Mad River Valley, VT, Guide and Information

Tucked between the rolling hills of the Green Mountains, the historic towns of Waitsfield and Warren exude the sweetness and charm that folks have come to associate with Vermont. You won’t find any big box stores within this bucolic and oh-so verdant area–not even when it’s all white! Known as Mad River Valley, you will, however, find a plethora of unique shops, many of which showcase handmade goods from local craftspeople.

Historic Waitsfield Village is a good place to begin because it’s both beautiful and bountiful. For a lovely selection of fine Vermont art and crafts, go to the Artisans’ Gallery, Mad River Glass Gallery & Studio and Waitsfield Pottery. Farther down on Main Street, check out Vermont Festival of the Arts & Festival Gallery tucked into Village Square.

Situated within the Mad River Valley between the Green Mountains to the west and the Northfield Mountains to the east, both Waitsfield and Warren are worth a closer look as you barrel down Route 100 or across Route 17 on your way to your next outdoor adventure. Indeed, Sugarbush and Mad River Glen ski resorts serve as the main draw in the region, however, these two towns boast hotels, restaurants, casual eateries and shops that are definitely worth the trip.

Before you hole yourself up at one of the area’s inviting places of lodging and dining, drive, pedal or walk over the Waitsfield Bridge. Built in 1833, this covered bridge offers a picture postcard impression of the rustic beauty of Vermont; its simplicity and charm set the tone for the rest that you’ll experience within the Mad River Valley.

Like so many other destinations in Vermont, Waterbury offers a mountain of recreational opportunities every season of the year.

The Vermont Festival of the Arts is a month-long, 120-event celebration of the Arts held in the Mad River Valley each August. Painting workshops, pottery demonstrations, Broadway performances, art & photography exhibits, culinary masterpieces, children's craft projects, brass concerts, poetry readings—Festival events cross the boundaries of age, gender and occupation. During the Festival, you can find art in classrooms, on sidewalks and back roads, in cafes and galleries, on mountainsides and in barns. Each day is filled with art, music, theater, dining and play in the beautiful Green Mountains; galleries, studios and stores promote our creative output; children, families, adults and seniors paint, dance, sing, make—bringing alive their imaginations and dreams.

For 18 years the Vermont Festival of the Arts has been recognized as the premiere summer arts event in the Mad River Valley and in Vermont and has received regular accolades from Yankee Magazine (named “Best Festival" in 2014), Vermont Life and the Vermont Chamber of Commerce (named Vermont “Top 10" Summer Event for the past six years in a row). Because this is a multi-dimensional, multi-media, multi-age series of events, there is truly something for everyone. Events take place every day during the month of August and are perfect for all ages (children, youth, seniors, singles, families) and mid-week visitors, weekend guests, second-homeowner, local residents and all Vermonters. Most of the events are free to attend or have a minimal cost. Visit for more information.

The Mad Marathon, starting and finishing in Waitsfield but also running through parts of Moretown and Warren, is an iconic race not just for the challenge provided by running in Vermont, where no road is ever flat for long, but also for the incredible opportunity to run through one postcard-perfect scene after another.

From scenic Main Street to the bucolic hillsides of Common Road, the Mad Marathon puts runners to the test in one of the most picturesque races in the country. Runners will start in Waitsfield’s historic downtown, enjoying a brief downhill before turning across the first of two covered bridges on course and then beginning the challenging ascent up Joslin Hill Road, which will bring runners to Waitsfield’s original town common. From the common, runners will turn towards Moretown village, enjoying an incredible view across the valley as they descend North Road, continue onto gravel and cross the Pine Brook Bridge. The course then turns around near the outskirts of Moretown Village, giving runners a second chance to enjoy the riverside gravel road as it winds by the iconic Neill and Carpenter Farms as they climb back to the common and return to gravel as they travel Common Road, where, on any other day of the year, the cows, chickens and other farm animals outnumber the humans at least three-to-one, courtesy of Von Trapp and the Mountain Valley farms.