Hiking independent inns

Built in 1904 as a Vermont governor's mansion, The Hartness House still keeps its most unusual inheritance: an antique telescope and an on-site museum tucked into the house's history. Guests can wander out to nearby hiking trails or retreat to the spa, and the grand rooms double as an event venue for Springfield gatherings. With a 4.5-star average across 184 reviews, it's the kind of place where the architecture is as much the draw as the bed.

Tucked along Route 4 in Killington, this rustic mountain inn leans into Vermont's woodsy character, with timbered, cozy quarters — a few warmed by their own fireplaces. Mornings begin with breakfast on the house; evenings gravitate toward the inn's lively pub, the kind of room where hikers, skiers and locals end up sharing a table. Its 4.6 rating across some 356 reviews suggests guests keep coming back for the atmosphere as much as the beds.

Okemo Mountain Resort sprawls across a Vermont mountainside above Ludlow, functioning less as an inn than as a full four-season base camp \u2014 skiing in winter, hiking trails and mini-golf when the snow clears. Lodging sits alongside a swimming pool, athletic fields, and event spaces that host weddings against the ridgeline. It's built for groups and families who want the mountain, the activities, and the bed all in one place.