Lake Vacations in Vermont
Explore Vermont’s Lakes
Vermont’s summers are idyllic – hot and sunny, with bright blue skies and plenty to enjoy. When it’s hot out, what better way to keep cool and spend time outside than finding a Vermont lake to dive right into? Vermont is home to more than 800 lakes and ponds, many with state parks, lodges and cabins nearby, the perfect spot for a Vermont vacation.
Members of the 251 Club of Vermont strive to visit all 251 Vermont towns and cities. As they adventure, they become local experts on some of the best places to stop in Vermont and enjoy delicious local food, sightseeing and unique Vermont attractions. A few 251 Club adventurers weighed in on their favorite Vermont lakes and swimming spots.
“We recently brought our five grandchildren to Bristol Falls and found the views and the water breathtaking. Although we did not swim, we enjoyed watching the kids and others swimming and enjoying the water. It was accessible and obviously a very popular local swimming hole,” said member Karen Richard.
251 Club executive director Stephanie Young seconded Richard’s pick.
“My family and I have also gone to Bristol Falls and it is fun to head into the town of Bristol to grab dinner and eat at the gazebo in the town green. We love the pizza at Cubbers,” Young recommended.
“Sand Bar Beach and all along the Lake through the Champlain Islands, ending up at Hero’s Welcome and North Hero House or stop at the Blue Paddle,” said Mary Tewarson.
Young’s been there too, and also suggested people stop at Goodsell Ridge Preserve, where you can hunt for fossils.
“We love going to the Islands,” Young said. She also highlighted Alburgh Dunes State Park.
Member Helen Bicknell has fond memories of childhoods spent on the shores of Lake Seymour.
“It was a pivotal part of my life. We don’t live near it any longer, but we do make an effort to drive by whenever we can. It is clean, it is beautiful,” Bicknell said.
For member Lynn Cassidy, too, nostalgia fuels her lake pick.
“I think we all love the lake we went to as kids,” she said. She loves Lake Dunmore’s Branbury Beach, highlighting its large, shaded picnic area and beach areas, both grassy and sandy.
For Gillian Sewake, when the mood strikes to hit the water, she heads for Barnet’s Harvey’s Lake, the site where Jacques Cousteau took his first dive.
“It’s a perfect blend of shaded grassy area and sandy beach. There are ducks, and the water is always delightful. Pretty much a perfect beach for kids,” Sewake said.