Knight Point State Park on North Hero Island opened as a state park in 1978, but its history goes back much further. John Knight, the point’s first resident, began ferry service between the islands in 1785. His family operated a ferry until the first bridge opened in 1892. The historic Knight Point house is a park staff residence. The wooden frame wing is a reconstruction of the Knight Tavern, an inn built in 1790 for travelers crossing between the islands. The brick section of the building, added to the tavern in 1845, has an unusual two-story porch.

Knight Point State Park is home to the Island Center for Arts and Recreation, a community-based non-profit group that works to promote and encourage the splendid natural setting that is Knight Point as a venue for cultural and recreational programming. Events hosted by the center have included performances by Hermann’s Royal Lipizzan Stallions and the Vermont Shakespeare Company. The Lake Champlain Islands Chamber of Commerce hosts a number of shows and performances in the park each year.

Expansive lawns are the center of this 54-acre day-use park. The lawn becomes a meadow west of the developed area, where the forest along the lakeside is a substantial natural feature. Besides stands of mature, windswept oak and maple on the point, hickory and hop hornbeam are found further inland. Tight clusters of cedar trees enhance the beauty and wildlife cover of the area.

The cobbled shoreline, west of the swimming beach and extending around the point, is a State Natural Area. It’s the largest undisturbed example of this type of natural community on Lake Champlain and is home to an unusually diverse group of rare plant species.

A walking trail loops around the point to offer scenic lake and shore vistas, plus intimate opportunities for close-up nature and forest viewing. A connecting path cuts through the meadow for those wishing to shorten the walk. Both trails are wide and easy to follow.

The land you can see south of Knight Point is Grand Isle. The channel between the islands is known as “The Gut” and is one of only three navigable routes between the main body of Lake Champlain, and the lake’s “inland sea”, east of the drawbridge. It’s the only one suitable for sailboats and large cruisers. There is usually plenty of boat traffic to watch, right from the beach.

Facilities include a sandy swimming beach and boat rentals. Shaded and open picnic areas include cooking grills.

A description and map of the trails at Knight Point State Park are on the TrailFinder website.