Vermont State Parks

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...

Learn to make bark ornaments, pine cone elves, and twig snowflakes.  Want to enjoy the magic of the winter wonderland and the warmth of a wood stove? Bring the magic of the outdoors into your cozy winter abode! Stoke the fire, grab a cup of cocoa, and check out our round-up of nature-inspired crafts to celebrate the season. Remember: For crafts involving natural materials, only use materials that are no longer living. Bark Ornaments Supplies: bark, glue, sugar sprinkles or other natural materials to glue down, twine, scissors, power drill 1. Collect bark from a woodpile or the forest floor and dry it first. Break it up into smaller pieces. The flatter the pieces of bark are, the easier they will be to work with.  2. Create a shape in glue (like a circle to make a wreath or a triangle for a Christmas tree). Make sure not to go too heavy on the glue as it runs. 3. Add your sprinkles or other natural materials to the glue. Set aside to dry. For younger crafters, lar...

The night sky above Mt. Philo State Park. "All a skeptic is is someone who hasn’t had an experience yet.” — Jason Hawes  Halloween occurs in between the sweet vibrancy of summer and the dark, quiet depths of winter. Transition bring change and uncertainty. Many cultures around the world believe that during this period the worlds of the living and the dead can bleed into each other. Although it’s been a couple of years since a major occurrence, it appears as though something might be reaching out at Mount Philo State Park.  Mount Philo State Park is the oldest Vermont State Park and is no stranger to ghostly apparitions or bizarre occurrences ( see our classic blog post on ‘Freaky Philo’ for more ). Throughout the 2019 season, strange animal carcasses were found here and there in ways that made it seem as though someone (or something) was engaging in some form of macabre taxidermy. After some time, it just stopped and all returned to normal. In late September, ...

The beauty of Bingham Falls makes it increasingly popular.  The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation invites you to a Public Meeting on the Bingham Falls Conceptual Master Plan. The Public Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 7, 2019 at the Stowe Akeley Memorial Building from 5:30 – 7:00pm. There will be a presentation on the conceptual master plan for Bingham Falls by the consultant team of SE Group, Timber & Stone, LLC and Grenier Engineering followed by a comment period. Their work was guided by a project committee with representatives from Stowe Land Trust, the Town of Stowe, Stowe Mountain Rescue, and the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. The conceptual mater plan design for Bingham Falls addresses parking, pedestrian paths/trails/loop trail, pedestrian bridges and viewing platforms, directional and information signs, location for potential future bathroom facility and any needed utility systems to support the planned i...

270° views showcase mountains to the west and southwest. Sure you've heard of Camel's Hump or Smugglers' Notch, but Vermont State Parks is more than just the 55 developed, staff-operated parks. We want to shine a light on our equally beautiful, but lesser known parks. First up: Sentinel Rock State Park. Check out this spotlight from Ellen Hinman of the St. Johnsbury Office. Sentinel Rock State Park, located on Hinton Hill Road in the Town of Westmore, is one of the Department’s undeveloped state parks. The property was donated to the State in 1997 by the Wright Family. Throughout the Wright family’s half century of stewardship, two basic objectives for the property were pursued “FIRST, to maintain the property in as good a condition as we (sic Wrights) found it, and SECOND, to share the enjoyment of the natural attributes of the location with others who would appreciate them as we (sic Wrights) have.” (from the Long Range Management Plan, 2010). Sentinel Rock SP...

A spider builds its web. Legs of eight, slowly creeping. Watching, waiting. Crawling, sneaking. Waiting, feeling. SNATCHING. Weaving. Wrapping. Then r e c e d i n g … Spiders hang on the cobwebs of our mind. So many limbs and eyes cautiously waiting in the shadows for their next meal until they suddenly run forward to catch it. Spiders have captured human interest from the earliest histories, from the Greek tale of a boastful weaver named Arachne being turned into a spider by the gods to the West African trickster spider god Anansi . In Vermont, we have over 100 species of spiders including orb weavers, fishing spiders, garden spiders and jumping spiders.   Although we encounter spiders in our day to day life, these masters of stealth star in many nightmares. What makes them so terrifying and otherworldly? Strange bodies . Spiders belong to the arachnid class which includes other creepy critters like scorpions, mites, and ticks. Arachnids have four pai...

The Cascadnack cabin is universally accessible and pet friendly. Mt. Ascutney is one of Vermont’s oldest state parks and popular hiking destination. The park is expanding its offerings to include five cabins.  The cabins are newly finished in 2019 and are now available.  Reservations can be made up to eleven months in advance by either reserving online or by calling the Reservation Call Center at 1-888-409-7579 (Mon-Fri, 9am-4pm). Each cabin comes with a bunk bed, futon, and table with 4 chairs. The new cabins are located mid-way up the Mt. Ascutney Parkway with 3 of the 5 being universally accessible ( click here for a map ). Each cabin has one futon, a set of bunk beds, and a table with four chairs. Cabins sleep up to four people although 2 can set up a tent outside or sleep on the floor. There is no electricity in these cabins making it the perfect opportunity to unplug and keep some of the creature comforts of home. You can even bring your pet with you in ...

Overlooking the new contact station, parking lot, and playground from the upper parking lot. MONTPELIER, VT - Vermont State Parks is excited to announce the completion of a significant infrastructure project at Alburgh Dunes State Park, featuring new parking areas, accessibility improvements, a visitor contact center with portable toilets and changing stalls, and a new accessible natural playground, among other elements. The improvements also include state-of-the-art stormwater treatment and interpretive elements and plantings which complement the natural environment. “Alburgh Dunes State Park is arguably one of the finest sand beaches on Lake Champlain and a great place for families to visit,” says Parks Regional Manager, Rob Peterson. “We’ve re-developed this park with a focus on sustainability, balancing the protection of sensitive natural features with public access, while improving amenities to serve our visitors’ needs. This project not only contributes to a cleaner lake, ...

The stars above Ricker Pond State Park. Photo credit: Brian Drourr “Keep your eyes on the stars, and your feet on the ground.” – Theodore Roosevelt Did you know that experiencing awe can make you happier, healthier, humbler and more connected to others around you ? A simple way to inspire awe? Lay back and take in the vast beauty of the night sky. Are you not quite sure where to start? Here’s some tips to make sure your night sky experience is stellar: Time it right! Cloudless, moonless nights are the best for a clear view of other celestial objects. When the moon is full, the light will prevent viewing of fainter stars or the Milky Way. Thanks to the darkness of the New Moon on July 31st, this is the perfect time to grab a blanket and check out the stars.  Start stargazing two hours after sunset or before dawn. This ensures the light of the sun won’t interfere with your ability to view the fainter light of stars and planets. Here are some dates of interest when pla...

Two bikers enjoying their Local Motion rentals at Burton Island State Park. MONTPELIER, VT. Vermont State Parks is excited to announce a partnership with Local Motion, Inc. to provide bike rentals at Burton Island State Park. New for the 2019 season, a fleet of rental bicycles will be provided for park visitors to use while visiting the island. A variety of bikes are available to rent. “Burton Island has always been a fantastic place to explore by bike!” Says Ryan Baker Dunn, Marine Operation Supervisor for Vermont State Parks. “The 253-acre island has miles of trails and roads wrapping through the campground on picturesque Lake Champlain. Those looking for a more secluded experience can ride out to the southern tip of the Island, a ¾ mile trail with a scenic bluff and views over the lake to the Green and Adirondack Mountains. Aside from a few staff vehicles, there are no cars on the island, making it a safe, quiet environment for exploration. Vermont State Parks has...