Awesome trails surrounded by nature along the West River…read more 772 acres, so even on a crowded day, there are plenty of places to escape to serenity. Dogs allowed.

Very nice park, very clean campsites. Bathrooms, while well stocked with tp where kinda gross. Not…read moreswept and you had to pay for hot water in the shower. Nice swimming area although very rocky. A very rustic camping experience overall and a lovely setting. Nice .8 mile hike to the overlook but bring bug spray!!!

The first time I camped at Emerald State Park, I was 11 years old. I am now 29 and my family has…read morecamped here for a week each and every summer in the same campsite for the past 18 years. As a native Vermonter, I am accustomed to beautiful state parks in picturesque locations, but there is something special about this one. The campground is large, with 3 separate loops (A, B, and C), and while I have only ever camped at one site in the park, many of the campsites are in wooded areas with more privacy than many other state parks provide. The sites are great, the facilities are clean, but the truly magical part of Emerald Lake State Park is the lake itself. Campers can choose to hike the half mile trail down to the lake from any of the loops at the campground, or drive down to the parking lot and walk in (less than a quarter mile). The short walk from the parking lot winds along a little canal lined with partly shaded areas with many picnic tables for those who want to picnic away from the beach. Canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats are available for rental at the beach, and there is a small island located a few hundred yards offshore. I recommend an evening swim to the island when the beach is quiet, before heading back to your campsite to sit in front of the fire and look for constellations in the sky, which is what you'll find me doing each summer for at least the next 50 years.

This is a small state park off US 7 about 10 miles north of Manchester Center VT. It's a 5-10…read moreminute walk from parking lot to the lake. The lake is fairly shallow, it's very clean, not a large beach area and very picturesque. It's not Lake Tahoe by any means but it's very pleasant and refreshing.

My family has been enjoying Stoughton Pond for many years…read more Since I was a kid, we have been going there for picnics, swimming, hiking, and family get togethers. SP is great because it is local, and not too many people use it. It is rarely crowded, and the beach and picnic area is always immaculately clean. There are bathrooms and a changing area as well. So much wildlife to see here. The best of all, the park is free to use. There is a shelter, for groups to use for a nominal fee. Trash is carry in and out, and there is a No pets rule :-( There is a ton of land here with some wonderful hiking trails well off from the picnic area. A wonderful Vermont resource.

There's a reason why this place is always empty and free. Because the water is GROSS!! We used to…read morelive right around here when I was growing up and the water was always NASTY! I wouldn't be surprised if people caught parasites from swimming in Stoughton!

This was a nice experience especially for families with kids. Different options to do and the staff…read morewas very nice with the exception of the boy running the Alpine Slide. This is my first time on an alpine slide and I am older and the two people on 2 chairs ahead of me pushed through the opening to get on the lift and I was with my 12-year-old grandson and that's what I thought you were supposed to do so I did that because 2 othe chairs had done pushed the little gate through. The lift operator allowed them to do that without stopping them or saying anything to them. When we did it, unknowingly, and we have plenty of time to get on the ride and we're on the line to sit on the left, he made a spectacle out of us and stopped the ride and made us turn around and go back around to the little green gate thing even though we are already at the line and had plenty of time to get on the next lift chair. He did not do that with the first two people that did it, however he did it with us. We're standing at the line to sit, he shuts the ride down with all the people on it to make a spectacle out of us and prove a point. He makes us walk around to the beginning gate and says he's skipping every third chair. Then when we get on the ride and I look back, he didn't skip any chair or 3rd chair and everybody was getting on every chair. And then we went on at one more time and he again stared us down and skipped a chair before putting us on the lift and had kind of a smirk on his face. I was apologetic the first time but then seeing that he wasn't putting people on every third chair, I knew he was just being a little jerk about it. And then he remembered us the second time too and made sure that I felt uncomfortable then as well. So he made us uncomfortable the first time by making a spectacle out of us, stopping the lift making us go back and start a new at the gate even though we're already at the line and had plenty of time to get on the chairlift and then also the second time making us feel uncomfortable. The date that we went was August 5th and it was thr exact guy/ teenager that puts you in the seat. That was fully and wholly disappointing and made both my grandson and I feel completely uncomfortable which was what he wanted to do for some reason. You might want to speak with him. Disappointed

It's a beautiful mountain and resort but be prepared to be spoken to like a toddler by the customer…read moreservice staff. Not sure of his name but one man in particular was extremely condescending, arrogant, and rude. My fiancé lost his chair lift pass after one run and he didn't have the ticket stub so there was no way for them to look it up. Unfortunate situation but it is what it is. The front desk staff led by a Mr. Roger's look-alike handled the situation so poorly. We walked out of the office after being talked over for 3 mins straight and spoken to like we were 5 years old by that guy. This was my first time coming here but I won't be returning. I'd urge the company to make sure their customer service agents are actually willing to serve customers, not belittle them. If that guy wasn't a complete jerk, we probably would have bought another day pass because the conditions were perfect and we really enjoyed the one run we got in.

Beautiful national forest. Seemingly endless mountains that are spectacular in the fall. The colors…read morewill blow you away!

The Norcross-West Marble Quarry in Dorset, Vermont, is the oldest commercial marble quarry in the…read moreUnited States. It was operational as a marble quarry between 1785-1917, but it now serves as a hugely popular, privately-owned summer swimming hole. Aside from a $15 parking fee, the quarry is visible from Rt. 30 and is very easy to access.

A short and an amazing hike up a dirt road that you can probably drive up in a car if you have a…read moregood 4x4. The hike is ~3miles but is fairly steep oneway, that could make it tiresome for kids or adults with pre existing conditions. The view is amazing and also has a connection to Appalachian trail. There are nobdigns to find the spot. Instructions and signs are required and therefore I took a star off. The signs are there but after you pass the trail indicating you tobgo back.

The Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center is exactly what I was looking for during an unplug-and-get-outside…read moreweekend. It's fairly easy to get to - there aren't all that many roads in Vermont, so as long as you try and stay on the main ones, you'll get to the Outdoor Center eventually. It's that place right next to the cheese factory (!!!) with all of the cross-country skiers milling about. The lodge at the bottom is charming, complete with snack bar, rentail center, and crackling fire in the fireplace. The woman at the front desk and all the staff at Grafton Ponds (actually...pretty much everyone we encountered throughout the day), were so friendly. I saw a sign for a student discount after I had paid, and she refunded the difference in price to my entire group right there, on the spot. Our ski and boot rentals looked brand-spanking new, and trails were maintained beautifully. Speaking of the trails...a great combination of terrain. The trails were equally divided between flat, open-field skiing and winding, rolling, throw-yourself-downhill-and-hope-you-don't-hit-a-tree skiing (my favorite). The map is clearly marked, and trails are well-labeled. There's even an adorably rustic warming hut at the highest point - it has an old woodstove, some benches, and a lovely view. Grafton Ponds is lots of wholesome, outdoor fun for all ages and abilities.

Wow! We discover this place yesterday. We had so much fun…read morewith the kids (9, 12, 15). I was able to teach them all the basics technics thanks to the terrain park. They practiced and within few minutes they were looking like they had been experts! Then we could have fun on the trails. After the biking the children swam in the pond while we relaxed on the grass. I only give 4 stars because I feel this place could do a little better with more in-wood trail and fun stuff. We already look forward to come back to the area just for this.