Outdoors

beach at emerald lake state park vermont
Waters with an Edge

Looking to make a splash in Stratton this summer? In an area perhaps best known for its ski mountains, you may be surprised by just how much Vermont has to offer when it comes to warm weather fun. Here, summers are defined not just by the brilliant glow of the Green Mountains but by the crisp, cool, and clear waters waiting within…

Outdoors

jackie kutzer with trout
Women and Fly Fishing: They’re Rolling On The River

Fly fishing has long been known as the sport of gentlemen, but in recent years the ladies have splashed down in rivers and streams in droves, making them the fastest-growing demographic in the sport. Any way they find it, women are embracing fly fishing and the sport’s fuddy-duddy image seems destined for extinction…

Outdoors

woman fly fishing
A River Runs Through It

The gorgeous natural surroundings, an abundance of trout, and the world famous Battenkill—a fly-fishing mecca for centuries—make the Manchester area the go-to spot for any serious fly-fishing enthusiast seeking the ultimate East Coast angling adventure…

Outdoors

view from the long trail
Conserving Higher Ground

Atop the tallest mountain in Southern Vermont some sunny day you may find yourself at the Stratton Mountain fire tower, perched 55 feet high at 3,936 feet above sea level. Here you scan out upon a 360-degree view of the most contiguous forest and wilderness areas in all of Vermont. You are on the oldest long distance hiking path in the United States, the Long Trail (L.T.). You are also standing on the longest, skinniest national park in the United States…

Outdoors

mountain biking group
Dorset Mountain Biking

Miles and his friend and fellow biking enthusiast Kevin Harrington spent nearly 40 hours just laying out the course. “Then the real fun started. Clearing out the debris, packing it all down, making it smooth while leaving the occasional root — this is mountain biking after all — eleven feet of progress per person per hour was a good rate of speed,” Joe said.

Outdoors

New Moves for Battenkill Bicycles

Battenkill Bicycles (BkB) has moved to a new location to better serve you!

Outdoors

Bikers in Manchester Center Vermont
A Biking Mecca

The arrival of the Vermont Challenge coincides with a surge of interest in road and mountain biking around Manchester, which saw the formation of a biking taskforce in 2010. Efforts have continued ever since to build Manchester as a biking destination hub, and since 2013, the group called Manchester + Mountains (MMBC) Bicycle Club has installed bike racks, a bike repair station in the center of town, built biking trails and given help and support to events like the Vermont Challenge.

Outdoors

Countryside Bike Riding
R U Up 4 a Challenge?

What the New York Marathon is to the five boroughs, the Vermont Challenge is to our community.

Outdoors

Confessions of a Spring-aholic

Spring is the time when nobody can get enough.

Outdoors

Winter Hiking

The vistas from the mountaintops are spectacular.

Outdoors

Fish on Ice

Maybe it’s just the novelty—or just an excuse to get out of the house on a sunny winter day.

Outdoors

The Snows of Mother Myrick

I won’t say I look forward to the blizzards of winter. But I do anticipate them with a certain nonchalance and when I see that first dusting of snow at the top of Mother Myrick, I think, “Hey, go ahead. Bring it on. This is Vermont.”

Outdoors

Fishing for Color

There’s no App for October

Outdoors

Fall Foliage at its Peak

The Green Mountain State is home to more than 700 miles of hiking trails, all of them swathed, this time of year, in the glorious colors of fall.

Outdoors

In the Sky

The five-mile Skyline Drive to the top of Mt. Equinox may contain some potentially exciting hairpin turns, but the view at the top is worth the ride.

Outdoors

Forever a Highway

Vermont is crisscrossed by hundreds of “ancient” roads used now for hiking and snowmobiling. Some folks will go to great lengths to protect them from being lost forever.

Outdoors

Return of the Eagle

Viewing an eagle in Vermont is still an event. The great bird has suffered from loss of habitat in the past, but now the eagle is making a comeback. Here and everywhere.

Outdoors

Summer Hiking

Vermont is home to over 700 miles of hiking trails, and hundreds of miles of quaint back roads that seem to call your name. Many of Southern Vermont’s trail systems deliver you to unspoiled places with grand, sweeping views. Here are some of our top recommended day hikes in the heart of the Green Mountains.

Outdoors

The Phantom of Vermont

The cat that did not die … maybe

Families

Vermont Perfection at Lowell Lake State Park in Londonderry

Lowell Lake State Park is located at the end of a dirt road in a beautiful, secluded spot overlooking the lake. The park is operated differently than most other Vermont State Parks because it does not offer any type of facilities, and camping is not permitted. Still, it’s a popular spot for kayaking, fishing, and walking.