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Lareau Swim Hole is a long-used Mad River stop near Waitsfield along Vermont Route 100. This guide does not document ownership, easements, or a year-by-year history—what is posted on the day you visit governs access and behavior.

The Mad River here is a mountain-fed stream: cold, oxygen-rich, and sensitive to rain and snowmelt. Flow and color change with storms; what looks calm at the surface can still hide depth and force. Bedrock and cobble create uneven footing; ice and frost rewrite the scene in winter.

Waitsfield sits in the Mad River Valley in Vermont’s Green Mountains. Route 100 is the main north–south ribbon; Warren and Moretown bracket the valley downstream. The river eventually joins the Winooski River basin toward Lake Champlain.

Songbirds, woodpeckers, and ducks are common along the corridor; deer and small mammals use river edges. Cold-water fish may hold in deeper runs—give wildlife space, keep dogs under control where rules require it, and do not approach nests or young animals.

Northern hardwood and mixed forest line much of the valley, with grasses, shrubs, and sedges on sunnier banks. Trampling widens social paths—stay on obvious, durable surfaces at the water’s edge.

Pack out all trash, including food scraps. Avoid cutting new paths to the river. Keep voices reasonable near the road and neighbors. Busy sites wear out fast when litter and shortcuts add up.

What blogs or videos showed years ago may not match today’s posting. When in doubt, choose the conservative option and respect private boundaries along Route 100.

• Coordinates = maintainer main parking / entry point.
• Live river graph uses USGS discharge at Mad River near Moretown—downstream in the valley, not a depth or speed meter at Lareau.
• Live weather uses the same planning coordinates as the map pin unless you adjust config later.