{"id":4908,"date":"2026-10-12T16:21:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T20:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/seagrant\/?p=4908"},"modified":"2026-10-20T17:08:24","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T21:08:24","slug":"learning-on-the-lake-lake-champlains-little-lake-lessons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uvm.edu\/seagrant\/2026\/10\/12\/learning-on-the-lake-lake-champlains-little-lake-lessons\/","title":{"rendered":"Learning on the Lake: Lake Champlain’s “Little Lake Lessons”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Jessie Curl, Communications Lead & Program Specialist, Lake Champlain Sea Grant<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask us about the lake!<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Year after year, the 13.4-mile Colchester Causeway<\/a> rail trail in northwestern Vermont attracts walkers, runners, cyclists, and rollerbladers from across the country, offering breathtaking views of Lake Champlain. The causeway is not only the longest bike path over water in the world, but also a corridor rich in history. Originally serving as a rail bed for the Rutland County railway, it served as a vital route carrying butter, milk, ice, and livestock to New York City and Boston. While its purpose is now for recreation, traces of the past remain visible across the trail. Old train wheels, sections of rail, and slabs of white marble can still be found throughout the causeway. The marble itself is especially noteworthy, as it is the same material used in the construction of several monuments in Washington, D.C.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As if the history of the trail weren\u2019t enough, the path offers some of the most stunning scenery in the region. Stretching through the waters of Lake Champlain, it boasts views of New York\u2019s Adirondack Mountains to the west and Vermont\u2019s Green Mountains to the east. This location provides a unique perspective on the drainage basin, or watershed, and makes for an ideal place to learn about the lake itself, as visitors are surrounded by the waters that support recreation, wildlife, and regional economies in the area.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

After walking or biking 6 miles from the Colchester side, the causeway comes to an end, and to continue, recreationalists have the option to hop on a bike ferry. Run by Local Motion, the ferry ride spans a cut in the path that allows boats to pass through. At the cut, passengers line up to board the ferry, with long waits typical on nice weather days.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Recognizing the causeway as a living classroom, Lake Champlain Sea Grant began partnering with Local Motion<\/a> to engage with visitors in \u201cLittle Lake Lessons,\u201d where staff shared their passion for the lake with visitors while they waited for the bike ferry.\u00a0 Through informal, interactive conversations, educators shared their passion for the lake and helped visitors connect to the incredible resource surrounding them. Visitors selected from a variety of lessons, including:\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n