Burton lsland State Park has to be the ultimate in the camping experience !…read more I have frequented many parks over my lifetime, and Burton Island is among the happiest in my camping experiences . There is not one draw-back that l can think of here. It has epic beauty. The trees and forests with lake views are magnificent. Everything is sanitary. Vermont people are exceedingly clean and conscientious about their surroundings. Camp sites are pristine. Restrooms are equipped and clean and accessible. If you are counting on an amazing camping trip, look forward to visiting Burton lsland !

As we are driving home to Boston we are feeling incredibly thankful to have visited Burton Island…read moreState Park. By far our favorite campground we've been to. Park at Kill Kare State Park and take the Island Runner to Burton Island, about a 10 minute ride. The ferry crew help to load your items onto the boat and you can pay $10 to have it delivered to your site.  Upon boarding the ferry, crew member Morgan welcomed us and gave us an overview of the Island and how everything worked. She recommended alternative swimming areas and prime sunset viewing spots. Morgan remembered us on our way back a few days later. She really made our visit that much more memorable, and the rest of the staff were super friendly as well. The island is equipped with showers & bathrooms (don't forget quarters!), trash & recycling recepticals, water spickets, kayak & canoe rentals, and weekly nature/survival lessons for kids. There are a few hiking trails and even some secret spots where you can post up and hang on the water for the day.   They offer traditional tent sites and lean-tos - some of which are right on the water. We plan to book one of these next time. Wood is available for purchase but be sure to ask for dry wood depending on recent weather conditions. The best spot about BI is the store, which is stocked with pretty much everything camping-related: beer & wine, drinks, snacks, ice, souveniers, etc. The store has a small kitchen with a grill and they make sandwiches and sides cooked to order. All of it is reasonably priced, and they accept credit/debit cards. Overall this experience was a very unique one but extremely rewarding. I highly recommend visiting Burton Island!!!

We stopped by here to watch the sunset on the way back to our hotel, and the view i spectacular!…read moreThis is a real hidden gem over in this small town. It's a smallish park, but the layout is fantastic. There are basketball courts, filed space, and a really gorgeous tree line and grassy area facing the water. There's also a doc you can walk out on. I gotta say I was really surprised to find this here, but so happy we did! Beautiful sunset in a really uncrowded spot.

Great view of Lake Champlain and beyond, the Adirondack Mountains. Probably a fantastic spot for a…read moresunset but I missed that this afternoon. The park has a huge parking area, some walking areas and several benches facing the proper direction of the view. The park is linked with the Burlington recreational paths so try it as a destination or trailhead. [Review 18508 overall - 107 in Vermont - 2030 of 2022.]

My friend showed me this adorable little overlook when we were up in BTV. Unfortunately, we came…read moreon an overcast day, but it was still nice to take in the lovely views! This is an amazing place to see sweeping views of the beautiful mountains and Lake Champlain. I imagine it would also be worth checking out at sunset. This is also a great spot for budding photographers. There is a small parking lot here, plus a couple of picnic tables. I'd say this is a must do for first time visitors to this fabulous city! Plan to spend 10-15 minutes here.

Okay, I love, love, love Maple Street Park. I have two young children and this is definitely one…read moreof our favorite places to hang out. I love the ratio of equipment for the age of my kids--plenty of baby/toddler swings and slides. Also little rocking ride on equipment. The only thing that could make it a little better for us would be a swing for special needs kids as my older daughter can't sit safely in a regular swing due to her needs. But we make do with what is there very nicely :) The grounds are super well kept and part of a larger park which includes a baseball and soccer (I think) field. I am kind of obsessed with the beautiful flower garden that they have in the parking lot. I would love to be able to steal their gardener for a day to help me make something similar. There is a pool as well with a waterslide. We've never actually used the pool but it very popular and always crowded. There is also a skate park for older kids which is really cool. At least it looks cool--I don't know the first think about skateboarding. I am always impressed by how respectful the skaters seem to be about safety rules. It looks like a lot of fun. Anyhow, this is a really nice park with great shade on hot days. There are always lots of super friendly people there to chat with as well.

I love this park…read more It is beautiful. It is clean and well kept. I remember coming here after school with a few hours to waste, would buy snacks on the way and just lazy around enjoying the sunshine. What a life, it really just makes me so happy. Coming here again brings back good memories.

If you ever plan to visit Vermont to see the fall colors, this has got to be a go to place on your…read morelist. The views are stunning, beautiful and will surely mesmerize you. Once you cross the the auto toll road and the gondola ride (for Mt. Mansfield) you'll be entering this zigzag, twisty scenic road which will bring you to the notch. The enire road is breathtaking. It's scenic during peak fall foilage and you'll see people stopping along to take pictures. The road is very narrow and there would be cars parked on either side so i'd recommend to drive slow and yield to people walking along and the oncoming traffic. There's a visitor center which will help you find your way to a couple of hikes/ trails. There were also porta potty which were clean. The parking is limited and you'll have to wait and search through. During our visit, there was no one in the visitor center. There are helpful signs and boards to guide you along the trails there which was helpful. The sterling pond hike starts from the visitor center and it is about a 1,000 ft elevation total. The smugglers cave is a few steps away from this visitor center. The entire smugglers notch is scenic and makes for great photo opportunities. There are a couple of great hikes/ trails from here and i'd reommend anyone visiting vermont to check out this place during the fall season.

Smuggler's Notch State Park provides hiking, camping, nature programs, and mountain biking…read more Smuggler's Notch Park got its name because In 1807, President Thomas Jefferson passed an embargo act forbidding American trade with Great Britain and Canada. This was a severe hardship for northern Vermonters, since Montreal was closer than other markets in the US. Many local people continued illegal trade with Canada, herding cattle and carrying other goods through the Notch. Later, fugitive slaves used the Notch as an escape route to Canada. During the Prohibition years, liquor was smuggled from Canada over the improved road built in 1922. My mother and I just rode through and it was miles of the park with different areas to explore. The we're many hikers and explorers out. All I can say is the mountains are beautiful and the atmosphere is amazing. I would definitely want to come back in fall to see the trees change colors.

I loved, I mean LOVED this park. I can't believe no one has reviewed this park yet! Just walking…read morearound and seeing the nature and character of the place had me thinking and saying to my mom "5 stars!". Yes, really. Easy nature walks, beautiful surroundings. Extremely friendly people and dogs all over the place, everyone seemed to know each other and the name of the accompanying dog. It had a great community feel, it really made me wish I had a dog! I'd come here every week. Maybe I'll steal my mom's dog for the day! There is a large section of the park that is off leach and you can go down by the river for the dogs to swim. We didn't go down to the river, but saw numerous wet, happy dogs coming from that directions. There are lots of picnic tables and benches to stop and enjoy the mountains, grass, ponds, breed spotting and people watching. I'm not sure if the address goes directly to the park, but here are some directions from the website: "Mills Riverside Park is located directly off of Vermont Route 15 in the Town of Jericho. Driving North/East on Route 15, just before entering Underhill Flats, you will see the entrance to the park on your right." You can't miss it! Check it out and bring your dog if you can!

Trails: I'm leaving that to my 3 Yelp Colleagues' previous reviews. I'm here for a Waterway Trail…read moreReview on the Missisquoi River from Louis' Landing along Route 78 and tracking out North to delta where Lake Champlain and Missisquoi Bay merge. Traveled one hot and sticky day, out and back, in kayak with Mama Bear and myself Papa Bear. No dog on this journey, just it's Human pets. The total loop for the day was about 8 miles. At our hallway mark, the River Delta, we were approximately 1 Nautical Mile from the Canadian border, which still wasn't open. Rumor had it, the Mounties had a crack scuba team patrolling out there, called the Canadian Bubblies. I wasn't about to test our fait, so we turned back. The water trail itself was quite beautiful with wildlife along the shores, in the trees, in the woods, and definitely swimming below (NOT THE BUBBLIES). Along the way, we observed bald eagle, muskrats, variety of turtles, many other bird and bug types in flight sporting their own unique colorations. One pair of eagle sat peacefully together on a tree limb as we quietly drifted by. Other power watercraft passed by - cheating themselves of the experience, but this one can't help being a wee bit envious, too. A couple of days later, in Kayaks and equipped with fishing poles, we took Louis' Landing on an Easterly and North-by-Northeasterly route. This also led to the Missisquoi Bay, however, we turned back after tracking out to a 3rd mile, round out to 6 mile loop. Along the way, Mama Bear certainly proved her fishing skills and reeled in that nights dinner. Yes, this sad sport paid the wager by cleaning and cooking HER Beautiful Trophy Trout! She did throw me some scraps.

We came here for a short walk on a beautiful spring day…read more The leaves were just starting to bud but that didn't stop the bugs. While it wasn't too horrible, I can tell in the summer or maybe in just a week or two the mosquitos will be hatching and it might not be a fun time in the woods! There is a lot of swampy land and sitting water. Otherwise its a great walking path, very flat and good for kids. My mom used to bring me and my brother here when we were little. There is a composting toilet if nature calls before or after the hike. There is also lots of educational information at the beginning of the hike and along the path. Also: There is a sign for no hunting on the refuge. This is a nice and easy walk for anyone to do!

I found the perfect spot for a sunset picture, landing here after dinner at Bluebird Barbecue…read more There is a small parking lot with space for a half-dozen cars. There are a couple of benches or you can sit on the wall. And around the corner to the south, there is a trail that takes you down to the Winooski River. But tonight, way too many mosquitoes to make that trip worth while. Instead, I stayed at the peak and took these pictures. [Review 18502 overall - 101 in Vermont - 2024 of 2022.]

Loved it! Good…read moreForeSt Wide easy paths Great views of Lake Champlain & Mt Philo Not crowded Perhaps RRP is my favorite of the Burlington parks as this is more of a real forest with canopied trees. Good views of red rock walls and rocks along the trail. We went with a local who knew the park well and we very much enjoyed the short easy hike!

We wanted to take a morning stroll with our coffee and this was perfect! It's a short walk to the…read morebeach and it was nice and quiet. There was a decent amount of parking spots but can easily see them filling up during a busier time of the day.