New Discovery State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids New Discovery State Park |
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CCC-built shelter at the summit of Owl's Head
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| Type | State park |
| Location | 4239 VT 232, Marshfield, Vermont (mailing address; park is located in western Peacham) |
| Operated by | Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation |
| Status | open annually between Memorial Day weekend and Columbus Day weekend |
| Website | https://vtstateparks.com/newdiscovery.html |
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New Discovery State Park
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 Location in Vermont
Location in the United States
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| Area | 6,921 acres (2,801 ha) |
| Built | 1933 |
| Built by | US Dept. of the Interior; Civilian Conservation Corps |
| Architectural style | CCC State Park |
| MPS | Historic Park Landscapes in National and State Parks MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 01001475 |
| Added to NRHP | January 17, 2002 |
New Discovery State Park is a cool state park in Vermont, USA. It's located near Marshfield and is one of seven state parks found within the big Groton State Forest. You can easily reach the park on Vermont Route 232.
This park is a great spot for camping and picnicking. It also has many trails for you to explore. The park was built a long time ago, in the 1930s. It was created by a group called the Civilian Conservation Corps, often called the CCC. Many of the buildings and areas they built are now considered important historical sites. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
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What Can You Do at New Discovery State Park?
New Discovery State Park is in the northern part of Groton State Forest. This forest is the second largest state forest in all of Vermont. The park has two main natural features that are fun to explore. These are Osmore Pond, which is about 48 acres big, and Owl's Head Mountain. Owl's Head Mountain is the highest point in the park, standing at 1,956 feet tall.
The park covers almost 7,000 acres of land. It stretches out to Peacham Pond and Martins Pond in the east. To the south, it reaches Jannison Mountain and Deer Mountain.
Camping and Picnics
New Discovery State Park has a large campsite area. It's divided into two sections. There are 46 spots for tents or RVs. You can also find 15 lean-to sites, which are like simple shelters. Seven of these sites are special because they are set up for people who want to camp with their horses. The restrooms at the park even have hot showers!
You can enjoy picnics at Osmore Pond or up on Owl's Head Mountain. There's a special road built by the CCC that goes right to the top of Owl's Head. At these picnic areas, you'll find fun things like a play area and horseshoe pits. There are also picnic shelters where you can relax. From these spots, you can easily get onto miles of hiking trails.
Some lean-to campsites are hidden away around Osmore Pond. You can reach these special spots by boat or by following a trail that goes all the way around the lake.
When to Visit
The park is open for visitors during certain times of the year. It usually opens around Memorial Day weekend. It stays open until Columbus Day weekend. There is a small fee to enter the park for the day. If you want to camp, there are extra charges for that.
The Park's History
The state of Vermont started buying land for Groton State Forest in the 1910s. But many people were still renting parts of the land. It took until the 1920s for most of these rental agreements to end. At that time, the state didn't have enough money to build fun places for people to visit. Even so, they made plans for what the forest could become.
Things changed in the 1930s when the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created. This was a program by the United States government. The state of Vermont used CCC workers and their funding to build this state park and others.
The Civilian Conservation Corps
The CCC workers who helped build the state parks in Groton State Forest lived in a special camp. You can still see parts of this old camp in New Discovery State Park today. These workers built the roads that lead to the campground and the picnic areas. They built the picnic spots at Osmore Pond and Owl's Head. At first, these two areas were managed separately.
The CCC also built a small campground, which now has eight sites in Area B of the main campground. They built the picnic spots and a small stone tower on Owl's Head Mountain. They were also very important for creating many of the early hiking trails. These trails wind through the northern part of the forest. The CCC even helped build some of the buildings that the state forest uses for maintenance today.
Because so much of what the CCC built is still well-preserved, New Discovery State Park was recognized as a historic place. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
