Groton State Forest covers in the towns of Danville, Groton, Marshfield, Orange, Peacham, Plainfield, and Topsham,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

. The forest spans across

Caledonia Caledonia (; ) was the Latin name used by the Roman Empire to refer to the forested region in the central and western Scottish Highlands, particularly stretching through parts of what are now Lochaber, Badenoch, Strathspey, and possibly as ...

, Orange, and

Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...

counties. Major roads through the forest are U.S. Route 302 and Vermont Route 232. The forest is managed by the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation for timber resources, wildlife habitats, and recreational activities. It is home to seven state parks: Big Deer State Park, Boulder Beach State Park, Kettle Pond State Park, New Discovery State Park, Ricker Pond State Park, Seyon Lodge State Park and Stillwater State Park. The state also operates the Groton Nature Center to educate about the natural history of the forest and parks. Activities in the park include camping, hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, hunting, trapping, horseback riding,

cross country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing whereby skiers traverse snow-covered terrain without use of ski lifts or other assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreational activity; however, some still use it as a m ...

, and

snowshoeing Snowshoes are specialized outdoor gear for walking over snow. Their large footprint spreads the user's weight out and allows them to travel largely on top of rather than through snow. Adjustable bindings attach them to appropriate winter footw ...

. The Montpelier-Wells River Rail Trail, part of the Cross Vermont Trail, is 12 miles long and bisects the length of Groton State Forest.

Snowmobiling A snowmobile, also known as a snowmachine (chiefly Alaskan), motor sled (chiefly Canadian), motor sledge, skimobile, snow scooter, or simply a sled is a motorized vehicle designed for winter travel and recreation on snow. Their engines normally ...

is allowed on designated VAST trails.

Natural features

Groton State Forest features three state-designated natural areas, Peacham Bog Natural Area (748 acres), Tabletop Mountain Natural Area (129 acres) and Lords Hill Natural Area (25 acres). There are eight lakes and ponds: Lake Groton (422 acres), Kettle Pond (109 acres), Martins Pond (82 acres), Turtlehead Pond or Marshfield Pond (69 acres), Noyes Pond (39 acres), Osmore Pond (48 acres), Peacham Pond (340 acres), and Ricker Pond (95 acres).

History

The state began to acquire parts of the forest in 1919. In the 1930s, the

Civilian Conservation Corps The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a voluntary government unemployment, work relief program that ran from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men ages 18–25 and eventually expanded to ages 17–28. The CCC was ...

(CCC) developed many park features including roads, trails, fire lookouts, and picnic shelters. The CCC also planted trees within the forest. The forest used to house twelve sawmills and the state still manages lumbering in the forest. Many trails use old logging roads.

References

External links

Official websiteTravel the Kingdom: Groton State Forest Trail Map
Vermont state forests Protected areas of Caledonia County, Vermont Protected areas of Orange County, Vermont Protected areas of Washington County, Vermont Civilian Conservation Corps in Vermont {{Vermont-geo-stub