Six Ways to Make Your COVID Summer Count in Waterbury, Vermont

As difficult and strange life is these days, the “Great Pause” has given us opportunities to rest, reflect, and remember how much fun it can be to simply spend time outdoors with friends and family.

Blue skies, fresh air, and perfect Green Mountain climate… summer in Vermont is sweet – and safe. When the easy season comes to Waterbury, come on over. Hiking, biking, swimming, boating, fishing and golf… pick your favorite – or pick a few – get out and get ready to grow! There is so much to do right outside our door at the Best Western Plus Waterbury-Stowe.

Hiking

The Best Western Waterbury-Stowe is within twenty minutes of three of Vermont’s most beautiful State Parks.* Perched on the bank of Waterbury’s 850-acre reservoir (the ninth-largest body of water in Vermont), both Little River and Waterbury Center State Park offer a variety of family-friendly hiking trails – you may even spot a loon, beaver, deer or moose as you make your way lakeside and through the forest.

If you’re up for a challenge, lace up for Camel’s Hump, the state’s third-highest mountain and part of a vast, undeveloped designated state natural area. Vermont’s distinctive peak can be reached from the Monroe Trail just down the road in Duxbury. If you’d prefer a walk on the mild side, the Duxbury access offers a wide walking trail with three vistas of Camel’s Hump summit. The flat loop is nearly a mile – great for warm-ups, small children and seniors.

For a 15-minute, family-friendly intro to hiking, visit the Green Mountain Club Visitor Center’s “Short Trail.” Learn about plants, animals, and natural history from eight information panels as you circle six acres of meadow and forest.

Mountain Biking and Cycling

Waterbury has become a mountain biking mecca, thanks in part to the community nonprofit Waterbury Area Trails Alliance. With plenty of parking, Perry Hill’s ten-mile network offers something for everyone, starting with a pump track and moving to family-friendly flow, to tech lines. Little River State Park also provides mountain biking access, managed in partnership with WATA and Vermont State Parks. And if you are more of a road cyclist, you could go forever through valleys, villages and rambling farmland – ask our friendly front desk staff to recommend a route that works for you!

Swimming and Boating

Beaches, boats and paddling define summer. Kayak, paddleboat, canoe and paddleboard rentals are available at Waterbury Center State Park, and you can also take a day-trip dip. If you have a boat of your own, Waterbury Center is also the best place to go – and there’s a water-skiing course located off the Blush Hill Road access. At the end of the day, hose off your craft at our Best Western Plus Waterbury-Stowe boat wash station, included with your stay.

Fishing

The Winooski River winds through Waterbury and is a trout angler’s dream, stocked with rainbow trout (with the occasional wild brown trout). River Road in downtown Waterbury provides access points for wade fishing and boating along this designated “trophy stretch.”

Golf

Great views abound from Waterbury’s Blush Hill Country Club, located just minutes from the Best Western Plus Waterbury-Stowe. The golf course and clubhouse are open to the public, offering scenic vistas of classic Vermont green rolling hills and mountains from nearly every hole.

Picnics and Town Parks

Taking a picnic to go? There are several parks in downtown Waterbury where you can spend an hour or an afternoon. Anderson Field Recreation Area and Rusty Parker Park have playgrounds, picnic pavilions and plenty of seating. Hope Davey Park, located in the adjacent village of Waterbury Center, also boasts a skate park and frisbee golf.

Hit the trail, cast off, tee off or cookout – most importantly, take your friends and family, and chill out with classic summer fun in Waterbury, Vermont!

*Little River and Waterbury Center State Park are full-service parks that are open to the public on June 26, 2020, through autumn.