Stowe, VT

Stowe is a small but internationally recognized town in Lamoille County, Vermont, with a year-round population of roughly 5,400 residents. Set in a broad valley between the Green Mountains' highest peaks, it carries the classic character of a New England mountain village: white-steepled churches, a tidy historic Main Street, clapboard inns, and rolling farmland framed by forested ridgelines. It is best known as one of the premier ski destinations on the East Coast, anchored by Mount Mansfield and the Stowe Mountain Resort, and it serves as a year-round gateway to outdoor recreation in the Green Mountains. The nearest major city is Burlington, Vermont, on the shores of Lake Champlain, located about 40 miles to the west and roughly an hour's drive by car.

Just a few minutes from the village center, Mount Mansfield rises to 4,393 feet as Vermont's highest peak and forms the centerpiece of Stowe Mountain Resort. The resort offers more than 100 ski trails across two distinct mountains, along with summer gondola rides, mountain biking, and a Cliff House observation deck, drawing visitors in both winter and shoulder seasons.

A short drive west of Stowe, the Smugglers' Notch State Park occupies a steep, narrow pass between Mount Mansfield and Sterling Mountain. Hikers come for the classic notch trail and for easy access to the Sterling Pond area, while visitors in fall drive the scenic auto road to admire the surrounding maple and birch canopy.

A few miles from the village, the Trapp Family Lodge is a storied Austrian-style resort founded by the von Trapp family of Sound of Music fame. The property maintains a tradition of cross-country skiing, carriage rides, and a working maple sugarbush, and its on-site brewery and bakery draw day visitors as well as overnight guests.

South of town, in the neighboring community of Waterbury, the Ben & Jerry's Factory offers guided tours of its ice cream production line, while the nearby Cold Hollow Cider Mill is a frequent stop for cider donuts and Vermont products. The village itself is anchored by a walkable downtown and the Stowe Recreation Path, a roughly 5.3-mile paved greenway that follows the West Branch of the Little River and is popular with cyclists, joggers, and families throughout the warmer months.

Stowe's combination of a strong, recognizable destination brand, four-season attractions, and a charming walkable village base makes it a particularly resilient short-term rental market. Owners benefit from winter ski demand as well as a steady stream of leaf-peepers, hikers, road cyclists, and wedding and family travelers who arrive throughout the rest of the year.