Burlington boasts activities from ­enjoying fine dining and breweries to kayaking and hiking. But there’s always time to mix in diving. Nestled against the Green Mountains, Burlington is a vibrant and small urban center built as a trade hub to New York. The Lake Champlain Underwater Historic Preserve manages wooden shipwrecks created during this early shipping era.

If You Have One Day

Book a charter to the Horse Ferry, the only wreck of its kind. Horses walked on a turntable to power this ferry in the 1830s, before steam power was popularized. The paddle wheels, horizontal flywheel and gear shaft remain for divers to see. Dive the O.J. Walker next, a sailing canal boat lost in a storm. This vessel was run by a family that included the only female captain of a canal boat on this route. Excellent buoyancy is required to protect these historic wrecks accessible at recreational depths. Refuel afterward with a burger and brew at the Farmhouse Tap and Grill.

Dive Hacks: What You Need To Know About Diving in Cold Water

If You Have Two Days

Separate from and more advanced than other local wrecks, the tugboat U.S. La Vallee rests at 100 feet. This vessel sank upright in excellent condition following a 1931 explosion in the wheelhouse. The wreck has mostly avoided mussel ­coverage and is in excellent condition —aside from the ill-fated wheelhouse— giving archaeologists a rare chance to gain insight into 19th-century steamboat technology. Depth and pitch-black water require two dives with lights to fully observe this wreck. Complete the day with one of many modern restaurants in Burlington’s historic downtown. Or opt to warm up with wood-fired pizzas at American Flatbread Burlington Hearth for comfort after a day of cold-water diving.

If You Have Three Days

Complete the Vermont shipwreck tour by diving the other sailing canal boat, the General Butler. This schooner-rigged boat was stuck in a winter gale when it lost steering control. To learn more about these wrecks, visit the museum where artifacts from wrecks, including General Butler, are on display. Models also show the wrecks intact, ­including a half-size working model of the horse ­ferry. The Lois McClure is a full-scale ­replica of the schooner-rigged canal boats docked at Perkins Pier Marina.

Need to Know

When to Go
Charters run during summer, but shore access in spring and fall remains open.

Dive Conditions
Drysuit diving is ­strongly recommended, with water temperatures stretching from the 40s to a high of about 72°F in summer. The visibility ranges from 10 to 30 feet.

Operators
Learn to dive, rent equipment, and book your charter through Waterfront Diving Center.