Burlington, VT, United States
North Beach, Burlington
Burlington's largest beach faces Burlington Bay on Lake Champlain, with the Adirondacks across the water, and it is the only city beach with lifeguards: 11am to 6pm, early June through August. On the city beaches, cyanobacteria blooms cause far more closures than bacteria counts, and staff inspect the water every summer morning. Check the city's swim-water status page before you drive over.
Photo: Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota · CC BY-SA 2.0
Latest reading · SwimScore 84/100 (Get in) for a typical swimmer: air 19°C, wind 15 km/h, UV 2. Updated .
Know before you go
- Getting in
- City park off North Avenue in the New North End, open year-round; walk-in and bike access all year, including from the Burlington Greenway.
- Parking & transport
- Hourly parking fees May to October (gates 9am–9pm); no car parking October through April. Burlington Parks season passes and Green Mountain Passes are accepted.
- Lifeguards
- Seasonal lifeguards 11am–6pm daily, roughly early June through the end of August.
- Water quality
- The city inspects beaches daily for cyanobacteria from Memorial Day to Labor Day (strip-testing for cyanotoxins) and samples 10 swimming areas for E. coli on Mondays and Thursdays; beaches close if E. coli exceeds 235 per 100 mL. In 2025 there were 43 closures and 17 alerts for cyanobacteria versus one E. coli closure, and blooms closed Burlington beaches over the July 5–6, 2026 weekend.
- Season
- Lifeguarded early June through August; water monitoring Memorial Day to Labor Day.
- Watch for
- Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms, especially harmful to children and pets
- Paddle-craft rentals operating from the beach
- Facilities
- Seasonal restrooms with showers · Snack bar and The Beach House restaurant · Playground · Picnic tables and grills · Kayak, canoe and paddleboard rentals · ADA-accessible waterfront · Rentable shelter · Campground
Sources: web.archive.org, burlingtonvt.gov, wcax.com
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Details
- Location
- Burlington, VT, United States
- Type
- lake
- Coordinates
- 44.4917, -73.2395