Things to Do | Warm Brook Farm | Historic Vermont Farmhouse Rental

Arlington, Vermont · Southern Vermont Guest Guide

Things to Do & See

Your guest guide to the best activities, day trips, and local experiences near Warm Brook Farm — curated by people who actually live here.

Warm Brook Farm sits in Arlington, Vermont — a small town in the quiet middle of Southern Vermont that most people pass through on their way to Manchester or Bennington. That position turns out to be exactly right. From the farmhouse, you can ski Bromley in the morning and be back in the hot tub by early afternoon. You can fish the Battenkill before breakfast, drive to Manchester for lunch, and be home for a fire pit session by dark.

This guide covers what we actually recommend to guests — the places worth the drive, the things worth your time, and a few that most visitors miss. Use it to plan your days, then come back to the farmhouse for the evenings.

The Battenkill River

Five minutes from the farmhouse. The Battenkill is one of the most celebrated rivers in the Northeast — famous for fly fishing, but equally good for a summer afternoon of tubing, kayaking, or simply sitting on the bank with a lunch and nowhere particular to be. In summer, the river runs cold and clear past covered bridges and mountain views. Hire a local guide, bring your own gear, or just show up with a tube and a cooler.

Covered Bridges & Norman Rockwell Country

Norman Rockwell lived here. Arlington has a documented connection to Norman Rockwell, who lived and worked in the area for nearly two decades. The scenes he painted — village greens, covered bridges, Vermont storefronts — are still largely intact here. The Arlington Green Covered Bridge is minutes from the farmhouse and makes for a beautiful short walk and a swimming hole in warm weather. The back roads between Arlington, Sunderland, and East Arlington are among the most scenic short drives in the region.

Arlington Town & Local Stops

Worth a slow hour. Arlington itself is genuinely worth a slow hour. The village is unhurried, well-preserved, and has the kind of general-store charm that Southern Vermont is known for. Seasonal farm stands, ice cream stops, and local spots fill in around the edges. The Arlington Recreation Area offers swimming, tennis, and walking paths depending on the season.

Hildene, The Lincoln Family Home

Plan two to three hours minimum. Hildene is the former Vermont estate of Robert Todd Lincoln, son of Abraham Lincoln, and one of the most-visited historic sites in Southern Vermont for good reason. The house tour is excellent, the formal gardens are immaculate, the walking paths deliver mountain views, and the restored Pullman rail car on the property is a genuinely unexpected delight.

Northshire Bookstore & Downtown

Northshire Bookstore. One of the best independent bookstores in New England — well-organized, deep Vermont section, excellent kids' area, and staff who actually read and recommend. Downtown Manchester is walkable and well-edited: a good mix of local shops, cafes, bakeries, and the kind of general Vermont atmosphere that makes it easy to spend a half-day without a plan.

Manchester Designer Outlets

Doesn't feel like an outlet mall. Manchester is genuinely well-known for outlet shopping and manages to do it without feeling like one — the stores are set along village-style streets and the mountain backdrop makes it easy to forget you're comparison-shopping. Worth an hour if that's your thing. Easy to skip if it isn't.

Dining & Drinks in Manchester

Best farm-to-table concentration in Southern Vermont. Manchester has everything from well-regarded taverns and wine bars to casual spots for a post-ski burger. We keep a running list of current recommendations for guests — just ask us at booking and we'll share what we're sending people to right now.

Southern Vermont Arts Center

One of Vermont's largest outdoor sculpture parks. Set on a hillside above Manchester with gallery exhibitions, trails, and views. Free to walk the sculpture grounds; gallery admission varies. Worth combining with a Manchester day.

Bromley Mountain — 20 min

The closest mountain — and a genuinely excellent one. Bromley is well-maintained, south-facing (so often sunnier than neighboring resorts), and has a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere. Great for all ability levels, strong ski school, and the perfect distance for a full day that still gets you home to the hot tub at a reasonable hour. In summer, Bromley operates an adventure park with the alpine slide, scenic chairlift rides, and family activities.

Magic Mountain — 34 min

A loyal following for good reason. Magic has a classic Vermont mountain feel rather than a resort experience. Steeper and more challenging than Bromley, with a no-frills vibe that serious skiers tend to love. If your group wants terrain and atmosphere over amenities, Magic is worth the extra fifteen minutes.

Stratton Mountain — 45 min

The largest resort within range. Worth the extra drive when you want more terrain, a walkable base village with restaurants and shops, or you're traveling with a group of varied ability levels. Bigger mountain, busier on weekends, but the full resort experience if that's what your trip calls for.

Mount Snow & Killington

Both reachable for a big ski day. Mount Snow is about 52 minutes and Killington is an hour and fifteen — worth it if your group wants to explore further afield, though Bromley and Magic will more than satisfy most guests without the extra drive time.

Nordic Skiing & Snowshoeing

In the winter woods without a lift ticket. Prospect Mountain Nordic Center (26 min) and Wild Wings (29 min) both offer groomed cross-country and snowshoe trails at a pace and price point very different from the alpine resorts. Viking Ski Touring (32 min) is another well-regarded option.

Equinox Preserve & Skyline Drive

Visible from the front of the farmhouse. Mount Equinox is the tallest peak in the Taconic Range. Drive the private Skyline Drive to the summit for sweeping views over Southern Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York, or hike the trails through the Equinox Preserve for a more active half-day. Either way, the views justify the trip.

Lye Brook Falls

One of the better hikes in the area. A moderately challenging trail through hardwood forest to a tall, dramatic waterfall. About four miles round trip. Gets busy on fall foliage weekends so go early if you're visiting in October.

State Parks, Trails & Foliage Drives

Some of the best foliage drives in Vermont. Lake Shaftsbury State Park is minutes away for summer swimming. The Appalachian and Long Trails both pass through the region for longer day hikes. In September and October, the back roads between Arlington, Sunderland, Dorset, and Pawlet offer the kind of drives where you slow down not because you have to, but because you keep wanting to stop and look.

Easy to underestimate. The Bennington Battle Monument — the tallest structure in Vermont — is worth the elevator ride up for the panoramic view. The Bennington Museum has an excellent collection of Grandma Moses paintings and Vermont art. Old Bennington, the historic district, has one of the most peaceful and beautiful village greens in New England.

A growing food and drink scene. Good breweries, a few excellent restaurants, and enough going on to fill a half-day without trying. Pairs well with a morning at the farmhouse and an afternoon back in Arlington.

Not every day needs a plan. Some of the best days at Warm Brook Farm involve doing very little: a slow morning at the coffee bar, an hour in the koi pond garden, a long lunch cooked in the chef's kitchen, an afternoon in the hammock with a book from the hallway library, and an evening around the fire pit. The Fluance Hi-Fi turntable and the vintage vinyl collection tend to provide the soundtrack.

Vermont does slow days well. When the weather pushes you indoors or you just want a change of pace: antique shops between Arlington, Manchester, and Dorset are excellent and well-stocked. Breweries in Bennington and Manchester. The Northshire Bookstore for a long browse. A drive on back roads with no particular destination.

One outing. One great meal. One slow moment. That's the rhythm most guests settle into — one real outing per day, one good meal out or cooked in the farmhouse kitchen, and one genuinely unhurried moment at the property, in the hot tub, by the fire, or in the gardens. It's a pace that makes a two-night stay feel twice as long in the best way.

Combinations that work well. A morning ski at Bromley followed by a long lunch and hot tub afternoon. A Battenkill tubing day followed by dinner in Manchester. A foliage drive on back roads followed by a fire pit evening with the outdoor kitchen going. A Hildene morning followed by Northshire Bookstore and a slow return through Arlington.

Local knowledge included. If you want current restaurant picks, lesser-known trails, or recommendations specific to when you're visiting — just ask at booking. That local knowledge is part of what you're getting when you book direct.

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