Celebrate 100 years of Vermont State Parks

Established in 1924 thanks to Frances Humphreys’ generous land donation, Mount Philo is the oldest of Vermont’s state parks and therefore responsible for a statewide centennial celebration of the 55 extraordinary natural spaces.

Debuting this spring, the new Passport program is one of several initiatives commemorating 100 years of Vermont State Parks. The network is one of the country’s most robust: 2,225 campsites, 605 lean-tos, 51 cabins, 29 beaches, 38 picnic areas, a swimming pool, and a year-round lodge hidden deep in a 27,000-acre forest.

Mount Philo may be a mini mountain, but it’s tall enough to provide a wide panorama of an iconic scene. The fertile Champlain Valley’s emerald-green fields and trees; Lake Champlain’s cool, rippling blue waters; and the Adirondacks’ purple peaks stretch out below, like scrumptious layers of a cake.

I distinctly remember the emotions this landscape evoked when I stepped out of the back seat of my parents’ car 2 decades ago. I wasn’t a child; I was expecting my own firstborn.

I’m returning to Mount Philo this year, eager to test my legs on trails that received significant restorations and enhancements just 2 years ago, an effort warranted by the summit hike’s status as one of Vermont’s most popular. I can’t imagine collecting my first Vermont State Parks Passport stamp anywhere else.

As you navigate from park to park collecting Passport stamps (in Vermont, you’re never more than a 30-minute drive from a state park), signage will encourage you to join in the centennial commemoration by sharing your own story on social media or online.

“We’ll eventually have a collection of amazing videos, photos, and stories that we can share and that folks will share with each other,” says Vermont Director of State Parks Nate McKeen, who expects moving submissions that might include childhood memories, wedding-day stories, and vivid parenting moments. “Our key message for the 100th is that Vermont State Parks are for everyone.”

Admission is incredibly affordable: Day passes are $5 for adults, $2 or $3 for children. Punch cards and annual-pass programs can make a whole year’s worth of adventures even more cost-effective. And where else can your group of 4 stay overnight for as little as $22?

All 55 Vermont-owned parks are important to the flora, fauna, and fungi that inhabit them, not to mention the human visitors who find solace within their boundaries. Like any major league, though, there are all-stars. Consider these settings (from south to north):

Celebrating its own 55-year anniversary in 2024, this 772-acre refuge is a destination for fly-fishing the West River and walking or biking a stretch of the rail trail along its banks. You might luck out and reserve a riverside lean-to: Just bring sleeping bags and fall asleep to nature’s white noise. In addition to 18 lean-tos, the park has 41 campsites for tents or RVs (no hookups).

This 204-acre day-use property is one of the newest Vermont State Parks. Its highlight is a Japanese garden constructed and cultivated by land donor Carson “Kit” Davidson. The late documentary filmmaker also blazed trails, some quite challenging, through this rocky tract with a view of Mount Zion. Facilities are negligible, so arrive prepared and with a thirst for Zen.

Just southeast of Middlebury and backed up against the Green Mountain National Forest, one of Vermont’s most beloved sandy beaches abuts Lake Dunmore. No need to tote your boat: Canoe, kayak, pedal boat, and stand-up paddleboard rentals are available in season.

Interpreter-led outings and activities add to the experience, especially for children who can’t wait to prowl for amphibians or craft something out of nature’s detritus. Plan to camp if you don’t want the kids to pout when it’s time to leave.

Start your journey at the renovated and reimagined Groton Nature Center, which had its grand opening last year and doesn’t charge admission. Interactive exhibits focus on the park’s cultural history as well as its unique geologic features. This is home base for interpretive programs, too.

Deep in the forest, Seyon Lodge offers private rooms with shared baths for up to 16 lucky overnighters year-round. You can book the whole place for your group from $750 per night. Healthy, home-cooked meals are available for an additional charge.

Looking for one park that has everything? Head to the remote Northeast Kingdom and immerse yourself in the rhythms of running streams and the soul-stirring echoes of loons wailing their goodnights. Campers, cabin renters, and day visitors can hike, paddle, fish, and swim in Spectacle Pond’s crystal, cool waters.

With the state’s largest campground and third-largest bog—not to mention a lake that covers 1,375 acres and drains north into Canada before its waters meander on to Lake Champlain—this destination offers a quietude and disconnectedness that is rare in our frenzied world.

Go to paddle, to journal, to seek inner peace. Before swimming, check the status of the lake, which sometimes suffers from algal blooms. Lake Carmi is just miles from the Canadian border and only 90 minutes from Montreal, so make this your affordable outpost for an international escape.

This day-use beach—one of the longest on Lake Champlain—and the protected sand dunes within the park form a barrier island where you’ll feel detached from mainland cares. It’s an hour’s drive north of Burlington, across the Champlain Islands chain, so getting there is half the adventure.

Bring a juicy novel and castle-building equipment. This strip of sand offers views of the Green Mountains and the Adirondacks. Not too shabby for $5.

In partnership with Vermont State Parks, the multifaceted mission of the nonprofit Vermont Parks Forever (VPF) includes fundraising for special initiatives, furthering nature education, and providing free parks admission for underrepresented communities.

From renovating nature education centers to purchasing new beach wheelchairs, VPF works to make the state parks even better for everyone, says Executive Director Sarah Alberghini Winters.

She’s particularly proud of the organization’s Park Access Program, which has grown exponentially in its first 8 years. “Last year,” she says, “we granted 10,000 days in the parks to communities historically underrepresented in the outdoors.”

During the centennial, VPF will support events and programs that include collecting and sharing park stories. And while the organization encourages centennial gifts of $100—or more—you can also show love for Vermont State Parks through VPF’s diverse merch line; proceeds benefit the charitable aims.

Affordable prints feature local artists’ interpretations of individual parks, created in collaboration with Common Deer. Take in the farmlands, lake, mountains, and sweeping sky in Dylan Fant’s depiction of the view from Mount Philo, and you’ll see why it’s going on my office wall.

Kim Knox Beckius is Yankee magazine’s travel editor and a co-author of the 2024 edition of Frommer’s New England.