Vermont State Parks

Vermont State Parks invites you to #GetOutside this Friday after Thanksgiving and turn Black Friday Green.
Instead of waking up at the crack of dawn to jostle among the hoards at big box stores and shopping malls searching for cheap deals on consumer goods, why not #GetOutside in a Vermont State Park?
Entry at Vermont State Parks is FREE and we invite you to spend time with friends and family exploring and discovering the wonders of Vermont’s beautiful outdoors.
For more information on trails near you, visit  https://www.vtstateparks.com/hiking.html.
PS -- Support your local Vermont merchants on Small Business Saturday!

Earlier this week, we received an email from a park visitor who happened upon some strange black boxes in the woods at Lake Shaftsbury State Park. There were at least a dozen of them and he was curious about their purpose, so he sent us photos and asked if we knew what they were.We shared them around with park staff, managers, friends at Fish & Wildlife and a host of others, to no avail.



Finally, today, we have an answer!  They are mosquito traps. Our friends at Vermont Agency of Agriculture explains, "Yes! Those are resting box traps. We come by weekly during our collection season (beginning of June through Mid-October) and use an aspirator (a big vacuum) to collect mosquitoes in the boxes. They are called resting boxes because after a female mosquito feeds, she settles to the forest floor looking for a dark place to digest the blood meal and create eggs. Resting boxes target Culiseta melanura, the primary vector of Eastern Equine Encephalitis, although we do get other mosqu…

Waterbury, Vt. – Eight months of work is underway to improve public access areas at the Waterbury Reservoir. The project will require temporary closures at some sites while work is underway, and will include improvements to parking lots, erosion prevention, and boat ramp upgrades.


Installation of a new composting toiletInstallation of a concrete boat launchPaving of the access road and parking area (may occur in Spring 2019 depending on weather conditions)Erosion control and site drainage improvementsTraffic flow improvements Installation of a concrete boat launchRe-grading the parking areaGuard rail installationErosion control and site drainage improvements Installation of a concrete hand carry access rampRe-grading the parking areaErosion control and site drainage improvements

The locations include Waterbury Dam Boat Launch, Blush Hill Boat Launch and the Moscow Paddler Access. Green Mountain Power (GMP) will be doing the wo…

On a hot day, nothing feels as good as a swim. But before you jump in that pretty, pristine-seeming lake, do you ever wonder how clean it is? We all know that appearances can be deceiving, and that even the cleanest looking lake can harbor bacteria, algae, and other lurking nasties.
This is one reason people enjoy and appreciate visiting our swimming areas. Vermont State Parks tests swim water at managed areas weekly and have for over 25 years. “We do it to assure our visitors that we are keeping an eye on the water in which we recreate,” says Frank Spaulding, Parks Projects Coordinator who compiles the swim water testing results each week. Occasionally there are elevated readings and alerts are posted, but, as Spaulding points out, “consistently, over time, our water is great.”
Every week, 38 different managed swim areas at state park beaches are tested for e-coli., an indicator bacteria. E-coli may not cause sickness itself, [but] its’ presence could reflect the possible presence of …

Coolidge State Park
Plymouth, VT 
Other mountain parks like Smugglers’ Notch get all the love, but Coolidge is an underrated gem, conveniently located off of Route 100, and not far from a string of beautiful lakes. It’s a rustic, retro location for those looking for a quite weekend in a lovely mountain setting. Sites are well-spaced out, giving privacy, and there are several very remote sites that can still be accessed by car. There are hiking trails in the park, and in the Coolidge State Forest, as well as the nearby Long Trail. When you want to go for a swim, hop in your car and drive 15 minutes to Camp Plymouth State Park on Echo Lake. Show your car tag, and get in for free.
Fort Dummer State Park Brattleboro, VT
If you’re in southern Vermont and looking for a base to explore the area, Fort Dummer is a good choice. It’s located just outside the town of Brattleboro, and close to other southern Vermont locations like Bennington, Wilmington and Dover. New Hampshire is also just across the …

Summer in Vermont is in full swing, and people will be able to stay and play longer, safe under the sun – thanks to free sunscreen stations being installed in Vermont State Parks and several other recreational areas.

“We are always looking for ways to encourage people to spend time outdoors and enjoy everything Vermont has to offer,” said Craig Whipple, State Parks director for the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. “We’ve had a great run of beautiful, sunny days, and using sunscreen is an important part of being able to safely enjoy outdoor activities,” Whipple said. “We want to make sure no one has to call it a day just because they ran out of sunscreen.” 
The sunscreen stations are a joint effort by the Vermont Department of Health, State Parks and the skin cancer education and prevention organization IMPACT Melanoma. The stations are intended to provide convenient access to SPF 30 sunscreen, but they also to serve as a reminder of how important it is to protect your skin …