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    Emerald Lake State Park

    4.5 (13 reviews)

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    Beautiful foliage colors
    Joshua S.

    Emerald Lake is gorgeous. I went in the fall, and the tree colors were amazing. It was off season, so parking was free and plenty of picnic tables were available for lunch. If going off season, make sure you use the restroom beforehand; they are locked it seems. Looks like a great swimming spot for the summer. Definitely worth the visit!

    Tricia R.

    Loved this place! Great camp sites and super helpful staff. There was actually some space between certain campsites so it was more private then we were used to. There were severe thunderstorms and a couple of campsite spots did get slightly flooded. The path around the lake is gorgeous.

    Marysa N.

    Let me preface my review by saying that we go here to enjoy the lake, but we feel like the campground is too crowded. Emerald Lake State Park is in the Green Mountain National Forest in Dorset, and an easy drive to us from New York to Southern Vermont, just off Route 7. The campground here is pretty big. We have driven through it several times, and each time it is extremely busy. The campsites aren't very spread out, and there is a busy highway just outside the campground, so you get a lot of road noise. The sites aren't very secluded, and some have a lot of gravel as well. We stayed here in September 2018, so there weren't many people there. We rented the "Sycamore" leanto, which was nice, but we woke up to the sound of traffic on the main road. You don't have to camp at Emerald Lake State Park - you can just go for the day to use the day-use area, which is what we have been doing for years. The lake is named after it's emerald green water. We like to swim here, kayak, rent a row boat, etc. If you bring your own kayaks, there is a spot where you can put in near the parking lot so that you don't have to carry your kayak down to the beach. There is only non-motorized boating on the lake, which makes it peaceful for swimming, stand-up-paddleboards, and so on. There is a small beach, which is nice for playing and swimming. We usually find crayfish, fish, snails, newts, etc. The lakefront has bathrooms, and concessions during the summer months (closed in September when we were there). A nice place to enjoy a day at the lake!

    Beautiful hemlock forests
    Matt P.

    This is the most beautiful and scenic location ive been to in Vermont. Pictures are required, lol, its really that beautiful, especially coming here in the fall, where the leaves change and they blend with the green conifers. The water is crystal clear and theres a ton of fish! There is a little beach with sand, a perfect day to spend. There is a beautiful trail all around the lake. There is also a camping ground up in the mountains! Its a memorable experience!

    View of the little island from the beach

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    11 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    8 months ago

    One of the best campgrounds going, this place is well kept. The restrooms are constantly monitored and clean.Really enjoy coming here

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Emerald Lake State Park

    Review Highlights - Emerald Lake State Park

    There is a small beach, which is nice for playing and swimming.

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    Buttermilk Falls

    Buttermilk Falls

    4.5(12 reviews)
    17.5 mi

    Wow ! What a hidden gem ! We were visiting Ludlow VT and saw this fall . Kids wanted to enjoy…read morewater and this was a perfect choice for us . The water was colddddddddddd though. Ufff . Very cold . The first dip was tough ! Later once you get use of it , it felt a bit better . Pathway was a bit crazy , in some places .it is about a 2 mile walk but we just went not too far : .. the lower and middle falls is also accessible from car parking lots outside . Parking is outside and sometimes you have to park 5-8 mins away from the falls . Not much of restrooms around . Lots of dogs in the water :) It was an amazing tint though ! Loved it . 5 stars !

    As we were staying near Ludlow, I had put this on our schedule as a "check it out whenever time…read morepermits" item. We drove back after visiting some places to the north, and were passing this around 4 p.m. so we checked it out. This was in early October and the sun was just starting to go down. Though it was pre-dusk, it would be better to visit this site in full sunlight. There are 3 separate falls (the creatively named upper, middle, and lower). You access them from the main highway via a side road that starts as paved but soon becomes (good) dirt/gravel. The total length is less than 2 miles. You first get to a wide spot / parking area from which you can access the middle and lower falls. A trail leads down a hill where you must choose which falls to visit. The middle falls is impressive. It is probably the easiest one to access. The area from which you have the best view is a bit rocky, but navigable. It makes for nice photos. The lower falls appeared accessible from a side trail that descended a bit more steeply. You can also see it from above (somewhat) without descending. It appeared smaller and less photogenic than the middle falls. We then drove another 1/4 mile up the road (to its end) to check out the upper falls. There is a sharp short descent from the road to the top of the falls. It appeared to have a fairly large pool at the bottom and a flat dirt/sand area where some people had laid out a blanket for a picnic. The light was fading more so we skipped walking down the relatively gentle slope to check it out further. If you are in the area and have time, this is a nice spot to visit. It is within 3 miles of Ludlow. I cannot comment on what the swimming is like, but I saw references to that online (during summers, I guess).

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    Buttermilk Falls
    Buttermilk Falls
    Buttermilk Falls

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    Emerald Lake State Park - campgrounds - Updated June 2026

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