Directions & Contact

The Lake Champlain Byway is located in the northwest portion of Vermont. From north to south, the formal route is 184 miles long and consists of U.S. Route 2 through Grand Isle County, U.S. Route 7 through Chittenden County and then south into Addison County.

A Byway is designated by the State of Vermont for its unique intrinsic qualities or resources. The Lake Champlain Byway is notable for its scenic, natural, recreational, historic and cultural resources. It is comprised of 22 communities along this route with more than 200 intrinsic resource sites (parks, trails, boat launches, performing arts centers, museums, etc.) managed by government entities and non-profits organizations.

We invite you to explore the Byway’s 200+ attractions via our interactive map of attractions: Lake Champlain Map »

See below for more information on:

  • How to get to the Lake Champlain Byway »
  • Byway Council »
  • Byway Partners »
  • Byway Plans »
  • Contact »

How to get to the Lake Champlain Byway

From New England
The fastest way to reach the Byway is to connect with US I-89 in New Hampshire and Vermont. Head in a northeasterly direction on I-89 North towards Burlington. At Exit 13, take the short spur of US I-189 to US Route 7 in South Burlington.

From New York
For travelers headed north from the Adirondacks: Take Route 149 east to link with US Route 4 East. After crossing into Vermont near Whitehall, NY, head north on Vermont Route 22A (or north on US Route 7 near Rutland) to reach the byway’s southernmost communities.

From Québec
The Lake Champlain Byway begins on the Rouses Point Bridge at US Route 2. Head south on Autoroute 15 to US I-87 in New York then take Exit 42 and head east on US Route 11 until you reach the bridge.

For travelers coming across Lake Champlain

From south to north there are several ways to get from New York to Vermont’s West Coast

  •  Take route 9N/22 to connect with the Lake Champlain Bridge from Crown Point, NY to Route 17 to Addison, VT
  •  Ticonderoga-Shoreham Ferry (7 minute crossing), check www.middlebury.net/tiferry for schedule
  •  Essex-Charlotte Ferry (20 minute crossing, year-round), www.ferries.com
  •  Port Kent – Burlington Ferry (1 hour crossing, mid-May through early October), www.ferries.com
  •  Plattsburgh – Grand Isle Ferry (20 minute crossing, year-round, 24 hrs./day), www.ferries.com
  •  Rouses Point Bridge, US Route 2 (see “From Québec” above)

Note: Ferry crossings vary on a seasonal basis and on the weekends so be sure to check the services’ websites for detailed schedules and fare information.

Via air
Catch a flight to Burlington International Airport (BTV) or to nearby Plattsburgh International Airport (PBG) in New York or if coming from overseas take a flight to Montreal-Trudeau (YUL).

Via rail (Amtrak)
Take Amtrak’s Vermonter train to Essex Junction, one of the Byway’s communities. This train runs between Washington, D.C. and several major east coast cities and ends in St. Albans, Vermont. Or you can take Amtrak’s Adirondack service running between New York City, Albany and Montréal and get off at several towns on the New York side of Lake Champlain. Both the Vermonter and Adirondack have one northbound trip and one southbound trip per day. Visit www.amtrak.com for details.

Byway Council

The Byway is managed by the Lake Champlain Byway Council, a registered Vermont Non-Profit Corporation formed in 2004. The purpose of the Corporation shall be to serve as the managing and coordinating body for the Lake Champlain Byway, a designated Byway within the State of Vermont and to undertake and support projects that balance the promotion, preservation, enjoyment, and stewardship of the Byway’s intrinsic resources.

The Council’s Board of Directors is comprised of 12 members as follows:

One member representing each of the following seven organizations:

  • Northwest Regional Planning Commission,
  • Chittenden County Regional Planning Commission,
  • Lake Champlain Regional Chamber of Commerce,
  • Addison County Regional Planning Commission,
  • Addison County Chamber of Commerce,
  • Lake Champlain Bikeways, Lake Champlain Basin Program

and five at-large members appointed by the seven members above.

It is important to note that the intrinsic resources of the Byway (e.g, parks, museums, trails, boat launches, etc.) are not managed or owned by the Councils. Rather, these sites or attractions are managed by a variety of municipalities, agencies and organizations.

Byway Partners

The primary partners of the Byway who manage the Byway resources are its 22 designated communities. Other key partners include:

  • State of Vermont, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation;
  • State of Vermont, Department of Fish & Wildlife;
  • State of Vermont, Agency of Transportation;
  • State of Vermont, Agency of Commerce & Community Development;
  • University of Vermont, Natural Areas Program;
  • The Nature Conservancy;
  • Various historical societies, land trusts, museums and other attractions.

To visit the websites of these various organizations, click on their links noted for each site’s info in our Interactive Map »

Last but not least, we rely on the Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing to help spread the word about the Lake Champlain Byway as well as other Byways in the State. Check out their info here:

https://www.vermontvacation.com/landing-pages/byways/lake-champlain-byway

Byway Plans

Management and development of the Byway is informed by its three respective Corridor Management Plans for each of the three counties (Grand Isle, Chittenden and Addison) traversed by the route of the Byway. The purpose of these Plans is to outline protection and enhancement of the byway’s intrinsic qualities and character.

You can read these three Corridor Management Plans by clicking the links below:

Contact

For more information on the Lake Champlain Byway, contact Dan Albrecht: dalbrecht@ccrpcvt.org or (802) 846-4490, Extension *29.