The Yurt At Starlight Camp
A few of my friends and I set out at the beginning of the week to Stowe, Vermont to stay at The Yurt at Starlight Camp. This spot is tucked away in the woods overlooking a pond and the Nebraska Valley. I found and booked this HipCamp at the last minute, hence a Monday/Tuesday stay. Stowe is an great place to stay in general, so it would have been nice to be able to have more time here, but at least we got a taste of it!
Prior to our check-in, we went to Bingham Falls. If you’re looking for a swimming hole in Vermont, this one is a great choice. It was a short walk through the woods on a well maintained path, and we started from the Mill Trail head. At first we found a cool cove along the trail and had it all to ourselves, but we wanted to see the actual waterfall so we continued upriver a bit more and crossed it where some people were playing in the water. The trail must go around to the other side at some point too, if walking through a creek isn’t your thing. (The side we were originally on didn’t seem to have easy access to the falls. Also, the path down to the fall is steep). It was not super crowded but there was stil a solid number of people!
We stayed for about an hour and then dropped our things off at the yurt, and then headed off to Von Trapp Brewery, also in Stowe. We sat outside and it was soooo nice: a combination of good company, beer, food, and beautiful weather. We got the cheese plate and pretzel for a small bite, and the blue cheese on the cheese plate was insane. I don’t know where it was from but it was so creamy and melted in your mouth, and it had the perfect little crunch to it when you had a piece with the rind on. I know blue cheese isn’t for everyone but ugh- just thinking about it makes me drool.
The yurt had 2 futons that fit 2 people each, a wood stove, and was stocked with basic amenities like face and hand wipes, lanterns, plastic utensils, paper bowls and cups, a first aid kit, and board games. Normally the host provides bedding, but because of COVID it was byo. There is no running water at the yurt so she also left us plenty of potable water (like 5 gallons?). More than enough for our 1 night stay! The yurt has a wrap-around deck which was a nice feature, and made a great place to sit and watch the stars at night. You don’t see any stars out in Boston, but the stars here were super bright and intense. We even saw a shooting star!
Our host also left us a marshmallow kit as a little gift. We got to choose between that or a cheese plate- such a nice gesture! From the initial booking to our stay, she was super helpful and communicative. We didn’t get very far into our marshmallow kit though, as about 30-45 minutes after we had started our campfire, it downpoured :( Once the rain subsided we took a look at the stars, and like I said earlier, wow!
The next morning we left around 9:30 AM, checked out a creek, and then drove down to Warren Falls. This Vermont swimming hole was even more impressive than Bingham Falls, but it was also way more crowded. The water here was a blueish-green hue, and again super clear. There were so many different holes to swim in, and lots of places to jump off of. I would love to stay in Warren and come here early in the AM when no one else is there.
Vermont has so much to do, and the Starlight Yurt was a great home base for the weekend!