If you stand at the top of the Long Trail at Mt. Ellen, you can see clear across the valley all the way west to Lake Champlain and the Adirondacks. (Trust us, it’s a real Woo-Hooo moment.)
First settled after the Revolutionary War, The Mad River Valley has followed the beat of its own drum ever since (settlers called it “Mad” because the river flows downhill from south to north). Nowadays, it’s like a living time capsule with the 19thC villages of Warren and Waitsfield, red barns and grain silos, covered bridges and churches with their steeples pointing skyward. And the valley floor fairly hums with energy and imagination (courtesy of all the artisans, farmers, bakers and writers). There’s a strong sense of community here stoked by an appetite for adventure, the lure of the outdoors and pure respect for the land.
