Lake Willoughby

Lake Willoughby is one of the most strikingly beautiful lakes in the eastern United States — a deep, clear, fjord-like glacial lake in the remote Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, dramatically squeezed between the towering cliffs of Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor that plunge straight to the water. The mountains pinch the lake into a narrow waist, giving it the look of a Norwegian fjord set among the Vermont hills.

About five miles long and remarkably deep (over 300 feet), Willoughby is famed for its scenery, its clear, cold water, and the dramatic cliffs that rise some 1,000 feet or more above the southern end. Visitors swim, boat, fish (for trophy lake trout and salmon) and hike the spectacular clifftop trails of Mount Pisgah with their dizzying lake views. A fjord-like jewel of the Northeast Kingdom, Lake Willoughby is a treasured natural icon of Vermont.

Summer (June through August) is the prime season, when the water warms enough for swimming and the weather is best for boating and hiking, while fall brings spectacular Northeast Kingdom foliage framing the cliffs and lake (a beautiful, quieter time). Spring brings fresh green and good fishing; winter is cold and quiet (with ice fishing and ice climbing on the cliffs). The deep lake stays cool. Summer for swimming and hiking, and fall for the foliage, are the highlights — come in summer for the water, or autumn for the color, and hike Pisgah on a clear day for the views.

The cliffs, forests and waters of Lake Willoughby host moose, black bears, deer, and a birdlife including peregrine falcons that nest on the cliffs (trails may close to protect them), boreal birds of the forest, loons on the lake, and raptors, while the deep, cold lake holds trophy lake trout, landlocked salmon and other fish. The dramatic cliffs and the deep lake support varied wildlife. Willoughby offers wildlife watching, with the cliff-nesting peregrine falcons, the loons on the lake and the forest wildlife among the highlights of this wild setting.

Lake Willoughby is deep and its water cold even in summer — take care swimming, watch children, and wear life jackets when boating (sudden winds raise waves on the open lake). The Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor clifftop trails are steep and rugged, with dizzying, unguarded overlooks at sheer cliff edges — keep well back from the edges, watch footing, and supervise children closely (falls would be fatal). In winter, ice climbing on the cliffs is for experts. Respect the cold deep water, the sudden winds, the steep trails and the sheer cliff edges.

Lake Willoughby offers swimming at its sandy beaches, boating, kayaking and paddleboarding on the clear water, excellent fishing for lake trout and landlocked salmon, and spectacular hiking — especially the clifftop trails of Mount Pisgah (and Mount Hor) with their dizzying overlooks down to the lake far below. Camping and rock climbing add to the draw. Swimming and boating the fjord-like lake and hiking the dramatic cliffs for the views are the signature draws. The combination of a deep, clear, fjord-like lake and towering clifftop hikes makes Willoughby a spectacular destination.

The Northeast Kingdom and Lake Willoughby are part of the homeland of the Abenaki people. The dramatic lake became a celebrated scenic destination in the 1800s, drawing visitors to its fjord-like beauty, with grand hotels on its shores in the Victorian era. The surrounding cliffs and forest are protected within the Willoughby State Forest. The lake remains a beloved, relatively remote jewel of Vermont’s wild Northeast Kingdom. Lake Willoughby preserves this stunning glacial lake, its cliffs and its beauty, a treasured icon of Vermont.

Lake Willoughby fills a deep, fjord-like trough gouged by an Ice Age glacier that flowed through the gap between Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor, carving the steep-walled basin and the dramatic cliffs that plunge to the water — a classic example of a glacially carved lake. The lake is very deep (over 300 feet) and narrow, pinched by the mountains, giving it its Norwegian-fjord appearance. The cliffs are ancient metamorphic rock. The glacial carving of the deep trough and the steep cliffs created this fjord-like lake.

Lake Willoughby is a deep, cold, clear glacial lake set among the cliffs and forests of the Northeast Kingdom, with the cold water supporting trophy cold-water fish, the dramatic cliffs harboring rare arctic and alpine plants in their cold microclimate (a special botanical feature) and nesting peregrine falcons, and the surrounding Willoughby State Forest protecting the watershed. The rare cliff plants, the clear deep lake and the falcons are sensitive. Protecting the lake’s clear water, the cliffs and their rare plants, and the surrounding forest sustains both the ecology and the fjord-like beauty of Lake Willoughby.

Lake Willoughby holds a treasured place among the icons of Vermont — the fjord-like jewel of the Northeast Kingdom, a deep, clear glacial lake dramatically squeezed between towering cliffs, long celebrated for its striking beauty and beloved for swimming, fishing and clifftop hiking. Its Norwegian-fjord appearance and wild setting embody the remote beauty of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. Lake Willoughby is a cherished natural icon of Vermont.

Lake Willoughby is in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont, near the town of Westmore, along Route 5A between Barton and Lyndonville, about 50 minutes northeast of St. Johnsbury (and 1.5–2 hours from Burlington). There is no entrance fee; there are public beaches at the north and south ends, a boat launch, and the Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor trailheads within the Willoughby State Forest. Services are limited in this remote area. Check Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation and local sources for beach access, trail info and conditions before visiting.

Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation protects Lake Willoughby and the surrounding Willoughby State Forest. Visitors help by protecting the lake’s clear water (cleaning watercraft, avoiding pollution), staying on trails (respecting peregrine-falcon cliff closures and not disturbing the rare cliff plants), keeping a distance from loons and wildlife, packing out everything, and following all rules. The clear deep lake, the rare cliff plants and the nesting falcons are sensitive. Protecting the water, the cliffs and the wildlife sustains both the ecology and the fjord-like beauty of Lake Willoughby.

There is no entrance fee. Clean watercraft to protect the lake; follow boating rules and wear life jackets. Stay on trails; keep back from cliff edges and respect peregrine-falcon closures and the rare cliff plants. Camp only where permitted in the state forest. Pets must be leashed/controlled. Drones are restricted. Fishing requires a Vermont license and follows lake-trout/salmon rules. Pack out all trash; follow Leave No Trace. Check Vermont Forests, Parks & Recreation for beach, trail and boating rules and conditions before visiting.

The towns of Westmore and Barton, the wider Northeast Kingdom (with its forests, lakes and quintessential rural Vermont), the city of St. Johnsbury, Burke Mountain, and the Canadian border lie near the lake. The Northeast Kingdom defines the region. Lake Willoughby is the fjord-like jewel of the Northeast Kingdom, a centerpiece of a remote Vermont adventure, easily combined with the Northeast Kingdom’s lakes and forests, Burke Mountain and St. Johnsbury.

Come in summer to swim in the clear, cold, fjord-like water at the beaches and to hike the spectacular clifftop trails of Mount Pisgah for dizzying views straight down to the lake (keep well back from the sheer, unguarded cliff edges). Anglers can fish the deep lake for trophy lake trout and salmon. Visit in fall for beautiful Northeast Kingdom foliage framing the cliffs, bring layers (the deep lake and high cliffs are cool), respect falcon-nesting closures, and savor one of the most beautiful lakes in the East.