Vermont’s northwest corner, a world of small villages, farms, and more shoreline and islands than any other part of Vermont, offers numerous opportunities for biking along the Lake Champlain Bikeways.  The Champlain Islands are an extraordinary combination of endless water surrounded by picturesque mountains, a 27-mile long chain of islands linked to the mainland by a series of causeways, and to the west by a ferry connecting Grand Isle with Plattsburgh, NY.  The terrain is flat to gently rolling, and traffic is minimal except on the major north-south artery, US Route 2. Across the inland sea in Franklin County, the rolling hills of the Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail provides 26 miles of safe biking past postcard images of the working landscape.

The Lake Champlain Bikeways Network, five self-guided interpretive bicycle tours of the Islands, is a great way to get to know the five communities that make up Grand Isle County.  All five loops follow paved and unpaved roads that are in good-to-excellent condition.  The Stone Castles Loop starts and ends at the Grand Isle/Plattsburgh Ferry dock, with a glorious 13 mile tour of South Hero.  The miniature castles, built by a Swiss gardener from the 1920s to the 1960s, are all visible from the road, and are masterpieces of craftsmanship.  This loop also takes you to South Street, home of apple orchards, homemade pies, and vegetables in season.

Want to bike to the beach?  You can park at Alburg Dunes State Park, bike to North Hero State Park, and end your ride with a swim at either Park!  For a fascinating tour that includes the oldest European settlement in Vermont and the world’s oldest reef, go to Isle La Motte, home of St. Anne’s Shrine and the Fisk Quarry, to see stromatoporoids, fossils that are imbedded in the black marble walls.

Lake Champlain Bikeways is a public/private initiative that has created an international network of bicycle routes on roads around Lake Champlain in Vermont, New York and Quebec.  For more information, and downloadable maps, go to www.champlainbikeways.org.  For information about lodging, restaurants and attractions, visit www.champlainislands.com or call 1-800-262-5226. Bike rentals are available at Hero’s Welcome in North Hero – 372-4161 or at Allenholm Farm in South Hero, right near the bike trail on the causeway in the Lake.  Call 372-5566.

The Missisquoi Valley Rail Trail connects St. Albans, a bustling small city near the Canadian border, and the village of Richford.   Dubbed “The Milk Run,” the Trail follows the historic corridor that was the scene of farm-to-village commerce through the late 1800’s.  It is fine for walking or skiing, but biking is the best way to traverse the farms, forests, fields and wetlands of Franklin County.  The trail is 10 feet wide, and the surface is crushed limestone.  You can divide up the trip, stopping in several small towns for refreshment along the way.  For information, visit www.vtnortherntreasure.com or call 802-524-2444.