Southern Vermont offers a tremendous variety of activities for your vacation enjoyment. Within walking distance you will enjoy:

• The Rock River: From the Guest Suite it's about a 20-minute hike to the locally famous Rock River swimming hole, Vermont's most popular place for gay nude swimming, sunbathing and cruising (according to GayOutdoors.org.) The hiking path you'll follow is the same one you would take were you driving to the area and parking at the intersection of Route 30 and Williamsville Road. (The Guest Suite is located just north of the Rock River and this intersection). Once you've passed the well-known straight swimming hole with the rope swing (referred to as Indian Love Call), you'll begin to see eager guys shedding their clothes for the remainder of the trek.

• The West River: A 5- to 10-minute walk brings you to our other pristine waterway, with opportunities for trout fishing (brown, rainbow, and brook), kayaking, canoeing, swimming, and sun-bathing.

Within 15 miles of the Newfane Woods Guest Suite (by bike or very short car ride) you will find many options for hiking, climbing, shopping for antiques and local crafts, sightseeing in the beautiful villages, dining (all categories), and opportunities to experience the local culture:

• Newfane (2 miles): In Newfane you will find a plethora of antiques shops; the Newfane Country Store, featuring handmade quilts and a large variety of Vermont products; the vast Sunday Flea Market (May – October); Rick’s Tavern, a wonderful restaurant and bar featuring live jazz on Thursday evenings; and Dutton’s Farm Stand for fresh local produce. Founded in 1774, Newfane is a picture-perfect Vermont village with the Greek Revival architecture of its upscale homes and public buildings and its more modest white clapboard homes.

• Townshend (5 miles): Adjacent to the lovely village of Townshend is Townshend State Park, which offers a number of hiking trails, including one to the summit of Bald Mountain for panoramic views; and Townshend Lake, which offers a sandy beach for swimming, windsurfing, picnic areas, and hiking trails. Both provide opportunities to view the local wildlife, including whitetail deer, coyote, black bear, beaver, turkey, raccoon, muskrat, otter, mink, porcupine, and waterfowl.

• Putney Mountain (6 miles): One of the most rewarding 1-mile round-trip hikes anywhere. A gentle uphill climb through birches, maples, and firs leads to the mountain’s broad crown and a tremendous panorama that includes Mount Monadnock in New Hampshire and the ski trails on Haystack, Mount Snow, and Stratton.

• Brattleboro (9 miles): The spirit of the 60’s abounds in this vibrant artistic and activist community. Scores of galleries, restaurants, cafes, bookstores, boutiques, and counterculture shops are housed in the downtown Victorian era buildings. Named by American Style Magazine (2007) as “one of the top 25 art towns with a population under 100,000”, Brattleboro is a veritable local cultural capital with art and photography galleries, world-class music training and performance venues, a restored historic downtown theater for movies and live performances, a school of dance, and a museum of contemporary art. Just across the Connecticut River is Mount Wantastiquet, which offers a hiking trail to the summit for stunning views of Brattleboro, the White Mountains to the east, and the Green Mountains to the west.

• Jamaica (14 miles): Just outside of pretty Jamaica, Jamaica State Park features hiking, swimming holes, erratics (boulders carried by glaciers and dropped elsewhere when the ice melted) and the highest waterfall in Vermont. Hamilton Fall’s 125 foot cascade carves a dramatic series of chutes and pools into the granite.

• Covered Bridges: The 5 covered bridges within 15 miles include:

  • Dummerston’s East-West Road Covered Bridge - The longest still-used covered bridge in Vermont.

  • Townshend’s Scott Covered Bridge – The longest single span covered bridge in Vermont. Built in 1870, it is 276 feet long in 3 sections and is open to foot traffic only.

  • Brattleboro's Creamery Covered Bridge – Recently renovated, it is simply beautiful.

  • Williamsville Covered Bridge – The region’s oldest covered bridge spans the Rock River between Williamsville and South Newfane.

  • The Green River Covered Bridge in Guilford.

Other Activities

Scenic Drives: Too many to mention in the hilly, heavily wooded country between the Connecticut and West River Valleys.

Cycling Opportunities: Quiet sun-dappled dirt and paved roads abound for the pleasure of both bicyclists and motorcyclists.

Skiing: The Green Mountain ski resorts of Stratton and Mount Snow are located about 20 miles from the Guest Suite.

Further a field: You can reach any point in Vermont, New Hampshire, or Massachusetts within 3 hours.

Relax! Lie around and do nothing; you are, after all, on vacation!

Newfane Woods Guest Suite ~ Phone: 802 365 4739 ~ email us