CAMPING IN VERMONT
 |
Public camping in Vermont began soon after the first parcel of land - Mt. Philo State Park in Charlotte - was donated to the State of Vermont in 1924 for perpetual recreation use for the citizens and visitors of the state. During the 1930s the federal government created the
Civilian Conservation Corps
(CCC) to put unemployed young folks to work developing facilities for public use. |
The CCC built 18 Vermont State Parks that are still actively used by the public for camping or day recreation areas.
Since the end of World War II, numerous parcels of land have been donated to, or purchased by, the state for development of state parks or to just keep the land open for future generations. Much of the development of Vermont State Parks took place during the CCC-era and during the 1960s Vermont - The Beckoning Country promotion and development period. However, throughout all of this, there was a much greater demand for camping facilities than could be accommodated at state parks. Private campgrounds were established to fill the void as well as to provide services that the state parks were not providing.
Around 1964, the Vermont Association of Private Campground Owners and Operators was organized to cooperatively promote the use and enjoyment of private campgrounds as well as to encourage a high standard of service to the public. The association has continued to grow, with more and more private campgrounds joining to develop a greater presence when dealing with camping issues statewide.
Until 1990, the state parks' operations and maintenance were funded by the state tax dollars, park receipts from fees, and revenue from ski area leases on state lands. As a result of a legislative mandate, the parks have operated without taxpayers dollars since 1991. Likewise, the fees for using
Vermont State Parks have regularly increased to keep more in line with the private campgrounds.
Vermont State Parks Along the Way
As you travel along US Route 2, there are many wonderful Vermont State Parks worth stopping by for a picnic or swim, hike or bike, or for spending a night at a campground.
Starting from the west, a visit to Alburg Dunes State Park, just off Route 2, to swim or picnic is memorable. This park is undeveloped, but it contains one of the longest sand beaches, with natural sand dunes, on Lake Champlain.
Upon leaving Alburg, cross the bridge into North Hero and take a left to North Hero State Park. Swim, picnic or spend a night or more in the campground.
A little further south on Route 2, Knight Point State Park is a relaxing spot to swim, picnic or, during the peak of summer, watch the famous Hermann Lipizzan Stallions perform their majestic show.
Cross the drawbridge into Grand Isle and, if you are looking for a great spot to camp, stop by Grand Isle State Park. It is Vermont’s busiest state park campground and a favorite among many.
As you proceed south, you come to Sand Bar State Park in Milton, Vermont’s busiest day area, where the swimming, picnicking and sailboarding are terrific.
US Route 2 now takes a slight turn to the east, and just off the highway (and I-89 Exit 10) is Little River State Park. Located along the shore of Waterbury Reservoir and the site of a historic community, Little River is a great campground to spend an extended vacation with hiking, biking and recreational water opportunities (particularly when the water returns to full level in the reservoir – the dam is now being repaired).
Traveling east, you come very near the 26,175 acre Groton State Forest along Route 232, where New Discovery, Big Deer, Stillwater and Ricker Pond State Park campgrounds are located, as well as Boulder Beach State Park for swimming, picnicking and hiking. Miles of hiking and biking trails snake through the forest, as well as Seyon Ranch State Park with lodging and fly-fishing opportunities.
As you approach the Connecticut River, take a left onto Route 102 and travel about 20 miles north to Vermont’s rural Maidstone State Park with outstanding camping, swimming, fishing and hiking opportunities. An experience here will not be forgotten.
Whatever your desires, you will experience some of Vermont’s finest state parks along US Route 2. It is well worth the trip! To contact Vermont State Parks, email: parks@anr.state.vt.us, phone: 802.241.3655, fax: 802.244.1481, or visit
http://www.vtstateparks.com/.
View Pricing for
Vermont State Parks- File opens in new window
Microsoft Word Document
Vermont's Fishing Opportunities Abound
Vermont has the greatest variety of high quality fresh water fishing in the Northeast, with bountiful lakes and sparkling streams, all in a countryside setting that makes fishing enjoyable no matter how fast the fish are biting.
Lake Champlain on the state's western boundary has a surface area of 435 square miles with fishing that attracts anglers from all over the globe. Landlocked salmon, lake trout and steelhead rainbow trout offer spectacular action. For outstanding shallow water excitement, try the big lake's northern pike, which range up to 25 pounds. High quality bass fishing, for both largemouths and smallmouths, is one of the lake's best kept secrets now being discovered by bass angling enthusiasts. Bass fishing is on a catch-and-release basis until the second Saturday in June when the regular bass season opens.
Interior Vermont waters offer classic New England lake and stream fishing with 808 lakes and ponds, 284 of which are larger than 20 acres, and over 7,000 miles of rivers and brooks. Vermont's lakes and streams are home to more than 20 popular species of game and panfish offering fishing for anglers of all tastes and experience levels.
Vermont is well-known for its cold-water trout and landlocked salmon fishing. Innumerable icey brooks seep down off the Green Mountains into beaver ponds and streams, providing superb angling for native brook trout, as well as larger rainbow and brown trout. Lakes Willoughby, Caspian, and Seymour, among others, are renowned for their lake trout and landlocked salmon fishing.
Yet Vermont also has excellent warm-water fishing. It is home to a vast array of species that tolerate warmer water than trout and salmon. They include such favorites as largemouth and smallmouth bass, walleye, northern pike, channel catfish, chain pickerel, Amercan shad, yellow perch, white perch, black crappie, rock bass, bluegill, pumpkinseed, and bullhead, as well as bowfin, long-nosed gar, freshwater drum, burbot, cisco, whitefish and sauger.
You can find excellent fishing all along Route 2, with trout and smallmouth bass readily available from the eastern side of the state westward to Lake Champlain, where big trout, salmon, bass, walleyes and northern pike are all present in good numbers.
To learn more about Vermont's fantastic fishing opportunities and to help plan your Vermont fishing trip this fall, contact the Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department, 103 South Main Street, Waterbury, VT 05671-0501 and ask for a Vermont Fishing Kit. You also can reach the Fish & Wildlife Department by phone at (802) 241-3700 or via their Web Site at www.VTfishandwildlife.com
Submitted by John Hall, Vermont Fish & Wildlife Dept.
Family Camping in the Great North Woods
Lancaster, NH - Rogers Campground is located in the beautiful White Mountains of New Hampshire, and boasts spectacular views of the Presidential Mountain Range, including views of Mount Washington, throughout the grounds and attractions.
Make the most of your vacation...
Besides its three swimming pools, large picnic hall, formal hall, game room, horseshoe pits, baseball field, basketball and volleyball courts, plus new 24' climbing wall, Rogers Campground is convenient to a host of activities. A visit to www.rogerscampground.com will link you to great hiking, biking and a list of nearby rivers for thrilling whitewater paddling, boating, canoeing and fishing. For less physical activity, there are nearby theme parks and movie theatres, and the 4th of July fireworks which are renowned throughout the North Country as the show to see!
Rogers Campground is located 2 miles from the junction of Rte3 and Rte 2 on Rte 2 in Lancaster, New Hampshire. |
|
