Top Things to do in Lake Champlain
Top Hotels in Lake Champlain
- 1. Hotel Vermont
- 2. Hilton Burlington Lake Champlain
- 3. Best Western Plus Plattsburgh
- 4. Hampton Inn St. Albans
- 5. Hampton Inn & Suites Plattsburgh
- 6. Courtyard by Marriott Burlington Harbor
- 7. Microtel Inn & Suites By Wyndham Plattsburgh
- 8. Starlight Inn
- 9. Hampton Inn Colchester
- 10. Hilton Garden Inn Burlington Downtown
The 10 Best Nature & Parks in Lake Champlain, Lake Champlain
Discover the best top things to do in Lake Champlain, Lake Champlain including Sharp Park, The Local Motion Bike Ferry, Oakledge, Leddy Park, Burlington Bike Path, Ausable Chasm, Burlington Community Boathouse Marina, Waterfront Park, North Beach Park, Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge.
Restaurants in Lake Champlain
1. Sharp Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 12 reviews
Reviewed By aaronk1047 - Milton, United States
Great place no matter what the season Segways awesome trails, great sledding, friendly staff, huge barn for your parties
2. The Local Motion Bike Ferry
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 8 reviews
Opening day is May 28, 2021! The Local Motion Bike Ferry is a unique way to travel across the gap in the Colchester Causeway along the Island Line Trail. The 45-foot long pontoon boat has been equipped with bike racks and comfortable seats to carry bikers and walkers between Colchester and the Hero Islands. The 200-foot wide gap in the Causeway is bridged by the Bike Ferry, turning the ride into a novel and beautiful biking experience. From downtown Burlington, you can travel by foot or by bike along the 13-mile Island Line Trail. The final three miles are on the Colchester Causeway, a strip of raised land extending into Lake Champlain that is bridged by the Local Motion Bike Ferry and surrounded by water and mountain views. The experienced crew will direct you to load your bike onto the boat and will share some fun facts about the mountain views.
Reviewed By B4204VHlauriek - Colchester, United States
We're blessed to have this amazing resource right in our back yard! Throughout the season, we ride our bikes north from Colchester, up the breathtaking causeway, across the cut via the jaunty bike ferry, and on to favorite activities in the islands l like a wine tasting, ice cream cones, and markets.
3. Oakledge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 65 reviews
New park located south of downtown on the waterfront.
Reviewed By WheresRain
We loved exploring this beautiful spot on Lake Champlain. Nice beach and walking path. Our kids rolled their eyes at first when we made them figure out how the earth clock works, but they thought it was cool in the end. We all wished we had more time and could have rented a kayak. Don’t miss the super tall filing cabinet art a few blocks away from the park.
4. Leddy Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
This large, popular park has just about everything for indoor and outdoor fun, including a small beach on Lake Champlain, indoor ice rinks, ball fields, tennis courts, a playground and part of a 7-mile bike path that borders the lake.
5. Burlington Bike Path
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,095 reviews
Converted from the Central Vermont Railway to a bike path in the 1970s, this easy trail crosses through beaches and parks and offers great views of Lake Champlain, the Adirondacks and the city.
Reviewed By javadavy
My wife and I rented excellently tuned Fuji hybrid bikes from Outdoor Gear Exchange downtown and rode 31 miles round trip along the waterfront rail to trail path, taking the Clochester path to the Causeway Path and eventually to South Hero where we found The Accidental Farmer for a great lunch. Beautiful way to see part of Burlington.
6. Ausable Chasm
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 935 reviews
Ausable Chasm, open since 1870, is the oldest and largest natural attraction in the Adirondacks. More than 10 million visitors have explored the chasm on the well-maintained scenic nature trails. Scenic vistas, bridges and stairs throughout provide stunning views of the chasm and amazing waterfalls. More tours and adventures than any other Adirondack natural attraction including: float tours (via raft), tubing, rappelling, rock climbing, lantern tours and the all new Adventure Trail (via feratta/cable course). Great options for families of all ages as well as for the more adventurous! Cafe, gift shop, campground, cabins & motel on-site.
Reviewed By harpazhadar - Haifa, Israel
1. Start early 2. Bring some good anti-slip shoes and water-proof Jacket 3. Take the Classic tour (includes a raft tour) 4. Leave your Camera and valuables in your car/hotel room – there are no lockers onsite 5. Bring a GoPro with you to catch all the scenery without worrying We were visiting on a Sunday so started really early in the morning. Took the - Classic Tour that includes a breathtaking hike through the upper chasm followed by a scenic float (via raft) through the lower chasm on the legendary waters of the Ausable River (30$ per person- put on your wristband so it’s visible). After a short walk to the rainbow falls view point – take the detour to see the elephant’s head - that’s the best angle! follow the yellow trail (inner sanctum), continue with the trail that leads you through the chasm to the rafting dock. We waited about 30 min to the raft to fill and went out on the raft (if you can snag the first 2 seats do it for the best views). There was barely a stream (October) so the ride was very easy going and pleasant – we hardly got wet at all! It was a very special perspective seeing the chasm from this angle – highly recommended to add the bucks for the raft ride! On the end of the ride you can walk but we chose to take the shuttle back to the visitor center. We spent about 3 hours in total – it was a very busy day full with guided tours and would have been so much nicer with fewer crowds… but do it anyway! After all – this is the oldest nature attraction in America :)
7. Burlington Community Boathouse Marina
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 43 reviews
At the centrally located Burlington Community Boathouse Marina, transient boaters will find dockage, services and a fantastic dockside restaurant, Splash. Whether you’re looking for hourly dockage, moorings or overnight dockage, the Boathouse Marina offers the greatest amount of dockage while not compromising on location! Boaters will find easy and close access to shopping, grocery stores, hardware stores and fantastic restaurants all within close walking distance. Located at our docks are the sailing charter companies Whistling Man Schooner and Let’s Go Sailing. The Spirit of Ethan Allen cruise boat also calls the Boathouse Marina home. Come pull up a seat in one of our Adirondack chairs located on our fully public dock and enjoy the best view in town! Free Wi-Fi is made available by Burlington Telecom
8. Waterfront Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 856 reviews
Reviewed By amyk6978
Burlington is such a beautiful city. We spent much of our time on the waterfront. Waterfront Park has so much to offer and we enjoyed spending time swinging on a swing watching the sunset, enjoying a picnic on the grass, taking a sail with Let's Go Sailing, we got a maple creamee, and enjoyed a dinner at the Skinny Pancake. We walked the path every day of our visit. It also had a nice fenced in dog run. You can also find workout stations along the walking path. The skate park was also fun to sit and watch all the people doing their tricks. I highly recommend visiting!
9. North Beach Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 141 reviews
Reviewed By debbythec
I am used to swimming in the ocean and I have not had great experiences swimming in lakes or ponds. This was great! Sandy beach, gentle waves and as warm as a bathtub. They also have lots of shade from the trees and everyone really spreads out so you have your own little paradise. The view of the mountains over the water was spectacular. I would recommend bringing a float and parking in the lot ($8 per day).
10. Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 37 reviews
This park is a popular spot for viewing migrating birds.
Reviewed By TACOB0B
We happened upon this by accident and are happy we did. Between September and December you can drive to the boat launch. Beautiful walk along the river. Plenty of parking and portapotties down the path. Great way to spend a few hours enjoying nature.
