For awesome views of the lake from high above, you can't beat Vista Trail. It's a moderate hike through beautiful, shady woodlands, with a good variety of ferns and spring wildflowers. The climb is steady heading up to the views, but the trail is very even and well-marked. The vista loop is .7 miles, and walking at a good clip with lots of photography breaks, it took me a half hour. Work up a sweat on the Vista Trail and then hit the lake for a swim before heading back to camp.

To hike the Meadow Trail, you can either start past the ranger station near the park entrance or on Lower Trail, which starts in campground loop A. I started on Lower Trail and gradually ascended through a mixed hardwood forest. Little red efts were making their way across the trail in droves and we had to be very careful where we put our feet. After walking along a level, wooded ridge for a while, the trail turns sharply and begins to descend through a series of meadows flanked by tall trees on every side. In June, when we visited, the meadows were teeming with birds, butterflies, and wildflowers. The North Dorset Cemetery is located toward the end of the trail. It's a tiny local graveyard with headstones crafted from local marble. The oldest headstone we found was dated 1811.