Willoughby Lake South Beach Orleans Open Water Swimming

Willoughby Lake South Beach serves as the southern access point to Lake Willoughby, a glacial lake celebrated for remarkable water clarity, significant depth, and dramatic mountain scenery. The beach provides sandy shoreline with facilities including restrooms, picnic tables, and parking areas. Views from the south beach showcase Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor rising steeply from the lake’s edges. The beach area includes a small park suitable for families and swimmers. Swimming is unsupervised with no lifeguards on duty. The lake’s cold temperatures and depth require swimmers to assess their comfort level and abilities before entering the water.

South Beach participates in NEK Swim Week hosted by Kingdom Games, offering swimmers the option to complete single or double crossings of this challenging lake during the August event series. The 5-mile single crossing and 10-mile double crossing traverse deep, cold water between the north and south beaches. Kingdom Games emphasizes bringing your own kayaker for escort support, though they provide kayakers on a first-come, first-served basis for a fee. The event attracts experienced open water swimmers seeking to test themselves in one of Vermont’s most iconic swimming venues. Lake Willoughby has been recognized as one of the 50 great open water swimming venues in the Americas.

Water quality remains consistently high due to the lake’s spring-fed nature and protected watershed. The exceptional clarity allows swimmers to see significant depths below, though the lake bottom quickly drops away from shore. Summer water temperatures typically range from the upper 50s to mid-60s Fahrenheit, requiring wetsuits for many swimmers or acclimatization to cold water. The lake’s depth and thermal layers mean surface temperatures can vary from deeper water temperatures. Wind patterns between the mountains can create wave conditions that change rapidly. Swimmers should check weather forecasts and be prepared for cold water swimming conditions. Kingdom Games provides safety support during organized swims including patrol boats and required kayak escorts.