STOWE, VT. — Peak foliage brought a huge influx of visitors to Stowe, Vermont, over the long holiday weekend, creating traffic jams, long lines, and parking shortages.
People who live and work in the popular northern New England destination say tourists flooded the small town to take in the bright fall colors.
Businesses say peak foliage is now their busiest time of year, surpassing even ski season and the winter holidays.
For some visitors, simply getting around town became an ordeal.
One woman said she decided to walk while her husband stayed behind the wheel.
“My husband is actually in the car behind, and it takes 17 minutes to get from that point 0.4 miles,” she said. “We are walking a lot faster than he’s moving.”
Other visitors struggled just to find a place to stay.
“We could not find a hotel within a 100-mile radius,” one visitor said. “It was crazy. So guess what? We ended up sleeping at the Walmart parking lot.”
The crowds are also creating challenges for Stowe workers. Workers say heavy traffic, combined with extremely limited parking, makes it hard to get to work during the foliage rush.
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