Lavender Passport
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Farm Day Trips · Area guide
Things to Do Near the Lavender Farms of St. Johnsbury & the Northeast Kingdom, Vermont
Visit a St. Johnsbury lavender stand open daily 8 to 8 in season, see Vermont's only public planetarium, then hike Groton's 26,000-acre forest.
3 places · updated October 17, 2026
3places in this guide
October 17last updated
St. Johnsbury is the largest town in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, a Main Street lined with late-19th-century Victorian homes, set among hill farms, maple woods and lakes. The Fairbanks family's legacy is everywhere downtown, from the natural history museum and planetarium to the Athenaeum's library and art gallery, and the hills around town hold Dog Mountain, the Kingdom Trails network in East Burke and the deep glacial lake at Willoughby. Barnet and Peacham sit a few miles south toward Groton State Forest.
Two lavender growers work this corner of the state. 4M Lavender, a family-run field near St. Johnsbury, keeps a farm stand open daily from 8 AM to 8 PM in season, selling its own lavender aromatherapy and self-care goods. Peacham Lavender Farm of Vermont in Barnet is not open to the public; look for its lavender bouquets, syrup and oils at farmers markets and pop-ups. Summer and early fall suit a visit best, when the stand is open, and fall foliage weekends bring extra hours and events in town.
The lavender farms
- 4M LavenderLavender farm · Saint Johnsbury
Around the Fourth of July weekend
Walk the field and shop the roadside farm stand, listed as open daily 8 a.m.–8 p.m. in season (reopened May 8, 2026).
- Peacham Lavender Farm of VermontLavender farm · Barnet
Not open to the public; find them at the Littleton (NH) Farmers Market on most Sundays in season, at pop-ups, or online.
Best time to visit
4M Lavender's farm stand opens for the season in May (it reopened May 8 in 2026) and keeps daily 8 AM to 8 PM hours; neither farm publishes bloom dates, and Peacham Lavender notes its lavender winds down by late summer, after which it sells sunflower and wildflower bouquets. Peacham Lavender sells at the Littleton Farmers Market in Littleton, New Hampshire, most Sundays from early June to mid-October. Summer brings Dog Mountain's outdoor music series and the opening of the Kingdom Trails summer network once the ground dries. Fall is the busiest season: the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum held a Bierstadt Fest on September 19, 2026, the Vermont State House adds Saturday hours from September 12 to October 24, and the Fairbanks Museum hosts its Haunted Museum on October 23–24. Winter turns Willoughby State Forest's 12 km of groomed Nordic trails on from late December to mid-March, weather permitting.
Places to see nearby parks, trails, beaches and landmarks
- Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium🏛️ Museum · St. Johnsbury · about 7 mi, 12 min drive
A natural science and history museum with the Lyman Spitzer Jr. Planetarium, Vermont's only public planetarium, plus a butterfly house and hands-on exploration station. Short live sky shows and dome films run through the day.
Year-round; closed major holidays and a few weeks in early January
- St. Johnsbury Athenaeum🏛️ Museum · St. Johnsbury · about 7 mi, 12 min drive
A 19th-century public library and art gallery founded by Horace Fairbanks as the town's cultural center, with music nights in the gallery and a volunteer-run secondhand bookshop.
Monday–Friday 10 AM–5 PM, Saturday 10 AM–3 PM
Library free; gallery $5 individual, $10 family (free for St. Johnsbury residents and library card holders)
- Dog Mountain🌷 Garden · St. Johnsbury · about 4 mi, 10 min drive
Artist Stephen Huneck's 150-acre mountaintop, with about three miles of trails past his sculptures and benches, swimming ponds for dogs, wildflower meadows and the Dog Chapel, where visitors leave notes for pets they have lost. Dogs may go off leash on the grounds if under control.
Free
- Kingdom Trails🥾 Trail · East Burke · about 10 mi, 18 min drive
More than 100 miles of non-motorized, multi-use trails best known for mountain biking, with fat biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. Check trail conditions first; summer trails open only when the ground allows.
Summer trails open when conditions allow
- Willoughby State Forest🌲 Preserve · Westmore · about 24 mi, 35 min drive
Cliffs of Mount Pisgah (2,751 feet) and Mount Hor (2,648 feet) drop to Lake Willoughby, 1,653 acres and 308 feet deep. More than 12 miles of hiking trails suit novice and intermediate hikers; no camping near the lake.
Year-round; groomed Nordic trails late December to mid-March
- Groton State Forest🌳 State park · Groton · about 28 mi, 40 min drive
At 26,164 acres it holds seven state parks, the Groton Nature Center and the old Montpelier and Wells River Railroad bed, now a multi-use trail on the Cross Vermont Trail. Hike, swim, boat or fish in summer and ski or snowshoe in winter.
Year-round
- Vermont State House🏛️ Historic site · Montpelier · about 45 mi, 60 min drive
Nearly 160 years old, with House and Senate chambers that are the oldest active legislative halls in the country with their original interiors. Pick up a free audio tour wand at the Sergeant-at-Arms office.
Weekdays 8 AM–4 PM; Saturdays 10 AM–1 PM from September 12 to October 24
- Vermont History Museum🏛️ Museum · Montpelier · about 45 mi, 60 min drive
Next door to the State House in the Pavilion Building, with exhibits including Freedom & Unity: One Ideal, Many Stories and a bookstore of Vermont history. Pets are not allowed.
Tuesday–Saturday 10 AM–4 PM (2026)
$9 adults, $7 seniors, students and children, $25 families; under 6 free
Where to stop: farms, food and stays
- Hollister Hill FarmInn or B&B · Marshfield
A family farm established in 1825 near Groton State Forest whose farm store sells its own produce, meat, pies, pickles and jams, with a working sugarhouse.
A one-day plan
- 9:45 AMDog Mountain
Walk a loop past the Huneck sculptures and visit the Dog Chapel and gallery; about 45 minutes.
- 10:45 AM4M Lavender · about 10 min drive
See the lavender field and browse the farm stand; about 45 minutes.
- 11:45 AMFairbanks Museum & Planetarium · about 12 min drive
Catch a half-hour planetarium show and the butterfly house; about 1 hour.
- 12:50 PMSt. Johnsbury Athenaeum · about 2 min drive
A quick look at the art gallery down Main Street; about 30 minutes.
- 2:00 PMHollister Hill Farm · about 40 min drive
Late lunch from the farm store's homemade snacks, pies and farm produce (pay by cash, check or app); about 45 minutes.
- 3:00 PMGroton State Forest · about 15 min drive
Walk the old railroad-bed trail or stop at the nature center and lakes; about 1.5 hours, then about 40 minutes back to St. Johnsbury.
Tips
- Peacham Lavender Farm is not open for visits; follow its social pages for pop-ups and look for it at the Littleton, New Hampshire, farmers market on Sundays.
- Dog Mountain is leash-optional on the grounds but leashes are required on the road and in the parking lot; Vermont requires dogs 6 months and older to be licensed and rabies-vaccinated.
- The Athenaeum closes at 3 PM on Saturdays and the Vermont History Museum is closed Sundays and Mondays, so plan town stops early in the week or early in the day.
- Hollister Hill Farm's store takes cash, check or a payment app, so bring cash for the back roads.
- Montpelier is about an hour west of St. Johnsbury; pair the State House and history museum as a separate half day.
Checked in October 2026 against official park, tourism and business websites. How we check listings
Questions
Is there a lavender farm to visit near St. Johnsbury?
Yes. 4M Lavender's farm stand is open daily 8 AM to 8 PM in season (it reopened May 8 in 2026); email the farm about picking before you go.
Is Peacham Lavender Farm open to visitors?
No, the farm is not currently open to the public. It sells at farmers markets, at pop-ups and online.
Is Dog Mountain free?
Yes, Dog Mountain is free and open to the public, and dogs can go off leash on the grounds if kept under control.
How big is Lake Willoughby?
It covers 1,653 acres and reaches 308 feet deep, with the cliffs of Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor above it.
Collect a stamp at every stop
The free Lavender Passport keeps a stamp for each farm and stop you visit, in real life and in the Lavender Farm Simulator. At the farm, play Field Quest to collect plant varieties as you walk, climb the leaderboards and unlock sponsor rewards.
Open the Passport
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