By Scott Waterman, Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
If you weren’t aware, it’s coming. And people are coming to Vermont watch. On April 8, 2024, at 2:14 p.m., a partial solar eclipse will begin. At 3:26 p.m., a total eclipse will darken Vermont’s daytime sky, lasting about 3 minutes. The phenomenon will continue as a partial eclipse until 4:37 p.m. Along with this amazing, rare event in our solar system will come many visitors to Vermont. The Vermont Department of Tourism is predicting many thousands will visit Vermont to witness the eclipse as the shadow will traverse across the state in our northern counties.
The full eclipse, called totality, can be experienced from Burlington to Montpelier, St. Johnsbury, Hardwick, Newport, St. Albans, Stowe, Waterbury, and Winooski. Locations throughout the Northeast Kingdom are also in the path of totality. Ski areas in the northern region will be celebrating the eclipse with music, dancing, and more. Find more information at Jay Peak, Burke, Smuggler’s Notch, Stowe, Bolton Valley, and Sugarbush.
While April is a transitional time for hiking trails in Vermont, our state parks have limited openings for the total solar eclipse. Rail trails and paved recreation trails are a great option for viewing including the Island Line Trail, Stowe Recreation Path, Lamoille Valley Rail Trail, or the Beebe Spur Rail Trail.
Image courtesy Sky & Telescope
To find out more about how Vermont is preparing and how you can prepare to witness this spectacle, visit https://www.vermont.gov/eclipse.
Search #VTEclipse on social media to see the latest messaging about the coming event.