Watersports, farm stands and island living at South Hero
South Hero is a small town with rolling pastoral farmlands on the south end of Vermont's Grand Isle, an island in the middle of Lake Champlain. "People enjoy buying there for the picturesque views, apple orchards and farmers' markets," says Brian Armstrong, a lifelong Vermont resident, operating principal and owner at KW Vermont. "There are also a couple of local businesses at home that sell hamburgers and soft serve." Locals live in homes built across the town's longstanding history and can shop for farm goods without leaving the island. Many commuters also appreciate the town's proximity to Burlington for work or leisure.
Rural single-family homes and lakefront properties
The median sale price for single-family homes in South Hero is $689,000, significantly higher than the state's median sale price. Common styles here include 19th-century farmhouses, midcentury ramblers and raised ranches, and smaller manufactured cottage-style homes in the Apple Island Resort area. Higher-priced homes may come with extra square footage, multi-acre lots or frontage on Lake Champlain. Houses sit along winding country roads between the lake and vast stretches of farmland, giving the town a picturesque, secluded atmosphere.
Restaurants, farms and Snow Farm Vineyard to browse
South Hero hosts several locally loved businesses and farm stands along U.S. Highway 2. Victoria's Café serves a fusion menu with Thai noodle dishes and American cheeseburgers. Pan’s Pizza is a few doors down, offering hot pies, grinders and calzones. Farther south are local farms like Pigasus Meats for fresh pork and sausages, while Allenholm Farm is an orchard with berries, apples and fresh pies. Snow Farm Vineyard & Distillery is a popular spot to sample craft wines and small-batch spirits with views overlooking the lake. There's also the Music in the Vineyard Summer Concert Series, which runs on Thursday evenings from June through September, for locals to sip wines, order from food trucks and enjoy live music.
Cyclists ride the Lake Champlain Causeway, anglers fish at the Sandbar
Cyclists can take the scenic Island Line Trail, which runs 14 miles along the Lake Champlain Causeway. "Most people access South Hero by the Causeway; you can see beautiful Malletts Bay and take the bike ferry to reach Colchester and Burlington," says Armstrong. "The bay is pretty scenic; you can look on one side and see a calm lake; and on the other side there are choppy waves." An hourlong bike ride along this path leads to downtown Burlington. The Local Motion Island Line Ferry also connects bikers to the south segment of the trail. The Sandbar Wildlife Management Area is south of town and is a popular spot for shallow-water fishing for largemouth bass and sunfish. Boaters can also rent a deep-water slip at Keeler Bay Marina and explore Lake Champlain in the warmer months.
Commuters drive to Burlington and Saint Albans
The drive to Burlington, 19 miles south on Interstate 89, takes about 30 minutes. Saint Albans, 26 miles north, is also about 30 minutes away. Locals can reach Plattsburgh, New York, after a 40-minute ride on the Grand Isle ferry. Plattsburgh International Airport offers domestic flights, and is about an hour from South Hero.
Folsom Educational & Community Center and Vermont school choice options
Kids can attend Folsom Educational & Community Center, the town's only school, for pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. It receives a B from Niche. Vermont's school choice program allows kids to go to any public high school in the state. A lottery system is used to make decisions when a school's availability becomes limited. Milton Senior High School is 12 miles east and receives a B.
Written By
Maxwell Olarinde
