Why Go: Just north of the crunchy northern Vermont mecca of Burlington, the bucolic Champlain Islands bob in the center of Lake Champlain, where they’re shielded by the Adirondack Mountains to the west and the Green Mountains to the east. Farm stands and creemee (that’s Vermont for “soft-serve”) shacks sprout along quiet, pancake-flat roads here, and dramatic views of mountains tumbling down to the lakeshore are almost nonstop.
Road Notes: From downtown Burlington, it’s an easy ride north along 10 miles of the Island Line Trail — including three incredible miles on the narrow Colchester Causeway — before you reach “The Cut.” A dedicated bike ferry will deliver you across the 200-foot-wide break in the causeway, delivering you to the southern end of the islands.
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Distance: 82.6 miles
Elevation Gain: 2,503 feet
Starts From: Burlington, VT