Cumulative Official Town Count | Unofficial Town Count |
147 | 33 |
Lake Champlain is one of the largest lakes in the United States, separating the northwest part of Vermont from upstate New York, and continuing north into Canada. While I knew it was a large lake, it somehow never occurred to me that there would be habitable islands in it (doh), and this VT 251 foray brings you to the towns of those islands: ALBURGH, ISLE LA MOTTE, NORTH HERO, GRAND ISLE, and SOUTH HERO. The towns, known collectively as “the Islands” are about 30 miles in length from north to south, and about 8 miles across at the widest point. The Islands are rooted in agriculture and there are lots of farms, farm stands, and orchards to be found. While the lake views are nice (sort of typical), and while I'm glad to have been, I wouldn't necessarily go back just to explore. Although, there is a great creemee stand and a restaurant I've been dying to try...
ALBURGH
Alburgh, VT is a farming and beach house ("camp") town of just over 2,100 (in 2020) located pretty much at the Canadian border, on a peninsula called the Alburg Tongue which extends from Lake Champlain into Canada. The town lies on the 45th parallel, making its latitude roughly half way between the Equator and North Pole. It is located on one of the two roads which cross Lake Champlain, connecting Vermont and New York. The primary attraction is Alburgh Dunes State Park, which is essentially a beach. There are dunes along the beach, but they are being actively protected behind a fence and are pretty small (at least now), so if you are hoping to play or climb on sand dunes, this is not the place to do it. (That said, in Vermont, this is likely to be as close as you'll get to the sand dunes you think of when you think of sand dunes).
ISLE LA MOTTE
Isle La Motte, VT is an island in Lake Champlain roughly 7 miles by 2 miles in size, and is home to only 488 residents (in 2020). St. Anne's Shrine, an ancient fossil reef & quarry, and the Isle la Motte Lighthouse are the things "to see" in this town, although the lighthouse (located on the island's northwest corner) can only be viewed by boat as it lies on private property (picture is from the internet as I didn't see it). In 1666, Fort Sainte Anne was built on Isle La Motte to protect Montreal from attacks by the Iroquois Indians. Both the fort and chapel were dedicated to Saint Anne. The Shrine is an historic Catholic shrine which includes an open-air chapel & a visitor center. If geology is more your thing, you should visit the Fisk Quarry Preserve, which is part of the Chazy Fossil Reef, a National Natural Landmark. This area offers visitors a chance to see some of the oldest reefs in the world (480 million years old!), and features a very short interpretive walking trail. Goodsell Ridge, just two miles away, offers more examples of the ancient fossils.
NORTH HERO
North Hero, VT (pop. 939 in 2020), like the other towns in the Islands is really all about the lake life. There are a few inns and restaurants, but the place to visit is the Hero’s Welcome Store. It is an old country store (120+ years old) with good sandwiches (I've heard) and craft beer on tap, kitschy lake-related decor and Vermont souvenirs. There is a dock just on across the road where you can eat/ drink, and the store even offers kayak, canoe, and bike rentals. Knight Point State Park enables visitors to enjoy a day at the beach in North Hero. Historically, on October 27, 1779 North Hero, South Hero and Grand Isle were granted to Ethan Allen, Samuel Herrick and 363 other Revolutionary War heroes/ veterans as a reward for their services to the state, and North and South Hero are named in their honor.
GRAND ISLE
Grand Isle, VT (pop. 2,086 in 2020) is a town on Grand Isle and it has a few tourist destinations (other than the lake). A landing for the Lake Champlain Transportation Company's ferry to Plattsburgh, New York, at Cumberland Head is located on the western shore of Grand Isle at Gordon's Landing. Grand Isle State Park is where you can take advantage of the lake and camp. The Hyde Log Cabin, built in 1783 is believed to be one of the oldest log cabins in the country (and the oldest in New England). It was built by Jedidiah Hyde, a Green Mountain Boy. The cabin was saved from demolition and moved in 1946 by the Vermont Historical Society, which has set it (and the adjacent schoolhouse) up to evoke life in the cabin. On the same property is the Grand Isle Schoolhouse #4, built in 1814 and seemingly in use until 2003!
SOUTH HERO
South Hero, VT (pop. 1,674 in 2020) is the town in the Islands closest to Burlington, and by far the most touristy. Other than the lake, of course, there are orchards and vineyards to visit and two places you really should try to eat at -- Seb's (a snack bar for greasy fried food and AMAZING creemees -- it's worth the wait) and Blue Paddle Bistro (which is supposed to be great but is always closed when I'm up that way).
Stay tuned for more of my VT 251 adventure!