Vermont State Parks

The view from Owl's Head Overlook This guest blog is by Matt Parsons, longtime photography intern, writer and avid parks explorer. Check out more of his adventures at his blog The Adventurers . I was 5 or 6 years old when our family bought our first camper. My first State Park memory is from Ricker Pond in Groton, Vermont. It was a spontaneous trip without reservations. As I recall, we could have site 8, provided that we could get the camper into the rather awkward place. Site #8 is a prime site by the pond and pavilion. My dad cork screwed our 23’ camper on to the site by going around the small camping loop in the opposite direction, thus setting himself up for a somewhat straight, but perfect landing. My dad was a hero! Two kids and a dog in a paddleboat To me, the whole world was in our backyard to explore. Behind us was a marsh that I could catch salamanders by day   and fall asleep to frogs by night. The beach was just steps away and I played there until I was water logged...

Are you looking for outdoor adventures for your family but aren’t quite sure about taking on the adventure by yourself or would you like to add something new to your outdoor experience? Join us for the 15th annual Becoming an Outdoor Family Weekend – June 1-3, 2012! You’ll join many other families taking part in workshops presented by expert instructors providing basic hands on experience for a variety of topics including outdoor cooking, GPS skills, wildlife photography, kayaking, kite making, making jam & jellies from wild Vermont fruit, fishing,building rustic furniture, birding by ear, trail running,  mountain biking, lots of family time, and much much more. There are over 50 workshops to choose from and something for every age group is sure to be found. Some families have been joining us for over 10 years and for many this will be their first year camping with us. We’ll stay at both Stillwater and Big Deer State Parks on beautiful Lake Groton. ...

A bright day for a winter hike Vermont State Parks  is excited to be hosting nine guided hikes on New Year's Day. Start off your New Year's resolutions on the right foot by getting outdoors and being active on the first day of 2012! We hope you'll join our experienced guides for a free family hike in one of our state parks. Remember to dress for the weather, bring snowshoes (if there’s snow), and bring your own beverages/snacks. Dogs are welcome on a leash, and most importantly, have fun! No registration is required. For status of a hike or other updates, please call 802-241-3663 on 12/31 and 1/1. See details for each hike below. Little River State Park  (morning & afternoon hikes) Morning Hike Leader: Sherry Winnie, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation ( www.vtstateparks.com/ ) Meet: 10:00 am at Little River State Park's Contact Station Hike Details: 1 hr +/-, easy to moderate terrain on park roads and trails  A fresh...

Knight Point fireworks Celebrate Independence Day in the traditional way - watching fireworks! Many of the state parks are celebrating with special programs or later operating hours. Check out when and where there are celebrations near you, below! A view from the top of Mt. Ascutney Sunday, July 3rd - Mt. Ascutney State Park : One of the few parks left with camping spaces!! Make your reservation soon (802-674-2060) to camp.  Then just drive up to mountain road to check out the fireworks! Get a great view from on top of the mountain and see multiple fireworks displays. Be sure to bring a flashlight for finding your way back to your campsite if you are hiking. For drivers, the road will close 20 minutes after the finale. Saturday, July 2nd - Boulder Beach State Park : If you are camping in the Groton State Forest, make sure to head over to Boulder Beach for this great celebration! Free entry after 7:30pm. Saturday, July 2nd - Brighton State Park : Island Pond puts on a ...

Jerry helps direct the large group of volunteers Jerry Prevost, sophomore dean at St. Johnsbury Academy, challenges his students to do more for the community and the outdoors. As freshman, students at the academy perform community service in the St. Johnsbury area. Once they became sophmores, Jerry wanted their experience to be further from home. "We wanted students to think more about stewardship of the Earth and Groton came to mind". Jerry continues that many of his students live near and use Vermont State Parks and with summer just around the corner, it seemed a timely opportunity for the students to help an organization that in turn protects undeveloped land and educates on some of Vermont's greatest natural resources. Special touches by the volunteers helped to make the parks even better On April 29th, Jerry along with over 175 students and faculty traveled the short distance to Groton State Forest where the group helped out Kettle Pond , Ricker Pond , Bou...

Are you interested in taking a group of students on a field trip this year, but funding is tight? You should apply for a field trip grant from Target: Are you wondering where you can take students for an interesting, interactive, and dynamic field trip? Look no further than Vermont State Parks ! Field trips are available on all sorts of topics from Native American studies to tree identification (and more)! Fall field trips are available at: Jamaica State Park , in Jamaica, Vermont Button Bay State Park , in Vergennes, Vermont Little River State Park , in Waterbury, Vermont Groton State Forest , in Groton, Vermont Contact Rebecca Phelps for additional information about these field trip opportunities at the contact information below. Rebecca Phelps Conservation Education Coordinator VT Dept of Forests, Parks & Recreation 103 South Main St, 10 South Waterbury, VT 05671 802.241.3651 rebecca.phelps@state.vt.us

Groton State Forest offers a multitude of recreational opportunities Come into the Forest and you will see how to spend time more leisurely. There’s something for everyone at Groton State Forest in northeastern Vermont. Whatever season of life you are in you will find year-round fun in the Forest. Pack up the car; grab your fishing pole, camera, bike or a book; leave your cell phone at home (it won’t work here, anyway) and take a step back in time where life moves at a slower pace. Groton State Forest, over 26,000 acres of new-growth forest, is just one of the many areas managed by Vermont’s Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation for multiple uses. Located in the southeast corner of Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, the Forest is sandwiched between Route 2 in Marshfield and Route 302 in Groton. Full of a variety of flora, fauna, wetlands, and mountains, the Forest is a fun-filled, fabulous place to visit. Groton State Forest provides not only valuable natural resources such as ...

For two weeks this July the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation’s seasonal State Trail Crew marveled at the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps. (CCC), not as observers, but as those who were bridging a 75 year gap. All the projects that the crew is undertaking this summer are in some way linked to the spirit of the CCC, but none as directly as installing an interpretive panel on top of Owl’s Head Mountain in the shadow of the intricately built stone hut. Owl’s Head Mountain is situated in the heart of Groton State Forest. It’s 26,000 plus acres, riddled by trails and specked with State Parks, makes Groton State Forest a gem for recreating and enjoying the outdoors. Driving down Boulder Beach Road, as you near the entrance of Stillwater State Park, your eyes are drawn north by the view and little imagination is needed to understand why Owl’s Head was given its name. In 1935 the CCC completed building a crown for the top of this haystack shaped rock. Many say th...