Maple sugaring season may arrive in late winter and early spring, but you don’t have to wait for the sap to run to satisfy a maple craving. Across Vermont, sugarhouses, farm stores and sweet shops keep the good stuff flowing well into fall and, at many stops, all year long. From maple creemees dusted with maple sugar to candy, cream, lattes and syrup tastings, these eight stops make an especially sweet addition to an October road trip.
1. Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks — Montpelier, Vermont
At Morse Farm Maple Sugarworks, maple creemees aren’t reserved for warm weather. The family-run farm serves them year-round, made with plenty of its own Vermont maple syrup. Add maple sugar for an extra hit of sweetness, then browse maple candy, cream, butter, syrup and other treats in the farm store. October is an especially pretty time to visit, when the hills around the farm trade summer green for Vermont’s famous fall color.
2. Vermont Cookie Love — North Ferrisburgh and Middlebury, Vermont
Cookies are only half the temptation at Vermont Cookie Love. Its menu includes maple creemees, coffee-maple twists, maple walnut ice cream, maple lattes and maple iced coffee, giving maple fans plenty to work with. Creemees are typically served until around Halloween, making October prime time to snag one before the machine takes its winter break. The shops remain open year-round, so a warm maple latte can take over when soft-serve season ends.
3. Palmer Lane Maple — Jericho, Vermont
Palmer Lane Maple revolves around its namesake ingredient, from maple syrup and candy to maple cream and other specialties. The star during warmer months is its award-winning real Vermont maple creemee, especially with house-made maple sugar sprinkled over the top. The shop itself is open year-round, while regular creemee service typically stretches into mid-to-late October, giving fall leaf-peepers one last chance to grab a cone.
4. Green Mountain Sugar House — Ludlow, Vermont
There is no off-season for creemees at Green Mountain Sugar House. The Route 100 sugarhouse serves its signature maple soft serve year-round, alongside an impressive lineup of maple syrup, candy, cream and other Vermont-made goodies. That makes it an easy October detour while exploring the mountains around Ludlow and nearby Okemo. Grab a creemee, wander the country store and leave with enough maple treats to make the ride home considerably sweeter.
5. Goodrich’s Maple Farm — Cabot, Vermont
Go straight to the source at Goodrich’s Maple Farm, where generations of maple-making experience meet a sugarhouse packed with syrup and confections. The farm is open year-round for shopping and free educational tours, and its maple creemee has become a destination in its own right. Dress yours up with maple sugar, cinnamon-maple sugar, maple sprinkles or infused syrup, then browse the gift shop for maple cream and other goodies to take home.
6. Sugarbush Farm — Woodstock, Vermont
October was practically made for a drive to Sugarbush Farm. The five-generation family farm outside Woodstock stays open year-round and offers free tastes of its Vermont maple syrup along with cheeses made and aged on the farm. Follow the self-guided sugarhouse displays to learn how maple syrup is produced, walk through the sugar woods and browse the farm store for syrup, maple candy and other local specialties (the maple pie is to die for). The surrounding fall scenery is a pretty spectacular bonus.
7. Silloway Maple — Randolph Center, Vermont
There’s plenty to taste at Silloway Maple even when the evaporator isn’t boiling. The year-round sugarhouse offers free tours and syrup samples, while its shop is stocked with maple cream, candy, granulated maple sugar, maple-coated nuts and infused syrups. Fall visitors also get an extra reason to stop: the farm’s five-acre corn maze runs through October 31. Creemee availability varies by season, so check ahead if soft serve is the main mission.
8. Bragg Farm Sugarhouse — East Montpelier, Vermont
Eight generations of maple-making tradition are behind Bragg Farm Sugarhouse, a four-season stop where visitors can tour the sugarhouse, sample syrup and browse shelves filled with maple specialties. Better yet, its maple ice cream parlor operates year-round, so a chilly October day doesn’t have to stand between you and a maple creemee. Add a sprinkle of maple sugar, then check out the antique sugaring equipment or wander the nearby maple trail before hitting the road.
