Editing Lake Champlain (section)

==Surroundings==
<!---this needs better title. See [[WP:Lakes]] for ideas--->

===Major cities===
<!---this is not interesting. Why not just put city name and comment population. This will solve future articles without looking more like an article about size of cities. Off [[WP:TOPIC]] IMO--->
[[Burlington, Vermont]] (pop. 44,743, 2020 census) is the largest city on the lake. The second and third most-populated cities/towns are [[Plattsburgh, New York]], and [[South Burlington, Vermont]], respectively. The fourth-largest community is the town of [[Colchester, Vermont|Colchester]].

===Islands===
[[File:Lake Champlain 1.jpg|thumb|right|At sunset, looking west from Grand Isle to Plattsburgh and Crab Island]]
Lake Champlain contains roughly 80 islands, three of which comprise four entire Vermont towns (most of [[Grand Isle County, Vermont|Grand Isle County]]). The largest islands:
<!---unless we intend to list all 80, we need to establish a cutoff for "largest." I have a feeling that the latest contributions will not be among the largest. Citation needed to justify their presence here--->
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[South Hero Island]], the largest, containing the towns of [[Grand Isle, Vermont|Grand Isle]] and [[South Hero, Vermont]]
*North Hero Island, containing the town of [[North Hero, Vermont]]
*Isle La Motte, containing the town of [[Isle La Motte, Vermont]]
*[[Valcour Island]], New York
*[[Juniper Island (Lake Champlain)|Juniper Island]]
*Three Sisters
*Four Brothers<ref>{{cite web |last=Meyers |first=Jeff |url=http://www.pressrepublican.com/homepage/local_story_222221553.html |title=Four Brothers Islands a haven for a variety of birds » Local News |website=Press-Republican |date=August 10, 2008 |access-date=March 2, 2011 |archive-date=January 22, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090122181034/http://www.pressrepublican.com/homepage/local_story_222221553.html |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*Savage Island
*Burton Island (State Park)
*Cloak Island
*Garden Island (Gunboat Island)
*[[Crab Island (Lake Champlain)|Crab Island]]
*Dameas Island
*Hen Island
*Butler Island<ref>{{Cite web| title = Geographic Names Information System| publisher = [[United States Geological Survey]] | access-date = 2024-08-07| url = https://edits.nationalmap.gov/apps/gaz-domestic/public/search/names | at=feature ID 1456692}}</ref>
*[[Carleton's Prize]]
*Young Island<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nasw.org/users/nbazilchuk/Articles/cormorants.htm |title=Cormorants on Lake Champlain |website=Nasw.org |date=July 3, 1996 |access-date=March 2, 2011 |archive-date=March 13, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313044114/https://www.nasw.org/users/nbazilchuk/Articles/cormorants.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> 
*Providence Island<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nrb.state.vt.us/wrp/decisions/upw/1998/upw9802dec.pdf |archive-date=June 19, 2013 |website=nrb.state.vt.us |title=Decisions |date=1998 |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130619202731/http://www.nrb.state.vt.us/wrp/decisions/upw/1998/upw9802dec.pdf}}</ref>
*Stave Island<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historiclakes.org/explore/islands.html |title=A Tour of the Historic Lake Champlain Islands |author=Millard, Jim |website=Historiclakes.org |date=December 5, 2010 |access-date=March 2, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101231064204/http://www.historiclakes.org/explore/islands.html |archive-date=December 31, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
*[[Sunset Island]]
{{div col end}}

===Lighthouses===
[[File:The light house in lake Champlain in the dusk as seen from Burlington VT..jpg|thumb|The lighthouse in Lake Champlain at dusk, as seen from Burlington]]
*[[Bluff Point Lighthouse]], on [[Valcour Island]] near the New York shore, was built in 1871; it was manned by a full-time lightkeeper until 1930, making it one of the last lighthouses to be manned on the Lake
*[[Cumberland Head Light]], which operated until 1934, is an historic stone lighthouse located on [[Cumberland Head]] which is privately owned
*[[Isle La Motte Light]], on the northern end of the island, was originally red, but faded to pink over time; it is privately owned<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=669 |title=Isle La Motte, VT |website=Lighthousefriends.com |access-date=May 25, 2011 |archive-date=April 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405204140/http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=669 |url-status=live }}</ref>
*[[Juniper Island Light]] is a cast-iron lighthouse that dates from 1846; in 1954, it was deactivated and replaced by a steel tower; it is privately owned
*On Point Au Roche, part of [[Beekmantown, New York]], there is a privately owned, historic lighthouse
*Split Rock Lighthouse is located south of [[Essex, New York]], near a natural boundary of the territory between the Mohawk and Algonquin tribes<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/57578.html |title=Watchtowers on the Water |website=NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation |date=March 19, 2003 |access-date=March 2, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110728023810/http://www.dec.ny.gov/pubs/57578.html |archive-date=July 28, 2011}}</ref>

===Aids to navigation===
[[File:Cgsburlington.JPG|thumb|USCG, Burlington, Vermont – main installation]]
All active navigational aids on the American portion of the lake are maintained by [[Coast Guard Station Burlington]], along with those on international [[Lake Memphremagog]] to the east.<ref name="uscg-btv">
{{cite web |url=http://www.uscg.mil/d1/staBurlington/ |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121212022406/http://www.uscg.mil/d1/staBurlington/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 12, 2012 |date=March 5, 2009 |website=United States Coast Guard |title=USCG: Station Burlington, Vermont}}</ref>
Aids to navigation on the Canadian portion of the lake are maintained by the [[Canadian Coast Guard]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.marinfo.gc.ca/en/Balisage/BalisageAutomne.asp?lstVoyage=931 |title=BalisageAutomne |website=Canadian Coast Guard – Marinfo |author=Canadian Coast Guard |date=December 9, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110513193000/http://www.marinfo.gc.ca/en/Balisage/BalisageAutomne.asp?lstVoyage=931 |archive-date=May 13, 2011}}</ref>

===Parks===
There are a number of parks in the Lake Champlain region, in both New York and Vermont.

Those on the New York side of the lake include [[Point Au Roche State Park]], which park grounds have hiking and cross country skiing trails and a public beach; and Ausable Point Campground within the [[Adirondack Park]]. [[Cumberland Bay State Park]] is located on [[Cumberland Head]], with a campground, city beach and sports fields.

There are various parks along the lake on the Vermont side, including [[Sand Bar State Park]] in [[Milton, Vermont|Milton]], featuring a {{cvt|2000|ft}} natural sand beach, swimming, canoe and kayak rentals, food concession, picnic grounds and a play area. At {{cvt|226|acre}}, [[Grand Isle State Park (Vermont)|Grand Isle State Park]] contains camping facilities, a sand volleyball court, a nature walk trail, a [[horseshoe pit]] and a play area. [[Button Bay State Park]] in [[Ferrisburgh, Vermont|Ferrisburgh]] features campsites, picnic areas, a nature center and a swimming pool. Burlington's Waterfront Park is a revitalized industrial area.