Sandbox::https://vtstateparks.com/swimming.html

Swimming Overview

Nothing feels better than a swim in cool, clear water on a hot summer day. Vermont State Parks offer many places to swim, including lakes, rivers, and a swimming pool.

Most Vermont State Parks with water access offer swim beaches, restrooms, canoe and kayak rentals, and concessions at some locations. We perform weekly swim water testing. Lifeguards are available only at the Button Bay pool.

Swim Water Testing

We test water weekly at all Vermont State Park swimming areas during the operating season. Park staff monitor swimming areas for for E. coli and blue-green algae (cyanobacteria). Find live updates to beach swim-water status on the Vermont State Parks swim water results.

Note: Water testing takes place during the park operating season and ends no later than September 30.

Parks with Swimming

Northwest

The table below lists northwestern state parks that offer swimming and show the type of swimming area and amenities at each park.

Park	Type of Swimming	Boat Rental	Snack Bar	Playground	Beach Access Wheelchair
Alburgh Dunes	Sandy Beach	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Burton Island	Rocky Beach	Yes	Yes	No	No
Grand Isle	Rocky Beach	Yes	No	Yes	No
Kill Kare	Rocky Beach	Yes	No	No	No
Knight Island	Remote Lakeside	No	No	No	No
Knight Point	Rocky Beach	Yes	No	Yes	No
Lake Carmi	Sandy Beach	Yes	No	No	No
Niquette Bay	Sandy Beach	No	No	No	No
Sand Bar	Sandy Beach	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Woods Island	Remote Lakeside	Yes	No	Yes	No

Northeast

The table below lists northeastern state parks that offer swimming and show the type of swimming area and amenities at each park.

Park	Type of Swimming	Boat Rental	Snack Bar	Playground	Beach Access Wheelchair
Boulder Beach	Sandy Beach	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Brighton	Sandy Beach	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Crystal Lake	Sandy Beach	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Elmore	Sandy Beach	Yes	Yes	Yes	No
Green River Reservoir	Remote Lakeside	No	No	No	No
Kettle Pond	Remote Lakeside	No	No	No	No
Little River	Rocky Beach	Yes	No	Yes	No
Maidstone	Sandy Beach	Yes	No	No	No
Ricker Pond	Small Campers' Beach	Yes	No	No	No
Stillwater	Sandy Beach	Yes	No	Yes	No
Waterbury Center	Grassy/ Sandy Beach	Yes	No	No	Yes

Southwest

The table below lists southwestern state parks that offer swimming and show the type of swimming area and amenities at each park.

Park	Type of Swimming	Boat Rental	Snack Bar	Playground	Beach Access Wheelchair
Bomoseen	Grassy and Sandy Beach	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Branbury	Grassy and Sandy Beach	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Button Bay	Pool	No	No	Yes	No
Emerald Lake	Grassy and Sandy Beach	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Half Moon Pond	Small Campers Beach	Yes	No	Yes	No
Kingsland Bay	Grass with Dock	Yes	No	No	No
Lake Shaftsbury	Grassy and Sandy Beach	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Lake St. Catherine	Grassy and Sandy Beach	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Woodford	Sandy Beach	Yes	No	Yes	No

Southeast

The table below lists southeastern state parks that offer swimming and show the type of swimming area and amenities at each park.

Park	Type of Swimming	Boat Rental	Snack Bar	Playground	Beach Access Wheelchair
Camp Plymouth	Grassy and Sandy Beach	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Jamaica	River	No	No	Yes	No
Silver Lake	Grassy and Sandy Beach with Dock	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes

Beach Access Wheelchairs

Beach access wheelchairs may be reserved in advance by calling the park office or requested on the day of your visit subject to availability.

The following state parks have a beach access wheelchair:

Please note that Camp Plymouth State Park is the only park with beach matting. As funding becomes available, we are installing more Mobi mats over time. For more details on beach access, please call each park office directly.

Thank you to Vermont Parks Forever, Bronco Wild Fund, The Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, and Northeast Kingdom Fund of the Vermont Community Foundation for their help expanding access in Vermont State Parks.

Additional Resources

For water monitoring results outside of Vermont State Park swimming areas, check out the Cyanobacteria Tracker Map from the Vermont Department of Health.

Swimming Information