Vermont State Parks

Please don't travel until it's safe to do so! Our travel posts are great for making future plans or dreaming about your next escape. Learn more about Vermont State Parks and COVID-19.For many outdoor lovers, the beginning of fall means the end of the camping season, but don’t pack away your gear just yet! Fall camping in New England is one of life’s greatest experiences!Today we’re taking a virtual journey up to the town of Island Pond in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. This little village was once a thriving railroad and logging hub. Today, Island Pond is home to vast tracts of forest, a huge moose population, and the little slice of paradise that is Brighton State Park.  While plenty of visitors flock to Brighton State Park for its quiet camping and spectacular swimming and paddling in the summer, fall is when the magic really happens at Brighton. The air becomes crisp and the smell of balsam surrounds the campground. The morning mist rises off of Spectacle Pond while the …

Vermont State Parks is pleased to announce the 2020 Falling for VT State Parks Photo Contest. We are seeking your best shots of the legendary foliage in VT State Parks!

Please don't travel until it's safe to do so! Our travel posts are great for making future plans or dreaming about your next escape. Learn more about Vermont State Parks and COVID-19.  If you are looking for a hiking hub in Vermont with an abundance of trails, swimming, camping, waterfalls, and amazing views, you really can’t beat the Killington area in central Vermont. At 4,229 feet Killington Peak is the second-highest summit in Vermont and one of the 48 peaks above 4,000 feet in New England. If hiking to the top of Killington isn’t on your bucket list, it’s time to add it, along with the rest of these beautiful Killington hikes nearby.

To all our friends and loyal followers of Vermont State Parks, I bid you farewell as I retire from the best job on the planet, Director of your Vermont State Parks. Change is hard but it is also exciting and inspiring. Our team here has never been stronger having been through a tremendous effort designing a way to offer state park services so that you and our staff are safe and healthy during this pandemic. And never before have I sensed a greater appreciation for the value of being outdoors with our friends and families than right now. It is exactly what we all need to manage our way through these times. I am proud to have had a part in making your parks available for you this season.Looking forward to a strong recovery on the “other side” of the pandemic, this is an ideal time for a transition in the organization. Our future is bright given the increased interest in outdoor recreation in general and the tremendous support for parks in the state legislature and administration up to a…

The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation is seeking public feedback on the potential designs to enhance Mt. Philo State Park. The intent of the planning process is to update the park to meet current visitor needs, while protecting the environment, enhancing historic and cultural resources and making needed safety improvements.  Mt. Philo is Vermont’s first State Park, as well as its most popular. With over 40,000 visitors every year, several issues have become apparent in the park. A full design plan was deemed necessary to ensure the park is accessible and safe for all users, while serving as a sustainable, natural, and recreational resource for generations to come. After nearly a decade of work and with substantial public input, the long-range management plan (LRMP) for Mt. Philo State Park identified the need of enhancement plans to address parking and trail improvements in response to increased park use. The conceptual design proposed by the SE Group of Burlington i…

The Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR) today announced that long-time State Parks Director Craig Whipple is retiring.“Under Craig’s leadership, our world-class state park system has expanded, modernized, and become more accessible,” said Michael Snyder, Commissioner of Vermont Forests, Parks, and Recreation, the department that oversees Vermont State Parks. “And even as Craig leaves behind such enormous running shoes to fill, we’re looking ahead to the next generation of leadership to build on Craig’s successes, and we’ll soon be announcing an active recruitment process to fill the position. On behalf of our department, our employees and volunteers, and all Vermonters and visitors who value our state parks, I thank Craig for his many years of outstanding service and congratulate him on a retirement well earned.”During his 14 years as Director of State Parks, Whipple was instrumental in creating many programs that have increased access to the parks, including the First …