Coolidge State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Coolidge State Park |
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A typical lean-to available for camping at the park
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| Type | State park |
| Location | 855 Coolidge State Park Rd. Plymouth, Vermont, USA |
| Area | 1,300 acres (530 ha) |
| Operated by | Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation |
| Open | Summer season |
| Website | https://vtstateparks.com/coolidge.html |
Coolidge State Park is a wonderful place to visit in Plymouth, Vermont. It's a Vermont State Park named after Calvin Coolidge. He was the 30th President of the United States, born and raised right here in Plymouth!
This park is the main fun spot for the Calvin Coolidge State Forest. This is the largest state forest in all of Vermont. Many of the park's buildings were made by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. These historic buildings are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can do many cool things at the park. These include camping, hiking, and having picnics. You can also go mountain biking, fish in streams, and watch for wildlife. In winter, there are fun snow activities too!
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Discover Coolidge State Park
Coolidge State Park is found in Windsor County, Vermont. This is in the middle part of Vermont. The park has two main areas. They are on each side of Vermont Route 100A. This is about 2 miles (3.2 km) north of Plymouth Notch. That's where Calvin Coolidge was born!
The park covers a huge area of 1,300 acres (526 ha). It is next to parts of the Calvin Coolidge State Forest. This forest is even bigger, at 21,000 acres (8,500 ha).
Exploring the Park's Landscape
The western part of the park is called the Pinney Hollow block. It is 800 acres (324 ha) big. This area has the park's maintenance buildings. These are located where the CCC workers lived when they built the park.
The eastern part is called the Bradley Hill block. It is a large wooded area. It sits on the western side of Slack Hill. Slack Hill has a peak that is 2,174 feet (663 m) high. The park's main office, campground, and picnic spots are in this section. The land here is mostly steep. But there is a flat area where the main office and parking are.
What You'll Find at the Park
Near the park's entrance on VT 100A, there's a small parking area. You can also have a picnic there. The main road into the park goes up a steep hill to the park office.
From the office, a camping loop branches off. This loop has only lean-tos. A lean-to is like a shelter with three walls and a roof. They are placed to give campers great views of the countryside.
If you keep going down the main road, you'll find another camping loop. This one is for tent campers and RVs. It's a wooded area. There are no water or electric hookups here. But there is a place to empty RV waste near the park office. Past the tent loop, there is a larger picnic area. It has picnic shelters built by the CCC.
How Coolidge Park Was Built
Before the state park was created, this land was used for farming. People also had small businesses here. In the 1920s, the state started buying land for the state forest. They thought the area north of Plymouth Notch would be great for a campground.
In 1933, the government provided money for the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC was a program that put young men to work. They built many parks and roads during the Great Depression. Work on Coolidge State Park began then.
The CCC crews built the main road into the park. They also made the lean-to camping loop. They built the picnic areas, maintenance buildings, and the park office. Areas that used to be farms were planted with new trees. The CCC also made some of the hiking trails you can use today. They even built a small swimming hole by damming Pinney Hollow Brook. This swimming spot is no longer used.
