The river provides great paddling and tubing. Or hike the old railroad bed leading along the river to Ball Mountain Dam.

One of the state's best mountain biking trails runs parallel to the river north of the dam, too.

Area attractions include the Robert Todd Lincoln home in Manchester, a theater in Weston, the Alpine Slide in Bromley and the Townshend Dam Recreation Area.

Emerald Lake State Park sits on 430 acres. There are 105 campsites on a heavily wooded ridge just above Emerald Lake, the headwaters of Otter Creek. The park has a small beach with a snack bar, miles of hiking trails and boat rentals (non-motorized only) so that families can access offshore fishing holes.

More great hiking is nearby in the Green Mountain National Forest.

If your family has had enough of outdoor recreation or needs a rainy-day plan, Manchester's many shops, museums, golf courses and other attractions are just a few miles away.

For more information on activities in the Manchester region, call the Manchester and the Mountains Chamber of Commerce, log on to ManchesterVermont.net, or call (802) 362-6313, Extension 15.

For fishing information, call the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department at (802) 241-3700, or visit VtFishAndWildlife.com.

For travel information, visit the Vermont Department of Tourism at Travel-Vermont.com, or phone (802) 828-3237.

Find more about New England fishing and hunting at: NewEnglandGameandFish.com