As most of you are by now aware, Lake Champlain is sort of fucked. With all the rain and snow melt, the lake breached its shores big styley and left a whole mess of destruction in its wake. One of the worst parts about all the flooding — besides the whole ruination of homes and livelihoods — is the fact that it effectively put the kibosh on big lake swimming this summer.
First of all, there is hardly any beach left. They’re all still submerged in soupy, scumwater. When the water finally does recede, who knows what will remain and if anyone will want to step foot there. Most likely, we’ll have to fight for beach space with rusted out carburetors and medical waste. Awesome.
Secondly, the water is pretty grody right now. It’s a stew of phosphorous run-off, tree limbs and doll heads. I pretty much want to swim there never. Champ doesn’t even want to float around in the lake anymore and he’s been there for like 300 years. The algae blooms are predicted to be overwhelming and the floating detritus (like the remnants of Poppa Neutrino’s raft that I swear I saw near Oakledge Park recently) will take a while to clean up.
So what’s a little water-baby to do? We suggest you hightail it to one of the many swimming spots in our region that are not Lake Champlain, especially this week, when temps are expected to ring in around 90 degrees. Below, in no particular order, is an admittedly non-comprehensive list of places to cool off in the area. Swim at your own risk. And wear your sunscreen (Dan Bolles).
1. Bolton Potholes — This area just off the Bolton Access Road is famed for its swimming hole. It’s also famed, or rather infamous, for the hordes of people it attracts every summer. The town has begun prohibiting parking along the the road and with good reason — people were destroying the hell out of the place. If you go, maybe hit it during the week and try your hardest not to be a douche when you’re there.
2. Triple Buckets — The Huntington River in Richmond can certainly be dangerous — Huntington Gorge has claimed many lives over the years. But if you stick to the swimming holes (literally, three buckets) below the falls and the gorge off of Dugway Road, you’ll be alright. If you’re into jumping off of tall things, you can do that here. There’s a sizable cliff jump, but good luck pushing your way past all the teenage boys to get a shot.
3. Indian Brook Reservoir — Yes, you have to pay to swim in this beautiful town reservoir, but it’s worth it. While some people sneak in “the back,” you should probably pay your cash, since that’s what keeps the place so nice. $8 for Essex residents, $32 (ouch) for non-residents. It can get crowded on weekends, but it’s a 60-acre reservoir, so there’s no shortage of water.
4. Colchester Pond — This little gem in Colchester is smaller than Indian Brook and you don’t have to pay. The last time I went, no one was there and I had the killer rope swing on the far side of the lake all to myself. I’m wondering if there are snakes or dead bodies floating in the water, which is why it was empty. Maybe it was just the sight of me in a bathing suit that scared other swimmers off. Oh well, more rope swinging for me.
5. Lake Iroquois — This little 229-acre beauty is bounded by Richmond, Hinesburg, Williston and St. George and makes for some good summer swimming. Like Indian Brook, you have to pay to use it. But unlike Indian Brook, you can buy day passes for $5-$7 a pop, which is basically what you would pay if we had any public outdoor pools in this neck of the woods.
6. Warren Falls — This swimming hole is a little off the beaten path for Burlingtonians, though residents of the Valley are well familiar with it. It features huge, deep pools, water slides and some little rock features you can jump from. But the best part is its proximity to the Warren Store, where you can get the best sandwiches this side of where ever makes good sandwiches.
7. Bristol Falls — This spot is another one of those where you’re apt to find lots of teenagers hucking themselves off of tall things into pools of water. But don’t let the smell of raging hormones discourage you from going. There are plenty of places to swim that aren’t full of pizza-faced youth. Work on your tan in the Circle Current, or head further upstream for some natural water slides.
Photo via northeastwaterfalls.com.
This article appears in Jun 8-14, 2011.
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8.) Buckingham Drive, Colchester- The Queen herself hasn’t got anything on this opportunity to swim right down the middle of the road in this tony subdivision. Enjoy a cooling swim as you paddle in Spielbergesque suburban splendor. Go now before the pumps empty it back into the lake.9.) Booth Street, Burlington- As reported in Seven Days! Surf the white water run-off from UVM. Dive down to explore the famous discarded couch reef. Enjoy a micro brew with the friendly neighbors.10.) State Street, Montepelier- A refreshing dip into politics as you fight the current with our senators and representatives in a bi-partisan bail out.
11. Winooski has a public pool and it’s only a couple of bucks to get in…
12. Lake Dunmore, East Middlebury – Although generally just a spot for those with homes surrounding the lake, Branbury State Park only charges a few bucks to get in and then provides you with beach access, bathrooms, swingsets, charcoal grills and more. You’re also a pretty close hike to the Falls of Lana which is a beautiful 4-tiered waterfall, complete with a pretty treacherous cliff you can jump off of (if you’re brave enough)!
Ober, thanks for the help promoting the lake and tourism in Vermont. Talk about kicking someone when they’re down. We need to attract people to vermont and the lake not away from it. Your lame articles are mostly forgettable until they really start effecting business in our state.
#13-89… http://www.swimmingholes.org/vt.htmlGreat user moderated site has some awesome spots to check out all over the state. Enjoy!
The Bolton location is about to become mighty inconvenient.Driving up the road yesterday furthered my belief that idiots abound in today’s society.Someone will get killed on our road and enough is enough.We taxpayers in Bolton do not need the aggravation and we will let the select board know that our public safety comes first.We tried last year to be nice and point out parking,littering,and other quality of life concerns at the potholes and the first warm day it was a shit show on the road.We have finally picked up most of the litter from jerks coming here during the winter and nonsense will not be tolerated this summer.WARNING..If you come to Bolton and park in, or on the traveled portion of the road,BRING CASH for the TOW.We do not have an ATM,local cab company,or bus system so think twice on being a inconsiderate Jerk in this town!To the folks that are not lazy morons and park at the bottom of the road or at the school thanks and enjoy.Please use the toilet before you leave home and bring your trash home with you.
OOOOPS I forgot to mention to all those reading the article and thinking of coming to Bolton to swim.The writer of the article failed to mention a (secret spot)that is one of the finest swimming places in all of Vermont and that is Shelburne Pond.They have PLENTY of parking,a portalet and are willing to put up with about any level of nonsense.Tell all your friends this is the best swimming spot in all of Chittenden county.
@SLIM: there’s no hiding the lake’s current condition or the fact that when the water finally recedes, it’s going to take awhile to repair the damage (both to the shore, and to the water). I think opening up a dialogue about Vermont’s alternative swimming destinations only serves to promote this state and to encourage tourism, thus picking up Vermont while it’s down.
Lake Iroquois and Indian Brook are filled with mill-foil. You can hardly swim in these any more. I was a dedicated Indian Brook guy but last year you couldn’t find a place to dive in without that nasty weed. Sucks.
I’d also like to recommend River’s Bend Campground on Dog Team Road in New Haven, VT. My family goes camping there every year, and the river is fantastic for swimming. You don’t have to camp overnight either; day passes are dirt cheap: $2 for kids, $4 for adults, $10 per family.
agree with bungalow benchley that reporting problems with swimming in lake champlain this summer isn’t hitting vermont while it’s down. it provides a public service by disseminating important information before deciding to take the plunge.understand bolton residents’ frustrations with uncaring folks using the potholes. but is towing cars away without warning the way to solve the problem? perhaps ticketing with a fine would be the better way – and follow up on those tickets to ensure they get paid. what about booting with a fee to remove? plus…don’t forget that we’re not all neanderthals. fed up seems to dump everyone that’s not from bolton into the same bucket. not a mature response at all!
This article could have been more carefully composed (i.e., “don’t be a douche”, “like for 300 years,” etc.) but I think it’s a good idea to clue people in who are unaware about a few of the sweetest and most popular swimming spots that are alternative to Lake Champlain. I’m with “FED UP” in many ways and don’t go to that portion of Bolton Brook because of the total zoo. In response to BOB, the warnings about Bolton Pots have been widely publicized and I believe there to be corresponding signage to that effect.The author mentions a couple of the main things about coming out to swim in the rivers and brooks: BE CLEAN and BE SAFE. These can not be emphasized enough! Everybody that pees, poops or lets their dogs poop without cleaning it up and removing it from near these watercourses is adding extremely nasty biological contaminants to the water such as fecal coliform, e. coli and potentially giardia or other parasites. All of these things can make people very sick. It’s a scientific fact that dog poo is not like fox or coyote but rather just as contaminating as our own, so please pack this stuff out! Burying near waterways isn’t effective given the number of other visitors with pets to these popular locales.Not mentioned at all in this article is the spread of the devastating Rock Snot algae, a recently arrived invasive exotic from Asia. For the love of our beautiful and often quite pristine streams, please *do NOT* go into these waters with wet footwear from other locations!! Rock snot can eventually kill nearly (or) all life in the stream bed and destroys the biological integrity of watercourses. It is currently in the mid-to-lower Winooski, Mad and White Rivers. Anyone hopping from swimming holes downstream to those upstream WILL contaminate via their footwear. If you do go swimming hole hopping (one of my favorite summer past-times), start upstream and work your way down in order to avoid further contamination. Rock snot is every bit as bad as milfoil, or zebra mussels, or Japanese knotweed in its devastating ecological consequences. The best ways to clean footwear is by drying completely for at least 36 hours or by scrubbing in hot soapy water.that said–have fun, respect each other and be sensical out there …. these places are natural treasures that out-of-staters are jealous of us for having easy access to
Essex Jct and Essex Town both have public pools.
Where’s the outrage toward the state’s negligence regulating the agricultural runoff in VT?
The Matters have only worsened The Lake George and Lake Champlain Water Shed is an EVEN BIGGER MESS. Seems that Campaign Donations from the CorpORats and Their Banksters allow the SLOBS to make an even BIGGER MESS …… A Racketeering Suit for 5 BILLION in Clean Up has been forwarded to the US Attorney in New York City and the US ARMY , NOAA and Vermont and New York’s ENVIRONMENTAL CONservation Departments are ON NOTICE. https://theadirondacksconspiracy.wordpress… see especially https://theadirondacksconspiracy.wordpress…