Vermont State Parks

MONTPELIER – Vermont State Parks is happy to announce that the 2021 Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge is on! The Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge is a statewide outdoor scavenger hunt where participants earn points by completing fun outdoor activities and earn free state park entry. To get started, go to the Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge web page and download the 2021 score sheet.  Choose the activities from each section that you’d like to do, and take a photo of yourself (or have someone else take a photo) of you doing that activity. Once you reach 250 points, send us your score sheet, photos, and any accompanying materials, and we’ll send you a gold VIP pass good for free park entry for 2021 and 2022! Most of the activities can be done anywhere and include things like hiking to a waterfall, skipping stones or creating a nature journal. You can also earn bonus points by completing weekly bonus activities posted on Vermont State Park’s Facebook page or on the Venture Verm...

It's that time of year again and Venture Vermont is back! That means it's time to get ready for exciting adventures in Vermont State Parks this year. This year's Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge just started on April 1st and the challenges are better than ever this year! This popular statewide scavenger hunt invites participants to download a score sheet and complete fun outdoor activities. You take photographs of your activities to keep track of what you've done. When you reach 250 points, all you have to do is send us your score sheet  along with your photos and you will receive a VIP Gold Coin, good for free park entry for the rest of 2011 and all of 2012! You will also have the chance to tackle some weekly bonus challenges that you can add to your scorecard, these will be posted on the Venture Vermont Page instead of Facebook this year. Check back often so you don't miss the bonus challenges as they change weekly! With challenges such a...

Deb Markowitz, Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources , joined in the action by starting the  Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge with her daughter, Sandra and their dog, Sadie. Check out the video they made below: In just one day, Deb and Sandra were able to earn 50 points! Impressive. A few more days of that enthusiasm and they will both earn a gold medallion good for FREE day entry into any Vermont State Park all of this season and all of next (2012), a valuable prize!  We'll be tracking Deb and Sandra's progress throughout the summer...what will they do next? Build a shelter with natural objects (10 pts) The weather is perfect for getting outside and doing fun things, which is exactly what Venture Vermont is all about. See some of the great pictures taken by last year's participants and download a scorecard by visiting the Venture Vermont page of the Vermont State Parks website . Good Luck with YOUR Venture Vermont Challenge and we look forward t...

Craig Whipple Director of Vermont State Parks Ever wonder about who is in charge of all of the Vermont State Parks ? Meet the Director of Vermont State Parks, Craig Whipple (shown right). Craig recently had a great opportunity to speak on the program "Positively Vermont" about the 'positive vibes' Vermont State Parks creates - the popular Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge , great memories, camping, hiking, swimming, nature programs, and more!  You'll learn about details of the Venture Vermont program, his tips on when to visit the parks, and the many benefits you can receive by getting outdoors.  Watch the interview online. If you'd rather watch it on your TV, the airings of the show are on Channel 17 as follows: Thursday April 28, 4:15 PM Thursday May 5, 4:15 PM Saturday May 7, 5:30 PM Thursday May 12, 4:15 PM Sunday May 15, 4:00 PM Thursday May 19, 4:15 PM These Venture Vermont participants found the biggest tree they could for bonus poin...

I ts back, and ready.  Are you?.  This year's Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge is better than ever and begins Friday, April 1st. This popular statewide scavenger hunt invites participants to download a score sheet and complete fun outdoor activities.  You take photographs of your activities to keep track of what you've done. When you reach 250 points, you send us your score sheet and photos.  You will receive a VIP Gold Coin, good for free park entry for the rest of 2011 and all of 2012! You'll have fun and never run out of things to do this summer.   Over 350 people participated last year, and we hope you will join in the fun for this year. There are three main rules to the challenge: 1.  Fill out one score card per person 2.  Take photos of all your activities 3.  Have a blast! If you would like to do the challenge as a family, you can take group photos, but each family member will need their own score sheet. Check out the vide...

You may have heard of the Venture Vermont Outdoor Challenge - a statewide, outside scavenger hunt. Similar to this program, but designed for licensed child care providers with younger children, Outdoor S'more! is a new program encouraging kids to explore the outdoors (and get rewarded for it). Outdoor S'more! activities range from collecting seeds and sorting them by how they feel (10 points) to finding shapes in nature (5 points per shape). Once the group reaches 100 points, the group sends in photos of them completing activities, their scorecard (shown right), and any other supporting documents, such as artwork or writing, to Vermont State Parks. The reward is a FREE day use visit for the whole group to any of the 52 Vermont State Parks! Score sheets are being mailed to all licensed day care providers in Vermont. You can celebrate completing the challenge by having a picnic, playing games, or going for a hike in your favorite park. For more information on how your day care g...

One of the challenges of the Venture Vermont Challenge under the INVENT category is to "Create your own outside food recipe (one you enjoy cooking and eating outside)". Many campers have made chicken & vegetable packets over a fire, but Jessica Rouse, Meg Baker, and Asa Rouse-Baker have perfected a few that are sure to please - (and you can earn 10 points towards the Venture Vermont Challenge by making this!) Visit our family camping menu ideas webpage for more. Below are their family's favorite combinations: • Cubed chicken, onions diced, apple chunks, sweet potato chunks, salt, and thyme • 1 T soy sauce, powdered or fresh ginger, cubed chicken, red pepper chunks, diced onions • Cubed chicken, diced onion, 2-3 T yogurt, apple chunks, chickpeas, and 1 t cumin Add about a cup total of chicken & veggies, wrap in aluminum foil and put on coals of the fire for about 15 minutes. Helpful Tip: You can use ketchup to mark the exterior of the foil packets with initials s...

By:Judith Ensor I’m at the top of Jay Peak. It took just about an hour and 15 minutes to climb up this time. I’ve already been rewarded for my effort as the weather has cleared and I am enjoying a beautiful view. This morning, I really struggled with whether to make the trip over from St. Albans Bay. The paper called for “partly cloudy” skies and a chance of afternoon thunderstorms but tomorrow didn’t look any more promising. So, I decided to take a chance. For a good part of the trek up, I had to remind myself that the hike itself is part of the fun. Every once in a while, as I made my way along the trail, the sun would peek out and I’d feel rushed to get to the top before the storms came. Then, I’d make myself slow down and just enjoy the walk. “Put one foot in front of the other. Let your mind wander,” I told myself. “Get into a steady rhythm. Breathe. Relax. This is vacation, not a race.” I wondered how many times have I made this climb? I’ve probably been coming here for over 30 y...

My special location is Mount Ascutney in Vermont, about seven miles from my home in Claremont, New Hampshire. Why is it special to me? Because this is where I went for physical healing after an accident forced me to have a total knee replacement a year ago. There I also found spiritual and emotional comfort, as well inspiration for new hobbies I’d like to pursue --- such as nature photography and animal track identification. In short, Mount Ascutney gave my life a whole new start. I’d like to quote two people who have also found Mount Ascutney a place of special meaning and joy: Maxfield Parrish, who lived and worked much of his life in Cornish, New Hampshire, in full view of Mount Ascutney, is quoted in Fables of Abundance: A Cultural History of Advertising in America by Jackson Lears: After years of producing enormously successful calendars for General Electric, Parrish finally announced, “It’s an awful thing to be a rubber stamp. I’m quitting my rut now while I’m still able.” He de...

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.

Frank Spaulding is the Projects Coordinator for Vermont State Parks . He oversees construction projects and is the go-to guy for stuff like wastewater systems, toilet building design, contract and bidding administration and ordering the parks' vehicles. He also takes the lead on hazard identification, aesthetic standards and has a lot to do with the captial budget. Perhaps not the most glamorous work, but vital to the safety and enjoyment of all state park visitors. Recently, our Commissioner, Jason Gibbs, put out a call to FPR (Forests, Parks & Recreation) staff soliciting ideas for funny radio ads for the parks. Frank is a funny guy (funny ha ha) and all three of his ideas were selected and produced into radio ads that will run this summer. Chuck Woessner is the Parks Regional Manager for the northwestern part of the state. He oversees operations for Grand Isle , Lake Carmi , Burton Island and Underhill state parks, just to name a few. Chuck's hidden talents include a s...

Do cool activities and earn free park admission! Its easy! Download the score sheet to get started today! You and your family can spend the season outside, and earn points for visiting beautiful places! When you get to those places, earn more points for doing all kinds of fun activities! Points are awarded for doing fun things like playing games, paddling on a lake, playing Frisbee with your friends or attending nature programs. If you earn 250 points you will be awarded a Silver VIP Pass to Vermont State Parks. With it you can come back to Vermont State Parks for the rest of this year and all of next year for free day entry! All you need to do is download a score sheet, keep track of all your points, document your activities by taking photos and send them back to us! Each score sheet and pass is for one individual, but families can do activities together and record points on their individual score sheets and each earn a pass. Click here view 2009 participants or Download a score shee...

If you’re looking for a few more amenities while you enjoy the season, Seyon Lodge offers a retreat Teddy Roosevelt would have been sure to enjoy. The recreational opportunities in Groton State Forest are unparalleled winter or summer. There are 4.9 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails for your family’s use. Additionally, thousands of acres beckon to be discovered on snowshoes right outside the front door of the lodge. Then, when you’re done with your adventure, completely relax next to the fire and then retreat to the dining room for a wonderful evening meal. The meals have even been known to draw the locals out from their warm homes and down the snowy roads! After you awake to your breakfast, the friendly Innkeepers will be happy to direct you to all the exciting opportunities the area has to offer. Seyon Lodge, without a doubt, offers a winter get-away you will never forget. A whole new world of recreational opportunities presents itself when th e snow falls in Vermont. Even in...