Fairlee Town Beach

Fairlee, Vermont

Verified · 3 independent sources

WATER: lake
ACCESS: Designated swim area
FEE: $5
SEASON: Best in summer

About Fairlee Town Beach

Fairlee Town Beach is a municipally-run public swimming beach on Lake Morey in Fairlee, Vermont, operated by the Town of Fairlee and its Recreation Council. Archived town records show a lifeguarded summer swim season with a paid beach-pass system for at least 2017 through 2022, making this a managed swimming hole and Lake Morey a supervised lake to swim in during the season.

The beach sits on the shore of Lake Morey, a lake in the Upper Valley region of eastern Vermont near the New Hampshire border, in the small town of Fairlee. Lake Morey is also known locally for hosting one of the longest maintained ice-skating trails in the United States in winter, and the surrounding area has hiking trails maintained by the Lake Morey Foundation and Friends of the Fairlee Forest.

The walk in

No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. This is a drive-up town beach on Lake Morey; no trail or hike is involved, just a short walk from parking to the shoreline.

Plan your visit

Bringing kids

OK with supervision

It is a lifeguarded municipal lake beach in season, which is generally kid-friendly, but as of the current town website access is restricted to Fairlee residents/taxpayers only, lifeguard coverage is described by a third-party guide as varying by day, and the beach can be posted closed on short notice for cyanobacteria (harmful algae) blooms.

Parking

Paid, $10 Resident Beach & Dump Pass (annual, purchased by mail from the Fairlee Town Clerk's Office)

The current Fairlee Recreation Council page (fairleevt.gov) states the beach is open to residents and taxpayers only and requires the paid annual pass; a third-party guide describes the lot itself as small with enforced permit/sticker checks and no accommodation for non-resident visitors.

Restrooms

None on site

A third-party swimming-hole guide (newenglandswimmingholes.com) states there is no public restroom infrastructure at the beach; no town source confirms restrooms either.

Water clarity

Varies with season and flow

A third-party guide describes Lake Morey as typically clear on settled summer days. However, the Lake Morey Protective Association's own cyanobacteria page confirms the lake has had recurring harmful-algae issues serious enough that the Town of Fairlee scheduled an alum treatment for June 2024 specifically to bind phosphorus and reduce cyanobacteria; the town's protocol is to post the beach front closed whenever cyanobacteria is detected near the swim area.

On the water

Restrictions: Official Town of Fairlee beach rules (per archived 2017-2019 town pages) prohibit boats at the town beach swim area itself, alongside no fishing/smoking/alcohol/pets. The broader lake is a different story: the Lake Morey Protective Association references active state rulemaking on wakesport/wakeboat zones and safety offsets for Lake Morey, indicating motorboat and wake-boat traffic does occur elsewhere on the lake outside the beach's swim zone.

No confirmation that kayaks/canoes/paddleboards are permitted to launch from the town beach itself; visitors wanting to paddle Lake Morey would need to use a different access point, such as the marina below.

Rentals nearby

Fairlee Marine

Pontoon boats, jet skis, kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards on Lake Morey, with multi-day rental options

274 US Route 5 South, Fairlee, VT (05045), a marina directly on Lake Morey; exact road distance from the town beach not confirmed

What regulars say

Regulars advise checking fairleevt.gov/lmrnews and the Vermont Department of Health cyanobacteria tracker before visiting, note that lifeguard presence varies day to day, and flag that the resident/taxpayer-only rule means casual out-of-town visitors may be turned away or ticketed. Treasure Island in nearby West Fairlee (on Lake Fairlee, a separate lake) is often suggested as a more publicly accessible alternative. One visitor similarly mentions that 'Treasure Island in West Fairlee usually has a couple of boats for rental' as an alternative to Lake Morey access, offered here as a visitor report, not independently verified.

Backstory

Lake Morey, on which the beach sits, is noted by the town and by Wikipedia for hosting the longest maintained ice-skating trail in the United States during winter, though this is unrelated to the summer swimming use of the beach.

Fairlee Town Beach: FAQ

Does Fairlee Town Beach charge a fee?

Historically pass-based: in 2017 resident/taxpayer season passes were $5, non-resident season passes were $45, and $5 day passes were sold by on-duty lifeguards. By 2022 the pass price had risen to $10 (with additional cards at $5). A January 2022 town notice stated the beach was open to residents and taxpayers only, which may reflect a temporary or later policy shift versus the non-resident pass option described in 2017-2019 sources.

Is Fairlee Town Beach kid friendly?

Do I need to hike to reach Fairlee Town Beach?

No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.

Where do I park for Fairlee Town Beach?

When is the best time to visit Fairlee Town Beach?

Summer; the 2017 season opened June 24 and swim-lesson sessions ran in three blocks from late June through early August, indicating the beach operates roughly late June to early/mid-August.

What are the rules at Fairlee Town Beach?

Beach pass required and must be presented at all times, including when lifeguards are off duty. Rules per the Town of Fairlee: no smoking, no alcoholic beverages, no pets (except service dogs), no boats, no fishing, and no running or pushing on the beach.