Vermont’s deepest gorge is one of the state’s most spectacular natural wonders and makes for a lovely day out in nature. Situated on the Eastern Vermont border in the Upper Valley within Quechee State Park, the Quechee Gorge (pronounced kwee-chee) can be easily admired from the bridge that crosses it on Route 4, though you’ll want to get out of the car and explore the gorgeous surroundings.
The Ottauquechee River flows 165 feet below and gracefully snakes its way through the stunning autumnal display. There are a number of viewpoints from the bridge for your panoramic shots and then I’d suggest you take the easy Quechee Gorge Trail to see more of the spectacle.
The 2.7 miles out-and-back hike leads you right to the bottom of the gorge for an entirely different perspective.
All of this was formed some 13,000 years ago by glacial activity – the riverbed a spiky and stratified witness to nature’s retreat.
Back up and over the gorge, the trail ends at the dam where the river cascades down to the bottom of the gorge.
A few minutes drive away is Quechee Village, one of five unincorporated villages in the town of Hartford, VT. It’s a quiet and upscale community with picturesque country roads, antique stores, a country club and several quaint covered bridges.
The main covered bridge in Quechee, up the river from the gorge you just explored, is the ideal vantage point to take in the small village center.
Taking center stage is the original Simon Pearce‘s glassblowing mill which also houses the flagship store from this Irish-born glassmaker and the eponymous fine dining restaurant. He certainly knew how to pick a location!
After shopping his finely crafted glassware and pottery (tours of the workshop are on hold during COVID), you can dine on elevated Irish fare while precariously perched right above the waterfall.
Another worthwhile stop nearby in the town of Norwich is the headquarters of King Arthur Baking Company. If you’ve been caught up in the ‘baking epidemic’ that has recently swarmed all over the world, you’ll love peeking into America’s oldest flour company’s campus.
There’s a cafe and bakery to have a snack either indoor or on their terrace outside…
…but it’s the expansive store that’ll have amateur bakers clap for joy upon seeing rows and rows of ingredients, tools and pans to create every baked goods under the sun. They also have a school if you wish to hone your skills in a particular area.
You can round up your road trip with a nice walk at the Path of Life Sculpture Garden.
Inspired by a famous garden in Europe, you get to experience the ‘circle of life’ by traveling through eighteen works of art of varying sizes and materials, from birth to death and beyond.
It’s a great family destination, and I can imagine kids just loving the hemlock maze (which isn’t that easy to get out of!).
An amphitheater filled with sculptures of rock band members symbolizes creativity.
Towards the end of the path, a Buddha overlooks a stone labyrinth, allowing for a period of contemplation and enlightenment before sending you to the garden of death followed by rebirth….and so it goes. A fine way to end (or continue on) this little road trip in one of the loveliest corners of Vermont.
