HELLO
MOTHER NATURE
MOUNTAINS
Vermont is home to the oldest long-distance hiking trail in the United States, the steep and rocky, 273-mile Long Trail. And for every heart-pounding mile of the Long Trail, Vermont has just as many nature walks, forest meanders, day hikes and overnights from family-friendly to sweaty and exposed.
Twenty-nine chapters of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association build and maintain trails state-wide, and other mountain biking trail systems, from lift-serve to cross-country, welcome riders with a day ticket or season pass. Road bikers and gravel bikers can access endless miles of quiet backroads bordering cornfields polka-dotted with classic red barns and black and white Holsteins straight from Burlington.
An abundance of fresh air and the stunning diversity of terrain make Vermont a great place to run. In Burlington, cruise the rec path and watch ferry boats cross steely blue Lake Champlain against the backdrop of the million-acre Adirondack Park. Swap pavement for dirt and gravel on one of Vermont’s Green Mountain peaks.
Vermont’s rock is predominantly green schist and limestone. Venture further. But whatever the geology, climbing in Vermont is thought provoking, featured, and technical with tricky crux sequences that will challenge you to master unique and dynamic body positions, and reward you panoramic views of the Green Mountains and Lake Champlain from above the lush forest canopy.
LAKES
Roughly 120-miles long and 14 miles at its widest, the craggy shoreline of Lake Champlain holds adventures for every paddler. Lake Champlain laps at the shores of downtown Burlington, where parks, public beaches, and boat launches provide easy put-ins for canoeists, kayakers, stand up paddleboarders, and dragon boaters. Paddler’s trails crisscross the lake, and connect with other waterways for every length adventure.
Vermont’s beaches and swimming holes are legendary, and as fun to discover as to jump, soak and dunk in. The Burlington waterfront on Lake Champlain is a mix of sandy beaches and redstone shoreline. At Oakledge Park, families frolic along the warm and shallow shoreline, where it feels like you can walk halfway to New York before you’re in deeper than your knees.
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.
With more than 800 lakes and ponds, 7000 miles of rivers and streams, and mighty Lake Champlain to the west, Vermont has fishing opportunities galore. At least 90 species of cold, cool and warm water fish swim in Vermont’s glacially formed waterways. Cast from shore, wade a stream, or launch your craft from any of the 190 access areas.