Lake Champlain stretches for about 120 miles between New York and Vermont, creating one seriously fun route for a road trip.
Along the way, you’ll cross islands, follow roads beside the water, wander through historic village centers, and find beaches, hiking trails, old forts, museums, farms, and some pretty wild local stories.
You’ll even travel near the Canadian border, cross bridges between states, and follow sections of shoreline where the Green Mountains rise across the water.
This trip is especially fun because every stop brings something different.
Ready to see what’s waiting around the next bend?
1. Port Henry, New York
Port Henry sits on the western shore of Lake Champlain in New York’s Adirondack region, about 1 hour from Plattsburgh, with waterfront views stretching toward Vermont’s Green Mountains.
The village became a major iron-mining and shipping center in the 1800s, and you can explore that story at the Iron Center Museum, housed inside a former Witherbee, Sherman & Company laboratory.
Head to Port Henry Beach for swimming, fishing, and watching boats cross the 120-mile-long Lake Champlain, then stop by the historic Port Henry train station, which still serves Amtrak’s Adirondack route between New York City and Montreal.
Keep an eye on the water for “Champ,” Lake Champlain’s legendary lake monster, celebrated around town with signs, stories, and decades of reported sightings.
2. Westport, New York
Continue along Lake Champlain and you’ll reach Westport, a small Essex County waterfront town about 15 minutes from Port Henry, with the Adirondack Mountains rising behind its shoreline.
Spend some time at Ballard Park, where lawns and gardens overlook the lake, then catch a show at the Depot Theatre, a professional theater operating inside Westport’s historic 1876 train station.
If you packed hiking shoes, climb Coon Mountain, a 2-mile round-trip trail with about 600 feet of elevation gain and rocky overlooks facing Lake Champlain and Vermont’s Green Mountains.
Westport also has deep boating roots, so stop at the town marina or waterfront before continuing your road trip, especially on a clear day when the broad lake and mountain views put on quite a show.
3. Essex, New York
From Westport, it’s nearly an hour’s drive to Essex, where one of Lake Champlain’s best-preserved collections of 19th-century buildings lines the streets beside the water.
There are 150 contributing structures that make up the Essex Village Historic District, including Greek Revival, Federal, and Italianate homes that date back to the village’s shipbuilding boom in the early 1800s.
Walk along Main Street, browse the shops and galleries, then head to the Essex-Charlotte Ferry, which carries cars across Lake Champlain to Charlotte, Vermont.
Before hitting the road again, check out the stone buildings near the waterfront and grab a lake view from Beggs Point Park, a small public park on the former site of the Essex Horse Nail Company.
4. Rouses Point, New York
From Essex, it’s about a one-hour drive to Rouses Point, a border village at the very top of Lake Champlain, very close to the Canadian border.
Its coolest landmark is Fort Montgomery, a massive 19th-century stone fort built beside the lake after an earlier American fort was accidentally started on Canadian soil, earning that first attempt the nickname “Fort Blunder.”
Stroll through Rouses Point Civic Center Park, watch boats near the Richelieu River connection, or photograph the impressive Rouses Point Bridge carrying U.S. Route 2 toward Vermont.
You’re also standing near Lake Champlain’s northern end, where the water eventually flows into Quebec’s Richelieu River and continues toward the St. Lawrence River, making this a fun geography stop before the road trip rolls on.
5. Alburgh, Vermont
Cross from Rouses Point into Vermont and you’ll land in Alburgh, a small community on the Alburgh Tongue, a peninsula that juts south from Canada between Lake Champlain’s broad waters and Missisquoi Bay.
Make Alburgh Dunes State Park your main stop, where a 1.25-mile trail leads through wetlands and forest to one of Vermont’s longest natural sand beaches, stretching for about 1 mile along the lake.
For a totally different adventure, pedal or walk part of the 3.5-mile Alburgh Rail Trail, a flat former railroad route passing farms, woods, and quiet stretches of countryside.
Here’s a quirky geography bonus: Alburgh is connected by land to Quebec but separated from the rest of Vermont by water, so you’ll need a bridge to continue south without crossing into Canada.
6. North Hero, Vermont
Leaving Alburgh behind, cross the bridge onto North Hero, the main community on North Hero Island, a long, narrow Lake Champlain island surrounded by bays, beaches, and open water.
Make your way to North Hero State Park, where 399 acres include boating access, swimming spots, fishing access, and trails through cedar forests along the island’s northern shore.
For an easy outdoor stop, visit the 54-acre Knight Point State Park, where a roughly 1-mile trail follows the shoreline and gives you views across Lake Champlain toward the Green Mountains.
North Hero also sits in Vermont’s Grand Isle County, and its quiet roads pass local farms and historic homes, making the drive itself part of the fun as you continue south through the Champlain Islands.
7. South Hero, Vermont
Drive about 20 minutes from North Hero and you’ll reach South Hero, where farm stands, vineyards, and shoreline stops give this part of the road trip a tasty change of pace.
Swing by Snow Farm Vineyard, Vermont’s first commercial vineyard, to sample locally made wine from grapes grown on the island, then grab fresh apples, cider doughnuts, or maple treats at nearby farm stands when they’re in season.
For lake time, head to White’s Beach, a small town beach on the western shore, or explore the Landon Community Trail property near South Hero village.
Before leaving the island, look for South Hero’s quirky roadside stone castles, miniature structures built by local gardener Harry Barber during the 1930s using stones collected from the surrounding fields.
8. Shelburne, Vermont
After leaving the Champlain Islands, finish your road trip in Shelburne, about a 30-minute drive from South Hero and home to two of Vermont’s most memorable attractions.
Start at the 45-acre Shelburne Museum, where 39 buildings hold more than 100,000 objects, including folk art, historic carriages, and the steamboat Ticonderoga, which once carried passengers on Lake Champlain.
Next, explore Shelburne Farms, a 1,400-acre working farm and education center on the lakeshore, where walking trails pass gardens, forests, barns, and the enormous Farm Barn, completed in 1890.
Wrap things up at Shelburne Bay Park, where trails wind through woods and along Lake Champlain, giving you one final chance to stretch your legs and soak up those mountain-and-water views.
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