If you live with herpes in Vermont, you already know the hardest part of dating isn't finding someone — it's the disclosure conversation. The Heeps removes it. Everyone here is living with herpes, so you start from understanding instead of explaining.
Join The Heeps freeVermont is Green Mountains, farm stands, and small towns where the general store is also the news service. Burlington is the one real city — a college town on Lake Champlain with an artsy, outdoorsy streak — and the rest of the state is villages, ski towns, and long stretches of two-lane road. It's a beautiful place to live, and a hard place to date: the pool is small, everybody seems to know everybody, and winter lasts about half the year.
The Heeps exists so that small-state life stops deciding your love life. Instead of swiping through apps where you have to decide when — and whether — to tell someone, you join a community where that question is already answered. Your profile is visible only to other logged-in members. Search engines never see it. Your status is yours to share, on your terms, when you're ready.
The biggest city in Vermont and the hub for the whole state — home to the University of Vermont, a lively Church Street, and Lake Champlain right at the edge of town. Burlington members tend to be outdoorsy, creative, and open-minded. A first date here is coffee downtown, a walk along the waterfront, or a hike up into the hills above the lake.
The smallest state capital in the country, and proud of it. Montpelier is walkable, friendly, and full of state workers, artists, and people who chose a small city on purpose. The downtown is compact enough that a first date feels easy — coffee, a bookstore, a meal somewhere local.
The gateway to Killington and the southern Green Mountains, Rutland is a working town with a ski-town neighbour. Rutland members are practical, outdoorsy, and rooted — the kind of people who know their neighbours and show up for them. Winter is ski season here, and summer is hiking and lake season.
A artsy river town in the southeast corner, close to New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Brattleboro has a strong creative streak — galleries, bookshops, farmers' markets, and a downtown that rewards a slow walk. It's a natural meeting point for members from three states.
Outside the big four, members are in South Burlington, Barre, St. Albans, Bennington, Middlebury, and plenty of small towns in between. Distance search lets you set how far you're willing to look.
Herpes still carries a stigma it doesn't deserve, and in a state as small and close-knit as Vermont, where everybody seems to know everybody, that can feel sharper. The Heeps was built around one idea: your health information is yours.
1. Join free at theheeps.com — pick a username, add a photo if you like, and say a little about yourself. 2. Browse Vermont members — search by city or distance. 3. Say hello — message anyone, free. 4. Meet on your terms — coffee, a walk, a show. You decide the pace.
There is no algorithm deciding who you're allowed to talk to and no paywall between you and a reply.
Yes. No paywalls to read or send messages. The site runs on a trust and privacy rank system instead of charging members.
Yes. Your profile is only visible to logged-in members, and you control what you share. The Heeps never sells your data and never shows your profile to search engines.
The pool is small, but the state is small too — Burlington is within a couple of hours of almost everywhere in Vermont, and members are also just over the line in New Hampshire and New York. Set your distance search to include the border towns, and don't be surprised: the community is bigger than it looks from the outside.
Everyone on The Heeps is living with herpes, so the disclosure conversation that is stressful everywhere else is already understood here. You share details on your own terms.
Not really — Vermonters are used to it. Ski season is social season in the mountain towns, and in winter people lean on messaging first, then meet for coffee, a meal, or a show. If anything, a long winter is when people here are most ready to meet someone and settle in.
You don't have to explain yourself here. You just have to show up.
Create your free profileThe Heeps is a free, private herpes dating community. 18+ only. Be kind, be honest, and respect each other's privacy.