Vergennes Falls

Vergennes Falls is a dam-affected thirty-seven-foot drop on Otter Creek in downtown Vergennes, Addison County -- the headwaters of Lake Champlain-navigable Otter Creek, which is why Vergennes was once a port city. A hydro dam controls flow at the falls, so the drop can thunder on one visit and run thin on the next. The city of Vergennes has built Falls Park and Otter Creek Basin along the river corridor with benches, overlooks, and interpretive signs; pair a visit with the Bixby Library and the Otter Creek Brewing tasting room. This is a viewing stop from the sidewalks, the bridge on Main Street, and the Falls Park overlooks, not a swim -- the current over the drop is strong even at low flow, the rock is slick, and utility property around the dam is fenced. Park in downtown Vergennes on-street or in the municipal lot near the library.