When you're motoring up to Ball Mountain Lake near Jamaica in Vermont, you'll be driving to one of the most scenically picturesque parts of the north-eastern United States. If the name Jamaica conjures up images of palm-fringed, white sand beaches, forget it. On this trip, it will be mountains and pine trees all the way. Ball Mountain Lake lies on the eastern edge of the Green Mountain National Forest and is a twenty-acre reservoir created when the US Army Corps of Engineers built a dam on the West River. The narrow, serpentine lake twists along the base of a valley cut by the erosive action of the river before its flow was stemmed to assist with flood prevention. The lake and the forested mountains around it have now become one of the top summer and winter recreational areas in Vermont.
Park your RV on a campsite at the corps campground near Ball Mountain Lake and you'll have the opportunity to hike through some amazing countryside, spot majestic wildlife in its natural habitat, or go fishing for trout. If you're there at the right time of year, you'll see the dam flood gates open, and whitewater rafters go shooting downriver. In wintertime, the area's magnificent hiking trails provide fantastic cross country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities. If all that's not enough to keep you busy when you're RV camping at Ball Mountain Lake, don't worry. There's the Green Mountain National Forest and the Pisgah State Park in neighboring New Hampshire close by just waiting to be explored.
If you're going camping at Ball Mountain Lake, you'll be pitching your RV at the Winhall Brook Campground. The campground is approximately five miles from the Ball Mountain Dam, so that's where you'll need to head for. If you're heading inland from Boston in Massachusetts, it's a three and a quarter-hour run on major highways until you get to Brattleboro where you can take the VT 30 to the campground, which is off Winhall Station Road.
From over in the west from somewhere like Saratoga Springs, sit back and enjoy the drive as you'll be motoring right through the heart of the Green Mountain National Forest. On that trip, you might find some sections of the VT 30 a little testing if you've got a big rig and haven't had much practice maneuvering it along twisty roads.
Once you arrive at the campground, the only problem you might encounter getting to your campsite is if it's on the south side. To get to the campsites on the south side, you'll need to cross over a narrow bridge. The bridge has a maximum weight capacity of sixteen tons and is not suitable for rigs longer than forty-two feet.
Winhall Brook is the Corps campground at Ball Mountain Lake. It's located five miles from the reservoir alongside the Winhall Brook. At the campground, there are one hundred and eleven campsites spread out around a tree-covered grass field that has two sections – north and south. If your RV is over forty-two feet in length or weighs in over sixteen tons, you'll need to reserve a pitch on the north side of the campground, as you won't be able to get your rig over the bridge entrance to the south side. While the access roads are asphalted and in good condition, as all the pitches have a grass surface, you could experience problems parking up after heavy rain.
Of the one-hundred-plus campsites at Winhall Brook, only twenty-three have utility hook-ups though water and electricity hook-ups are available on the campground. The use of generators is permitted but restricted to the hours of nine until eleven in the morning and four until seven in the afternoon. The campground has full amenities, including hot showers, flush toilets, and a dump station. There are several basketball and volleyball courts as well as playgrounds and a horseshoe pit.
There's a lot of good fishing in and around Ball Mountain Lake. Not only have you got the reservoir to cast a line in, you can also fish at Winhall Brook and in the West River. As part of the Anadromous Fish Restoration Program, the waterways are regularly re-stocked with Atlantic salmon and several species of trout. Don't forget to get a Vermont Fishing License before you tackle up.
Whitewater boating is a twice-yearly event at Ball Mountain Lake. The COE opens the dam flood gates at two pre-arranged times during the month of May and in September. The dates vary every year and are confirmed by the corps as well as being published on the website of American Whitewater.
When they do open the gates, the reservoir waters spill into the West River, causing the perfect torrents for whitewater paddling. It's a very popular event, so if you plan on going to watch or participate, make sure you book your campsite well in advance.
Step out for a hike at Ball Mountain Lake and you'll be walking along the West River Trail. The trail covers over sixteen miles in total with parts running along a disused railway line. Head north and you'll be rewarded with views of Angel Falls, or go south along the trail and you'll be in the Jamaica State Park where you'll see the Hamilton Falls. It's a win-win situation whichever direction you take.
If you're RV camping at Ball Mountain Lake with kids and they need to let off some steam, don't miss taking them to Bromley Mountain. An adventure theme park in the summer and ski resort in the winter, it's an exciting place to visit any time of the year.
When the sun is shining, whiz down mountain-high ziplines or tackle the aerial adventure park. Once the snow starts to fall, hit the slopes. There's something for every level of skier, including classes if you haven't skied before.
Develop a deeper understanding of the natural surroundings of Ball Mountain Lake by making a visit to the Nature Museum in Grafton. It's just half an hour's drive away, and there you can explore a subterranean bear den, excavate fossils, wander through a butterfly garden or hike through a birch forest.
There are also workshops for both adults and children as well as joint projects for families. If you're in the area the last weekend of September, and still believe in fairies, don't miss the Fairy House Festival – it's absolute magic for all ages.
Ball Mountain Lake and the area that surrounds it are fantastic for wildlife spotting. Sit on the lake shores with binoculars or head into the woods, and you're guaranteed to see something exciting. The hardwood forests are the natural habitat of black bears, moose and deer, and the lake home to bald eagles, osprey, and several species of owls. Keep eyes and ears open, and you could even hear the distinctive tap-tap-tap of a woodpecker going about its business.
