Five small towns, one road, and Lake Champlain on both sides: Vermont’s quietest drive

Five towns on Lake Champlain’s water

You drive north from Burlington for about 40 minutes, and the land starts to break apart.

Lake Champlain opens up on both sides of the road, and suddenly you’re crossing causeways that barely rise above the waterline.

The Champlain Islands stretch 30 miles through the lake, five small towns strung together by a single highway. Grand Isle County is the smallest county in Vermont, and the water is never more than a glance away.

The pace here runs on its own clock, and the best parts reveal themselves slowly.

A 1783 log cabin still stands in Grand Isle

The Abenaki people lived on and around these islands long before European settlers showed up. After the Revolutionary War, the government handed out parcels of island land to veterans as payment for their service.

One of those early settlers built the Hyde Log Cabin in Grand Isle in 1783, using cedar logs cut from the surrounding forest. It still stands today, one of the oldest log cabins in the country.

The cabin joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and now operates as a small museum.

Route 2 floats across causeways and lake views

U.S. Route 2 ties the whole island chain together, running from South Hero in the south all the way up to Alburgh in the north. The road stays mostly flat with soft rolling hills and long views of open water.

Some stretches cross causeways so low they feel like they’re floating on the lake itself. Each town along the way has its own small center with a few shops and local markets.

You can drive the whole thing in under an hour, but there’s no good reason to rush it.

Bike three miles over open water on a gravel causeway

The Island Line Trail runs about 13 miles from Burlington out to South Hero, and the best stretch is the Colchester Causeway.

For three miles, you ride a narrow gravel path with nothing but lake on both sides and mountains in the distance. The terrain stays flat the whole way, so you don’t need to be in great shape to enjoy it.

Casual cyclists love the islands for exactly this reason. On a calm day, it feels like you’re gliding right across the surface of the water.

A tiny ferry crosses a gap in the old marble causeway

About 200 feet of the old railroad causeway is missing.

Locals call it “the Cut,” and a seasonal bike ferry carries cyclists and walkers across the gap to South Hero Island. A local nonprofit runs the ferry, and it carries no motor vehicles.

The causeway itself dates to 1899, built from marble quarried down in Rutland. You pedal to the edge, wait a few minutes for the boat, and then you’re across.

It’s one of those small moments that sticks with you.

Vermont’s busiest campground sits right on the lake

Grand Isle State Park pulls in more campers than any other campground in Vermont’s state park system. It has more than 100 tent and RV sites, plus lean-tos and a few cabins if you want a roof over your head.

A swim beach and a boat launch sit right on Lake Champlain, and an easy nature trail loops through the grounds. If you’re planning to explore the rest of the islands, this is a solid home base.

Book early, because the sites fill up fast in summer.

Knight Point has a cobbled shore worth the walk

Cross the causeway to North Hero and you’ll find Knight Point State Park, with a swimming beach, picnic areas, and a trail that leads to a cobbled shoreline.

Back on the South Hero causeway, Sand Bar State Park has a long sandy beach that draws families all summer. North Hero State Park sits farther out, quieter and more remote than the others.

Several small wilderness islands nearby reward anyone willing to paddle out with a kayak and a tent.

Calm coves make for easy paddling all summer

The lake warms up enough by midsummer that swimming and wading feel comfortable, not just survivable.

You can rent kayaks and canoes at some of the state parks and head out into the calm coves and bays that wrap around the islands. Anglers pull bass, pike, and other freshwater catches from the deeper water.

If you’d rather sit back and let someone else steer, boat tours run along the island shoreline and give you a different angle on the whole chain.

Apple orchards and maple syrup line the back roads

Farming runs deep on the islands, rooted in apples and dairy going back generations. In late summer and fall, orchards open their gates for picking, and the smell of ripe fruit carries across the road.

Roadside farm stands sell local produce, maple syrup, and baked goods you won’t find in Burlington. Seasonal farmers markets pop up in South Hero and Grand Isle through the warmer months.

Small farms across the county also turn out cheese, honey, and whatever else the season brings.

Two mountain ranges frame every sunset over the lake

Look west from the shore and the Adirondack Mountains rise across the New York side of the lake. Turn east and the Green Mountains line the Vermont horizon.

The open water between them gives you wide, uninterrupted views in every direction. Sunsets here pull people to the western shore each evening, and it’s easy to see why.

Adirondack chairs dot the waterfront in every town, and the long, slow afternoons have a way of making you forget what time it is.

Migrating birds stop here every spring and fall

The islands sit along a major flyway for migrating birds, and nearby wildlife refuge lands draw birdwatchers during the spring and fall seasons.

Short nature trails cross meadows, wetlands, and stands of cedar forest where you can walk without seeing another person. Quiet back roads are just as good for a morning walk or a slow jog.

The flat, open landscape makes getting outside easy no matter your speed. You don’t need a plan here.

Just pick a direction and go.

No big-box strips and no reason to check your watch

The islands feel slower than mainland Vermont, and that’s the whole point. You won’t find busy commercial strips or chain stores crowding the road.

Days center on the water, the views, and whatever you feel like doing next. Small museums and historical societies tell the local story if you’re in the mood.

This is the kind of place where you set your own pace, and most people find that pace drops with every mile north. The lake does that to you.

Visit the Champlain Islands in Vermont

You can reach the Champlain Islands by driving north from Burlington on U.S. Route 2, about 40 minutes to Grand Isle. The island chain includes South Hero, Grand Isle, North Hero, Isle La Motte, and Alburgh.

Grand Isle State Park opens May 8 and closes Oct. 17 in 2026. Knight Point and Sand Bar run from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend.

North Hero State Park stays open year-round.

The Island Line bike ferry across the Cut runs seasonally with a suggested donation. The Hyde Log Cabin opens May 30 through Columbus Day, Thursday and Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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