In the village of North Bennington, one of the main attractions is Lake Paran, along with the Robert Frost Trail that begins (or ends, depending) at the lake. At one end of the trail is the lake and at the other, in Shaftsbury, is Robert Frost Stone House Museum. Though I have yet to visit the museum, I’ve visited the lake and trail multiple times, sometimes on my own, sometimes with my husband, and sometimes with my husband and my adventurous young dog, Fiddle. Both the lake and the trail have many wonderful qualities, but both also have shortcomings as well.
The Lake
While things have undoubtedly changed since the pandemic, Lake Paran is generally open for swimming and canoe rentals on weekends starting Memorial Day Weekend and during the weekdays starting mid-June, closing after Labor Day. The admission is $3.50 for adults and $1.00 for kids, which is a fair deal. The hours, however, are not clearly stated on the website, and I learned this the hard way: showing up for a 10:00 AM swim on a blistering summer day, only to then find out that the lake is not open for swimming until 11:00 AM. After later searching “Lake Paran hours” I eventually discovered that during the dates mentioned previously it is open from 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM.
I visited the lake for swimming at least once during each of my (two) summer spent living here in Vermont. The first time was just glorious – the water temperature was perfect, the crowd was very small (two other adults in the water, each focused on their own exercise), and it felt like the purest form of relaxation to see a tree-lined landscape everywhere I turned. The second time I visited, I arrived for a swim at the same time a summer camp session was going on. The water still felt amazing, but it felt a bit awkward to be swimming on my own while camp activities were taking place nearby. In addition to more clarity on the hours, I do feel like the general public would benefit from further information on when summer camp sessions are taking place, so people can plan their solo swims or family trips accordingly.
The lake itself is set up nicely for swimming; a shallow end and a spacious deep end are roped off for safety. Lifeguards are on duty during the lake’s hours and I’ve witnessed staff working to clean up the lake before the swimming hours begin. There’s a floating raft in the middle of the lake that can be used for jumping into the water or simply taking a break while you’re swimming in the deep end. The beach area is small but large enough for some fun in the sand for kids looking to build a sand castle or otherwise enjoy their beach toys. It’s a sweet escape and one that will undoubtedly be missed by many this coming summer if the current situation requires keeping it closed.
The Trail
The Robert Frost Trail start, or ends, at Lake Paran. There is a helpful sign welcoming visitors to the trail and supplying information at this point, as well as at the other end near the museum in Shaftsbury. The trail is two miles long and generally easy to traverse, as trails go.
A welcoming sign. 
Green and grassy paths abound. 
Flowers adorn the trail in the springtime.
Though it’s only a short trail, the terrain changes enough to make it interesting. The section by the lake is memorable as there are many wooden boardwalks and a variety of gorgeous views of Lake Paran from different vantage points. There is a bridge over Paran Creek right in the middle of the trail that provides a perfect place to take in a beautiful view and/or pause for a moment on the benches as needed. The trail is still open for walking during the current pandemic, and I have taken advantage of this fact recently. The following view was a breath I sorely needed to take in on one particular stressful day of remote teaching (technical difficulties have since improved):
Another aspect of the Robert Frost trail that I absolutely adore is the section where you can choose a “tougher” or “easier” option. This is a small fraction of the trail (after you choose, it’s only a few minutes until both sections come back together to the main trail), but you have to appreciate that the a trail named after the author who wrote “two paths diverged in a yellow wood…” involves making a choice like this.
There are two major negative aspects to this calm and idyllic trail and those aspects are, simply, ticks and wasps. While my dog Fiddle had a blast every time he visited this trail, he never managed to return from the adventures without at least one tick, if not a boatload, crawling on his fur. I would recommend wearing long pants and making sure to check yourself (and if you have a dog, check them especially!) for ticks following a walk on this trail. As for the wasps, my husband and I have come across multiple wasp nests here and one memorable walk on the trail involved him literally running away from them, almost like a real-life Animal Crossing situation (thankfully he got away in time and did not end up with a swollen eye…). In addition to care taken with regard to ticks, I would also recommend anyone visiting keep their eyes open to this wasp situation. In general, I have found this is more of a summer issue and have had many delightful, wasp-free, walks along the trail in the spring.
The Robert Frost Trail and Lake Paran are both abundant in natural beauty and a sense of peace and calm. However, there are drawbacks to both, and it’s best to plan your visit accordingly.
Freshly Vermont rating: four out of five stars. ★★★★☆