Lake Willoughby
Lake · Westmore, Vermont
Five miles of deep water in a glacial trench in the Northeast Kingdom, squeezed between the cliffs of Mount Pisgah on one side and Mount Hor on the other so tightly that the standard description of it is fjord-like, and the comparison is fair - it looks like Scandinavia rather than New England. The ice carved it more than twelve thousand years ago and left it three hundred and twenty-eight feet deep. Vermont Route 5A runs along the eastern shore beneath the cliffs, which is why a lake this remote is easy to see.
Vermont Route 5A, Westmore, Vermont, 05860, United States
The lake, the beaches and the shore access are open at all times and FREE, with free parking at the beaches and at the Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor trailheads on Route 5A. ⚠ VERMONT ROUTE 5A ALONG THE EASTERN SHORE IS PLOUGHED AND OPEN YEAR ROUND, so the lake is visible in every season. There are NO LIFEGUARDS at any time and the water is 328 feet deep with a steep drop-off - late July and August are the realistic swimming weeks. Boat launches at both ends are free or low-cost and fishing is under Vermont regulations. ⚠ PEREGRINE NESTING CLOSES SOME CLIFF ROUTES in spring and early summer - check before climbing. ⚠ THIS IS THE NORTHEAST KINGDOM: services are very limited, restrooms are seasonal, mobile coverage is patchy and the nearest substantial town is a long way off. Bring food and fuel.