Southwest Cove
Westmore
Canoe, Hike, Kayak, and Swim
Southwest Cove is a small sand beach tucked into the southwest corner of Lake Willoughby in Westmore, Vermont. It sits on state land inside Willoughby State Forest, a 7,682-acre forest managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. Lake Willoughby is a long, narrow glacial lake squeezed between Mount Hor on the west and Mount Pisgah on the east, and the cove lies right at the foot of Mount Hor, looking straight up the lake at the Pisgah cliffs. The state forest is open to the public, and the department has said it has no plans to charge admission at the south end.
Getting there means driving Route 5A to the south end of the lake, roughly 6 km south of the Westmore town center and the north end of the lake. The state rebuilt parking at the south end between 2021 and 2022, adding an overflow lot on the west side of Route 5A at the ballfields and two smaller lots closer to the beaches and trailheads. The first beach you reach from the road is South Beach, the clothed beach next to White Caps Campground. Southwest Cove is a separate beach a short walk farther west. Take the South Beach Trail along the shore, or the more wooded South Shore Trail, and follow it to a set of stairs that drops down to the cove. The two trails make an easy loop of about 2 miles that Trail Finder lists as free and dog-friendly on leash.
The beach itself is sand, and the water is some of the clearest and coldest in Vermont. Lake Willoughby is about 300 feet deep at its deepest, and even near shore at the south end the water stays chilly well into summer. There are no lifeguards, no swim lines and no staff at the cove. The only facilities the state lists for the forest are portable toilets at the South End in summer, so plan on nothing else being there.
Visitors should know that Southwest Cove has been used as a clothing-optional beach for decades, and many regulars swim and sunbathe nude. Vermont has no state law against public nudity, Westmore discussed an anti-nudity ordinance in 2007 and 2008 but did not adopt one, and the state has posted a sign at the trailhead warning that you may encounter nude bathers. Families who would rather avoid that tend to use South Beach next door or the larger North Beach at the other end of the lake.
There is no fee for parking, the trails or the beach, and the state's forest page lists no hours or seasonal closure for the south end. Summer weekends get crowded and parking fills, and parking along the shoulder of Route 5A is what led the state to build the new lots in the first place, so arrive early and use the designated lots. The stairs down to the cove take some care when wet, and the route is not built for wheelchairs. Because the lake gets deep quickly and stays cold, weaker swimmers should stay close to shore.
The south end works as a base for more than swimming. The state's 2022 work included an accessible car-top boat ramp for canoes and kayaks, and the privately run White Caps Campground beside South Beach rents boats. Over 12 miles of state forest trails start close by, including the climbs up Mount Pisgah and Mount Hor, whose overlooks look straight down on the south end and the length of the lake.
More Information
Nature Vs. Nurture: Proposed Changes At Willoughby State Forest Met With Resistance | Vermont Public
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation has some changes planned for the trails and beaches at the south end of Lake Willoughby. But not…
https://www.vermontpublic.org/vpr-news/2017-09-01/nature-vs-nurture-proposed-changes-at-willoughby-state-forest-met-with-resistanceSite Improvements Resume at South End of Lake Willoughby: Project Updates Available on Twitter and F
Department Home About the Department Forests State Parks Recreation State Lands Agency Home Project Learning Tree Search Submit Department Home About the Department Forests State Parks Recreation State Lands Agency Home Project Learning Tree Site Improvements Resume at South End of Lake Willoughby: Project Updates Available on Twitter and Forests, Parks & Recreation Website News Tue, 08/02/2022 - 12:00 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –August 2, 2022
https://fpr.vermont.gov/news/lake-willoughby-south-end-site-improvements-resumeTown mulls covering up nude beachgoers
From the beach of Lake Willoughby's Southwest Cove, the sheer cliffs of Mount Pisgah tower over the deep, frigid water. Across the narrows, Mount Hor's peak completes the look of a Scandinavian fjord.
https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna25208728Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation Begins Site Improvements at South End of Lake Wi
Department Home About the Department Forests State Parks Recreation State Lands Agency Home Project Learning Tree Search Submit Department Home About the Department Forests State Parks Recreation State Lands Agency Home Project Learning Tree Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation Begins Site Improvements at South End of Lake Willoughby News Tue, 09/28/2021 - 12:00 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE –September 28, 2021
https://fpr.vermont.gov/news/fpr-begins-site-improvements-south-end-lake-willoughbyVermont nude beach fans against parking lot, boardwalk
The popularity of what is perhaps Vermont most famous nude beach is helping to drive state plans to develop the area to add parking spaces, boardwalks and flush toilets
https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2017/05/29/vermont-nude-beach-fans-against-parking-lot-boardwalk/Willoughby State Forest - South Shore and South Beach Trails - Trail Finder
The South Beach and South Shore Trails create a loop hike that travels out to a stunning view of the cliffs of Mount Pisgah and the shores of the
https://www.trailfinder.info/trails/trail/willoughby-state-forest-south-shore-south-beach-trailsWilloughby State Forest | Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation
Department Home About the Department Forests State Parks Recreation State Lands Agency Home Project Learning Tree Search Submit Department Home About the Department Forests State Parks Recreation State Lands Agency Home Project Learning Tree Willoughby State Forest Newark, Sutton and Westmore; Caledonia and Orleans Counties 7,682 Acres
https://fpr.vermont.gov/willoughby-state-forestBe courteous, informed, and prepared. Read trailhead guidelines, stay on the trail, and don't feed the wildlife.
Read More
- Plan Ahead and Prepare
- Travel & camp on durable surfaces
- Dispose of waste properly
- Leave what you find
- Minimize campfire impacts
- Respect wildlife
- Be considerate of other visitors
Directions
From Westmore
- Head southwest on Hinton Hill Rd/
T-38 (52 ft) - Turn left onto VT-5A S (4.1 mi)
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