Lake Champlain,
St. Albans, Vermont

Divers of all experience levels can take a peek at historical ships at the bottom of Lake Champlain, which straddles the borders of northern New York and Vermont. In the 435-square-mile lake are eight wrecks comprising the Lake Champlain Underwater Preserve. Seven are on the Vermont side, and an eighth is in New York. Buoys mark each spot and signs underwater remind divers not to penetrate the wrecks or take anything from them. Zebra mussels have infested the waters, increasing underwater visibility but also accelerating the decay of steel holding the wooden boats together. Lake Champlain is the sixth-largest lake in the United States. It is 120 miles long but only 12 miles across at its widest.

Depths to: The deepest wreck on the Vermont side is the Phoenix. Its stern rests at 110 feet (33m).

Visibility: Up to 40 feet (12 m).

Water temperature: A wet suit or dry suit is recommended.

Aquatic life: Eighty-one species of fish have been identified in Lake Champlain. They include large and smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, chain pickerel, brown bullhead, channel catfish, yellow perch, lake trout, landlocked Atlantic salmon, steelhead trout, brown trout, and rainbow smelt.

Fees: None but divers must reserve a time slot and register before using the underwater preserve. Registration can be done at the Burlington Community Boat House, at the foot of College Street, 645 Pine St., Suite B, Burlington; www.enjoyburlington.com/boathouse.cfm or (802) 865-3377. It also can be done at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, 4472 Basin Harbor Road, Vergennes; www.lcmm.org or (802) 475-2022.

On-site amenities: Lodging, dining, and other traveling amenities are plentiful in either Burlington or Plattsburgh, New York.

More info: Visit the Vermont State Historic Sites Web site at www.dhca.state.vt.us/HistoricSites/html/underwater.html. A summary of each of Vermont's seven wreck sites is provided. All but one have suggestions for divers.

Open: May through October

Getting there: Most charter boats leave from Burlington, Vermont, or Plattsburgh, New York. To reach Burlington, U.S. Highway 7 is the best route when driving through Vermont from the south. Interstate 89 comes into Burlington from the southeast. In New York, the best route north to Plattsburgh is on Interstate 87.