Waiting for Fall – Great Drive through Vermont’s Countryside

Looking for Great Fall Color? – You can take an unhurried drive anytime and enjoy the Vermont beautiful bucolic countryside, but during leaf peeping season you will be treated to wonderful views you won’t see from the main routes.

Travel over Vermont’s back-country dirt roads, through hills and dales with spectacular views of the mountains and surrounding farms. From the Inn you will head north on Route 7, over and through Danby Mountain and then south on Route 30 though the Mettawee Valley on your way back to the Inn at Ormsby Hill.

Drive time is about 1 hour and fifteen minutes, but if you stop and take pictures along the way (it is safe to do so) it could take about three hours. And don’t forget to stop for lunch at Mach’s Market in Pawlet.

Directions from the INN at Ormsby Hill

Turn right to go North on Route 7A (Ethan Allen Highway)
Follow 7A until the 2^nd Rotary and take the second exit on the Rotary to stay on 7A North
Merge onto Route 7 North (about 5 miles after the rotary)
Turn left onto Depot Street (look for a yellow sign – Safari Supply – Guns – Depot Street is a few hundred yards after the sign)
Turn right at the end of Depot Street – (Danby’s Veterans Memorial is on the right at that corner)
Turn left at the first Stop Sign (all way stop)
Bear right at the sign “Chipman Stables” and “TO COLVIN HILL” onto Danby Hill Road
Stay on Danby Hill Road (avoid going onto Colvin Hill Road)
Go straight at Stop Sign (Name changes to Smokey House Road)
Turn left at next Stop Sign (end of Smokey House Road) – you’ll be coming back here shortly
Stay left at fork (Don’t take Danby Mountain Road)
Turn left at the next street Keeller Road
Turn left at next Stop Sign (there is no sign, but this is Brook Road)
Turn left at stop sign – you are traveling on Smokey House Road again.
At next Stop Sign (you’ve been here before) turn right this time
Turn Left at Danby-Pawlet Road, Chipman Stable will be on your left after the turn
Stay on this road (Route 133 into Pawlet)
In Pawlet (don’t blink) Mach’s Market will be across Route 30 at the Stop Sign where 133 runs into Route 30. Stop by the deli for some great food. They are planning a tavern and look forward to opening in 2021. The market was a general store owned by the same family since 1947. The store was built over the gorge. See the pictures of the gorge from the tavern windows. In the middle of the tavern is a counter height box that looks down into the gorge below. Awesome!
Take Route 30 South and drive through the Mettawee Valley and enjoy more mountain views
Turn Right onto West Road to head back to the Inn
Stay straight at the stop sign and merge onto 7A South
The Inn is approximately 1.7 miles south