Maidstone State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Maidstone State Park |
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![]() Maidstone Lake State Park Ranger Station with view of Maidstone Lake
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Type | State park |
Location | 5956 Maidstone Lake Road Maidstone, Vermont |
Created | 1938 |
Operated by | Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation |
Open | Memorial Day weekend - Labor Day weekend |
Website | |
Maidstone State Park
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Location | 4858 and 4876 Maidstone Rd., Maidstone, Vermont |
Area | 640 acres (260 ha) |
Built | 1938 |
Built by | CCC; Dept. of the Interior |
Architectural style | CCC State Park |
MPS | Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks MPS |
NRHP reference No. | 01001285 |
Added to NRHP | November 29, 2001 |
Maidstone State Park is a wonderful place to visit in Vermont. It's a state park located in the town of Maidstone. This area is in Essex County, part of Vermont's beautiful Northeast Kingdom.
Maidstone State Park is one of the most remote parks in the state. It gives you access to the large, 796-acre Maidstone Lake. This lake was formed by glaciers long ago. The park is part of the Maidstone State Forest. It was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and opened in 1938.
You can do many fun things here. Popular activities include fishing, hiking, camping, and boating. You can also watch for wildlife and enjoy a picnic. The park is usually open from Memorial Day weekend to Columbus Day weekend. There are fees for day visits and camping.
Contents
Explore Maidstone State Park
Maidstone State Park is in a quiet, rural part of Maidstone. It sits on the south and east sides of Maidstone Lake. The park has two main areas for visitors. You can reach both areas using Maidstone Lake Road.
Day Use Area: Fun by the Lake
The day use area is about 40 acres in size. It's perfect for a day trip. Here, you'll find a sandy beach where you can swim. There's also a picnic area with lots of space. A large pavilion built by the CCC is available for gatherings. The picnic area also has fourteen stone fireplaces. These were also built by the CCC. You can also visit a nature center here. It was also built by the CCC.
Camping and Hiking: Stay and Play
About one mile south of the day use area is a larger section. This part of the park is about 600 acres. It has two loops for camping. This area also extends into the hills south of the lake.
The camping facilities offer many choices. There are 34 sites for tents or RVs. You can also find 37 lean-tos. Some of these lean-tos were built by the CCC. The park also has restrooms with hot showers. A sanitary dump station is available for RVs.
Park History: Built by the CCC
Maidstone State Park was developed in 1938. It was one of the last state parks in Vermont built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The CCC was a special program during the Great Depression. It gave jobs to young men across the country. They worked on projects like building parks and roads.
The park's design shows how car travel became popular for vacations. The park is very remote, so you need a car to get there. The CCC even built a parking lot in the day use area. This was new for parks at the time. The park's facilities were updated in the late 1970s. However, it still feels much like it did when it first opened.