Quechee Gorge Swimming Area

The river access most people think of as the 'Quechee Gorge swimming area' is inside Quechee State Park on the Ottauquechee River in Hartford / Quechee, Windsor County. The park is not a supervised swim: there is no designated beach and no lifeguard, and state park staff flag the river as swim-at-your-own-risk. The Quechee Gorge Trail runs roughly 1.3 miles out-and-back from the US 4 overlook and gorge visitor center down to the river below the cascades, passing a 165-foot-deep slot carved into metamorphic rock (Vermont's so-called 'Little Grand Canyon'). The park operates Memorial Day weekend through the second Monday in October, 10 a.m. to sunset, with standard Vermont State Parks day-use fees collected at the contact station. Pets are allowed on leash throughout the park. Do not bring outside firewood unless it is certified heat-treated. Current in the river runs hard through the gorge and can change quickly after rain; scout the pools carefully before any swim, and keep kids well back from the gorge edge up on the trail.