Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area
Middlesex, Vermont · Wrightsville Dam
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- reservoir
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- $1
- SEASON
- Best in summer
About Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area
Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area is a 350-foot sand beach on Wrightsville Reservoir, a flood-control impoundment behind a Civilian Conservation Corps-era dam in Middlesex, Vermont, about six miles north of downtown Montpelier. It is a designated, fee-based public swimming hole operated by the Wrightsville Beach Recreation District (the towns of Middlesex, Montpelier, East Montpelier, and Worcester), open daily 10:00 to dusk in summer, an easy lake to swim in for the Montpelier area.
The beach sits along Wrightsville Reservoir, a dammed section of the North Branch of the Winooski River created in 1933-1935 as a Great Flood of 1927 flood-control project; the dam was later raised in 1956-58. The reservoir flooded the former village of Wrightsville and required relocating a 19th-century cemetery. The lake today is bordered by the Shady Rill picnic/disc-golf area and a separate boat launch area in addition to the beach.
Swimming at Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area
Swimming takes place off a 350-foot man-made sand beach on the reservoir within a roped/designated swim zone (fishing is required to stay at least 50 feet clear of it). There is no lifeguard on duty and swimming is at visitors' own risk. Official water testing shows very low coliform/E. coli counts (recent 2026 samples ranged 0-22 colonies/100mL against a state limit of 235), which the operator markets as among the cleanest public beach water in Vermont.
How to get to this swimming hole
From I-89 head into downtown Montpelier, turn onto Main Street at the fourth light, continue through town to the traffic rotary, take the second exit, cross the bridge and turn right onto Elm Street (which becomes Route 12), then travel about 5.5 miles north; the marked 'Beach & Picnic Area' entrance is on the right (not the earlier 'Boat Launch' sign).
Parking: On-site parking lot at the beach entrance; visitors check in at the Beach Booth after parking. The gate is locked at dusk.
The hike in
- Time on foot
- Under 5 minutes walk from car to sand.
This is a drive-up beach: parking lot is adjacent to the swim area, so no hike is needed to reach the water. Separate 'lakeside trails' exist within the broader recreation area for hiking/dog-walking as an added activity, but they are not on the way to and are not required to reach the designated swim beach.
If visitors want to explore beyond swimming, the adjacent Shady Rill area (about a mile away) has additional trails and a disc golf course, but that is a separate outing, not part of reaching the beach.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Constructed 350-foot sand beach with a designated, roped swim zone gives an easy, shallow-style entry good for kids, and children under 14 must be supervised by an adult 18+ per posted rules. However there is no lifeguard on duty and swimming/boating is explicitly at the visitor's own risk, and the reservoir sits next to a boat-launch/powerboat zone, so adults need to actively watch young swimmers rather than relying on staff.
Parking
Paid, Daily admission (not a separate parking fee): ages 0-2 free; ages 3-12 $1 VT resident/$2 non-resident; ages 13-64 $2 VT resident/$2.50 non-resident; ages 65+ $1 all; family season pass $34 VT resident/$39 non-resident
On-site parking lot at the Beach & Picnic Area entrance (about 5.5 miles north of downtown Montpelier on Route 12); visitors park and check in at the Beach Booth. The site notes it has 'ample parking for buses' for groups. The gate is locked at dusk, so visitors must leave before then.
Restrooms
Yes
Official facilities list describes 'maintained pit bathrooms' on site, along with drinking water and a limited snack/beverage stand at the Beach Booth area.
Hours
Summer season, daily 10:00 AM to dusk (per official 2026 posted hours); gate locked at dusk.
On the water
Restrictions: Reservoir is split into a 5-mph no-wake zone for canoes/kayaks north of a narrows and a higher-speed powerboat zone to the south, per prior official-source research. Anyone launching from elsewhere (not just renting on-site) needs a season pass or day admission, and boat rental agreements require an adult's signature.
The recreation district itself runs the only on-water rental operation at the beach; no separate independent outfitter renting onto Wrightsville Reservoir was found.
Rentals nearby
Sit-in and sit-on-top kayaks (including solo and tandem, plus child-sized kayaks), canoes, and stand-up paddleboards; all rentals include paddle and PFD
Prices: Solo kayak/paddleboard $17 first hour, $10 each additional hour; tandem kayak/canoe $20 first hour, $10 each additional hour; 40% off all rentals on Tuesdays; 20% off for season-pass holders and district residents
Directly on-site at the beach's Service Booth (no separate address; same location as the swim beach)
Backstory
The dam and reservoir were built 1933-1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps as a flood-control response to Vermont's Great Flood of 1927, flooding the former village of Wrightsville (at least 30 structures) and requiring relocation of 651 graves from the North Branch Cemetery in 1934. The dam was raised 20 feet and extended 275 feet in a 1956-1958 modification. The Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area itself was established in 1985.
Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area: FAQ
Does Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area charge a fee?
Daily admission charged when the beach is open (OPEN flag raised): ages 0-2 free; ages 3-12 $1 VT resident/$2 non-resident; ages 13-64 $2 VT resident/$2.50 non-resident; ages 65+ $1 for all. Family season passes cost $34 (VT resident) or $39 (non-resident).
Is Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area kid friendly?
Constructed 350-foot sand beach with a designated, roped swim zone gives an easy, shallow-style entry good for kids, and children under 14 must be supervised by an adult 18+ per posted rules. However there is no lifeguard on duty and swimming/boating is explicitly at the visitor's own risk, and the reservoir sits next to a boat-launch/powerboat zone, so adults need to actively watch young swimmers rather than relying on staff.
Do I need to hike to reach Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area?
On-site parking lot at the Beach & Picnic Area entrance (about 5.5 miles north of downtown Montpelier on Route 12); visitors park and check in at the Beach Booth. The site notes it has 'ample parking for buses' for groups. The gate is locked at dusk, so visitors must leave before then.
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area?
The recreation district itself runs the only on-water rental operation at the beach; no separate independent outfitter renting onto Wrightsville Reservoir was found.
When is the best time to visit Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area?
Summer (facility operates seasonally with posted 2026 summer hours of 10:00 to dusk).
What are the rules at Wrightsville Beach Recreation Area?
No lifeguard; swim/boat at own risk. No pets on the beach, no overnight camping, no firearms/fireworks/sparklers, no alcohol on the beach or Pines picnic area, no glass containers, no nudity, no littering, no smoking on the beach or adjacent grass/picnic areas, no open or wood fires, no rice/confetti/water-balloon throwing. Children under 14 must be supervised by an adult 18+. Boat rentals require a signed agreement; boaters arriving from elsewhere need a season pass or day admission.
