Macrae Farm Park
Managed by Winooski Valley Park District
277 acres5 mi of trail
Meadow LoopLower Meadow LoopRiver TrailOld Town Road Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Fancy-cats-are-happy-cats · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Colchester
Colchester has 58 miles of mapped trails, 1.6 for every square mile of land
1,297 acres are parks and preserves, 74 per 1,000 residents. 14% of Colchester’s land is conserved, about 3,128 acres. The biggest trail networks: Macrae Farm Park (5 mi), Niquette Bay State Park (4.3 mi), Sunny Hollow Natural Area (4.3 mi).
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #21 of 71 in Vermont. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
3,128 acres · of 36.3 sq mi of land
Trails
58 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,297 ac
74 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
46%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
15 mi
3.8 mi lanes · 12 mi paths
Highest peak
305 ft
Malletts Head
Lakes & rivers
5
3 beaches · 2 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Colchester?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Colchester have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Colchester is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #21 of 71 in Vermont. Trail miles hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Colchester’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical VT town 14% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (58 mi) · VT 0.6 · U.S. 0.4APark land74 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,297 acres) · VT 97 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home46% of residents within a half mile of a park · VT 38% · U.S. 72%C+
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 86%
LessMore
Vermont towns of 2,500+ (71)Ahead of 71%
Vermont towns conserve more land than most (a typical one, 14%; the U.S., 4%), so Colchester’s 14% is ahead of 47% of Vermont towns, while its trails per square mile lead 80% of them.
Water is 40% of Colchester’s area (24 of 60 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 8%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Macrae Farm Park, with 5 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Niquette Bay State Park
Nature preserve
579 acres4.3 mi of trail
Muhley TrailLedges TrailAllen TrailBurns Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Sunny Hollow Natural Area
Managed by Town of Colchester
81 acres4.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Colchester Pond Natural Area
Managed by Winooski Valley Park District
646 acres3.5 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Wolcott Family Natural Area
Managed by Winooski Valley Park District
62 acres1.3 mi of trail
Wolcott Family Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Village Park
Managed by Town of Colchester
68 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailhead
Saint Michael's College Natural Area
Managed by Saint Michael's College
49 acres0.8 mi of trail
Blue TrailFr. Marcel Loop
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
All 20 parks & preserves
Macrae Farm Park277 acres · 5 mi of trail · Winooski Valley Park District
DirectionsNiquette Bay State Park579 acres · 4.3 mi of trail
Sunny Hollow Natural Area81 acres · 4.3 mi of trail · Town of Colchester
DirectionsColchester Pond Natural Area646 acres · 3.5 mi of trail · Winooski Valley Park District
DirectionsWolcott Family Natural Area62 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Winooski Valley Park District
DirectionsAirport Park33 acres · 1.1 mi of trail
DirectionsVillage Park68 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of Colchester
DirectionsSaint Michael's College Natural Area49 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Saint Michael's College
DirectionsLaw Island State Park10 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Lake Champlain Land Trust
Colchester Bog Natural Area202 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · University of Vermont
Intervale Wildlife Management Area292 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department
Rossetti Natural Area45 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Colchester
DirectionsFort Ethan Allen Parade Grounds and Park5 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPorter Natural Area56 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Lake Champlain Land Trust
DirectionsBayside Park12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsGilbrook Natural Area2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Delta Park64 acres · Winooski Valley Park District
DirectionsCauseway Park11 acres
McKenzie Park1 acres
Heritage Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,128 conserved acres
14% of Colchester’s land. Water is left out: Colchester has 36.3 square miles of land and 24.0 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Colchester’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,300 ac
Other state land530 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)398 ac
State fish & wildlife165 ac
Joint142 ac
Town or city114 ac
Regional agency62 ac
Conservation Easement · 1,907 acAgricultural Easement · 479 acState Park · 467 acState Conservation Area · 458 acPrivate Conservation · 274 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 1,518 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 22 of 75 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Niquette Bay State Park State Park | Not recorded | 457 | Open |
| Vermont Land Trust Private Conservation | Not recorded | 235 | Closed |
| Intervale Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 147 | Open |
| Mallets Creek Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 139 | Open |
| Malletts Creek Wildlife Management Area State Conservation Area | Not recorded | 103 | Open |
| Winooski Valley Park District Local Park | Land trusts & nonprofits | 68 | Open |
| Colchester High School Lot Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 67 | Unknown |
| Airport Park Local Park | Town or city | 63 | Open |
| Wolcott Family Natural Area Local Conservation Area | Regional agency | 62 | Open |
| Colchester Pond Lot Local Other or Unknown | Not recorded | 47 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
15 places to go in Colchester
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Colchester
Thayer Beach
DirectionsThayer Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Colchester
3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Colchester
Colchester Point Boat Ramp
DirectionsMallets Bay Boat Ramp
DirectionsFishing spots in Colchester
Heinburg Bridge Fishing Access Pier
DirectionsWaterfalls in Colchester
1 waterfall without a name on the map.
Peaks in Colchester
Malletts Head305 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Colchester
Plus 1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
23 named trails and 5 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.0 miHorses · 0.9 miUnpaved · 37.3 mi
Muhley Trail1.4 mi
Wolcott Family Trail1.3 mi
Minor's Loop1.0 mi
Ledges Trail0.8 mi
Meadow Loop0.8 mi
Old Town Road Trail0.8 mi
I-95.5 Trail0.6 mi
Allen Trail0.5 mi
Lower Meadow Loop0.5 mi
Blue Trail0.5 mi
13 more trails
Burns Trail
0.5 miRiver Trail
0.5 miPerry Trail
0.5 miMeadlow Loop
0.3 miBeach Access Pathway
0.3 miMac Trail
0.2 miIsland View Trail
0.2 miShore Acres Trail
0.2 miMother Hill Trail
0.2 miSamler Trail
0.2 miCliff Trail
0.2 miBomber Trail
0.1 miFr. Marcel Loop
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
15 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
12 mi
off-road bike paths
Blueberry LoopBike route
0.9 miEast LoopBike route
0.6 miTriborough BridgesBike route
0.5 miNorth PlateauBike route
0.4 miTeardropBike route
0.3 miCourts & fields
26Tennis
9Baseball
6Basketball
5Soccer
4Pickleball
2Beach volleyball
1Softball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →2 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Colchester: May, August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.8 |
| High (°F) | 28 | 31 | 40 | 54 | 68 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 58 | 46 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 2.3 | 2.0 | 2.3 | 3.1 | 3.7 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.6 | 3.9 | 2.8 | 2.7 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 4.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Colchester →
Next door
Colchester and its neighbors
Colchester has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Chesterfield67 miColchester58 miSouth Burlington41 miBurlington37 miMilton25 miAu Sable25 miSouth Hero9.2 miWinooski5.3 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colchester | 14% | 1.6 | 74 | 46% | A |
| Burlington | 22% | 3.6 | 22 | 99%+ | A+ |
| Milton | 14% | 0.5 | 210 | 30% | A− |
| South Hero | 19% | 0.6 | 124 | 29% | A− |
| South Burlington | 8% | 2.5 | 22 | 85% | A |
| Winooski | 16% | 3.8 | 6 | 99%+ | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Colchester
Where can I hike in Colchester?
The longest trail networks: Macrae Farm Park, 5 miles; Niquette Bay State Park, 4.3 miles; Sunny Hollow Natural Area, 4.3 miles; Colchester Pond Natural Area, 3.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Colchester is conserved land?
14% of its land, against a typical 14% for a Vermont town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Colchester’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Colchester Pond Natural Area (on leash) and Wolcott Family Natural Area (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Colchester?
15 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.8 of painted or protected lanes and 12 of off-road paths. Named routes: Blueberry Loop, East Loop and Triborough Bridges.
Is there public land near Colchester?
12,557 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Colchester or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,467 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Colchester have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #21 of 71 in Vermont. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Colchester neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →