The Kingdom
Ask a Vermonter where to find the state’s most pristine wilderness, quietest lakes and purest traditions, and they won’t point you to Stowe or Burlington — they’ll point northeast. The Northeast Kingdom, a term coined by former Governor George Aiken in 1949, is a three-county region (Essex, Orleans and Caledonia) spreading over 2,000 square miles of glacial lakes, boreal forest and hilltop farm to the Canadian border.
It is Vermont at its wildest and least developed — a place of loons and moose, dirt roads and dark skies, where world-class food hides at the end of unmarked lanes. Here’s how to unlock it.
Lake Willoughby & the fjord country
The Kingdom’s signature landscape is Lake Willoughby in Westmore — 'the Lucerne of America' — a glacial trench plunging some 300 feet between the sheer cliff faces of Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor, the closest thing to a Norwegian fjord in the eastern US. The 4.2-mile Mount Pisgah trail climbs exposed ledges straight above the azure water, and two beaches bookend the lake for a cold, clear swim. Nearby Crystal, Seymour and Caspian lakes add more quiet water.
Kingdom Trails & Burke
The village of East Burke is home to Kingdom Trails, repeatedly rated the finest mountain-bike network in eastern North America — 100+ miles of flowing singletrack across private farmland, backed by Burke Mountain’s lift-served descents and, in winter, its no-frills skiing. It’s the Kingdom’s adventure hub, with trailside inns and the legendary Mike’s Tiki Bar.
Beer, cheese & culture
The Kingdom’s food reputation is wildly outsized for its population.
Hill Farmstead (Greensboro) — repeatedly voted the best brewery in the world, at the end of a dirt road.
Jasper Hill Farm (Greensboro) — cave-aged Bayley Hazen Blue and spruce-wrapped Harbison.
Parker Pie Co. (West Glover) — legendary wood-fired pizza behind a country store.
Bread & Puppet (Glover) — a barn museum of giant political puppets.
St. Johnsbury & the towns
St. Johnsbury — 'St. Jay' — anchors the region with a Victorian cultural fortune: the barrel-vaulted Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium and the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum, home to Albert Bierstadt's monumental 'Domes of the Yosemite'. Newport sits on the Canadian-border fjord of Lake Memphremagog; Craftsbury holds a perfect village common and its outdoor center; and hill villages like Peacham and Barnet look barely changed in a century.
Planning a Kingdom trip
The Kingdom is remote — plan on a car, fuel up before the backcountry, and expect patchy cell service. Base in Newport for the lakes and border, East Burke for biking and skiing, or St. Johnsbury for culture and dining. Summer and early fall are glorious (the September foliage here peaks first in the state and draws the rotating Fall Foliage Festival), winter brings snowmobiling and skiing, and mud season is best avoided. Lodging is simple and books out for foliage and event weekends, so reserve ahead.
Good to know
What is the Northeast Kingdom?+
The three-county northeastern corner of Vermont (Essex, Orleans, Caledonia) — 2,000 square miles of lakes, forest and farm, named by Governor George Aiken in 1949.
What’s the must-see?+
Lake Willoughby’s fjord in Westmore, plus Kingdom Trails at East Burke and the world-famous Hill Farmstead brewery.
Why is the food so renowned?+
Hill Farmstead (often the world’s best brewery), Jasper Hill’s cave-aged cheeses and Parker Pie all hide down Kingdom dirt roads.
Where should I base?+
Newport for lakes and the border, East Burke for biking and skiing, or St. Johnsbury for culture and dining.
Is it hard to get around?+
It’s remote — bring a car, fuel up before the backcountry, and expect limited cell coverage; it’s about 1h15–2h from Burlington.