Lake Champlain Lakefront House

This spacious lakeside home in South Hero is perfect for a relaxing family vacation or multi-generational family reunion.

Located in South Hero, Vermont (30 minutes from Burlington) our family-friendly lake house features five bedrooms, three floors of living space, and is situated on 300 feet of lake front. Recently renovated, it has a lovely modern kitchen and pantry. A set of steps takes you from the back lawn down to the lake where you can fish and swim. During most of the summer, the dock is set up. You can spend the entire week just exploring the Islands. But it's an easy drive to Burlington, Shelburne Farms or Stowe. It is also one of the best places in Vermont to bike as the roads are quiet and relatively flat. Whether you come in the spring, summer or fall, you will love the lake house. We are conveniently located 5 minutes from the Plattsburgh-Grand Isle ferry.

The Lake House features three floors of living space. There is plenty of room to spread out and kick back. The first floor has an open living plan with hardwood floors and ceiling fans. A wide kitchen adjoins the dining room and living room. (The dining room table seats six and the kitchen table seats four.) A bathroom on the first floor with a shower makes post-beach rinse off's a breeze. A first floor bedroom offers a no-stairs option for older guests.

The winners of the bedroom lottery will love the large Master bedroom on the second floor. With panoramic lake views, it features a sitting area and a private limestone bathroom with a huge walk-in shower. Wake up to the most beautiful view of the lake imaginable.

Two additional bedrooms, a full bathroom and a laundry room complete the second floor. Each bedroom is quiet and cozy.

The third floor is where the kids usually hang out. As a "bunk room" with three twins, and two queens, it is open, airy and bright. A game area with Legos, board games and books keeps everyone busy.

Cook dinner on the gas grill on the deck while your family play games on the lawn. Picnic tables, Adirondack chairs and lounge chairs are there for your use. Relax around a summer evening bonfire and toast some 'smores.

Check In: Please arrive no earlier than 4 pm as we need time to clean and prepare the house.
Check-Out: Please plan to depart no latter than 11 am.

Events: Due to insurance requirements, no parties or events are permitted.

Linens/Towels: Towels, pillows, linens and comforters are provided.

Dogs: Allowed only with advance permission. We may be able to accommodate your pet, but will need to discuss it when you book your vacation.

Boats: The dock does not have a boat launch. But don't worry. There are plenty of places around the Islands where you can launch your power boat or sailboat. To the north, North Hero Marina rents canoes, kayaks, pontoon boats and a 15-foot fishing boat. Hero's Welcome General Store also rents non-motorized vessels. To the south, Apple Island Marina rents row boats, power boats, pontoon boats, kayaks, and canoes. Boat launches maintained by Vermont's Department of Fish & Wildlife can be found at Keeler Bay, Allen Point in South Hero, Sand Bar in Milton, Vantines in Grand Isle and Stephensen's Point in North Hero.

Biking: Because of the flat roads and gorgeous scenery, many bike tours come through the area, including VBT, Discovery Bicycle Tours, Backroads and Bike Vermont. The Lake House is within close proximity to the Lake Champlain Bikeway, a 363-mile principal route around the entire Lake and along the Richelieu River to Chambly, Québec. You can also take the Bike Ferry across “the Cut” ( just 200 feet) which takes you on a 14-mile recreational trail called the Island Line Trail. If you would like to rent bikes for a few days, bike rentals for kids and adults are available at the Allenholm Farm.

Sandy Beaches and State Parks: There are five state parks in the Islands along Rt 2: Sandbar, Grand Isle, Knight Point, North Hero, and Alburgh Dunes. You can find sandy beaches, places to picnic, walking/hiking trails and boat rentals. If you are looking for a terrific beach, the Sand Bar State Park has a good one. The smooth, sandy lake bottom remains shallow well out from shore, making this an ideal swimming spot for children. That, and the uninterrupted length of sandy beach, very high quality water in this section of the lake, and well-kept facilities combine to make Sand Bar the most visited day park in the state. Day passes are available.

Fishing: Around the Lake Champlain Islands you will find Lake Trout, Landlocked Atlantic Salmon, Yellow Perch, Northern Pike, Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Panfish, Bowfin, Carp, Longnose Gar, White Perch, Yellow Perch, Walleye, Northern Pike, Chain Pickerel, Bullhead, Panfish and Black Crappie. Lake Champlain Anglers maintains a website with over 60 pages about fishing in Lake Champlain. You might also like to visit the the Ed Weed Fish Culture Station and visitor center. It is the newest and largest of the five fish culture stations owned and operated by the state of Vermont. It is only 1.3 miles from our house.

Great Food: Rich soils and a year round temperature moderated by Lake Champlain contribute to the high quality of the Islands agriculture. You will eat very well here in the Islands! Our favorite restaurants are The North Hero House, The Blue Paddle and Shore Acres. Don't miss the Champlain Islands Farmers Markets -- May through September at the St. Rose of Lima Church. Snow Farm Winery, Vermont’s first commercial grape vineyard, is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. for tours and tastings, but locals know that it’s best experienced in concert with live music outdoors on Thursday evenings. Weather permitting, Snow Farm brings in popular local acts to complement the sunset. The Islands are also perfect for pick-your-own outings. You can pick your own berries at Pomykala Farm in Grand Isle and pick your own apples at the local orchards. (We have three apple trees and one pear tree at the Lake House and you are welcome to eat as much as you like!)

Visit Farms: Right across the road, a lovely herd of cows graze and moo. You can also see farm animals at the Allenholm Farm where Fergie, the Scotch Highland Cow lives with some sheep, rabbits, goats, miniature horses and donkeys.

Fossils: If you look carefully, you can find small fossils embedded in the rocks on the beach at our house. (You are more than welcome to bring the fossil rocks home with you.) If you like fossils, the fossilized corals that make up the Chazy Reef on Isle La Motte are definitely worth a visit. Paleontologists believe the reef was formed almost half a billion years ago, when Lake Champlain was part of the shallow Iapetus Ocean. At the Goodsell Ridge Fossil Preserve, a well-marked path leads through the field to swirled skeletal remains of cephalopods and stromotoporoids. “Discovery Areas” are numbered and identified.