Wilgus State Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wilgus State Park |
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Entrance station, built by the CCC
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| Type | State park |
| Location | Ascutney, Vermont |
| Area | 100 acres (40 ha) |
| Operated by | Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation |
| Status | Open between Memorial Day and Columbus Day weekends |
| Website | https://vtstateparks.com/wilgus.html |
Wilgus State Park is a fun place to visit in Ascutney, Vermont. It's a state park where you can go canoeing on the Connecticut River. You can also hike up the exciting Pinnacle Trail.
The park has places to set up tents and lean-to shelters. It's also close to Mount Ascutney and the Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site. Young people from the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built the park a long time ago. Today, the Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation takes care of it. The park is named after William J. Wilgus, who gave the land in 1933. Many of the old buildings and trails built by the CCC are still there. Because of this, the park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Where is Wilgus State Park?
Wilgus State Park is on the western side of the Connecticut River. This is in central eastern Weathersfield. The park covers about 100 acres (40 hectares). A main road, United States Route 5, goes right through the middle of the park.
Most of the park is covered in trees. The main visitor areas are between the road and the river. West of the road, the land goes up steeply. This high point is called Pinnacle Point. You can reach it by hiking trails. The park is a few miles south of Weathersfield's town center. It's also near Mount Ascutney, a very tall mountain in the area.
What Can You Do at the Park?
The park's main road enters from the east side of US 5. It then winds north, next to the highway. Near the entrance, you'll find a picnic area. There's also a special area for groups to camp.
The park office and ranger's house are a bit further north. They are separated from the highway by a grassy field. There are also restrooms that are easy for everyone to use. North of the office is the campground. It has 15 campsites, 4 small cabins, and 6 lean-to shelters. The campground has a comfort station with restrooms and showers. There's also a place to empty RV tanks. Water spigots are available in both the campground and picnic areas. You can launch small boats like canoes into the river from the campground.
There are two trails that lead from the main area up to Pinnacle Point. One trail starts near the comfort station in the campground. The other trail begins across the highway from the park office.
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Pinnacle Point summit sign
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View east from near Pinnacle summit
History of the Park
The land for Wilgus State Park was given to Vermont in 1933. It was donated by William J. Wilgus. He was an engineer famous for helping design New York City's Grand Central Terminal.
The park's first buildings and trails were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This was a special program during the Great Depression. Young men worked on projects like this in 1935 and 1936. Things they built that are still here include the park office. They also built the trails to Pinnacle Point. You can still see stone posts at the main entrance. Many stone fireplaces in the camping and picnic areas were also built by them. The campground, lean-tos, and boat launch were added later, in the 1960s or after.
