The boat launch with the deepest channel. The trail to the gorge. The farm stand that takes Venmo. The icon you've heard of and the one you haven't.
Thirteen miles of volunteer-built singletrack between Newport and Derby, off the Beebe Spur Rail Trail — flowy machine-built sections, rooty old-school stretches, a pump track, and a rock drop locals call the launchpad. Runs mountain bikes in summer and nordic skis in winter on the same trail bed. Free to ride; a voluntary membership at mstf.net keeps it maintained.
Newport's municipal beach and campground on 35 lake-facing acres — sandy swimming, a boat ramp, and a free nine-hole disc golf course that runs from white pines through birches along the shoreline. The 75-site campground takes RVs up to 40 feet with full hookups, unusual for a city park. A bike path connects straight into downtown Newport.
An 1,800-acre wetland preserve where the Black and Barton Rivers feed into the lake's southern arm — the paddle for someone who wants herons and beaver instead of boat wake. Put in at the Vermont Fish & Wildlife South Arm Access Area on Coventry Street; the lower Black River runs a quiet three-hour one-way trip. One of the better birding stops in the Northeast Kingdom.
Vermont's northernmost rail trail — four miles of crushed stone, eight to ten feet wide and wheelchair-accessible, running the lake's eastern shore from Newport through Derby toward the Canadian border. Open year-round for walking, biking, and e-bikes; groomed for cross-country skiing once the snow sets in. The flattest, easiest lake-view mile in the guide.
The international harbor of the Northeast Kingdom — seasonal and transient slips, a public launch, fuel, pump-out, and a U.S. Customs checkpoint for boats coming south from Quebec. Home to the nearly hundred-year-old Memphremagog Yacht Club. Open late May through Columbus Day and staffed daily, weather permitting; off-season, call the winter line instead of showing up.
Full-service marina on Farrants Point that Amy and Bob Kerr have run since 2002 — pontoon, deck boat, and jet ski rentals alongside boat sales, marine repair, and seasonal storage. This is the fix when a rental's motor won't turn over on a Saturday morning, not just the rental counter for a day on the water.
A 65-foot passenger boat run by the nonprofit Memphremagog Community Maritime out of the Gateway Center, crossing into Canadian water on 13 scheduled cruises a week without requiring a passport for passengers who stay aboard. Scenic runs, theme nights, and a Sunday brunch cruise. Book ahead in summer; the boat only holds 49.
Sporting goods shop at Waterfront Plaza that rents kayaks, paddleboards, and e-bikes by the hour or the week, and sells the fishing tackle and hunting gear a week-long stay always seems to be missing. Kayaks run about $30 a day with a life vest included. The practical answer when a rental doesn't come with its own boat.
Delivery-only outfit out of West Charleston that drops canoes, kayaks, and paddleboards at Lake Memphremagog and half a dozen other Northeast Kingdom lakes — free delivery on orders over $100 within 45 minutes. Useful for a rental with no boat storage and no interest in driving one home strapped to the roof. Seasonal, roughly May through September.
Twenty minutes west of Newport and built around the most natural snowfall in the East come winter — but the Pump House Indoor Waterpark and a championship golf course, now in its 20th season, make it a real summer stop too. The resort marks its 70th anniversary in 2026. A FlowRider and an aerial tram round out a rainy-afternoon plan that isn't just fishing and cards.
Built in 1901 straddling the U.S.–Canada line on purpose, with a black line across the reading-room floor marking exactly where one country ends and the other begins — genuinely rare, not a marketing line. It still functions as a working library and opera house, though tightened border security has ended the informal cross-border family visits the building used to allow. Closed Sundays and Mondays.
Derby's public library on Junior High Drive, a legitimate rainy-day stop rather than just a place to return a paperback — the kind of small-town library that still feels like the center of things. Sweet Scoops is a short walk away for after. Open Tuesday through Saturday, closed Sunday and Monday.