Vermont's Causeway Bike Path

The stunning Colchester Causeway extends 3 miles into Lake Champlain, and is surrounded by expansive lake and Adirondack Mountain views. Explore on foot or on bike, with young kids, teenagers, or your dog - everyone will love this trail.

At 2.5 miles across, there’s a “cut” in the causeway, but thanks to the Island Line Bike Ferry, you and your bike will be transported across the 200 ft gap to South Hero Island where there is more exploring to do. The ferry runs weekends only in the spring and fall, then daily in the summer.

The Colchester Causeway is located at the end of the larger 14-mile Island Line Trail, which includes the Burlington Bike Path or Greenway, an 8-mile multi-use path. The entire trail is considered accessible and most of the Burlington sections are paved.

Starting from Oakledge Park in Burlington’s South End, the path hugs the water, connecting several parks and beaches as it winds its way to Colchester. In the winter, the western (lake side) of the path is plowed, leaving the eastern side for skiing. In the spring, summer, and fall, this path is popular for bikers, runners and commuters. Bikes can be rented from North Star Sports, located at 100 Main Street in downtown Burlington.

The weather was chilly, windy, and held potential for rain during our visit, so we did not rent bikes, or start our journey from Burlington. Instead, we drove to the start of the causeway in Colchester. The main parking area is located at Airport Park, 500 Colchester Point Rd, but we continued past it, hoping to get a bit closer to the start of the trail…again, the cold and imminent rain. We were lucky to find parking in the smaller Causeway Park lot on Mills Point Rd. From there, it’s only a 5 minute walk to the water’s edge and the start of our walking on water experience.

I’d imagine this is a stellar spot for a sunrise or sunset walk. The views are expansive and the combination of water, island, and mountains offered a trifecta of beautiful things.

We plan to return with bikes for a longer summer exploration, but even a short walk across the spectacular causeway was well worth the trip.

The causeway is just a 15 minute drive from Burlington, where we were staying. This vibrant, creative city has plenty to do and even here, the views of Lake Champlain and the mountains will blow you away. We’ll be spending plenty of time in Vermont in the coming years, so I’ll report back after our summer trip and bike ride along the full 14-mile Island Line Trail.