A county built for the outdoors
Orleans County is one of Vermont’s great year-round playgrounds — but a gloriously uncrowded one. Its glacial lakes, cliff-faced mountains and rolling farm country deliver swimming, paddling, hiking, biking and Nordic skiing without the resort-town bustle.
Lakes & paddling
Water comes first here.
Lake Willoughby — swim and paddle between towering cliffs.
Lake Memphremagog — sail and fish the 31-mile border lake from Newport.
Crystal & Seymour Lakes — state-park beaches and warm-water fishing.
Caspian Lake — a spring-fed swimming lake at Greensboro.
Hiking the cliffs & hills
The Kingdom’s trails are short, steep and rewarding.
Mount Pisgah — 4.2 miles of ledges above Lake Willoughby.
Mount Hor — gentler west-side overlooks.
Bluff Mountain (Island Pond) — big boreal-forest views for modest effort.
Winter: ski, skate, ride
When the snow flies, Jay Peak delivers the East’s deepest powder, while the Craftsbury Outdoor Center grooms miles of Nordic trails. Frozen Lake Memphremagog draws ice anglers, and quiet back roads become snowmobile and snowshoe routes.
Good to know
Can you swim in Lake Willoughby?+
Yes — North Beach (sandy) and South Beach (pebble) offer cold, clear swimming beneath the cliffs in summer.
Where can I cross-country ski?+
The Craftsbury Outdoor Center grooms extensive Nordic trails and offers lodging and dining.
Is Orleans County crowded?+
No — it is among the quietest, least-developed corners of Vermont, even in peak foliage and ski season.