Island Line Rail Trail

The Island Line Trail is one of New England’s most visited and spectacular rail-trails, and the signature running spot for Burlington. It borders the waterfront in the city of Burlington and strings together several shoreline parks in a linear path to offer spectacular views of Lake Champlain and New York’s Adirondack Mountains. The trail is relatively flat and starts at Oakledge Park on Flynn Street in southern Burlington, which offers plenty of parking and amenities. From there route travels north along the waterfront to North Beach, which is the 3.3 mile marker and offers remarkable lakeside views. The main Island Line trail terminates at North Beach.

Looking to go further? The full trail is 14 miles and features a unique and scenic trip out over the lake on a marble causeway around the 12 mile point. Other noteable markers include: Leddy Park at the 4.2 mile point, which is the city’s largest park, and features a sandy beach, picnic area, and lakefront vistas.

The Winooski River Bridge is just a few miles north and is the crucial link that unites the Island Line Trail and the Colchester Causeway. The causeway is just beyond Colchester’s residential neighborhoods and Airport Park. Running along the crushed stone surface of the causeway gives you a sense of skimming the water’s surface. It ends abruptly where a seasonal bike ferry run by Local Motion is located at the end of the causeway and brings travelers over to South Hero.

Island Line Trail Map  Ferry Schedule