One of the best souvenirs you can bring home from Vermont isn’t another bottle of maple syrup or a sweatshirt you’ll only wear once. It’s a wedge of cheese from a local creamery.
Whether you’re putting together a picnic before a hike, stocking the fridge at your lodge, or looking for a few gifts to take home, Vermont’s artisan cheesemakers are well worth the detour. The Vermont Cheese Trail links together dozens of family farms and creameries near our Vermont lodging, making it easy to taste your way through the state one stop at a time.
What Makes Vermont Cheese So Special?
Vermont has more cheesemakers per capita than any other state, making it one of the best places in the country to explore handcrafted, farm-fresh cheese.
Across the state, small farms and creameries produce more than 150 handcrafted cheeses using milk from local cows, goats, and sheep. Many are farmstead cheeses, meaning everything from milking to aging happens right on the farm.
The results speak for themselves. Vermont cheeses consistently earn top honors at competitions like the World Cheese Awards and the American Cheese Society, but what makes them special isn’t just the trophies. It’s the people behind them. Most of these are family-run businesses where you can meet the cheesemakers, learn how each cheese is made, and leave with something you won’t find at your local grocery store.
What Is the Vermont Cheese Trail?
The Vermont Cheese Trail is a statewide collection of artisan cheesemakers connected by an interactive map that helps visitors explore Vermont one creamery at a time.
Some locations have farm stores, others offer tastings or tours, and a few are working farms that ask visitors to call ahead before stopping by. The map makes it easy to filter creameries by region, see what’s open, and plan a route that fits your trip.
You certainly don’t have to visit every creamery in one weekend. We actually think it’s better to choose a couple of stops, take your time, and savor every bite.
Artisan Cheese Near the Mad River Valley
One of the best things about staying at Mad River Lodges is that you’re within easy reach of several exceptional Vermont cheesemakers.
Von Trapp Farmstead
251 Common Rd, Waitsfield
Just a few minutes from our lodges, Von Trapp Farmstead is one of our favorite stops along the Vermont Cheese Trail. Their organic Alpine-style cheeses are made with milk from the family’s own herd, and the farm store is just as much a destination as the creamery itself.
Alongside award-winning cheeses, you’ll find Vermont charcuterie, fresh bread, crackers, maple products, wine, beer, and prepared foods, making it easy to build an incredible cheese board or picnic without making multiple stops.
Three Shepherds Farm
108 Roxbury Mountain Rd, Warren
Three Shepherds Farm offers something you won’t find at many stops along the Vermont Cheese Trail: the chance to learn how cheese is made.
Throughout the year, the farm hosts hands-on cheesemaking classes where visitors can learn traditional techniques while working with sheep’s milk from the farm. Even if your visit doesn’t line up with a class, the handcrafted sheep’s milk cheeses are worth trying. They’re rich, buttery, and completely different from the cow’s milk cheeses most people are used to.
Champlain Valley Creamery
88 Mainelli Rd, Middlebury
Champlain Valley Creamery has been crafting organic cheeses in the Champlain Valley for more than two decades. They’re certified organic through Vermont Organic Farmers and have earned multiple American Cheese Society awards, making them one of the state’s most respected artisan cheesemakers.
Their lineup ranges from creamy Brie-style cheeses to Alpine-inspired wheels and aged cheddars, so there’s something for almost every kind of cheese lover. If you enjoy trying cheeses you won’t find at the grocery store, this is a fun stop.
Cabot Creamery
2657 Waterbury-Stowe Rd, Waterbury Center
Cabot has been making award-winning cheddar since 1919, and chances are you’ve seen it long before arriving in Vermont. While their headquarters are in Waitsfield, visitors can find the widest selection of Cabot cheeses at the company’s retail store in Waterbury Center. Stock up on everything from clothbound cheddar to limited-edition varieties you won’t always find back home.
Vermont Creamery
Websterville, VT
Vermont Creamery isn’t open for public tours, but that doesn’t mean you have to miss out. You can pick up their award-winning chèvre, cultured butter, and aged goat cheeses right here in the valley at places like the Warren Store and Mehuron’s.
If it’s your first time trying Vermont Creamery, look for Bonne Bouche, a French-inspired ash-ripened goat cheese that’s won fans (and plenty of awards) around the world.
Visit During Vermont Cheese Week
If you’re visiting in September, consider planning your trip around Vermont Cheese Week, held every September.
Throughout the week, cheesemakers across the state host farm tours, tastings, special dinners, workshops, and other events celebrating Vermont’s dairy heritage.
The week wraps up with the Vermont Cheesemakers Festival at Shelburne Farms, where visitors can sample cheeses from dozens of producers, meet the cheesemakers themselves, and discover new favorites all in one place.
Plan a Cheese Trail Day
One of our favorite ways to spend a day is to pick one or two nearby creameries and make a few stops along the way.
Start your morning at Von Trapp Farmstead or another nearby creamery, browse the farm store, and sample a few cheeses if tastings are available. Don’t be shy about asking questions. Most cheesemakers are happy to talk about how their cheeses are made and offer recommendations based on what you like.
On the way back, stop by a local bakery for fresh bread, pick up a jar of Vermont jam or maple mustard, and grab a bottle of local cider or wine. Before long, you’ve got everything you need for one of the easiest (and tastiest) dinners of your trip. Enjoy your finds by the river at Warren Lodge, gather around the firepit at White Horse Lodge, relax in your private dining space at Mad River Lodge, or settle in by the fireplace at Tucker Hill Lodge.
Book your stay and discover why the Vermont Cheese Trail is one of our favorite ways to experience the Green Mountain State. Chances are, you’ll head home with a cooler full of incredible cheese and a few new favorite places you’ll want to visit again.