Hi everyone! As many of you know, Maggie and I were born and raised in Vermont. We love our state, and are super excited to share our recommendations for one of the cutest towns in Vermont – East Burke! East Burke is a small town of 1,700 people located in the Northeast Kingdom, about 40 miles from the Canadian border. East Burke is known for its skiing at Burke Mountain, but it has recently also become very popular in the summer for mountain biking, with the opening of Kingdom Trails. Although East Burke is a small town, there is a plenty to do and see – and it’s the perfect place for a weekend getaway. In this post I will share my tips and recommendations for how to have the perfect weekend in East Burke VT in the summer!
Sleep – Hotels + AirBnbs in East Burke
Burke Mountain Hotel
At Burke Mountain there is a beautiful new resort. This hotel is the perfect place for a summer or winter stay. In the winter, you’re right at the base of the ski mountain, and in the summer you have great access to Kingdom Bike Trails. The hotel offers standard rooms, as well as suites that include full kitchens and dining areas. The suites are perfect for longer stays, so you can prepare your own meals. Click here for rates and to book!
Campground
In addition to the hotel, there is also a campground at Burke Mountain. There are both tent campsites and lean-tos for rent for around $45-$50 a night. The location of the campground, directly on the mountain, gives you great access to Kingdom Trails as well as hiking trails! The campground is definitely a great option for more adventurous travelers.
AirBnb
There are tons of AirBnbs available in, or around, Burke. AirBnbs are great for large groups and for longer stays.
Eats in East Burke
For being such a small town, East Burke has some great dining options. You can really eat at any restaurant in town and you’ll have a delicious meal. Below are a few of my favorites!
Breakfast/Coffee
Cafe Lotti
Cafe Lotti is a bakery that serves delicious breakfast and lunch foods! I also love their coffee, and highly recommend the iced dirty chai latte. For breakfast definitely try one of their breakfast sandwiches on a bagel, they are delicious!
Cafe Lotti offers indoor and outdoor seating, and the decor of the bakery is rustic and homey.
Lunch
NEK Country Store
For lunch I recommend packing a picnic and eating down by the river that runs through town, or on a hiking trail! For yummy sandwiches check out the NEK Country Store. They have sandwiches, salads and pizzas all made to order. They also sell baked goods and homemade bread!
The Orange Rind
The Orange Rind is a bar and restaurant that is great for lunch, dinner and drinks! For lunch, I recommend their smoothies and smoothie bowls, they are so good!
Dinner
The Foggy Goggle
The Foggy Goggle serves delicious, mostly Italian inspired, dishes. I love their eggplant parmesan and they also have great pizzas!
Other great dinner options include the Burke Publick House and Willoughby’s (located at the Burke Mountain Hotel.)
Drinks
Burke has a surprisingly good bar scene for being such a small town. This is especially true in the summer when outdoor spaces can easily be used!
Mike’s Tiki Bar
Mike’s Tiki Bar is a super casual, entirely outdoor bar, that is only open in the summer! They have good drinks and tons of beer options. In addition, there is also a food truck on site, which has great burgers and fries! This is a great place to come after a day of biking – they also offer showers, so you can clean up and enjoy a night out!
The Orange Rind
The Orange Rind has a great outdoor bar! There is plenty of space for groups, and they also have yard games. This is a fun place to come with friends or after biking on Kingdom Trails!
Next Trick Brewing
This brewery is located in West Burke and serves a variety of very affordable craft beers! Like most places in Burke, it has a laid back vibe and is a great place to go with friends. Their hours are 2-6 on Thursday-Saturday, so be sure to make some time to stop by!
Burke Publick House
In addition to having excellent food, the Burke Publick House also has an outdoor bar during the summer months! Definitely check this place out for dinner and/or drinks with friends.
Activities in the Burke Area
Kingdom Trails
Kingdom Trails offers 100+ miles of biking trails throughout Burke and Lyndon. There are trails for all levels of riders, as well as for children! Additionally, Kingdom Trails offers hiking and running trails. To ride/hike on the trails you will need to purchase a pass, either yearly, monthly or daily.
Hike Burke Mountain
When hiking Burke Mountain there are a few marked hiking trails to choose from, and they all offer amazing views! The hike is about 3.5 miles from the base of the upper mountain to the summit. For more information on hiking trails, click here.
If you’re feeling adventurous, you can hike up any of the ski trails and explore the glades. Just a heads up – most of the trails are not mowed during the summer, so the grass/weeds can get pretty long!
Visit Lake Willoughby + Mount Pisgah
Lake Willoughby is a stunning lake located about 16 miles (or 30 minutes) from Burke. I recommend taking a day trip to the lake and having a picnic! At the lake you can go kayaking, swimming, fishing and also relax at the beach area.
The best part of Lake Willoughby, in my opinion, is hiking Mount Pisgah. This hike is so beautiful, and you get amazing views of the lake! Round trip, the hike is approximately 4 miles, but it gets pretty steep and rocky near the top. Definitely check it out!
Fishing
While in Burke you’ll have great opportunities for fishing! The Passumpsic River runs through Burke Town, and you’ll often see fisherman fishing on the rocks. This is a good fishing spot, but you should also check out Lake Willoughby and other nearby lakes. Click here to learn more about fishing in Burke!
Thank you so much for reading my recommendations for the perfect weekend in East Burke VT! If you found this post helpful we appreciate you sharing it with others!
Lastly, for more Vermont weekend trip ideas check out our Stowe and Trapp Family Lodge posts – and follow us on Instagram, @twosistersabroad.
♡Kate
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Such a great guide, with tons of things to do in Vermont. I wanted to visit for winter, but its nice to know there is so much to do in the summer in Burke. Thanks for sharing!
Ah I love Vermont! I’ve only ever been during the winter to go skiing at Mount Snow, but I really want to get back there during another time of the year so I could enjoy hiking and all the other fun summer activities. Definitely keeping Burke on my mind. 🙂
I haven’t been to VT but have been to the ME and MA. I love this part of the US. And this town looks right up my alley. I’m putting it on my list.
Vermont is SUCH a pretty state! I’ve never been to Burke and now I’m dying to make a weekend out of it. Loved how you incorporated Instagram accounts of the places you recommended. Great post and thanks for sharing!
I’ve been dying to go to Vermont, but never really considered for summer, I’ll definitely do so now. Thanks for sharing.
What a lovely idea for a weekend getaway in Vermont! The foodie places look absolutely to die for and I love the name ‘Foggy Goggle’ haha.
[…] For a smaller mountain with fewer lines, I recommend Burke Mountain. Burke is a super quaint town, and the mountain also features a newly constructed hotel. If you prefer cross country to downhill […]