Burlington, Vermont:
Hot Adventures, Cool Town
Epic Adventures
1. Paddling the Lamoille River. The slow-moving Lamoille winds 85 miles through quintessential Vermont: barns, covered bridges and bright green fields grazed by cows right off a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. For a satisfying 12-mile sojourn, start in Jeffersonville and paddle down to Cambridge, where the river crosses under Highway 15.
2. Running the Long Trail. Dancing 270 miles along the spine of the Green Mountains (with 175 more miles of side trails), the Long Trail inspired the creation of the Appalachian Trail and retains its backcountry spirit of a century ago. Pick up maps and tips from the Green Mountain Club in Waterbury, 30 minutes east of Burlington.
3. Mountain biking the Mad River Valley. East of Burlington, more than 75 miles of singletrack trails and old logging roads twist through forests and meadows — some with gut-busting climbs — in and around Sugarbush and Mad River Glen ski areas. Farther east, the Kingdom Trails Association offers more than 100 miles of challenging routes. For maps and tips, stop at Stark Mountain Bike Works in Waitsfield (802-496-4800).
4. Overnighting on Mount Mansfield. Vermont’s highest peak, at 4,393 feet, may also be its most versatile recreation spot, offering a variety of winter and summer activities. Avoid crowds by starting a two-day, 9.3-mile hike in the afternoon and watch the sun sink behind the Adirondacks before bunking at historic Taft Lodge.
5. Climbing Bolton. With a five-acre tract recently acquired by access group CRAG-VT, the Bolton area is the locals’ favorite, just a 20-minute zip down I-89; the roadside routes vary from Harvest Moon (5.8) to The Rose (5.10a).
Crystal Champlain
Shared by New York and Vermont, the 120-mile long Lake Champlain once harbored beluga whales and seals in its waters; in 1998, it enjoyed a brief stint as the country’s sixth Great Lake, a designation soon dismantled by miffed Midwesterners. But today, great creatures (Champ, a Loch-Ness-like sea monster believed to swim beneath the surface) and greatness abound on the lake, a vast playground for sailors, anglers, canoeists and kayakers. One of the most exciting ongoing recreational and environmental projects is the Lake Champlain
Paddlers’ Trail
A water system of some 30 rest stops and campsites scattered along the shores. Eventually, the Lake Champlain Committee (LCC), a nonprofit advocacy group that oversees the trail as a way to promote low-impact usage, aims to have sites every eight to 10 miles. For now, prime paddling areas close to Burlington lie around Malletts Bay and the neighboring islands; camp at Knight Island State Park, a roadless former dairy farm lined with shale-cobble beaches (888-409-7579; $14). For the 2024 Lake Champlain Paddlers’ Trail Guidebook & Stewardship Manual, purchase an LCC membership ($40 for individuals) by visiting www.lakechamplaincommittee.org or calling 802-658-1414.
Main Event
The Jay Challenge, a three-day stage race in its third year, is a uniquely user-friendly multi-sport event, as participants can choose how — and how much — they race. But the friendliness ends there: the weekend kicks off on July 23 with the Jay Crossover, a 26-mile mile paddle across Lake Memphremagog, which straddles the border with Canada and can douse the canoes, kayaks, surf dories and Adirondack guide boats with four-foot waves. (It also, incidentally, claims its own sea monster, named Memphre.) The next day’s Mountain Marathon is a grueling, 26-mile off-road run through mud, water and rocks, with rope-assisted river crossings and steep climbs and scrambles up and down Jay Peak; mid-pack finishers stagger across the line in six to seven hours. The mountain bike race, on July 25, caps off the Challenge with 60 miles and 10,500 feet of elevation gain. Choose one leg, or all three, but choose to prepare. Check out www.jaychallenge.com for more details.
The Vibe
Location, location, location: Burlington’s got it — on the shores of Lake Champlain, between the Adirondack and Green Mountains — but it also has the slow-growth attitude to keep this prime piece of adventure real estate pristine.
The University of Vermont, a hilltop cluster of brick buildings, derives a good chunk of its student body from hikers, paddlers and skiers seeking four years of nirvana, while the 40,000 residents arrange their workdays around the seasons. The strategy? Hunker down for frigid winters and take long spring picnic lunches on the lake (just steps from downtown). During summer’s glory, when temperatures hover in the high 70s and low 80s, there’s the call of Mount Mansfield, Lake Champlain and plenty of singletrack. This year, a few of the savviest strategists founded the Green Mountain Adventure Racing Association (www.gmara.org), which organizes clinics and partners with local businesses to share Burlington’s bounty with other outdoor addicts.
Top Shops
Take your pick of a half-dozen spots scattered around Church Street: Outdoor Gear Exchange (191 Bank Street; 888-547-4327) sells a wide array of top-shelf packs, tents, maps and canine comforts, plus cut-rate closeout and used equipment, while Skirack (85 Main Street; 800-882-4530) is the place for bikes, components and running shoes. For paddling, head to Canoe Imports in South Burlington (370 Dorset Street; 800-985-2992) or Umiak Outfitters in Stowe (849 South Main Street; 802-253-2317).
Good Eats
Just off the pedestrian-only Church Street, Penny Cluse Café (169 Cherry Street; 802-651-8834) serves Southwestern-style breakfasts all day; arrive early as the Zydeco — black beans, andouille sausage and eggs — and other farm-fresh dishes have inspired a cult-like following. Myer’s Bagels (377 Pine Street; 802-863-5013), meanwhile, supports the Green Mountain Athletic Association with honey-boiled, Montreal-style bagels for its Sunday runs (the sugared ones go first). For lunch, try the signature sandwich at the Red Onion (140 1/2 Church Street, 802-865-2563), a hot tower of turkey, bacon, apples, red onions and cheese. On warm summer evenings, outdoor tables at a variety of restaurants, from pub grub to Thai, line Church Street; if the lines are long, the indoor seating at Three Tomatoes (83 Church Street; 802-660-9533) offers just as much atmosphere, with excellent wood-fired pizzas and dozens of pasta dishes. Many regard the Single Pebble (133 Bank Street; 802-865-5200) the best Chinese cuisine in northern New England; the mock eel should inspire your agreement. Still hungry? After catching local bands like the Chrome Cowboys in the alleyway outside Red Square (136 Church Street; 802-859-8909), head for legendary late-night gravy fries at Nectar’s (188 Main Street; 802-658-4771).
Accommodations
For views, book at the Wyndham (802-658-6500; from $118), perched above Lake Champlain and a frisbee’s throw from Burlington’s Waterfront Park, access to the bike path, the new ECHO Center aquarium and community sailing center. East of town, the Catamount Outdoor Center (802-879-6001) — a frequent gathering spot for the chiseled set of Chittenden County, with 20 miles of trails for mountain biking and running — also has a bed-and-breakfast (from $75), while the Craftsbury Outdoor Center (800-729-7751; from $75) in the Northeast Kingdom offers secluded cabins, plus five- or seven-day running, paddling and biking camps. Tent sites around Burlington can be crowded, especially at the city’s own North Beach; consider heading south to River’s Bend Campground (802-388-9092; $26 for waterfront sites), on the Otter Creek near Middlebury and a short walk from world-famous sticky buns at the Dog Team Tavern (800-472-7651).
Local hero
Kevin Dwyer of Williston (10 minutes east of Burlington) has adopted a mantra that’s inwardly shared by most adventure racers: “Stay steady, stay strong.” It’s a philosophy developed through his hyperactive childhood — competing in cross country running, downhill skiing and motocross races — and solidified during his studies at Norwich University and various military schools (Helicopter Flight, Air Assault, Airborne, Mountain, Battle Staff and U.S. Navy Survival Evasion Resistance & Escape School, to name, ahem, a few). After several triathlons and mountain biking events, Dwyer turned to adventure racing in 1999. His team missed a turn in his first race (a Raid the North event in Canada), which resulted in dropping from a possible podium finish to the middle of the pack. Not one to be discouraged, he has since finished several 24- and 36-hour races, as well as the 2024 Armed Forces Eco-Challenge in Alaska, which his team won, earning a spot in Eco-Challenge Fiji later that year.
The 38-year-old Dwyer, a member of the National Guard and senior vice president of an insurance firm, faced an unexpected disruption to his racing schedule last year: he was shipped to Afghanistan. “My racing experience helped me quite a bit over there, just budgeting effort, energy, everything,” he says. “Understanding the dynamics of a team also helped a lot.”
Since returning home to his wife, Diane, and two kids in January, Dwyer has resumed his training regime in the woods, fields and waters of Northern Vermont. “To get ready for Fiji, we’d paddle for eight hours out on Lake Champlain, which is a tremendous resource,” he says. “When the water’s up, it’s very similar to a large ocean.” Plans for a near-future expedition race are up in the air because one teammate is in Iraq (as of early May), but Dwyer enjoys trail running up Mount Mansfield and Camel’s Hump and racing in the Wednesday night mountain bike series at Catamount Outdoor Center. He’s also found a new training partner: his 8-year-old son, Jack. “I just had my first distance run with him. He ran about a half-mile and was psyched.”
So while Dwyer’s mantra may sound serious, it’s this kidlike thrill that keeps him hooked. “I used to think I started training to burn off the excess energy,” he says. “But it’s really just to be outside and enjoy this environment.”
Getting There
Burlington is located in the northwest corner of Vermont, 44 miles south of the Canadian border. Burlington International Airport offers direct flights to and from several major cities, including Boston, Chicago, New York and Montreal. Amtrak’s Vermonter train runs daily between Washington, D.C. and Burlington, making stops in New York City and Springfield, Massachusetts. Unlimited adventures abound in all directions, but you’ll need to rent a vehicle to get around.
