Access Vermont
Camel's Hump in the distance above autumn forest and a purple-pink meadow.
Heather and bushes in autumn tones on a ridge, pink and brown.
A cluster of maple leaves in early autumn, green with orange tips.
THE JOURNAL

Questions visitors ask, answered from the sources

Photographs: Niranjan Arminius, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Famartin, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Access Vermont · The Journal

Visitor questions about Vermont, answered from the sources: why the notch road closes, how maple syrup is made, how long the Long Trail is, why the state has so many covered bridges, and what happened in a farmhouse parlor in 1923.

The articles

The narrow road through Smugglers' Notch between boulders and cliff.Mount Mansfield and Smugglers' NotchWhy does the Smugglers' Notch road close in winter?The road through Smugglers' Notch cannot be plowed in winter, so the state closes it each year between the parking lot at the state forest…
The north portal of the Silk Road Covered Bridge in Bennington, red with white trim and the road running through.Covered BridgesWhy does Vermont have so many covered bridges?Vermont has just over a hundred authentic covered bridges, the most per square mile and per capita of any state. Why the bridges have…
A broad hillside of orange and gold forest under a pale sky.When to ComeWhy do Vermont's leaves change color?Vermont's hills turn red, orange and gold each fall. Where the colors come from, why bright cool days and chilly nights make the best…
Inside a timber-framed barn at the homestead, with its aisle running to a bright window.Plymouth NotchWhy did Calvin Coolidge take the oath in a farmhouse?In August 1923 Calvin Coolidge became president by candlelight in his father's farmhouse in Plymouth Notch, Vermont. Why he was there, who…
The bare ridge of Mount Mansfield, seen looking north along the Long Trail.The Long Trail and the Green MountainsHow long is the Long Trail, and can you walk part of it?The Long Trail runs 273 miles along the main ridge of the Green Mountains, and most visitors walk a day section rather than the whole path.…
A red maple in early fall color, with spruce and blue sky behind.Eating and DrinkingHow is Vermont maple syrup made?Maple syrup is boiled sap, and Vermont has long been the country's largest producer. How the trees are tapped, why late winter is the…