Discover Caledonia: Nature, Culture, and Special Places to Visit
Accommodation in Caledonia
Caledonia combines expansive natural landscapes with unusual cultural attractions and a wide range of activities. Groton State Forest covers 26,164 acres in parts of Caledonia, Orange, and Washington Counties. It offers a variety of recreational activities, including camping, hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing. If you are looking for a vacation rental or vacation home, you can therefore first consider whether you want to focus on forest and lake experiences, culture, or family-friendly discoveries.
Landscape Between Forest, Bog, and Mountain Peaks
The Peacham Bog Natural Area covers 748 acres and is the second-largest bog area in Vermont. Darling State Park offers a different type of landscape. A fire tower built in 1912 stands at the summit of Burke Mountain and is considered the first fire tower in the state of Vermont. It offers panoramic views of the surrounding landscape. Activities in the park include hiking, skiing, mountain biking, and primitive camping.
The Groton Management Unit is also characterized by glacier-shaped, heavily forested landscapes, lakes and ponds, apple orchards, permanently open former fields, and officially designated natural areas. The different landscapes give your trip a clear rhythm: An active day in the forest can be followed by a visit to a museum or community.
Culture with Surprising Stories
The St. Johnsbury Athenaeum was presented to the residents of St. Johnsbury by Horace Fairbanks in 1871. In 1996, the U.S. Department of the Interior designated the building a National Historic Landmark. It also houses the oldest surviving, unaltered art gallery in the United States. The Caledonia County Fair, described as Vermont's oldest agricultural fair, presents Vermont's agricultural past and present in an entertaining and educational way. On September 15, 1910, Charles Willard completed the first airplane flight in the state of Vermont there.
Catamount Arts offers further insights through exhibitions of painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, new media, and installations, while the Ashbel Goodenough Blacksmith Shop features live blacksmithing demonstrations and a collection of tools and equipment. The Snow Roller Barn Museum in Peacham displays large rollers pulled by horses or oxen that were used to compact snow on local roads well into the 20th century. The Sugar House Museum at Maple Grove explains the complete maple syrup production process.
Ideas for Families and Active Days
Dog Mountain covers 150 acres on a mountaintop in St. Johnsbury. The grounds feature hiking trails and dog ponds and are open to people and their dogs at all times. Dogs may run, play, and swim off-leash there; there is also an obstacle course. Families with children can enjoy hands-on play and exploration at the Children's Museum of the Northeast Kingdom during designated admission times. Seasonal celebrations, story hours, workshops, and community days are also offered. The PRETENDIN Play Area at the Great Vermont Corn Maze includes Kid Village, Barnyard Golf, Gopher Tunnels, Old Tread Mountain, and friendly goats, among other attractions.
The Butterfly House at the Fairbanks Museum displays native butterflies and their host plants and is open from June through September. Those interested in history can visit the Historical House of the Peacham Historical Association during the warmer months, a former residence from the 1820s with exhibits on the history of Peacham. In September 2021, a museum also opened on the grounds of Caledonia County State Airport in the former Pudding Hill Schoolhouse, preserving historic aviation artifacts from Vermont's state airports.
Plan Your Activities and Choose the Right Base
For non-motorized recreational activities shared by the community, Kingdom Trails offers a network of more than 100 miles of trails for all four seasons and all ability levels. The Lamoille Valley Rail Trail connects 18 communities between St. Johnsbury and Swanton over 95 miles and is the longest rail trail in New England. When choosing your accommodation, it is therefore worthwhile to consider the experiences you want and the location best suited to them separately, rather than trying to fit all destinations into a single day's itinerary.
For regional orientation, the subordinate location pages lead to Saint Johnsbury, Lyndon, and Waterford. Another point of interest is the St. Johnsbury Welcome Center, located in a historic railway depot. The St. Johnsbury Farmers Market takes place on Saturdays from May through October and adds a fixed date to your travel plans.
For the broader travel overview: Vermont.
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