Lake Willoughby
A deep glacial lake lies between cliffs often compared to a fjord, with deep blue lake and mount pisgah cliffs shaping the visit
Artwork inspired by Thomas Waterman Wood
A deep glacial lake lies between cliffs often compared to a fjord, with deep blue lake and mount pisgah cliffs shaping the visit Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor rise sharply above cold clear water, narrow beaches, forest, and peregrine habitat in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom. The lake is not a single attraction but a coupled landscape: underwater depth, cliff geology, wildlife, road corridor, beaches, and summit trails affect one another.
Choose either a beach-and-shore day or a summit hike; combining both can produce rushed parking decisions and unsafe fatigue. Water remains cold, Route 5A shoulders are limited, cliff trails are steep, and popular access points fill early. The narrow basin also makes weather, wind, and seasonal light unusually legible from one shore to the other.
- Depth
- More than 300 feet
- Mountains
- Pisgah and Hor
- Region
- Northeast Kingdom
Quick guide
- See the whole basin
- Pullouts and beaches reveal different proportions.
- Respect cold water
- Clear appearance does not mean warm conditions.
Know before you go
- See the whole basin
- Pullouts and beaches reveal different proportions.
- Respect cold water
- Clear appearance does not mean warm conditions.
- Choose one summit
- Pisgah and Hor are real hikes, not overlooks.
- Protect cliff wildlife
- Observe closures and keep distance from nesting areas.
Good to know
Water remains cold, Route 5A shoulders are limited, cliff trails are steep, and popular access points fill early.
Notice these
- deep blue lake
- Mount Pisgah cliffs
- Mount Hor