Contact Info North Hero State Park 3803 Lakeview Drive North Hero, Vermont 05474 Park Phone: 802-372-8727 Season:   Memorial Day - Labor Day
Directions: From Alburgh: Go 6 mi SW on U.S. 2, then 3 mi NE on Town Road N44 54.492 W73 14.107     Directions/Map     North Hero State Park Campground Map State Parks of the Champlain Islands Map Vermont Weather Forecast

Facilities:

North Hero State Park is named for North Hero Island in Lake Champlain. The Hero Islands were named to commemorate those early Vermonters who served in the Revolutionary War. Land for the 399-acre park was purchased in 1963. Nearly one-third of that land lies below 100 feet elevation. Lake level on Champlain fluctuates seasonally from about 95 to 101 feet above sea level so much of the park is subjected to seasonal inundation. The forest type in these floodplain areas is uncommon in Vermont, found only around Lake Champlain. The North Hero example is noted for its size, relatively undisturbed condition, and rare flora habitat.

The thick woods around the campground, and the fact that much of the property was farmed and pastured before becoming a park, have led to conditions favorable for wildlife. Old fields are in stages of reverting to forest. There is a diversity of habitats that land management in the park works to perpetuate. Fields are periodically mowed, burned, or cut back around the edges. Patches of one or two acres are clear-cut into the woods on a rotating schedule to create staggered openings in varied successional stages.

Such habitat work pays off. Whitetailed deer are common. A variety of migratory waterfowl - mallards, blacks, wood ducks, and more - nest in the wooded wetlands. Ruffed grouse and American woodcock find favorable conditions. Even fish - chain pickerel and northern pike - spawn and feed in the flooded areas. Map turtles, known to nest at only a few sites in Vermont, nest along the beach. A section of the beach is roped off during the hatching season to protect the turtles.

There are 99 wooded tent/trailer sites and 18 lean-tos that are arranged in three camp loops. Each loop has a rest room providing modern plumbing and hot showers ($). There is a sanitary dump station for RVs, but no hookups. Most sites are large enough to accommodate self-contained RVs. There are lakeside picnic grounds, a nongraded swimming beach, boat rentals, and a boat launch. Group camping is accommodated.

Area Attractions: The sand beach at Knight Point State Park (10 miles) is free to registered campers. The Hyde Log Cabin in Grand Isle is the oldest in the United States. St. Anne's Shrine in Isle LaMotte is the site of a 1665 French settlement. The Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge in Swanton has a visitor center and interpretive trails. Lake Champlain ferries are often ridden just for the ride. The Grand Isle State Fish Culture Station, near the LCT ferry dock in Grand Isle, is a state-of-the-art hatchery with the visitor center open daily.