth the journey. The hike to reach the falls is more of a short stroll than anything else, but if you're getting tired of sitting in the car, you'll find trails in the surrounding area to explore. Locals often swim here, but with unpredictable water levels, it can be a risky proposition. You can still sit on the rocks or dip your feet in the cool water after a long hike, though.

Finally, make your way to Moss Glen Falls. You aren't having déjà vu — this is the one in Granville, not Stowe. This fantastic waterfall is the perfect place to end your journey. It starts in a small point, then spreads out in little tendrils and rivulets across the mossy rocks, making a beautiful misty torrent on its way to the pool below.