Start from 23 curated places around Jay Peak, VT, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
The Belfry
Set inside a former early-1900s schoolhouse in Montgomery Center, this pub serves burgers, pasta, and seafood to a crowd that ranges from locals to ski-weary resort guests. The bar is warm and unpretentious, and the après-ski vibe stretches well into the evening. It fills up on weekends in ski season, so arrive early or expect a wait.
The Black Lantern Inn Restaurant
An 1803 stagecoach stop turned inn dining room, this place in Montgomery Village serves thoughtfully prepared seasonal Vermont cuisine in a cozy, candlelit setting. The menu rotates with what is local and available, and the atmosphere feels more like a dinner party than a restaurant. Reservations are strongly advised — it is small and fills up.
Trails & outdoors
Jay Peak via Long Trail
The classic 3.2-mile out-and-back from the VT-242 trailhead to the 3,968-foot summit of Jay Peak, following Vermont's Long Trail through boreal forest to one of the best viewpoints in the northern Green Mountains. The final push to the summit is steep and rocky, and the top opens to views into Quebec, across the Champlain Valley, and down the length of the Northeast Kingdom. It is a short hike but earns its payoff.
Big Jay Peak Trail
A 6.3-mile out-and-back to the wooded, rocky summit of Big Jay, the unofficial companion peak to Jay and a trail that feels far wilder than its neighbor. The hike involves some bushwhacking through dense boreal forest and a few tricky sections where the herd path fades, giving it a genuine backcountry character. Views open up on mini-ledges along the ridge before the forested top, and the whole route stays quiet even on busy weekends.
Things to do
Jay Peak Ski Resort
The resort that puts this corner of Vermont on the map, Jay Peak averages more snowfall than any ski area in eastern North America thanks to its position in the path of Canadian storms. The terrain is heavily forested and glade-heavy, making it a favorite for intermediate and expert skiers who want natural snow over groomed piste. Nine lifts, nearly 80 trails, and a genuine local ski-town culture that has resisted the upscaling that hit Vermont's southern resorts.
Northern Star Lake Cruises
A 65-foot tour boat operating scenic cruises on Lake Memphremagog from Newport's City Dock, with two-hour tours that cross the US-Canada border on the water without requiring a passport. The captain provides running commentary on the lake's history, the surrounding mountains, and the occasional border crossing that makes this cruise genuinely unusual. Themed dinner and brunch cruises run seasonally alongside the standard sightseeing tours.
Landmarks & sights
Jay Peak Aerial Tramway
Vermont's only aerial tramway lifts you to the 3,968-foot summit of Jay Peak, where on a clear day the view sweeps from the Champlain Valley west to Quebec north and the Northeast Kingdom east. The tram operates for sightseeing in summer and fall in addition to ski season, making it accessible without skis. The summit can be 15 to 20 degrees colder than the base, so bring a layer regardless of the season.
Montgomery Covered Bridges
Montgomery has more historic covered bridges per town than anywhere else in Vermont, with six structures dating to the 1800s scattered along back roads and river crossings within a few miles of each other. The bridges were all built by the same family of local craftsmen, and the self-guided driving loop passes through classic Vermont farm country. The Comstock Bridge and Fuller Bridge are the most photogenic stops on the circuit.