Mount Philo State Park

Come bring a picnic and celebrate 100 years of Mt. Philo State Park with us on August 10th! Listen to the “Secret History of Mt. Philo” with Judy Chaves, join one of the guided hikes with Stephen Wright and Peter Hope to learn more about the geology and botany of the mountain, or join us at the summit to hear Walter Poleman describe, “What We are Looking At” from the main viewpoint. Think you know a lot about Philo? Put your knowledge to the test at our “Philo, Trivia” event. Come listen to tunes from the local Remember Baker band to end the day. Smokey the Bear will be making appearances throughout the morning.

Events free with park entry. Signups required for the guided hikes due to limited capacity.

Schedule of events

• 9am-11am: Stephen Wright leading a guided hike (geology). Max capacity 30 people. Sign up for geology hike.
• 9am, 11am and 1pm: Smokey the Bear making an appearance at the summit
• 10am-11am: Peter Hope leading a guided hike (botany). Max capacity 18 people. Sign up for botany hike. 11am-12pm: Judy Chaves giving presentation in the lodge (history)
• 12pm-1pm: Walter Poleman giving presentation at the summit viewpoint 
• 1pm: Philo Trivia! Pavilion at lodge
• 2pm-4pm: Remember Baker Band in the lodge 
• 4pm: Happy birthday song to Philo! At the summit

Want to learn more about the trees of Mt. Philo? Join self professed "tree geek" Joanne Garton for a guided tree hike.

Hike begins at 10 am and participants should arrive 10-15min beforehand. Ask the contact station upon arrival where the group meet to begin the walk.

Event is free with park entry. This is a dog free event, but it is family friendly. 

Please wear good hiking shoes and bring water! There are bathrooms at the lower parking lot and at the summit, and there is a place to refill water bottles at the summit.

Exact mileage will depend on trail chosen that day. Elevation gain is 608ft from the parking lot to the summit. 
 

Arch is an attempt to build a freestanding arch, made two thirds of concrete and one third of ice.

Deceptive in its simplicity, Arch unfolds as a surprising emotional journey. An exquisite combination of breath, heart, and muscle entangle with the perpetual inevitability of collapse.

Touching audiences with themes of death, renewal, and hope, this work also points towards the extraordinary, yet flawed, systems humans create: language, economies, architectures, democracies – and, inevitably, to the impact of these systems on our ecological system, and on ourselves.

Known for building temporary communities in his work, Director Seth Honnor creates a world of human endeavour, hope, and loss. Arch gathers our minds and hearts, inviting us to bear witness to something we cannot command. Like in Seth’s other work, Arch gently asks questions of all of us, of our roles and our responsibilities.

Event free with park entry. Meets near the pavillion.

The Mama Tried String Band plays the perfect tunes for a fabulous mountaintop concert: Bluegrass, country, Americana, blues, originals - it'll put you in the mood to savor your surroundings and sing around your campfire when night falls. Featuring Rebecca Padula's smokin' vocals, guitar, and ukulele; Linda Kallinger's soaring fiddle solos and harmonies, Ukulele Clare's banjo, ukulele, harmonica, and vocals, and Kathy Mulligan's fine baselines.

Event free with park entry. Meets at the Pavillion.

Remember Baker plays a scrumptious blend of folk, Americana, old time, and bluegrass.

Concert free with park entry. Meets near the shelter.

Our seasonal “Words in the Woods” program allows Vermonters and visitors to enjoy our state’s natural beauty while listening to and reading literature in the outdoors.

This year, we look forward to joining five Vermont poets in-person at different Vermont State Parks. Join us in celebrating our 50th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of Vermont State Parks by registering for a program today!

Thank you for the support of the Vermont Humanities and the Vermont Arts Council.

Join us for a morning of poetry with Alison Prine. Vermont Humanities will cover the entry fee for the park, so feel free to explore the wilderness after the event.

Alison Prine’s latest collection of poems, LOSS AND ITS ANTONYM (Headmistress Press, 2024), won the 2023 Sappho’s Prize in Poetry and was published this March. Her debut poetry collection, STEEL (Cider Press Review, 2016), was named a finalist for the 2017 Vermont Book Award. Her poems have appeared in Ploughshares, The Virginia Quarterly Review, Five Points, Harvard Review, Prairie Schooner, and others. She lives and works in Burlington, Vermont. Visit her at alisonprine.com.

Registration
Entrance to the park will be covered by Vermont Humanities. Please register in advance to attend this in-person program. Families camping at or otherwise visiting the parks will be able to join the presentations without advance registration.

Register to attend this event.

Accessibility
This is an accessible event. It takes place in a pavilion located a short distance from a parking lot, along a paved road. Please contact us at info@vermonthumanities.org for information on disability services.

To request a specific accommodation for this event please contact us by Friday, Friday, July 5th.

Park Address
5425 Humphreys' Rd.
Charlotte, VT 05445