Vermont State Parks

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...

Every wonder what goes on when you do not see the work happening? Here are two stories from some of this years trail work. Boardwalk  The new Lake Carmi boardwalk replaces a small loop of near-ground level boards that were slippery, uneven and made for a great temptation to roam on foot across the bog trampling sensitive plant life.  The new boardwalk is fully accessible to all, elevates above the bog for improved views and has less impact on plants and wildlife.  It provides a great learning opportunity as well since there are good views of plants and animals and it can support groups of all abilities out to 231’ into the bog.  We plan on adding an interpretive sign next summer.  This past August the state trail crew worked for two weeks on the project.  The first week they worked with a contractor who instructed the crew with how to drive the helical piers and then how to go about making a level, wooden surface with framing and decking.  This ...

After flooding last year damaged the Burton Island Contact Station, they are getting a new one for next season. It is going to be slightly up the hill. Check out the progress of the new building, we can't wait to see it when it is done! 

Ever wonder about landscape archaeology and how landscape played a role in people’s lives in the past along Lake Champlain? Follow doctorate student Andrew Beaupre through his journey where he and his crew will be paddling through the past. Paddling through the Past is a multi-disciplinary archaeological project designed to investigate the role of waterways in the French colonial period. Their mission is to document the landscape archaeology of the Champlain valley and raise awareness of the need for heritage stewardship of the Lake Champlain/Richelieu River Corridor. The culmination of the project will be a 10 day canoe expedition from the shadow of Fort Ticonderoga in New York, north to the forts of the Richelieu River in Southern Quebec.  This will be the first expedition of its kind in the Champlain Valley, and is being undertaken as a portion of a larger multi-disciplinary archaeological project to better understand the history and heritage of the northern borderl...

Wading off of Burton Island This week I explored the state parks on Lake Champlain which was great for cooling down in the hot summer heat. There was a big difference between these parks and the woodland parks I've been visiting over the past few weeks. Kingsland Bay has a great day use area with historic buildings that house events throughout the season. It is popular for weddings although I didn't see anyone getting hitched while I was there. I next went to nearby DAR State Park where I walked down to the water, a perfect spot for fishing. While there, I bumped into an interesting fisherman. This guy was great at fishing. He kept reeling fish in, naming them, and then throwing them back. I bet he knows every fish in the lake. Onto the most unusual state park I went to: Burton Island . After a short ferry ride, I stepped off onto a beautiful island. Everywhere you look is a beach where every rock on the beach is a perfect skipping rock. I can’t seem to skip a singl...

Many of the flowers you see in the northwestern state parks are the product of a surprising source, the flower program at the Northwest State Correctional Facility. This women-only facility operates a flower program as part of their rehabilitation, which supplies some of Vermont State Parks with beautiful blooms. John Cross, the automotive teacher at the Community High School located in the prison, has helped to run the program for six years, though it was his son, Paul, who first thought of the idea. Paul, on staff at Grand Isle State Park , put his father's gardening program and the park's need for low-budget plants together, essentially creating the program that exists today. The parks appreciate the local flower supply and cost savings, and the women in the program learn about and enjoy growing plants from seed. Plus, they get to do gardening before the snow has fully melted! John believes that in order for the participants to succeed in their rehabilitation, ...

So, we're trying an experiment... Burton Island's Marina will continue to be open through the 1st and 2nd week after Labor Day! Come enjoy the beautiful waters and great fishing of Lake Champlain, as well as one of the best places for swimming and picnicking. 15 boat moorings and a 100-slip marina with Wi-Fi connection, dockside electricity, fuel service, and a marine holding-tank pumpout facility plus 3 miles of shoreline, hiking trails make Burton Island a very unique state park. For those wanting to visit after Labor Day, the bath house will be open, wood will be available, and the inner marina will have electricity. For reservations call 802-524-6353.

In an effort to make it easier for you to "visit" some of the features of our state parks, we've put Burton Island's North Shore Nature Trail on-line, complete with color pictures and text from the brochure.