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On the cusp of spring, maple trees produce a sweet sap that has been harvested by farmers for centuries, starting with Native Americans who developed the process of boiling it down to concentrate its sweetness. Also known as sugar bushes, maple farms across the Northeast, eastern Canada and parts of the mid-Atlantic currently produce most of the world’s supply of 100 percent pure maple syrup, with Canada producing approximately 73 percent and the U.S., 23 percent, in 2024.
Sugaring season varies according to the weather, typically starting in late February or early March and lasting until the trees begin to bud, usually in April. Maple farms across these regions open their forests for hands-on and intergenerational recreation, including hiking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and farm tours. Many farms offer educational tours and provide tasty samples of items such as maple taffy and maple barbecue sauce, and even their syrup featured at pancake breakfasts.
According to a 2025 AARP survey, 95 percent of people 50-plus agree that travel is good for their mental health, with 85 percent also agreeing it’s beneficial for their physical health. Field trips to walk through maple forests with friends and family are undoubtedly good for both. Taking more steps (3,000 to 7,500) during your day is associated with slower cognitive decline for those at risk of developing Alzheimer’s, according to a study published in Nature magazine. With most of these well-cared-for maple groves containing thousands of trees, you may also spot birds and other wildlife. Walking through a forest, or forest bathing, can also lower stress, inspire creativity and enhance your mental health.
Head out to these maple groves for engaging and active experiences. Before you go, confirm dates, which can vary due to weather conditions, on the relevant websites.
Vermont
At 53 percent, Vermont is the largest U.S. maple syrup producer. Vermont’s Maple Open House weekend, March 21-22, features 90 open sugarhouses, where maple syrup is made, across the state.
At Shelburne Sugarworks, guests can cross-country ski, hike, mountain bike or taste maple hot dogs, maple donuts and maple-based ice cream.
Steven Palmer
Shelburne Sugarworks, Shelburne, Vermont
This maple farm offers 10 miles of trails through 170 acres of maple groves that visitors can cross-country ski, hike or mountain bike at any time. Steve Palmer is a third-generation maple farmer, sometimes known as a sugarmaker. His grandmother Marjorie Palmer started tapping maple trees when sugar was rationed during World War II. He “grew up literally sugaring with my grandmother, with horses and buckets,” he says. Most visitors still “have this vision of syrup being produced today with an old-fashioned bucket in the tree.” Now the farm uses a reverse-osmosis process to help concentrate the sugar, and Palmer says he can “manage and operate the majority of the sugarhouse from my iPhone.” That technology enables the farm to produce five times what it could have 30 years ago.
The farm offers sugar-on-snow (hot maple drizzled over snow), maple hot dogs, maple donuts and maple-based ice cream (instead of cane-sugar-based). It’s open six weekends in season and features live music and hourly tours.
New York
The second-largest maple-producing state in the U.S. hosts New York State Maple Weekends on March 21-22 and March 28-29, with multiple producers opening their farms to visitors.
In the Adirondacks, the town of Thurman hosts Maple Days over three weekends: March 14-15, March 21-22 and March 28-29. Festivities may include wagon rides, interactions with farm animal, scavenger hunts and local crafts. Sample treats such as maple-roasted peanuts.
