South Hero - town in Grand Isle County, Vermont, United States

South Hero is a small town off the coast of Lake Champlain in Vermont. It is the southernmost town among the Lake Champlain Islands.

Get in

By car

If coming from the south and southwest areas of the U.S., Route I-87 will take you up the east side of New York which parallels the west side of Vermont and Lake Champlain. If not taking the ferry, you can drive all the way up to the last exit on I-87 to Rouse's Point, which will take you across a bridge that goes over Lake Champlain, then you would continue down the islands on Route 2 southward where you will start to see signs for South Hero. If coming from areas in Southern New England and anywhere in New England, Routes 89, 91 and 93 will get you to the Burlington area which from there you will be able to get to South Hero by following signs for Lake Champlain Islands on I-89.

By ferry

• Lake Champlain Ferries. There are three exits off of I-87 that will get you to ferry ports that will take you to the Vermont mainland. These three ports are in Essex, NY, Port Kent, NY, and Plattsburgh, NY and take you to Charlotte, VT, Burlington, VT, and Grand Isle, VT, respectively. The one that will take you right to South Hero is the port in Plattsburgh. However, if you take the other ferries to Vermont you will be able to get to South Hero by taking Route 2 north.

By plane

• Burlington International Airport is not too far out from South Hero. You can book a flight into Burlington, rent a car and then drive into South Hero by using I-89 and Route 2.

Get around

Most of the roads in South Hero are dirt roads, especially in back-roads or developments. The two main roads in South Hero are Route 2 and County Road 314 otherwise known as Ferry Road. Route 2 will take you across the Sandbar Bridge into the mainland of Vermont while 314 will take you to Grand Isle, North Hero and Alburg. Most people use cars to travel around while others will take the occasional walk or bike ride along the shoreline. Since you're on a lake, boat travel is very popular. With the right amount of gas, you can get from the southernmost point of South Hero to Burlington, Plattsburgh or Mallet's Bay in a little over an hour.

See

• A total solar eclipse on Monday 8 April 2024 starts at 3:26PM local time and lasts 3 min. The chances of a clear sky are 30%. The track of totality is northeast from Mexico and Texas to Ohio and the Canada–New England border, then across New Brunswick and Newfoundland.
• Allenholm Farm, 150 South St (right off of Route 2), +1 802 372-5566. This farm has a variety of activities, starting with a petting zoo that includes horses, donkeys, chickens, rabbits, goats, sheep and even yaks. Next door is the Allenholm Farm Store which offers many homemade items, like Papa Ray's homemade mouth-watering pies, fresh fruits, and some sweets for the kids. There are also tours of their apple orchard, bike rentals and over 15 different kinds of apples to buy, depending on the season.
• Hackett's Orchard, 86 South St, +1 802-372-5555. April 1 - Dec 31, 8AM-6PM. A town favorite for apples, pies, cider and other great treats. The store offers many great food items for the best prices, but that's not all that you'll take away from this place. Acres and acres of fresh apple orchards look breath-taking in the beginning of fall and you even get to go pick from 47 varieties of apples, depending on the season. Kids and even adults can enjoy their playground and picnic area after buying a dozen-, two- or three-dozen bag of delicious apples.
• Snow Farm Vineyard, 190 West Shore Rd, +1 802-372-9463. Offers many different types of wines that are made right on their vineyard. With all the able space on their vineyard, they are always open to host weddings and receptions. Also, they host many live concerts in the summer time that occur once to twice a week. They also have a year round tasting area located in Stowe, Vermont, which is on the mainland located minutes away from the Ben and Jerry's Factory.

Do

• Biking. Since most of the roads in South Hero are either dirt, or very quiet paved roads, biking is a very popular way to have fun and work out, and you don't have to worry about traffic or horrible drivers. The old Lake Champlain Causeway, where trains used to travel in and out across the lake, has now added a bike ferry for bikers, runners, walkers and anglers to get across the fill in the middle of the causeway. Coming from the South Hero end, you can now travel down the Colchester and from there on to Burlington, if you've got the energy.
• Fish Hatchery, 14 Bell Hill Rd (right after you get off the ferry). Here you can learn all about how workers at the hatchery stock all of Lake Champlain, feed the various types of fish they keep there and go out to their pond where you can watch the fish jump and observe the many great blue herons that hang out there. The hatchery is open every day of the week. Free
• Fishing. There are many places along the coast line of Lake Champlain by South Hero where you can cast out and reel in the big one. Just make sure you have your fishing license or you might be paying fines. Lake Champlain and other ponds and bays within South Hero are stocked with numerous types of fish such as large and smallmouth bass, brook trout, rainbow trout, lake trout, walleye, pike and perch. Not too far off from the shorelines of South Hero are the Winooski and Lamoille River inlets, which then continue to stream throughout the mainland.
• Island Line Trail (Allen Point Access Area), 44.6013°, -73.3107°. Walk on a narrow causeway surrounded on both sides by Lake Champlain. The full path is 15 miles and goes as far as Burlington, but you can only go about one mile from South Hero by foot alone; there is a small gap that requires taking a ferry, which is available seasonally. 2021-06-16
• Lake activities. Along the west, east and south portions of South Hero, there are many spots for tourists to park their car and hop in the water for a quick swim. If the tourists make it to southern most part of South Hero, on West Shore Road, they will find a public beach where they can relax on ground and enjoy the sun and water. Kayaking is a very popular activity on a calm day as is canoeing. Apple Island Resort Marina, off of Route 2, offers tourists the opportunity to rent and use canoes and kayaks on site. Providing you own a boat, water skiing, tubing and kneeboarding are common ways of entertainment when the lake is flat.
• Sand Bar State Park, Route 2 (right after the bridge going onto the mainland), 44.183°, -73.3504°. A very short drive from South Hero. Open from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day weekend it offers a big sandy beach along with a snack stand and volleyball courts. On-site lodging is also available for the weekend.

Buy

• The Green Frog, 7 Ferry Rd, +1 802 372-5031. A small store that has numerous little toys, mini cars, model kits, puzzles and various items for the lake and beach for all the kids out there. Moccasins, decorative items, small jewelry items, and over a hundred kinds of t-shirts are available for the adults' interests. You can also stop in for a refreshing drink, a candy bar or a candy stick.
• Silver By Tish, 11 South St, +1 802 372-5527. This small, privately-owned store is a favorite jewelry store among many locals. All repairs are done on site, in front of you, and their friendly service will help you make all the right decisions when finding jewelry. Notable for having many sterling silver items, they also carry gold items and they let you design your own jewelry.

Eat

• The Blue Paddle, 316 US Route 2, +1 802 372-4814. This bistro offers entrees for lunch, dinner and brunch. It has a nice "homey" feel to it, large deck outside, full service bar and a nice "campy" theme that blends well with the atmosphere of South Hero. All food is available for take-out, morning pastries and coffee are available and the bistro is open year-round.
• Pan's South Hero Pizza, 326 Route 2, +1 802 372-4729. Although they don't do delivery, you can call up and order take-out. Very friendly service and great pizza makes this place a very popular eatery for all Vermonters.
• Seb's Snack Bar, Route 2 and South St. A good place to stop after a long day on the water, featuring an old style pickup window and a selection including burgers, fries, red hots , and grilled cheese. It also has an ice cream counter with over 20 different kinds of ice cream flavors, and they make milk shakes too. Outdoor seating available and gift shop attached to building.
• Wally's Place-Bagels & Deli, 3 Ferry Road right next to the Mobil Station and right by Route 2, +1 802 372-4666. They have over a dozen different types of bagels, spreads and breakfast sandwiches, baked goods and they always have fresh Green Mountain Coffee brewing along with other sodas and juices.

Sleep

• Crescent Bay Farm Bed and Breakfast, 153 West Shore Rd, +1 802 372-4807. Set up in an 1820s-style farm house, with three rooms to choose from, each with its own theme to match the area that it's near: the Garden Room, the Mountain Room and the Winery Room. The Bed and Breakfast is on a farm that has llamas on site for visitors to see and feed. No smoking or pets. $130/night
• Heron's Way Bed and Breakfast, 424 Route 2, +1 802 372-8352. Set in a very nice area of South Hero with a private beach, internet access and satellite television.

Go next

• Albany
• Burlington - The city of Burlington, 20 minutes away, is worth seeing when you're visiting any part of Vermont, with many different shops and restaurants, the beautiful campus of the University of Vermont, and a lovely harbor waterfront where you can stare off into the lake as the sun sets and see the boats coming and going.
• Lake George
• Montreal
• Plattsburgh