Vermont has a plethora of great outdoor activities to do. We spent most days off biking, hiking, swimming, or exploring historic sites. Here is a list of seven of our very favorites. We threw in a few of our favorite food stops as well for when you get hungry on your adventures.

Cliff Jump at Bartlett Falls

Being from the south, cliff jumping is a coming of age tradition. Bartlett Falls is a wonderful stopping point along the New Haven River Gorge. Located in Bristol, Vermont there are multiple parking spots along the side of the road where small trails will take you down to the falls. There is a large pool for swimming, and several ledges of varying heights you can jump from. TIP – choose a warm day to go as the falls are well shaded and stay chilly even in the summer.

A stop at the Village Creemee stand (which is just down the road) after a long swim if the perfect way to end the day in our opinion!

Ride the Bike trail to Lake Champlain

This bike trail is one of the prettiest we’ve ever ridden. Called the Island Line Trail, the smooth path (mostly paved) stretches for 14 miles in Burlington Vermont. Our favorite section was when the trail runs into the Colchester Causeway which allows you to bike for three miles out onto the lake. TIP – if you plan ahead you can catch the ferry boat that will take you to the Champlain Islands for more exploration! Local Motion Bike Ferry

Take the Lake Champlain Dinner Cruise – A classic Vermont adventure, the cruise sets out from Burlington Vermont and offers many different options and price points to choose from. We chose to take the dinner cruise as a fun last hurrah with a bevy of my co-workers. The cruise treated us to a wonderful buffet dinner with live music as we enjoyed the lakes sunset views.

Hike Camels Hump for amazing views

We’re well experienced hikers and we discovered quickly that this hike is no joke! The Camels Hump Trek offers two different starting point. The main difference in the trails in whether you want to be hiking up a long rocky incline, or down it. Looking back, we wish we had chosen up for the sake of our joints :). The hike is a 6 mile out and back trail. The views from the top are a spectacular 360 well worth the journey. TIP – black flies LOVE this hike, bring plenty of bug spray and consider long sleeves and pants for protection.

Visit the Morgan Horse Farm

Growing up one of my favorite books was “Justin Morgan Had a Horse”, which details the lineage of a well loved Morgan horse. When I saw that there was a horse farm where the horse of lore was immortalized in a statue, I knew we had to go! Run by the University of Vermont , the Morgan Horse Farm is a beautiful property that offers inexpensive guided tours, and also allows you the opportunity to gaze at and photograph the beautiful horses that live there on your own. It’s worth the trip just to see all the cute baby Morgans learning to walk on their gangly legs.

Hike the Silver Lake Trail to the Lake at the top

If you’ve ever wanted to hike up a mountain and find a pristine lake to swim in at the top, this is the hike for you! In Addison County Vermont, along lake Dunmore, the Silver Lake Trail is a beautiful, moderate 4.7 mile out and back hike. Offering great views of Lake Dunmore and the Falls of Lana along the way, this hike will have you taking photos every few minutes. TIP – if you own an inflatable paddle board, hike up with it and paddle out onto the lake from the top!

Spend the Day Relaxing at Lake Dunmore

The spot we could have spent all thirteen weeks of our time in Vermont at. The lake is in Addison County Vermont and has multiple access points, but the boat launch next to the Paddlers Pub was our favorite. If you are putting in a boat here you can park there for free, or the next door pub offers parking and access to their private beach for a small fee (plus food if you get hungry!). Branbury State Park is another parking area, but tends to be very crowded when the weather is nice.

Stop by Seven South or Noonies to pick up one of our favorite sandwiches before heading to the lake!

That about sums up our list of our favorite spots in Vermont. If you are ever in the area and use this list to help you find things to do, let us know what you think of them.