Vermont State Parks

Finished trail segment at Mt. Philo State Park Charlotte, VT – As a significant trail project at Mt. Philo State Park ends for the season, project managers and visitors alike are commending the improvements and the broader benefits to Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy. The project, managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation (FPR), was awarded by a competitive bid process. Designed and constructed by Timber and Stone, LLC, it updates major sections of the main trail to provide a more sustainable and safe ascent, and features a universally accessible trail that improves access at the summit.

Family hiking on trail It's time for our yearly PSA: Please, stay off muddy trails during mud season! Conditions are  variable this time of year: dry in places, snow and mud in others. Respect trail closure  signs and turn around if you encounter muddy conditions. Continue to practice social distancing and following all Vermont Department of Health recommendations and guidelines. For updates on Vermont State Parks and COVID-19, click here .  Spring is in the air! The birds are singing, flowers are starting to pop up, and the snow is melting. While cabin fever may drive you to hit the trail, make sure to remember we’re entering Vermont’s fifth season:  MUD SEASON . What is mud season? End of winter snow-melt and early spring rain make many trails wet and muddy. The wet soils on and around hiking trails are very susceptible to erosion at this critical time of year. Hikers walking on saturated soils or the sides of trails cause damage to sur...

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...

On Saturday, May 31, 2019 a landslide occurred in Mt. Mansfield State Forest in the area of the Foster trail, which connects the Cotton Brook Access Area to Little River State Park. As a result, the following sections of trail will be closed until further notice: Fosters Trail Cotton Brook Road from the hay shed to Kelty Corners (see map). Trail from Cotton Brook Road gate to the hay shed is still open. Little River State Park is open as usual and park trails are not affected. However, through hiking  or biking from Little River to Stowe/Cotton Brook is not possible at this time. Waterbury Center Day Use area is open as usual and is not affected. Remote Campsites on Waterbury Reservoir R16, R20, & R21 are currently closed. Signs are posted in closed areas. This is an active landslide. For your safety, do not enter closed areas. We are assessing the situation and more information will be posted here as it becomes available.

 The former Will Monroe house On a recent blog post, "A Question Asked and Answered: Some Really Interesting Camel's Hump History", we shared a question asked by a park visitor about the history of Camel's Hump , and a really interesting answer from Stewardship Forester, Gary Sawyer. Well, Doug, our park visitor, came back with a few more questions for Gary, and here's how it went: Doug: My sister recently found a hand-written journal kept by our father when he and two other lads from Montpelier hiked the Long Trail from Duxbury to Rutland in August of 1921. Here is an excerpt of his first day account: "Brock, Lindsay and Jones left Montpelier at 3:00 P.M. Sunday with every expectation of rain. Arrived the Callahans 4:00 P.M. Packs weighed about 35 lbs. each. The first half mile was somewhat of a torture to our untrained muscles. Stopped about 6:30 at the Boy Scout camp for supper. The rest of the way to the top was so steep that our noses ...

Its looking like perfect hiking weather for National Trails Days this Saturday! Check out our favorite hiking links below: Our favorite parks for hiking: Top 5 Parks for Hiking Looking to get kids out hiking for the first time? Check out Family-Friendly Hikes Want to hike with your dog? Here is what you need to know:  Pets in the Parks Did you know there are a bunch of Trail Maps and Guides online that you can download? Check out our Publications Page Want to climb some of the most popular summits in Vermont? Check out hiking maps for Camel's Hump , West Side of Mount Mansfield , East Side of Mount Mansfield and Mount Ascutney ? How about a beautiful, quiet nature trail? See our guide to Nature Trails New to hiking?  Learn about Hiking Safety Tips You also might want to check out some friends of ours: Green Mountain Club , for Long Trail and its side trails Local Motion , for trails of all kinds Moosalamoo National Recreation Area for many trai...

When the snow starts melting and the temperatures get warmer, most of us want to get outside and hike! But, mud season is not a good time for hiking in certain areas. Rain and melting snow at higher elevations are keeping many of Vermont's hiking trails wet and muddy. When hikers tramp on saturated soils, they cause soil compaction and erosion as well as damage to the trail and surrounding vegetation. Please help protect the fragile trails this time of year by staying off muddy trails. Higher elevation soils take longer to dry out. And after an epic snowfall this winter, and heavy spring rains the trails will take longer than normal to dry out.  A trail may be dry at the trailhead, but is muddy at a higher elevation this time of year. If you notice this happening, please turn around! Trails at lower elevations, dirt roads, and recreation paths provide excellent places for early spring walking. Below is a list of great places to hike during mud season - enjoy! Sout...

This month: Camping Back at Allis State Park, Mud Season Secrets, New Trail at Waterbury Center, Maple Sugaring in the parks and more! Read more here: http://conta.cc/he6NuA

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...

Time to get outside! The days are getting longer, the snow has finally arrived, and there's a bonus of no poison ivy or mosquitoes! It's the perfect time to enjoy fun activities in your nearest Vermont State Park. Best of all - they're free! Click here for more details about off-season access to the parks. Here's advice from folks in the know: Sledding : For daring sled riders, a large treeless hill can be found by the lower parking lot in Waterbury Center State Park . Mt. Philo State Park has a long, winding road up (and down) the mountain - it's worth the hike to sled from the top. Mt. Ascutney State Park presents a big challenge with steering on it's winding road - this one is very steep! Those that fear high speeds should take heed! Elmore State Park has a variety of hills with different steepnesses and sizes. Good for all ages. Snowshoeing : Trails that are fun in the summer are magical in the winter. Click on these parks for trail maps to a winter wond...