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Vermont State Parks

@vtstateparks

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Vermont State Parks: we work towards ensuring a safe, welcoming and inclusive place for all.

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We are headed into the last weekend of the 2026 season!

These four Vermont State Parks hold their last night of camping on Saturday, October 17:
Grand Isle
Gifford Woods
Little River
Waterbury Reservoir Remote Sites

Check out the weekend availability linked in out bio.

#VTStateParks #vt #vermont #ThisIsVT #Campfire #campingseason #fallcamping #lasthurrah #threemoresleeps

Photo of this dreamy campfire was taken by Arttu Korpelac. A campfire burned at the edge of a lake, with a tree in the background. by @vtstateparks

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19 hours ago

The air is crisp and the trails are calling! There is no wrong time of year to get outside in Groton State Forest.

Hike, bike, paddle, bird, forage, or saddle up for a horseback ride. The forest has room for all of it: 7 Vermont State Parks, the Groton Nature Center, Peacham Bog, 8 lakes and ponds, and over 70 miles of trails, with plenty of wildlife along the way.

Take a deep breath and pick a path. Our bio links to a map of the Cross Vermont Trail and the forest’s other multi-use trails (PDF). Happy trails!

#vermont #thisisvt #grotonstateforest #vt #getoutside A winding paved road with bright foliage. taken in Groton State Forest by @vtstateparks

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2 days ago

Join the Vermont State Parks team!

Vermont State Parks is hiring a Parks Regional Facilities & Projects Manager.

We’re looking for an energetic, outgoing, and positive leader to run the facilities and infrastructure program for 17 parks across the northeastern region, including the Waterbury area, Groton State Forest, and the Northeast Kingdom.

The ideal candidate is passionate about parks and outdoor recreation and understands how much facilities and maintenance shape the visitor experience. Experience with facility management, contracting, and personnel management is preferred.

This is an advanced position responsible for major facility improvements and upgrades, maintenance and repairs, preventative maintenance scheduling, and the supervision, training, and evaluation of five regional maintenance staff. You’ll need strong communication and collaboration skills and thrive in a fast-paced, service-oriented environment.

For questions or to view the complete job description, visit the link in our bio or email John.Medose@vermont.gov

Pictured is a lean to site within Stillwater State Park, located within the beautiful Groton State Forest. by @vtstateparks

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6 days ago

Peak foliage is on the horizon, and Branbury is ready to leaf you speechless! Only a few green trees remain in sight at the park this Thursday morning.

Check out WCAX’s featured story on Branbury State Park, and plan your own visit! See the links in our bio.

Pictured is Mount Moosalamoo showing off its fall colors back in 2020, taken by Elizabeth George.

#VTStateParks #vt #vermont #FallVibes #autumn #ThisIsVT #fallfoliage #foliage #lakedunmore #branburystatepark #mountmoosalamoo Fall foliage display on a mountain overlooking a calm lake and sandy beach. Blue skies and fluffy clouds hover above. taken in Branbury State Park by @vtstateparks

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8 days ago

Spending time in the woods this October? Remember your blaze orange! It pops against the greens, browns, and grays of the forest, even at dawn and dusk, while game animals see it as a dull gray.

Before you go, check out our link in our bio for
🍁Vermont Hunting Season Dates
🍁Off-Season Park Access
🍁Off-Season Guidelines in Vermont State Parks

Heads up: off-season camping in Vermont State Parks begins November 1.

Pictured is young child walks in the woods with their dog. The child is wearing a blaze orange hat, and the dog, two blaze orange bandanas.

#VTStateParks #vt #vermont #huntingseason #blazeorange #recreateresponsibly by @vtstateparks

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14 days ago

Grab a blanket and a warm drink, and head somewhere dark for these October's sky events!

On October 4th, Saturn sits opposite the Sun, so it rises at sunset, stays up all night, and is at its closest and brightest of the year. Look southeast after dark for a steady yellowish light that barely twinkles. A small telescope shows the rings!

The modest Draconid Meteor Shower peaks October 8th and 9th and is best in the early evening. Look northwest toward Draco under a nearly new Moon.

The new Moon on the 10th brings the darkest night of the month, your best chance to see faint stars and the Milky Way, so get away from bright lights if you can.

The Orionid Meteor Shower peaks October 21st and 22nd with fast, bright meteors from Halley's Comet debris, best after midnight and visible anywhere overhead. The Moon will be bright, so block it with a building or tree and give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust.

The Full Hunter's Moon rises October 26th, the first full moon after the Harvest Moon. Near moonrise it often looks large and golden-orange because we see it through more atmosphere.

How to find the constellation Pegasus: Pegasus rises in the east after dusk and climbs high in the southeast to south by mid-evening. Face south and look about halfway up the sky for the Great Square, four fairly bright stars forming a big box, often tilted like a diamond early in the evening. Few other bright stars are nearby, so it's easy to spot. The Andromeda Galaxy sits close by, and the square's stars can guide you to it.

Moon Facts:
Size: About 2,159 miles (3,474 km) across, a quarter of Earth's width, with 1/81 of its mass.
Makeup: Rocky, with a small iron-rich core. Water ice hides in shadowed craters near the poles.
Features: The dark maria are solidified lava plains. The far side holds the huge South Pole-Aitken Basin.
Orbit: 27.3 days, tidally locked, and drifting away about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) a year.
Origin: Likely formed 4.5 billion years ago when a Mars-sized body hit early Earth. No moons, no rings, no global magnetic field.
Role: Its gravity drives our ocean tides and steadies Earth's tilt.

#VTStateParks #vt #stargazing #pegasus #moon #fullmoon #meteorshower Graphic titled "October 2026 Sky Events" in orange text over a silhouetted bare tree and a large orange full moon. It lists: Oct 4 Saturn in Opposition, Oct 8-9 Draconid Meteor Shower Peak, Oct 10 New Moon, Oct 21-22 Orionid Meteor Shower Peak (best after midnight), and Oct 26 Full Hunter's Moon. At the bottom, a "Constellation to spot: Pegasus" box shows an orange star map of the constellation. by @vtstateparks

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16 days ago

We're still reliving #GirlScoutsLoveStateParks Weekend! Check out some of our favorite highlights, including hiking through Taconic Ramble State Park in Castleton, VT, learning about birds at Miller State Park in Peterborough, NH, and doing a scavenger hunt and hiking through Mt Ascutney State Park in Windsor, VT. by @vtstateparks

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18 days ago

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19 days ago

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21 days ago

Girl Scouts Love State Parks might have only been last weekend but today's #ThrowbackThursday we're looking at some of the fun we had🎉! Troop 30121 from Cambridge, VT visited Niquette Bay State Park in Colchester, VT. They had a guided tour🧭, learned about the wetlands, and so much more!

Did you take part in #GirlScoutsLoveStateParks ? Drop your pictures in the comments 👇 or send them to marketing@girlscoutsgwm.org. Group looking at body of water taken in Niquette Bay State Park by @vtstateparks

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22 days ago

The Perry Merril Cottage at Ricker Pond State Park has an opening starting Sept 27 through Oct 2. This will go fast!

Fastest way to reserve:
https://bit.ly/ReservePerryMerrill by @vtstateparks

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22 days ago

“Song for Autumn”
By Mary Oliver

Don’t you imagine the leaves dream now
how comfortable it will be to touch
the earth instead of the
nothingness of the air and the endless
freshets of wind? And don’t you think
the trees, especially those with
mossy hollows, are beginning to look for

the birds that will come—six, a dozen—to sleep
inside their bodies? And don’t you hear
the goldenrod whispering goodbye,
the everlasting being crowned with the first
tuffets of snow? The pond stiffens
and the white field over which
the fox runs so quickly brings out
its long blue shadows. The wind
wags its many tails. And in the evening
the piled firewood shifts a little,
longing to be on its way.

Welcome, Autumn!

Pictured is one of the many stunning views from Taconic Mountains Ramble State Park in Hubbardton, Vermont. This photo was taken by Lenny Christopher in 2025.

#VtStateParks #vt #vermont #autumn #autumnalequinox A panoramic view of fall foliage on a mountain range, with fog in the far valley. taken in Taconic Mountain Ramble State Park by @vtstateparks

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24 days ago