About 460 million years ago, during the Ordovician Period, the Chazy Fossil Reef formed on Isle La Motte. Grand Isle County can be explored through such long geological time spans and through the much more recent traces of human use. Quarrying, French history and preserved historic buildings lend the trip different dimensions. If you enjoy considering landscape and history together, the fossils offer a starting point that can be combined with further discoveries.
Fossils on Different Timescales
Fisk Quarry Preserve is part of the Chazy Fossil Reef National Natural Landmark. A short educational trail explores the geological history and is open year-round from sunrise to sunset. Fisk Quarry is Vermont’s oldest quarry. The French first quarried stone there in 1666 to obtain lime mortar for Fort St. Anne. Geological formation and the later use of stone thus offer two distinct perspectives.
Another trace of fossils can be found on the campus of the Isle La Motte Historical Society. The three-building campus includes the Stone Schoolhouse Museum, dating to around 1843. Fossilized organisms 480 million years old are visible on its exterior walls. The Chazy Fossil Reef formed about 460 million years ago; the two figures point to different geological evidence. Here, Earth’s history is visible on a historic building, while the short trail at Fisk Quarry Preserve offers another way to explore the subject.
Local History on Isle La Motte
Saint Anne’s Shrine is located at the site of a French fort that Pierre de la Motte had built on Isle La Motte in 1666. At Fisk Farm, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt learned of President McKinley’s assassination in September 1901. Both places represent different moments in history, connected to specific people and events.
The Hyde Log Cabin also tells a story spanning a longer period: from 1783 to the mid-1940s, it was home to Jedidiah Hyde Junior and his descendants. In 1946, the Vermont Historical Society saved the cabin from demolition and relocated it. Together with the Stone Schoolhouse Museum, it shows how the historic discoveries on Isle La Motte differ: one is a home and its residents; the other, a schoolhouse with visible fossils on its exterior walls.
Shorelines, Rare Plants and Trails
Grand Isle State Park is located on South Hero Island in Lake Champlain. Its amenities include a 400-foot-long fishing pier and overnight camping; camping is seasonal. The cobble-covered shoreline at Knight Point is designated a State Natural Area and is home to an unusually diverse group of rare plant species. Knight Point State Park offers a sandy swimming beach and boat rentals.
For birdwatching, the Grand Isle Birding/Nature Trail has five observation points. The loop trail is about two miles long.
Apple Varieties and Seasonal Produce
Hackett’s Orchard is a family-run, diverse farm market with 50 apple varieties. Offerings include fresh cider doughnuts, freshly pressed apple cider, cider slushies and apple crisp. Products and operations are seasonal, so availability may vary by season. For travelers interested in local farm market products as well as nature and history, this offers a different focus from fossils and local history.
The nature experiences also vary in their focus: at Knight Point, the shoreline, rare plants, swimming beach and boat rentals take center stage; the Grand Isle Birding/Nature Trail offers five birdwatching points. Visitors planning their trip around their interests can compare these specific highlights while also taking into account details such as the loop trail’s length or the short educational trail.
Discover more destinations: Isle La Motte, South Hero, North Hero, Alburgh, Caledonia, Rutland County, Franklin County, Chittenden.
For the overall travel overview: Vermont.
