Vermont State Parks

"Hey, look what I caught!" Series of free fishing clinics to be offered statewide MONTPELIER, Vt. – A week full of fishing fun is just around the corner as Vermont State Parks and Vermont Fish & Wildlife will be hosting “Reel Fun Week” from July 10 through July 17 at state parks throughout Vermont. “Reel Fun Week is new for 2017 and is intended to celebrate the great fishing at many of Vermont’s state parks while also providing a series of free instructional clinics to help people of all ages get started in the sport of fishing,” said Chris Adams, information specialist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “Often a lack of equipment or know-how can be hurdles for entry into fishing, and Reel Fun Week eliminates those barriers by providing both equipment and instruction.  All you have to do is show up and have fun, it’s that easy.” The “Reel Fun Week” educational fishing clinics will be taught by staff from Vermont Fish & Wildlife, as well as certifie...

VERMONT STATE PARKS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 30, 2017 Contact: Marc Edwards, Park Manager 802-888-2982 www.vtstateparks.com Elmore.park@vermont.gov Twitter:  @vtstateparks Facebook:  facebook.com/vtstateparks Moth StorySLAM Winner Bill Torrey to Perform at Elmore State Park Enjoy an evening with NPR Moth Mainstage performer and four-time Moth StorySLAM winner Bill Torrey as he shares stories from his book, “The Ta Ta Weenie Club” July 8, 7:30 – 8:30 PM at Elmore State Park. Bill will share some hilarious adventures of a kid growing up and learning life’s lessons in 1960’s Vermont. While his stories are not offensive, they are geared more toward teenagers and adults.  However, if children are present, Bill will adapt his material to that audience. "We are fortunate to have such a high caliber storyteller at our park.” Said Marc Edwards, park manager. “So many childhood memories get created in our state parks, and kids still do many of the thing...

Painted trillium at Brighton State Park  After a long winter, it’s a treat to watch the progression of wild flowers in the woods throughout the spring months. First to arrive are the spring ephemerals, often first spotted at the end of winter, pushing up through the snow on the ground. The name ephemeral hints at the reality- these small flowers bloom and fade before the trees canopy grows and crowds out the sunlight. Ephemerals seem to pop out of the grey and brown landscape of Vermont woodlands and are a treat for those looking for signs of warmer weather. Other flowers follow in a burst of color, and trees leaf out seemingly overnight. By early June, a walk in the woods feels like another world- one of a million shades and textures of green, and it a different collection of colored blooms. Here are some finds from parks around Vermont this season. Spring beauty   This small flower is one of the first signs of spring in eastern woodlands. Spring Beauty is seemin...

Summer day at the beach is even better with food trucks  It's time for summer food truck goodness at Sand Bar! Below is the tentative list of food truck vendors throughout the season. (Some details are still being finalized, we will update this list if there are any changes) Food Truck Vendor Schedule Island Homemade Ice Cream-  Fri- Sun. noon -7pm throughout the summer, and on some hot summer weekdays (h omemade  ice cream, fresh squeezed lemonade, ice cream novelties and fruit smoothies) June 24th, Rajun Cajun (Cajun food) June 25th, KCs Red Hots (hot dogs, chili dogs, nachos and more) July 1st, Rajun Cajun  (Cajun food) July 2nd, KCs Red Hots  (hot dogs, chili dogs, nachos and more) July 3rd, KCs Red Hots  (hot dogs, chili dogs, nachos and more) July 4th, Rajun Cajun  (Cajun food) July 8th, Broken Arrow  (locally sourced menu) July 9th,   Broken Arrow  (locally sourced menu) July 15th, The Hitchhiker (f...

Past Random Acts of Camping winners at Elmore State Park Random Acts of Camping Returns to Vermont State Parks This Summer Want to visit a state park beach or day use area and win a weekend of free camping? Yes, please! This is the premise behind the “Random Acts of Camping” promotion, designed to share the joy of camping with Vermonters. "Random Acts of Camping" rewards lucky park visitors with two free nights of tent, RV, lean-to, or cabin camping in any Vermont State Park campground. One winner will be chosen at random on nice weather weekends through August, beginning at Waterbury Center State Park this weekend, June 24-25 th . This program was developed as a way to increase statewide accessibility to camping and to foster a lifelong love of the outdoors. The winners will be chosen at random by park staff, and will also receive personal trip planning assistance and advice from our customer service team.  To find out what park Random Acts of Camping will b...

2016 Make Music event at Silver Lake State Park Vermont State Parks is happy to invite you to join a free celebration of music at three state parks on the first day of summer, Wednesday, June 21. MakeMusicVT , presented in partnership with Big Heavy World, is an international day of music-making that will be taking place in more than 120 countries and 700 cities worldwide. Vermont is the first US state to coordinate a state-wide event, with performances at public places, including libraries, sidewalks, and state parks. Park entry is free to attend these performances and no pre-registration is required. Performances will be held at Kingsland Bay, Boulder Beach and Silver Lake State Parks rain or shine. Complete details can be found at: https://www.bigheavyworld.com/makemusicvt/ Schedule of Events Kingsland Bay State Park, Ferrisburgh VT Rik Palleri and the Vermont SongFarmers, 3-7:30pm Rik and the Vermont SongFarmers based in Hinesburg VT host an acoustic jam ...

MONTPELIER, Vt. – Vermont State Parks and the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department have expanded the popular “Reel Fun Vermont” program for 2017, meaning added fishing opportunities for park visitors statewide. “We’re excited to offer Reel Fun at six more state parks this summer, making fishing easy and accessible to even more park campers and day visitors,” said Chris Adams, information specialist with Vermont Fish & Wildlife. “Many Vermont State Parks offer tremendous fishing opportunities and we’ve made it our objective to help folks enjoy the sport by offering them the resources to wet a line during their park visit.” Created in 2015, the “Reel Fun Vermont” program provides park visitors with free, loaner fishing equipment to use at any of the participating state parks.   The program is now available at 18 different state parks throughout Vermont. The following state parks will be participating in the initiative in 2017: Grand Isle, Button Bay and Burton Isla...

Tiff and Chris by the park office  If you ever visited Townshend State Park in recent years, you probably remember rangers Pat and Gary, who were famous for their Saturday night everyone-welcome guitar jam sessions, among other things. When they retired at the end of last year, they left some pretty big shoes to fill. Still, the universe has a way of working things out, and Townshend has a new pair of managers who some visitors may recognize. This year, we are pleased to welcome Chris and Tiff, who have balanced working for Vermont State Parks while traveling the world for over 8 years. They have managed Elmore, Waterbury Center, Seyon Lodge and now after a year-long sabbatical throughout Southeast Asia, they have landed at Townshend. We are so pleased to have Tiff and Chris back with us for another great season in Vermont State Parks! Townshend is known as a quiet and rustic park in southern VT, with a CCC-built stone shelter and old-fashioned tent platforms. The ston...

Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and State Parks Join Forces to Support Better Health Contact: Janet Franz, Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Chair , (802) 238-8182 ;  vermontfitness@vermont.gov Dr. Elisabeth Fountaine writes a prescription for outdoor exercise  Following doctor’s orders is a lot of fun this summer, thanks to a statewide push for outdoor exercise. Physicians around the state will prescribe active play in Vermont State Parks as a way to promote healthy lifestyles and prevent chronic health issues.   The Vermont Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation provided Vermont doctors with “prescriptions” that are actually free day passes to state parks. The effort is guided by the principles of Exercise is Medicine (EIM), a global initiative committed to the belief that physical activity plays an integral role in prevention, treatment and m...