Nature and Recreation
Vermont’s unspoiled beauty beckons visitors to step outside and enjoy nature. The heart of Vermont is a great place to stay when exploring Vermont’s state parks. Find exceptional hiking and winter sports in the Green Mountain National Forest. Enjoy some of the best cycling in New England, play golf, go birding & fishing, geocaching, and try water sports on our lakes. The area offers outstanding winter sports as well. Whatever your interest, come experience the natural splendor of our region.
SPRING/SUMMER/FALL
- Frog Hollow Bikes: Middlebury. Bike rentals
- Green Mountain Bikes: Rochester. Bike rentals and repairs
- Discovery Bicycle Tours: Woodstock. Group tours, midweek and weekends
- Find a Trail for Mt Bikes VT Bike and Pedestrian Coalition (region)
- Lake Champlain Bikeways: Burlington. Safe and scenic rides around Lake Champlain
- Bredeson Outdoor Adventures: Bridport. Guided and self-guided hiking and bicycling.
- Cedar Knoll Golf: Hinesburg. Surrounded by Vermont’s Green Mountains
- Basin Harbor Golf Course: Vergennes. On the shores of Lake Champlain
- Neshobe Golf Course: Brandon. One of Vermont’s prettiest & most popular golf courses
- Ralph Myhre Golf Course: Middlebury. Operated by Middlebury College
- Country Inns Along the Trail: Brandon. Inn to inn self-guided hiking & biking vacations
- Dead Creek Wildlife Management Area: Addison. Wildlife; birding; Snow geese migration
- Lake Champlain Basin: Grand Isle. Information on the Lake and surrounding lands
- Lake Champlain Birding Trail: Road-based trail connecting, approximately 300 miles, 88 birding sites
- Lake Champlain: South Hero. Sometimes called the Sixth Great Lake
- Lake Dunmore: Salisbury. 1000 acre lake at the base of Mt Moosalamoo; swimming, boating
- Middlebury Mountaineer: Middlebury. Canoe & kayak rentals
- Moosalamoo National Recreation Area: Goshen. 21,000 acres of forest, cliffs, vistas, & trails
- Otterbehere: Vergennes. Canoe & kayak rentals on Otter Creek
- Above Reality: Essex. Hot air balloon rides
- POMG Bike Tours: Richmond. 5-day and weekend tours through Vermont
- Green Mountain Club: Waterbury. Vermont’s footpath in the wilderness, the Long Trail
- Vermont State Parks: Statewide. Hiking, boating & recreation in scenic settings
- VOGA: Ferrisburgh. Vermont hiking, backpacking, and guide service information
- Vermont State Parks – Nearby DAR, Mount Philo, Button Bay, Kingsland Bay
- Proctor-Pittsford Country Club: Proctor
- Pittsford Trail Network: Pittsford. Hiking & mountain biking around the village
- Waterhouse Marina on Lake Dunmore: Salisbury. Boat rentals
- White River Golf Course: Rochester
- Horseback riding at Mountain Top: Chittenden. Equestrian center open to the public; lessons; stables
- Hunting Seasons: Statewide hunting and fishing
- Vermont Skydiving Adventures: Addison. Get a bird’s eye view of the region
- VBT: Bristol. Bicycling tours in Vermont and Europe
- Sojourn Bike Tours: Charlotte. Bicycling & Active Vacations
- Paintballing: Shoreham. Champlain Valley Paintball has 14 fields
- Pond Hill Ranch: Castleton. Trail rides
- Lake Champlain Angler: Regionwide. Guide to fishing the Lake and its tributaries
- Flyfishing Guides: Middlebury
- Vermont Sun Triathlon Series: Lake Dunmore
- Tour de Farms: Vergennes. Annual summer cycling event
WINTER
- Ski Haus: Middlebury. Ski and snowboard rentals
- Blueberry Hill Cross Country Ski Center: Goshen. Full service Nordic center
- Bredeson Outdoor Adventures: Bridport. Guided and self-guided snowshoeing and cross country skiing.
- Country Inns Along the Trail: Brandon. Self-guided inn to inn skiing/snowshoeing vacations
- Dog Sledding: Statewide. Guide to dog sledding in Vermont
- Killington: Killington. The biggest skiing in the East
- Lake Champlain Ice Fishing: Regional. Anglers’ guide to ice fishing
- Mad River Glen: Waitsfield. Ski it if you can! Unique single-chair lift
- Middlebury College Snow Bowl: Ripton. Vermont’s first carbon-neutral ski area
- Middlebury Mountaineer: Middlebury. Snowshoe rental
- Pico Mountain: Killington. A big mountain with a small ski area touch
- Rikert Ski Touring Center: Ripton. Operated by Middlebury College
- Sugarbush: Warren. 500 acres of skiing and snowboarding trails
- Snowmobiling: Statewide. Network of snowmobile trails
- Sleigh Rides: Chittenden. Sleigh rides with mountain and lake views