Vermont State Parks

Contact: Jessica Savage, Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation 802-249-1230, jessica.savage@vermont.gov Keegan Tierney, Green Mountain Club 802-241-8320, ktierney@greenmountainclub.org Ethan Ready, Green Mountain National Forest Ethan.ready@usda.gov Vermont – The holiday weekend is traditionally the start of the hiking season in Vermont. From its rocky summits to its gentle valleys, Vermont is home to hundreds of miles of hiking opportunities. This year, with COVID-19 as a dominant concern, we are asking hikers to take a few extra precautions to both protect public health and protect the public value of our beautiful trails. Hiking is the ideal outdoor recreational activity for these times since you can get outside for exercise and fresh air while still adhering to social distancing and hygiene guidelines, if we’re all smart and courteous about getting outside. New COVID-19 Trail Etiquette Out-of-state visitors are still being asked to self-quarantine for at least 14 days after...

Join Vermont State Parks on  Sunday April 28th and May 4th for a hike in  Niquette Bay State Park while looking at spring wildflowers. Niquette Bay State Park is home to many wildflower colonies that put on a beautiful show for just a few weeks this time of year. Let’s hunt for wildflowers in the Park from 10am – 12pm on Sunday, April 28 and Saturday, May 4.  Bring your camera and any wildflower guide books along for an informative hike through the park with Park Ranger Lisa Liotta.  Space is limited, please phone the park at 802.893.5210 to RSVP.  *Please keep doggies at home or in the car for these hikes in order to protect these fragile species. From Niquette Bay Ranger Lisa Liotta: Today, I found the first spring ephemerals of 2013 in the Park.  Spring ephemerals are perennial wildflowers that are the first of the season to appear.  The word “ephemeral” means short lived, fleeting, transitory;  and it is a very apt adjec...

Help Green Mountain Club achieve Project 10,000 by the end of their centennial year (the end of March) by joining ! The club is currently supported by over 9,800 members but has an important goal of having 10,000 members by the end of its centennial year, this month ! For anybody who loves the Long Trail and all the other great projects GMC does, it's the perfect time to make a difference! Plus, any new members who join before March 11, 2011 will be entered into a drawing to win great prizes from local businesses. The Long Trail is a rugged footpath that spans the ridge of the Green Mountains from Massachusetts to Quebec, crossing through approximately 120 miles of state lands, including Smuggler’s Notch , Underhill , and Camel’s Hump State Parks. GMC exclusively maintains Camels Hump and Mt. Mansfield State Parks. The Long Trail exists because of the Green Mountain Club, a 100-year-old non-profit organization that built and maintains it. Since 1910, GMC volunteers have worked c...