Vermont Adventure Weekends: Outdoor Thrills in South Burlington & Beyond

Our Vermont adventure begins where all good music starts – with a strong opening number. Head straight to Camel's Hump State Park for a morning hike that will calibrate your senses to Vermont's natural rhythm. The Monroe Trail offers that perfect intermediate challenge – technical enough to feel accomplished but accessible enough that you won't spend your entire weekend recovering.

After conquering the summit (and trust me, that panoramic view deserves a standing ovation), make your way to Lake Champlain for an afternoon of kayaking. I rented a tandem from Paddlesurf Champlain and spent hours exploring hidden coves with my friend Jules from the studio. The water creates this perfect percussion against the hull that had me mentally composing beats for hours.

As the day winds down, treat yourselves to dinner at Farmhouse Tap & Grill in downtown Burlington. Their farm-to-table ethos reminds me of my grandfather's insistence that the best meals come from what's grown and caught locally. I always pack my insulated water bottle for these full-day adventures – it keeps water ice-cold during summer hikes and can handle hot tea when temperatures drop in the evening.

Growing up fishing with my grandfather in the Gulf of Mexico gave me an appreciation for the meditative quality of casting a line. Vermont offers a completely different fishing symphony – one of rushing streams and the gentle plop of flies on water. The Winooski River just outside South Burlington provides perfect access points for fly fishing, even for beginners.

I booked a half-day guided session with Green Mountain Troutfitters, and my guide Carlos reminded me so much of my abuelo – patient, knowledgeable, and full of stories that were probably half-true. For fly fishing newbies, I recommend picking up a starter fly fishing kit before your trip. It has everything you need to get started and is much more affordable than buying gear piecemeal.

After lunch, shift gears completely with an afternoon of mountain biking at Saxon Hill Trail Network. These flowing single-track trails offer that perfect mix of technical challenges and smooth runs. If you're not traveling with your own bikes, Outdoor Gear Exchange in Burlington offers quality rentals and trail recommendations tailored to your experience level.

For protection on those trails, I never ride without my knee pads. They're flexible enough that I forget I'm wearing them until that inevitable moment when I take a tumble and they save my skin – literally.

For our grand finale, we're taking things literally to another level. Vermont's landscape deserves to be seen from every possible angle, and paragliding offers that perfect bird's-eye crescendo to your weekend symphony. Paraglide New England operates just outside Burlington and offers tandem flights that will have you soaring over the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain.

I've done skydiving jumps across four continents, but there's something special about the sustained flight of paragliding that gives you time to actually absorb the landscape below. My pilot, Marissa, expertly caught thermals that kept us airborne for nearly 40 minutes – enough time to spot three different states from above!

After you're back on solid ground, spend your afternoon exploring the Burlington Greenway (formerly the Island Line Trail). This 14-mile recreational path hugs the Lake Champlain shoreline and includes the spectacular 'bike ferry' crossing. Rent bikes from Local Motion and pack a picnic for this leisurely ride.

For capturing those aerial adventures, I rely on my action camera with its wind-resistant microphone that actually captures the whoosh and flutter of paragliding without overwhelming distortion. And don't forget to protect your eyes with quality polarized sunglasses – they're affordable, stylish, and perfect for cutting glare over water and snow.

Finding the right accommodation in Vermont is like selecting the perfect backing track – it needs to support the main experience without overshadowing it. For South Burlington adventures, I recommend staying somewhere with easy access to both nature and necessary amenities.

Hotel Vermont in downtown Burlington offers that perfect blend of local character and comfort. Their locally-sourced breakfast fueled our early morning adventures, and the staff maintains a curated guide of seasonal outdoor activities that led us to some hidden gems. The hotel's commitment to sustainability also resonates with my values – from their Vermont-crafted bathroom amenities to their impressive composting program.

For a more immersive experience, consider Shelburne Farms, a working farm and nonprofit education center just south of Burlington. Their historic inn offers rooms with breathtaking views of Lake Champlain, and staying here gives you early-morning access to miles of walking trails before other visitors arrive.

If you're traveling with your four-legged adventure companion, check out Kimpton Taconic Hotel in Manchester. They're incredibly pet-friendly and even offer special amenities for your pup. After a long day of hiking, I love unwinding with my portable massage gun – it's compact enough to travel with but powerful enough to tackle post-hiking muscle knots.