★ 4.0Composed of islands in Lake Champlain in the far northwest.
A chain of low, green islands with more shoreline than any county in Vermont and the state’s longest growing season.
Where to stay in Grand Isle County
Pick your island by how far from everything you want to be. South Hero is the practical end of the chain, half an hour from Burlington and the airport by US-2 and the Sand Bar causeway, which makes it the easy base if you plan to drive in for dinner or a museum. Grand Isle puts you next to the Plattsburgh ferry and roughly in the middle of the county; North Hero is quieter again, with the best of the open water views; and Isle La Motte and Alburgh at the top are as far from a crowd as Vermont’s lakeshore gets. Aim for a west-facing shore if the sunset over the Adirondacks matters to you. July and August book solid and a good deal closes for the winter, so late spring and early autumn are both the emptier and the more available windows.
Hand-checked stays
Stays in Grand Isle County
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★ 4.0On the ground
Things to do in Grand Isle County
- Route 2 island driveCross the causeway and thread the length of the Champlain Islands, water on both sides the whole way.
- Grand Isle State ParkLakeside camping, swimming and sunset views back toward the Adirondacks.
- Isle La MotteFossil reefs, a quiet lighthouse and St. Anne’s Shrine on Vermont’s oldest settled island.
- Islands orchards & wineriesThe mild lake climate ripens apples and grapes — farm stands and tasting rooms dot the islands.
Getting around & the essentials
Transport
US-2 is the spine of the county, leaving I-89 at Milton and crossing the Sand Bar causeway into South Hero before running north through Grand Isle, North Hero and Alburgh, where VT-78 links east to Swanton. Burlington International (BTV) is about 30 to 45 minutes from most of the islands, and a car ferry crosses year round between Grand Isle and Plattsburgh, New York. A car is necessary, though the flat terrain makes the islands unusually good for cycling once you are here.
Good to know
Common questions
Do you need a boat to reach the islands?
No. US-2 crosses onto South Hero on a causeway from Milton and carries on north through the chain by bridge, so the whole county is reachable by car. There is also a year-round ferry between Grand Isle and Plattsburgh, New York, which crosses in about twelve minutes.
What is there to do besides the lake?
Honestly, the lake is the point. Beyond it there are apple orchards and small farms, the Hyde Log Cabin on Grand Isle from the 1780s, quiet cycling on flat back roads, and birdwatching around the Missisquoi wetlands north of the islands. It is a place for slow days rather than a list of attractions.
Is it worth visiting outside summer?
Late spring and early autumn are lovely and much emptier, with good light over the water and the Adirondacks across it. Winter is stark: many seasonal businesses close, though ice fishing shanties appear on the bays in a cold year.
How close is Burlington?
Close enough to be a day trip in either direction. South Hero is roughly 30 to 40 minutes from Burlington by US-2 and I-89, so people staying on the islands regularly drive in for dinner, the airport or a museum.
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