Salmon Hole Park & Riverwalk Trail

January 19, 2024 Update: The rain and snowmelt on 12/18 & 12/19 caused the Winooski River to reach major flood stage for the second time in the last five months, again causing erosion and damage to trails. Please use caution on trails near river edge as erosion and undercutting of the river bank is occurring. The Winooski River remains high and moving swiftly for this time of year. This flood event left more silt and mud along with pools of standing water on some trails – please use caution as trail surfaces may be more uneven and icy.


Salmon Hole Trail MapSalmon Hole Park & Riverwalk Trail

Located off of Riverside Avenue in Burlington, just before the bridge to the City of Winooski, Salmon Hole, a 6-acre park, gets its name from the spawning salmon that gather in the swirling pool below the Winooski One Hydro dam.

View from Salmon Hole parking lot on Riverside Avenue.

This park offers an interesting history of geology. The rippled rocks speak of the water currents that covered the land about 500 million years ago.

The velocity of the water shows itself in the striations seen in the cliff-side. Small holes can be identified in the rocks as wormholes, one of the most advanced species of their time. If you follow the Riverwalk Trail along the Winooski River, the trail will take you all the way to a viewing area off of Intervale Road.

Enlarged image of trail map: Salmon Hole

Closer view of the rock outcropping in high water. July 2017