Park events

September 6-8, 2019
Stillwater State Park
Groton State Forest, Groton, Vt.

Join us September 6-8, 2019 for our 22nd year offering outdoor educational experiences for the whole family!

Expert instructors begin each class with the basics, providing hands-on experience and encouraging participants to ask questions. The variety of classes includes wildlife, forestry, orienteering and GPS, hiking, fitness, camping skills, kayaking, firearm safety, fishing, and much, much more.

This program is a joint effort by UVM Extension and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources Departments of Fish and Wildlife and Forests, Parks and Recreation to promote, address, and instill in the general public a basic understanding of environmental conservation, safety and fun in the out-of-doors. 

To learn more about programming and to sign up: head to https://www.uvm.edu/extension/outdoorfamily

Always wanted to go ice fishing but couldn’t find a good excuse to get away? Now we have found that excuse for you: a "Free Ice Fishing Day" on the last Saturday in January.

Saturday, January 25, 2020 is Vermont’s next free ice fishing day - a day when anyone, resident or nonresident, may go fishing in Vermont without a fishing license.

Not Sure How? - No Problem!
Come to our FREE Ice Fishing Festival! Vermont Fish & Wildlife staff will be there to help everyone, young and old, learn how to enjoy this unique and popular type of fishing.

Where: Lake Elmore, Elmore State Park, Elmore VT

When: Saturday, January 25, 2020 - 11:00 am to 3:00 pm

This year, Fish & Wildlife staff and Let's Go Fishing volunteers will help new ice anglers learn the basics of winter ice fishing with stations including:
Ice Fishing Gear Explained
Hole Drilling Demos
Tip-up Techniques
Using a Rod and Jig
Ice Safety
Fish Identification and Regulations Explained
Knot-tying Know-how and tackle craft

For more info and to pre-register: https://vtfishandwildlife.com/node/462

Start the new year on the right foot with a hike in a Vermont state park. On January 1, 2020, everyone is once again invited to join a free, guided, family-friendly hike taking place at many state parks and forests across Vermont. Hikes will be led by professional guides and outdoor educators eager to share their knowledge and love of Vermont’s outdoors. Don’t need a guide? No matter where you live in Vermont, a state park or state forest is always close by, and you can still get outside to enjoy it. State park entry is free on New Year’s Day (and all winter long). You’ll discover a whole new world in winter.

Please dress for the weather and bring snowshoes if the snow is deep. Please also bring beverages and snacks. Dogs are welcome (on leash) unless otherwise noted. You don’t need to pre-register, just show up! To check the status of the hikes, call our First Day Hikes “Hotline” at 802-249-1230. Updated messages will be posted to the Hotline on December 31st and January 1st.

For a fulll list of hikes head to: http://bit.ly/VTFirstDayHikes2020

Sit by a campfire while enjoying delicious S’mores and share fun stories!

Meet at Nature Center

Discover the majestic lives of trees, learn how to identify their age & make your own tree cookies!

Join the park naturalist on a hike to Button Point. We will keep our ears and eyes open for wild flowers and animals along the way!

Meet at Loop 2 Bathhouse

Interact with real furs & skins of animals and learn why they are important!

Meet at Nature Center

Hike out to Button Point at night with the park naturalist. We will test our night senses and learn animal adaptations with games!

Meet at Loop 2 Bathhouse

Unveil the life that lurks in the night at the Button Point Nature Center!

Make your own bead bracelet while learning the fascinating cycle of water through a fun game of the Incredible Journey!

Meet by the Playground in the Day Use Area