Vermont State Parks

Sit spots are great places to journal.  Doing your best to distantly socialize, but you’re tired of the same old thing? We’ve got your back. Our carefully curated list of activities can help you connect with nature and get ready for your next big adventure. These activities can be done within the comfort of your own home or backyard (just remember to follow current advice from the Vermont Department of Health ). Find a sit spot. Sit spots can be any area in your yard or a view from a window. This is a great way to take in the world around you and build mindfulness in an easy way. Step 1 - Pick a spot you like near a tree, in a field, or at a window with a good view. Step 2 - Sit, look, listen, and observe. What do you see, hear and smell? Step 3 - Repeat as often as necessary. Try different times of day. What changes? What stays the same? Birding.   Did you see a bird fly by or heard one sing, but you’re not sure what kind? The Cornell Lab of Ornitholo...

MONTPELIER - During the current COVID-19 public health crisis, getting outdoors close to home and connecting with nature is an excellent way to help maintain our mental and physical health.  Engaging in our favorite outdoor recreation activity – hiking, camping, fishing, biking, hunting or walking in nature – does wonders for our health and well-being. No matter how you enjoy the outdoors, we urge you to practice effective “social distancing” and other measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and keep you, your family and your community safe. “As more parts of Vermont see closures and recommendations for social distancing, we all need to find ways to manage the stress and uncertainty. A daily walk, run or hike can provide real benefits to your physical and mental health. Just practice social distancing while doing your favorite activity,” said Forests, Parks and Recreation Commissioner Michael Snyder. The Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” still allows us to enjoy V...

You don't need fancy supplies to keep a nature journal By Rebecca Roy, Conservation Education Coordinator  This is an exciting time of year. These late February days bring ten and a half hours of daylight in Vermont, and the sun feels warmer. Resident birds are singing their springtime calls, and the air smells a little bit muddy. March is usually a snowy month in Vermont, so we are patient for flowers and true spring, but early signs are all around us. Nature journaling is a fun way to capture these signs of changing seasons. My little daughter and I have kept a nature journal for the past few years, and it is fun to look back on things we observed in past Februaries, and compare them to things we see today. It is also fun to look back and read about summer camping trips during cold winter months. Our nature journal reminds us of the details of our experiences we might otherwise not quite remember. We enjoy looking back and remembering the worms we dug before fish...

Welcome sign to Knight Island State Park. The winter of 2019 in Vermont was one of the most brutal winters in recent history. We experienced everything, from high accumulating snow storms with high winds to freezing rain. The snow storms were reminiscent of my childhood. I can remember snow being piled half way up telephone poles. From December to April, I am confined to my plow truck. By the end of February I want to trade in my childhood enthusiasm of winter for some primal camping. It seems that this phenomenon happens to me every year at around this time. I have camped over night on Burton Island, and day camped at Knight Island, not to mention other winter excursions. I like to test the limits of my body and skills to survive. Doing this in the winter, on an island seems to magnify the experience. The call to camp on Knight Island was getting louder with every snow storm. The short term forecast provided a break, but it  wasn’t quite the break I was looking for. Betwe...

Enhancements to Parking, Trails and Summit Access Planned After nearly a decade of work and with substantial public input, the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) has completed the long-range management plan (LRMP) for Mt. Philo State Park. This plan will guide the long-term management and stewardship of the area’s natural resources and human use. Work on the Mt. Philo plan has been a lengthy process, during which several public input meetings were held and the plan underwent multiple revisions to incorporate public feedback. Among the needs identified in the LRMP are enhancement plans to address parking and trail improvements in response to increased park use. SE Group of Burlington has been contracted to develop an enhanced design to address vehicle and pedestrian traffic flow challenges at the park entrance and summit. As attendance has grown exponentially at Vermont’s oldest state park over the past few decades, this will help the park “catch up” with the infl...

Christmas tree farm with fir, pine, and spruce.  As people head to the woods to pick out their perfect Christmas tree, check out this excerpt from  Woods Whys: An Exploration of Forests and Forestry  by Michael Snyder.        Ask any young child to draw a Christmas tree and chances are he'll draw something close to a triangle. If the kid is particularly tal­ented, she'll draw a cone. Indeed, the cone-shaped tree is as traditional as the holiday itself. Sure, there are the Charlie Browns among us who will settle for a less-than-perfect Christmas tree. But most of us look for a fir or spruce with just the right taper, symmetry, and conical form.      That conical shape is certainly the norm at most Christmas tree farms, and the short explanation for it is that the tree farmer shears them that way. Of course, there's more to it than that. Even if you are wandering afield in search of a wild Christmas tree far from any shears or knives,...

An intrepid group of First Day Hikers ready to start the new year with adventure. Start the new year on the right foot with a hike in a Vermont state park. On January 1, 2020, everyone is invited to join a free, guided, family-friendly hike taking place at many state parks and forests across Vermont. Hikes will be led by professional guides and outdoor educators eager to share their knowledge and love of Vermont’s outdoors.  Don’t need a guide? No matter where you live in Vermont, a state park or state forest is always close by, and you can still get outside to enjoy it. State park entry is free on New Year’s Day (and all winter long). You’ll discover a whole new world in winter. Please dress for the weather and bring snowshoes if the snow is deep. Please also bring beverages and snacks. Dogs are welcome (on leash) unless otherwise noted. You don’t need to pre-register, just show up! To check the status of the hikes, call our First Day Hikes “Hotline” at 802-249-1230. Upda...