Park events

Drop by the day use area to see if there's a nature craft going on!

All children under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Materials provided.

Weather dependent

Become “crepuscular” on an evening tour of Little River's lost settlement ruins and see how open farmland became a dense northern hardwoods forest.  We'll call for owls and tell age-appropriate ghost stories.  Destinations include a cemetery OR an abandoned house OR Dan Dalley's cellar hole. Meets at History Hike Parking, Duration: 2hrs. ***FLASHLIGHTS & STURDY FOOTWEAR REQUIRED; NO CROCS/FLIP-FLOPS allowed!***

If you plant it, they will come! See what visits our perennial & wildflower gardens to find out how healthy ecosystems can be built in your yard. 45 min, opt. to extend to - 1.5hrs

Explore historic Waterbury Reservoir seeking wildlife, spectacular Vermont Views & historical sites. Boat rentals FREE; space limited, RESERVATIONS REQUIRED via Park Office at 802-244-7103. *If using park boats, get paddles/jackets from Park Office at 6:30pm.* Program begins promptly at 7pm at the A-Side Swim Beach, ends at dusk.

Michiko Oishi was born in Tokyo, Japan, and has lived in Montpelier since 1997. She has been teaching Japanese language and culture through Champlain College, UVM’s Asian Studies Outreach Program and high schools in Central Vermont. Before coming to Vermont, she worked with relief and repatriation programs in Laos, Thailand and Japan for UNHCR and the Japan International Volunteer Center. Her first bilingual Haiku/Tanka book, co-translated with Judy Chalmer, Red Fish Alphabet was published in Tokyo and her second book Deepening Snow was published by Plowboy Press in Vermont.

Words in the Woods is a partnership between Vermont State Parks and Vermont Humanities Council that features live nature-based poetry readings in state parks across Vermont.

Bring your own notebook, use one provided, or make one at the nature center and get started on your very own herbarium journal! Join in on collecting and identifying plants while learning how to preserve them and keep them in your notebooks to use for identifying the plants around you.

Come celebrate Smokey Bear's 79th birthday with the staff at Button Bay State Park! Enjoy treats fit for a bear (and for humans), firefighting games, Smokey trivia--and meet Smokey Bear himself! EDIT 8/6: Now meeting at the Loop 1 Volunteer Site.

Bring your chair and blanket and musical talents to the pavilion and join Bobby for a musical Monday evening in the park. While you might hear anything from originals to folk classics to today's most popular hits, a common thread strings the set together: welcome smiles, a steady groove and unbridled energy that invites you to let the rhythm move you.

Join Stillwater's resident astronomer and storyteller, Bobby, for an evening around the fire and among the stars.

Learn about Tolba, the Sacred Turtle of the Abenaki, while creating your own turtle-themed friendship bracelet!