Our Family Vacation to Basin Harbor Resort

Basin Harbor on Lake Champlain is a family friendly resort with beautiful views and countless fun activities.

When my family and I were invited to stay at Basin Harbor on Lake Champlain, we started packing our bags. I’ve heard Basin Harbor Resort is absolutely amazing and my family has never experienced Vermont in the summer! Overall, our trip was incredible. Today I’m sharing all about our fun filled stay at Basin Harbor and what to expect if you visit with your family.

All About Basin Harbor

Basin Harbor is a 130 year old family owned lakeside resort on over 700 acres in Vergennes, Vermont. With picturesque views of the Adirondacks over Lake Champlain, Basin Harbor is a resort like no other. There is a sense of exclusivity when arriving on the property, only because you feel like you’re entering a secret summer camp hidden in the woods. From the first moment we arrived, the resort staff was dedicated to making us feel at home. We were told to relax, have fun, and enjoy every bit of the property.

The Cottage

There are 74 private cottages on the Basin Harbor property, each unique and with a personality of its own. Our little white cottage was cozy, meticulously decorated, conveniently located across from the pool.

Our two bedroom cottage could easily accommodate more than a four person family. Annabelle and Ailey wanted to sleep together so we had an extra bed! We didn’t spend a lot of time in the cottage though, as there is so much to do at Basin Harbor. Most of our cottage time was allotted to sleeping or showering. Speaking of the bathroom, there is shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the showers that smell incredible!

Much to the dismay of any television loving family, there are NO T.V.s in the cottages. However, there is free Wi-Fi on the property (with a strong signal most everywhere).

Things to Do at Basin Harbor

From adirondack chairs overlooking every beautiful view to nightly dockside dining events, from the Kids Club to countless water activities, there is so much to see and do at Basin Harbor. Wander the property and you’ll find classic lawn games like croquet, badminton, giant chess and volleyball. Venture to the edge of Lake Champlain and you’ll see paddle-boats, kid’s boats and a water trampoline. We were NEVER bored!

Brandon played golf one morning while I enjoyed the fitness center and the girls went to Kids Camp. The family also went tubing, took an hour long Shipwreck Cruise tour, and visited the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

Whether you want to relax with a good book poolside or challenge yourself a 7 mile bike ride, you can be as lazy or active as you like.

Where to Eat at Basin Harbor

Traveling with kids can be difficult when it comes to meal time. Thankfully, Basin Harbor has outstanding food! The chefs at Ardelia’s, the Red Mill Restaurant, and for the North Dock dinners create the most flavorful and delicious meals. Wondering what kind of food you’ll find at Basin Harbor? We learned during our stay that the Basin Harbor family prides themselves on serving local and fresh food their guests will enjoy.

My family will agree that EVERYTHING at Basin Harbor was delicious! Especially the soft serve ice cream at The Harbor Store.

Meal Plan Options

Basin Harbor offers a variety of meal plan options. We had the Full American Plan (FAP) consisting of three meals daily, but guests have the choice of no meal plan at all, or 1-2 meals a day.

Everything You Need to Know About Kids Camp

Annabelle and Ailey begged to go to Kids Camp every day we were on vacation. The renowned Kid’s Camp is complimentary for children ages 3-17 if during the summer months on the Full American or Modified American Plans. For other meal plans, it is available for an additional charge. 

Kids Camp runs daily, rain or shine, from 9:30am – 1:30pm and 5:00pm – 9:00pm. Kids Camp is divided into three groups: Ages 3-5 are Champs Camp, ages 6-8 are the Harbormates, and ages 9-12 are the Explorers. I LOVED that the children were separated by age because Ailey was a little intimidated to leave me and go to camp at first. After the first session she didn’t want to leave!

Kids Camp is comprised of three parts: morning camp, afternoon activities, and evening dinner camp. The counselors were all incredibly friendly and the girls loved spending time with them! From Arts and Crafts to Swimming to a Hayride around the property, the girls had plenty of fun things to do each day. When the counselors weren’t working at Kids Camp you could find them babysitting for guests or running activities during the Harbor Fair.

Thank you SO much to Basin Harbor for a most incredible stay. We cannot wait to come back next summer!