Arthur Park is a hotspot for winter recreation and exploration. A steep trail runs from North Avenue down to the flats of the Intervale where it dead-ends along the shores of “Long Pond”. Historically, this access road provided a route for farmers to traverse the steep terrain down to the agricultural fields of the Intervale. With the construction of VT 127 this route became obsolete. Water that once flowed from the hillside down to the Winooski River is trapped between the hillside and the highway creating a wetland known as Long Pond.

Once accessible for most of the year, the Sea Caves at Arthur Park are now best explored when winter ice in the wetland is thick and safe for skating or walking across. From the end of the Arthur Park trail, continue north and watch as the cliffs on the western side reveal the cavernous Sea Caves.

These formations are a remnant of a time when Lake Champlain was once a much larger and deeper inland sea, known as the Champlain Sea. The rock of the caves is smooth and water-worn along the walls and ceilings where large icicles often hang in the winter months.