★ 4.0Tiny village at the south end of the Mad River Valley — Warren Store, a covered bridge, and Sugarbush a mile up the mountain road.
Tiny village at the south end of the Mad River Valley — Warren Store, a covered bridge, and Sugarbush a mile up the mountain road.
Where to stay in Warren
There are really three bases here and they suit different trips. Up the Sugarbush Access Road you are at or near the lifts at Lincoln Peak, which is unbeatable on a powder morning but means driving back down for most dinners and any real choice of food. Down in Warren village you get the covered bridge, the Warren Store for coffee and sandwiches and a genuinely pretty place to walk around, at the price of being a couple of miles from the mountain. The cheapest option is strung along VT-100 between Warren and Waitsfield, which puts you roughly equidistant from Sugarbush and Mad River Glen; wherever you choose, holiday weeks and any weekend in February fill early, so book well ahead.
Hand-checked stays
Stays in Warren
★ 4.0
★ 4.0
★ 4.0
★ 4.0On the ground
Things to do in Warren
- Buy lunch at the Warren StoreThe village general store is the centre of gravity here, with a deli counter that turns out proper sandwiches and a back deck over the Mad River. The covered bridge is thirty seconds' walk from the door.
- Swim the ledges at Warren FallsA short way north on VT-100 in the Green Mountain National Forest, the Mad River cuts a series of pools and rock slides that are the valley’s best-known swimming hole. The small parking area fills by early afternoon on hot days.
- Ski SugarbushLincoln Peak rises straight above the village at the top of the Access Road, with Mount Ellen a few miles north and the Slide Brook wilderness between them. It is a big, varied mountain with a long, steep fall-line reputation and far less queueing than the mega-resorts.
- Drive or ride Lincoln Gap RoadThe steepest mile of paved road in the United States climbs west out of Warren to the Long Trail crossing and the trailhead for Mount Abraham. It is gated shut all winter, and cyclists treat it as a rite of passage in summer.
- Ride the single chair at Mad River GlenFifteen minutes north on VT-100 in Fayston, Mad River is skier-owned, snowboard-free, and largely ungroomed, still running a restored single chairlift to the summit. Go on a powder day and understand the bumper sticker.
- Paddle or ski Blueberry LakeUp East Warren Road, a small undeveloped lake with no motors, good for a canoe on a still morning and ringed by cross-country trails once the snow arrives. The views back at the Northfield range are the reason to go.
Getting around & the essentials
Transport
Warren sits on VT-100 at the south end of the Mad River Valley, roughly 25 minutes from I-89 exit 10 at Waterbury or a similar run from exit 9 at Middlesex via VT-100B. Burlington International (BTV) is about an hour northwest and there is no passenger rail nearer than Waterbury on the Vermonter line. Lincoln Gap Road west and the Roxbury Gap east are both seasonal, so in winter plan on VT-100 for everything.
Good to know
Common questions
Should I stay in Warren or Waitsfield?
Warren is quieter and closer to the Sugarbush Access Road, so it suits people who want to ski and eat in. Waitsfield, six miles north on VT-100, has more shops, restaurants and services, and sits between both ski areas.
Can I manage the Mad River Valley without a car?
Barely. A free valley shuttle bus normally runs between the villages and the ski areas through the winter season, but outside those months and those hours you are stuck. Bring a car if you plan to do anything beyond one mountain.
Is Warren worth visiting in summer?
Yes, and it is much cheaper than winter. Swimming holes, the gap roads for cycling, lift-served and cross-country mountain biking, and a Fourth of July parade in the village that is famously homemade and irreverent.
How reliable is the snow?
The Mad River Valley sits high and catches good storms, so January through mid-March is the safe window. December and early April can be thin, and both mountains rely heavily on snowmaking at the shoulders of the season.
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