Public Access

We protect river access for all.

Vermont boasts hundreds of rivers and streams — iconic swimming holes and fabled paddlers’ trails that draw more than a half million Vermonters and visitors each year to splash, float, and fish with families and friends. Unfortunately, the future of these areas is often a string of “no trespassing” signs, cutting communities off from their beloved rivers.

Addressing this challenge head-on, we protect public access to popular swimming holes, fishing and boating accesses, gorges, and waterfalls, ultimately improving the lives of people who rely on Vermont rivers for swimming, paddling, and angling.

This work started more than 25 years ago, when we came together to protect a swimming hole on the Dog River, a place loved by generations of swimmers and anglers. When private landowners threatened to post “no trespassing” signs, a group of volunteers stepped in to secure public access, forever. From this, Vermont River Conservancy was born, growing to protect more than 50 miles of shoreline for people and wildlife.

We continue in this tradition today, working to make sure all people, no matter their background, can access a most universal resource — water — for swimming, angling, paddling, or simply relaxing by a babbling brook.