Notes
Check-in for Big Deer State Park is at Stillwater State Park.
Big Deer State Park, located in the 27,000-acre Groton State Forest, offers quiet tent and lean-to camping along with all the other activities available in the forest such as swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, boating and nature programs. While you're camping in one state park you can use the other day use parks for free, which makes Big Deer an excellent base camp location.
The rocky, tree-covered hillsides were originally cloaked with white pine, spruce, hemlock, beech, maple and birch. These were initially logged by local farmers for lumber, fuel and potash. The logging industry was large-scale for almost 100 years while the railroad was operating. Today, logging is still a vital industry in the area, but has lost some of its dominance in favor of modern society's leisure time movement - private cottages/seasonal homes and a variety of outdoor recreation activities.
Swimming, fishing, boating, hiking, boating and nature programs are all nearby. Groton State Forest is the second largest landholding administered by the Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation. It contains over 17 miles of hiking trails and over 20 miles of gravel roads and multi-use trails suitable for mountain biking and horseback riding.
22 Tent/RV sites, 5 lean-tos, restrooms with flush toilets, hot and cold running water and coin-operated showers. Firewood is available to purchase. Drinking water is available throughout the park.
Barre Granite Museum & Quarry tours, State capitol, Fairbanks Museum
Park Address: 1467 Boulder Beach RD, Groton, VT 05046