The best family basecamp in the Northeast Kingdom is the one where you park the car once and don't need it again until you leave. That's the whole idea behind The Wildflower Inn: 300+ acres on Darling Hill with the NEK's only saltwater pool, 27 holes of disc golf, mountain bike trails out the door, dog-friendly rooms, and a restaurant open 365 days a year, all within a five-minute walk of your bed.
Anyone who has vacationed with kids knows the real enemy isn't rain. It's logistics. Loading everyone into the car for every meal, every swim, every activity turns a holiday into a shuttle service. Here's what a week looks like when everything is already here.
The pool your kids will talk about all winter
Our heated outdoor saltwater pool is the only saltwater pool in the Northeast Kingdom, and it's the center of gravity for family stays from June through early September. Saltwater means a low-chlorine system that's gentler on skin and eyes, which matters when your kids treat the pool as a full-time job. Parents get lounge chairs, umbrellas, towels, and a panoramic view over Darling Hill's meadows. It's open daily for inn guests, and this year's season runs through Labor Day, September 7.
27 holes of disc golf, free for guests
We have two disc golf courses on the property, and both are free to play when you're staying with us (day visitors pay $5 for the 9-hole, $10 for the 18-hole). The Dandelion 9 is built for beginners and kids: fun shots, a short walk, about 45 minutes start to finish. The Wildflower 18 is a full tournament layout that will keep teenagers and competitive parents busy for a couple of hours. No gear? Borrow or buy discs at the front desk or the Trailside Bar. If you're here on a Tuesday, our weekly disc golf league tees off at 5:30pm through October, and spectating counts as an activity.
Bikes, trails, and a skills park for every ability
The Kingdom Trails network runs directly through our property, with 10+ miles of mountain bike trails here on the hill plus a skills park built for all ages and abilities. Rifugio, the bike shop on site, handles rentals and repairs, so a family with zero bikes in the car can still ride by lunchtime. Not a biking family? There are 5+ miles of walking and hiking trails on the property, over a mile of frontage on the West Branch of the Passumpsic River for wading, kayaking, and fishing, and open fields made for the kind of unstructured running around that kids don't get enough of.
Yes, bring the dog
Family means everyone, including the one on four legs. We have designated pet-friendly rooms, from Standard Kings for a couple traveling with a pup up to the Earl Brown Suite with four beds sleeping eight. One well-behaved, leashed pet per room, with a flat $75 or $100 fee for the stay, not per night. Dogs are welcome on our trails and on the disc golf courses (leashed), and in the beer garden while you have a drink. Pet-friendly rooms are limited and go first in summer, so book those early.
Nobody cooks, nobody drives to dinner
Our restaurant is open 365 days a year for breakfast and dinner, with sunset views from the back deck that do half the parenting for you at the end of a long day. Add breakfast to your room at booking for a discounted rate and mornings run themselves. Between meals, Trailside, our beer, coffee, and snack bar behind the bike shop, is open daily from 9am to sunset: coffee for the adults, snacks for the crew, Vermont beer for whoever earned it.
Rooms that actually fit a family
Suites here sleep 4 to 10 people across 2 to 5 beds, each with a kitchenette or full kitchen, a private bathroom, and a sitting area, so bedtime for the little ones doesn't mean lights out for the adults. Standard rooms handle 1 to 4 guests. Every room includes WiFi, a mini fridge, and a coffee maker, and property-wide WiFi means a parent who has to take a work call can do it without leaving the hill.
Getting here is the easy part
We're 10 minutes off I-91 at Exit 23 in Lyndonville: about 3 hours from Boston and 2.5 from Montreal. Close enough for a midweek escape, far enough to feel like a different world. One calendar note for August: Kingdom Bike Fest lands here on our lawn August 8-9, with kids' races and family events, and rooms around that weekend are going quickly.
Midweek is the smart family play in late summer: quieter pool, empty trails, easy dinner tables. Check availability and
book direct here, and
browse all our rooms and suites to find the right fit.
FAQ
Is The Wildflower Inn good for families with young kids?
Yes. Kids get the saltwater pool, a beginner-friendly 9-hole disc golf course, a bike skills park for all ages, and open fields and kid-safe outdoor spaces to play. Suites sleep 4 to 10 with kitchenettes, and the restaurant serves breakfast and dinner on site every day.
Does The Wildflower Inn really have the only saltwater pool in the Northeast Kingdom?
Yes. Our heated outdoor saltwater pool is the only one in the NEK. It's open seasonally, June through early September, for inn guests, with lounge seating, towels, and mountain views.
Can we bring our dog?
Yes, in designated pet-friendly rooms: one well-behaved, leashed pet per room, $75 or $100 flat fee for the stay (not per night). Leashed dogs are also welcome on the trails, the disc golf courses, and in the beer garden. Pet rooms are limited, so reserve in advance.
Is disc golf free for guests?
Yes. Both courses, 27 holes total, are free for overnight guests. Day visitors pay $5 for the Dandelion 9 and $10 for the Wildflower 18. Discs are available to borrow or buy at the front desk or Trailside Bar.
— The Wildflower Team
