The Northeast Kingdom is a paradise for people who love the outdoors. All four seasons in the NEK offer outstanding recreational activities.  If you bike, hike, canoe, kayak, fish, climb trees, hunt, birdwatch, ski, snowmobile, snowshoe, ice fish, ice skate, or ice climb; there's a place for you.

Spring and Summer
Spring and summer brings visitors to our mountains and lakes. The Northeast Kingdom offers a variety of hikes, from short bog walks to hikes reaching elevations of well over 2,000 feet.  Bring your camera as you will find spectacular views from our Mountain Peaks as well as many opportunities to view our wildlife including moose, deer, peregrine falcons, bobcats, foxes, woodpeckers, minks and more.   For hiking information and maps visit the Green Mountain Club or www.TraveltheKingdom.com.   

Our lakes offer clean, crystal clear water for swimming, kayaking, canoeing or fishing.  Lake Memphremagog is the largest lake in the area and crosses the border into Canada. The First Annual Kingdom Swim will take place there in July 2009.  Swimmers will head into the water and swim from ¼ of a mile to ten miles.  Lake Willoughby is a stunning, glacially formed lake with depths of over 300 feet in some places.  It’s also home to our increasing population of loons.  Both lakes even have lake monsters, Memphre and Willy, but no need to fear, they are quite harmless.  There’s great fishing to be found in the NEK and you may well hook a rainbow, lake or brown trout, a landlocked salmon, pike, or bass.  Some of our northern lakes don't permit motorboats, so please check before launching. There are free fishing maps available from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department.

If you want an enhanced hiking or paddling experience, visit Northwoods Stewardship Center for guided treks or a moonlit paddle.  Head into the woods with Siskin Ecological Adventures in East Charleston for a tree ID or tracking adventure.

What better way to connect with nature and see the backcountry of the Northeast Kingdom than by hitting the trails - on horseback.  Galluping Acres and the Perry Farm, both in Brownington, and DND Stables in East Burke, all offer trail and pony rides for varying ages and abilities.

Summer and Autumn
Summer and Autumn are a perfect time for mountain biking on Kingdom Trails or if you prefer a paved route, there are many road biking trips throughout the region. Take in our rural landscapes and spectacular Fall foliage as you peddle your way through the Northeast Kingdom.  Visit www.TraveltheKingdom.com for a free cycling map.

Tree Climbing is one of the fastest growing outdoor sports in the world today. You can climb over 100 feet into the canopy of a forest for a truly awesome view all while feeling like Peter Pan. Twin Pines Recreational Tree Climbing in Danville can teach you to walk on a limb and swing from the tree tops, all in a safe environment guided by trained and certified instructors.

The Northeast Kingdom is the top destination for hunting in Vermont with its plentiful game and over 259,154 acres of land with public access. White-tailed deer, black bear, moose, wild turkey, ruffed grouse, woodcock, waterfowl, and snowshoe hare hunting are popular in the fall. A wild turkey season in May offers the best turkey hunting in New England.  The free hunting guide map available from the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, is invaluable in planning your hunt. Local Businesses such as Rake Factory Inn Hunting Club in Peacham and Clyde River Outfitters in Island Pond can provide you with in-depth knowledge of the area and a complete line of sporting goods.

Winter
Winter in the NEK brings snow and lots of it!  For downhill skiing, telemark and snowboarding look to Vermont's Northeast Kingdom for fun on the slopes. Jay Peak receives the greatest annual snowfall in the state and keeps it the longest. Family-friendly Burke Mountain offers a variety of terrain for all abilities, glade runs, sweet vertical, bumps and jumps.  There’s also exceptional Cross Country skiing and backcountry snowshoeing in the Kingdom. Blessed with abundant snowfall, Craftsbury Outdoor Center is known as Vermont's granddaddy of Nordic skiing. In the town of Montgomery, Hazen's Notch grooms trails at the top of the world and offers full moon snowshoe tours.  Kingdom Trails grooms 25 km of ridgeline with views to die for. Highland Lodge is an historic inn offering skiers old world charm and inn-to-inn ski shuttles. Northwoods Stewardship Center has 30 kilometers of signed trails that wind their way through nearly 3,000 acres of forested and open landscapes. 

Snowmobilers know exactly where to go for their sport.  Island Pond in the NEK is known as the Snowmobiling capital of Vermont with trail connections linking in all directions.  Riders who have been coming to The Kingdom for many years say it is the best snowmobiling anywhere.  Visit the Vermont Association of Snow Travelers (VAST) for trail maps, rules and information about local clubs.

For a once in a lifetime experience, take a Dog Sled Tour.  Kids of all ages will get a thrill leading a team of sled dogs through the beautiful white landscape of a Northeast Kingdom winter. Hardscrabble Mountain Sled Dog Tours in Sheffield and Eden Mountain Dog Sledding in Eden Mills both offer sled dog tours for all ages and price ranges. You can just take a ride in the sled and let the pros - that is, the musher and the dogs - lead you through the woods or you can get a hands on lesson in harnessing and mushing the dogs yourself. Of course, there's hot cocoa and biscuits (for the pups) afterwards.

Sleigh rides in the Northeast Kingdom are a perfect snowy adventure for the whole family or a romantic journey for two.  At the Wildflower Inn, a team of Belgian horses will take you on an enchanted journey over hill and dale in the East Burke area with breathtaking views of the surrounding countryside. At Green Bank Hollow Farm in Danville, beautiful black Percherons pull groups and couples on a magical journey through some of the Kingdom's most spectacular trails, a working maple sugar bush, and open fields with views of the White Mountains.

When the lakes freeze, out come the shanties and the ice fishermen.  Depending on the size of the lake and weather conditions, the freeze happens in late December to late January.  There are several ice fishing derby events for kids and adults that take place each winter in the NEK. Visit the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department to learn more.  Come late winter and early Spring, you can get in on one of many ‘Ice Out’ contests such as the Joe’s Pond or Lake Memphremagog contests.  Just guess when the lake will unfreeze and you could win a prize.

Whether your favorite activity involves bundling up in layers and strapping on the skis or hopping in a canoe and going for a paddle, there’s something to do all year round in the beautiful region known as the Northeast Kingdom.  Come visit us and experience it for yourself!