BOATING ON LAKE CHAMPLAIN

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Lake Champlain, which is often called the sixth great lake, enchants both sailors and skippers. At 120-miles long and up to 12 miles wide, with 71 islands, and waters that cross international borders, Lake Champlain is big enough and diverse enough you’ll keep coming back, whether you’re on board for the day, or the week. Explore Vermont’s Inland Sea and the Lake Champlain Islands, an archipelago in northern Vermont with pristine shoreline, well-protected harbors, and dockages with access to historic and whimsical general stores like Hero’s Welcome in North Hero. On glassy days, the lake is a water skiing, tubing, and wakeboarding playground.

Kitesurfers, windsurfers, and sailors thrill when the winds pick up. On breezy days sailboats of all sizes dart back and forth across the lake. Rent a slip or mooring at the Burlington Community Boat House or Perkins Pier to stretch out your sea legs in Burlington proper. Refuel at Burlington’s farm-to-table eateries and award-winning local microbreweries and distillery tasting rooms, or stop for a creemee at a waterfront ice cream stand. Restock at the Queen City’s groceries and gear shops, or hit the farmer’s market. Downtown is a short walk from the waterfront. If you’re excited to get out on the lake but don’t own a boat, rent from Lake Champlain’s Community Sailing Center, or book a charter for a multiday trip to learn about Lake Champlain’s own Loch Ness Monster, “Champ,” and the ancient reefs and Revolutionary War remnants that lay at the bottom of the lake.

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