Island Line Trail - TrailLink
Bike Ferry - Local Motion
Last day of 2025 ferry service is Indigenous Peoples Day on Monday October 13th.
The Bike Ferry runs continuously throughout the day; Friday 10am - 5pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 6pm. Reservations are not required, and the Boat runs by the passenger's generous donations.
DIRECTIONS:
GPS Coordinates 44.45359, -73.22694
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| Parking in Oakledge Park at the southern end of the Island Line Trail. |
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| There are other free parking options but this was the easiest for me to start at the southern end then easily head home afterwards without dealing with Burlington traffic. |
TRAIL MAP:
Island Line Trail Map - Local Motion
NOTE: Although this is called the Island Line Trail, there are no signs at all that say that. First it will be following the Burlington Greenway and Burlington Bike Path signs then the Colchester Causeway and Seasonal Bike Ferry signs.
BIKE DISTANCE: 28 miles
THE BIKE:
The Island Line Trail going north runs between Lake Champlain and the city of Burlington, Vermont before heading out across Lake Champlain towards South Hero Island. There are views of the Adirondaks to the west and the Green Mountains to the east.
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| A short, quiet on road connection. |
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| Burlington Bay |
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| Residential road connection to the Colchester Causeway. |
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| Heading out over Lake Champlain. |
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| At the ferry there was a decision to be made. Winds were becoming increasingly stronger and there was no guarantee that the ferry would be running for the return trip. The captain cuts off service when the wind reaches 27 mph and it was going up. I decided to go for it and hope for the best. Yikes. |
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| Getting on the ferry. |
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| Off we go. |
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| Docking on the other side. |
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| Trying to hurry to get to the northern end and head back as fast as possible. |
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| I would have added this bike loop on the island had conditions been more favorable. |
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| But on to the end ... |
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| ... turning around ... |
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| ... and heading back to the ferry. |
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| No ferry there yet. The woman working this side of the trail said she had not heard that the captain was terminating service yet but she was on standby. |
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| While waiting, a short trip out to the end. |
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| Over there is where I needed to be and there is the ferry in that dock. |
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| Green Mountains |
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| Mount Mansfield from the other side with the chin on the left and the nose on the right. I had been seeing it in reverse from Stowe the whole week. |
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| Adirondack Mountains |
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| Would the ferry return? Check out that choppy water. |
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| Yay!!! Here he comes. |
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| Whew! Safely back on the other end of the trail. |
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| Now going for a look ... |
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| ... at where I had been on the other end. |
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| Heading back into STRONG oncoming wind. I thought the ride out had been awfully easy with the wind pushing me along. Major thigh workout on the way back. |
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| Once in the trees, the pedaling become much easier. |
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| There was a park with hiking trails along the way. |
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| I would have loved to have at least hiked the Rock Point loop but it was getting late so I just went up for a look and back. |
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| Two miles before the end I left the trail to grab dinner to go at the Burlington Bay Cafe. |
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| Had I had time to eat on their patio, this would have been the view. |
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| But had to move along since it was getting late. |
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| Passing by the parking lot ... |
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| ... to the very beginning of the trail just a short distance away. |
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| Back at the parking lot ... |
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| ... for a bite of dinner before the almost 6 hour drive home which put me home at midnight. |
