Five Scenic, Stroller-Friendly Walks around Burlington

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If you are like me, your baby loves to get outside but you can’t hit the hiking trails quite yet… so anywhere we go requires a stroller!   

However, we’ve discovered several fun, stroller-friendly walks around Burlington that guarantee good exercise and interesting scenery.  These walks all follow paved paths or smooth sidewalks, and include at least one easy stopping point and nearby free parking.  I consider these factors the essentials for a good stroll.  Each walk takes about an hour total (walking at a brisk pace).     

  1. Gorgeous stroller-friendly walks along Lake Champlain.  Oakledge Park to ECHO

Along this scenic walk, you’ll see great views of the lake, decorated bridges, historic spots, and possibly a train on the nearby tracks.

Start at Burlington Bike path next to Blanchard Beach in Oakledge Park.  You can follow the path all the way to ECHO – at one point, it goes through a small neighborhood but the path is well-marked with arrows on the ground.

Difficulty:  Easy (flat).

Stopping points:  Oakledge Park (water fountains, bathrooms, playground), Lakeside Park (playground), Perkins Pier (playground), Waterfront Park (restrooms  and water fountains at Information Center and ECHO Center).

Parking:  There is usually free parking available on Flynn Avenue, just before the road makes a sharp left into Oakledge Park.  There is also paid parking available after the park entrance.

  1. Scenes from a stroller walk.  Farrell Street Park to Overlook Park

This path actually feels like hiking through the woods for much of the walk;  one highlight is the amazing westerly view over Lake Champlain from Overlook Park.

Start at Farrell Street Park.  Follow the recreation path to the left from the parking lot (not the right). The path goes through a small neighborhood –turn right on Stonehedge Drive and the 3rd right turn will put you back on the recreational trail.  The path dead ends on Deerfield Road – turn left up the hill to reach Overlook Park.    

Difficulty:  Medium (moderate hills).

Stopping points:  Farrell Street Park (playground), Szymanski Neighborhood Park (grassy area),  Overlook Park (water fountains).

Parking:  Free at either Farrell Street Park or Overlook Park.

  1.  Pine Street:  Lake Champlain Elementary School to Citizen Cider

On this walk through the South End, you’ll pass a number of interesting buildings like the Dealer.Com headquarters, breweries, art studios, and tasty food stops.  My personal favorite place to stop is the large, sunny Speeder & Earl’s Coffee shop.  

Start at Champlain Elementary School and walk north along Pine Street until you reach Citizen Cider on the right.  For smoother sidewalks, start on the west side of the street (closer to the lake)– you’ll be forced to cross the street near Dealer.Com but the eastern sidewalks improve by that point.  For a longer walk, continue north on Pine Street as long as you’d like.

Difficulty:  Medium (slight uphill going north).

Stopping points:  Calahan Park (playgrounds, water fountains), several food stops.

Parking:  Street parking around the Flynn Street neighborhood.

  1.  Battery Park to Andy “A_Dog” Williams Skatepark

This walk starts at the historic Battery Park, goes through the entire Waterfront Park, and ends at one of my baby’s favorite “people-watching” spots, the Andy “A_Dog” Williams Skatepark.

Start at Battery Park and follow the path downhill (to your left if you’re facing the lake) as it becomes a sidewalk.  Turn right on College Street at the bottom of the hill (short stretch of bumpy sidewalk) and then right again at the Burlington Bike Path, following it until you reach the Skatepark.  When you return, it’s a steep hill back up to Battery Park but has mostly smooth sidewalks which are very doable with a stroller.

Difficulty:  Mostly easy but challenging when going back up the hill to Battery Park.

Stopping Points:  Battery Park (playground), Information Center (restrooms), Waterfront Park (grassy areas), Andy A_Dog Williams Skatepark (water fountains).

Parking:  Street parking in neighborhoods just north of Battery Park (Front Street and Park Street).

  1.  Trailhead near Shaw’s Supermarket to UVM Athletic Complex

This walk follows a great piece of the paved recreational trail, past a number of UVM facilities and has scenic views as you ascend towards the main campus.  It is the most challenging path listed here, with a moderately steep ascent for most of the walk but is still very stroller-friendly.

Begin at the trailhead by the intersection of Farrell Street and Eastwood Drive.   You’ll pass by the picturesque UVM Morgan Horse Farm, the Forestry Sciences Laboratory, and the Burlington Country Club.   We always turn around once we reach the fields at the Athletic Complex, but you can continue on the path to UVM Central Campus for a longer walk.

Difficulty:  Challenging (moderate hills the entire walk).

Stopping points:  Aiken Forestry Science Laboratory (huge grassy area).

Parking:  Shaw’s Supermarket parking lot.

On these stroller-friendly walks, my baby and I have had a lot of fun and seen new, interesting views of Burlington.   I hope you can also get out there with your baby and enjoy strolling!  Do you have suggestions for other stroller-friendly walks in the area?  We’d love to hear them in the comments!

 

Guest Blogger Caroline Henne

caroline-3Caroline Henne has experience as a project manager, editor, and teacher; she recently moved to Vermont from Washington, DC.  Caroline lives in South Burlington with her family and loves writing and exploring outside.

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