The Region: The
Northeast Kingdom is where Vermonters go to pay homage to the
wilderness. Long views of distant mountains, the haunting beauty of Lake
Willoughby and the area's dark deep forests frame frontier towns and
villages of resilient character and surprising qualities. The Kingdom
represents almost one-fifth of the state, and has over 200 lakes and
ponds. The Northeast Kingdom was baptized such in 1949 by U.S.
Senator George Aiken in remarks praising its beauty.
In addition to it being paradise to
hikers, campers, boaters, fishermen and snowmobilers, it is home to Kingdom
Trails, supposedly rated as one of the top five mountain biking
networks in the world.
There are 123 towns and
villages in the Kingdom - below we address those which we believe to be
of most interest to visitors. Current
Weather Conditions
· Winter
Storm Warnings · Verrmont
Road Conditions Click On Photos For Larger Images
Newport, Newport Center: It almost seems as if Newport would like
to keep Lake Memphremagog all to itself, but it's hard to hide a
30-mile-long lake. Two-thirds of the lake lie across the Canadian border, and a tour
boat takes passengers for a scenic cruise of the lake during the warmer
months.
July brings the Memphremagog International Aquafest featuring a
32-mile swim race from Newport to Magog, Canada, along with a parade,
water ski tournament and other local festivities.
Barton, Burke, East Burke, Westmore: This area is the home of Lake
Willoughby, located in the town of Westmore - worth a special
trip - and the time to linger and enjoy its beauty. Mounts Hor and Pisgah
stand vertical sentinel at either side of the 
lake,
creating an almost eerie scene from either tip of the lake, which is set
almost entirely in a state forest. Willoughby is a glacial lake over
300' deep in places, and very much resembles a Norwegian Fjord. Route 5A runs along the lake's
eastern shore and is a remarkably beautiful drive. Very little interrupts Willoughby's dramatic beauty. There
are public beaches and public boat launching access points at both the
north and south ends of the lake. In short, Lake Willoughby is most
probably Vermont's most dramatic lake.
Barton is the home of Crystal
Lake State Park. Crystal Lake is also a glacial lake, beautifully
situated between rugged mountains. The lake is approximately three miles
long and about one mile in width. In some places it is known to be more
than 100 feet deep. It has a sandy beach approximately a mile long, and
seemingly endless picnic tables and charcoal grills.
Lyndonville:
The home of Lyndon
State College and of the manufacturer of the legendary Bag Balm, a
uniquely Vermont product developed as an ointment for cattle and adopted
for use by humans! Lyndonville is also distinctive for its five covered
bridges and for the Snowflake Festival Winter Carnival held each
February.
A few miles north is East Burke and Burke
Mountain, a year-round resort area offering everything from Downhill
Skiing to Mountain Biking, Golf and Kayaking during the warmer months
St. Johnsbury: The arts and sciences have
been carefully nurtured here! The Fairbanks Museum & Planetarium
hosts a vast collection of natural science exhibits in a building which
is itself an architectural delight. But it is the Eye
On The Sky Weather Reports
broadcast from the museum which bring it to attention many times a day
throughout the state and elsewhere.
Keeping an "Eye on the
Sky," reflects the
enthusiasm of the museum's founder, Franklin Fairbanks, who kept weather
records decades before he built the museum in 1891. In the late 1940s
the museum took to the airwaves with radio broadcasts of weather reports
laced with natural history, folklore and bird calls. Nowadays two
meteorologists use state-of-the art technology to bring the reports to a
listener base of three million people, but their reports still include
local history and folklore as well as reports geared to agriculture,
recreation and astronomy.
You'll also want to visit the Catamount
Art Center while
here. They have brought an array of arts programs to northern Vermont
and New Hampshire for more than two decades. The Catamount Arts Center
contains an 85-seat theater, gallery and visual arts studios. Live
performances of music, dance and theater as well as films are offered at
the Center.
Cabot:
Home of The Cabot Farmers Co-op Creamery and
therefore the showcase for the famous cheddar cheese which bears the
Cabot name! Visitors are welcome to the organization's visitors center.
Tours are available.
Derby Line:
This town straddles the
Vermont/Canadian border in a most theatrical way. The Haskell Free
Library and Opera House presents live performances on a stage located in
Canada to a audience seated in the United States. The opera house is a
delightful surprise - an elaborate architectural jewel in the farthest
reaches of the Northeast Kingdom. Truly a diamond in the rough!
Glover:
Peacham:
Sweeping views of picturesque farms and villages make Peacham a favorite
with professional as well as amateur photographers seeking to capture
the state's character in a single snapshot.
Boltonville:
If you're intrigued by the
name and want to take a dip in Ticklenaked Pond, here's your chance at a
small beach on the pond in Boltonville.
Greensboro:
This small town is the home of the famed Circus Smirkus, and begins and
ends it summer Big
Top Tour here in town.
Island Pond: Wilderness would be
describe this area virtually without roads or villages, except for the
the Town of Island Pond. In days gone by [1800s] it was a major
railroad junction between Canada and Maine - and a place of loggers and
railroad men. Today is is a place of anglers, hunters, and lovers of the
great outdoors. It's logging roads make for interesting exploration!
Why the name Island Pond? The lake is distinguished by a
20-acre island in its center. The town is also the home of Brighton
State Park, located just outside the village - and
offers camp sites, a snack bar, picnic areas, a bathhouse, rental boats
and a nature trail.
Jay, Jay Peak:
Jay
Peak sits on the Vermont-Canada border, and the view from
its summit takes in Lake Champlain, Lake Memphremagog, and Camel's Hump,
the tallest peak in the Green Mountains. A tram takes visitors to the
top not only during ski season but in summer and foliage season as well.
Alpine skiing is spectacular, and the most reliable natural snow in the
state makes the area a favorite for cross country skiers. And, there are
plenty of trails for hiking and mountain
biking during the warmer months.
