Groton State Forest: Hiking, Paddling, and Camping in Vermont’s Wild Heart

Like many of Vermont’s most wild places, Groton State Forest is off the beaten path, nestled between the Green Mountains to the west and the hills of the Connecticut River Valley to the east.

It’s one of Vermont’s largest publicly owned areas, encompassing almost 30,000 acres and seven unique state parks.

Groton State Forest and the Vermont State Parks within it provide plenty of variety for adventurers who come here to hike, bike, paddle, fish, camp, and relax.

Our family tries to visit Groton State Forest as often as we can.

We love that it is one of Vermont’s most remote wilderness areas, and we enjoy exploring the hiking trails, ponds, and campgrounds throughout this massive natural area.

We’ve explored many of Groton’s trails, lakes, and ponds, but there’s so much more that we’ve yet to see!

If you’re looking for a Vermont adventure that trades crowds for wildlife, resort towns for honest-to-goodness wilderness, and a packed itinerary for a slower pace, Groton is your answer!

Camping in Groton State Forest: Which Park is Right for You?

Groton State Forest has four campgrounds, each with its own personality. Choosing the right one depends on what kind of trip you’re after: a lively family camp with beach access, a quiet waterfront lean-to, or something more remote.

Ricker Pond State Park: Best for Quiet, Waterfront Camping

26 tent/RV sites, 23 lean-tos, 5 camping cabins, and 2 cottages

My most recent home base in Groton was Ricker Pond State Park, recommended by a Vermont State Park ranger as one of the quieter options in the forest, and she was right.

I stayed in a lean-to called Aster, right next to the canoe launch, and woke up each morning to the sound of loons on the water. Just about every site here is either on the water or set above it with a beautiful view of the pond.

If quiet mornings and easy paddling access are your priority, Ricker Pond is the one.

Stillwater State Park: Best for Families

56 tent/RV sites, 19 lean-tos

Stillwater is a large wooded campground with a nice swimming beach on Lake Groton, a boat launch, and canoe/kayak rentals. The campground fills up throughout the summer, but the forested sites are large and offer plenty of privacy, and many are right on the water.

Big Deer State Park: Best for Camping with Dogs

22 tent/RV sites, 5 lean-tos

Big Deer is a small, no-frills campground with private, forested sites. Because it’s not on the water, I think of it as an ‘overflow’ campground to use when the others are full. It’s close to all of the other parks and trails, and definitely the most peaceful of the campgrounds.

New Discovery State Park: Best for Hikers

38 tent/RV sites, 15 lean-tos, 8 horse-camping sites

New Discovery has private, wooded spots and is close to lots of great hiking trails, including Owl’s Head, Big Deer Mountain, Little Deer Mountain, Osmore Pond, and Peacham Bog.

If you want to explore Groton State Forest when the other campgrounds are full, try New Discovery. You may fall in love with the quiet camping here.

Kettle Pond State Park: Remote Camping for Groups

Kettle Pond offers something different from the other campgrounds in Groton: primitive sites you hike or paddle into, away from the road entirely, and clustered into groups. These are perfect for large families, scouts, or other group camping adventures.

Osmore Pond: Remote Camping

4 remote lean-tos and 3 remote tent sites

There’s a trail around Osmore Pond that leads to all of these sites, or you can slide your canoe or kayak into the parking area and paddle to your spot. There are primitive toilets, but you have to filter drinking water from the pond.

Hiking Trails in Groton State Forest

Groton’s trail network covers a lot of ground — and a lot of different terrain. Here are the hikes we keep coming back to.

Insider tip: cell service is spotty in Groton State Forest. I use AllTrails Plus to download maps before leaving home so I can use the GPS feature without cell service. Use my affiliate link to save 30% on the annual subscription ($25.19 instead of $35.99).

Peacham Bog Loop Trail: 4.5 miles, round-trip

Located in the very heart of Groton State Forest, Peacham Bog is one of the largest and most beautiful bogs in Vermont. The Peacham Bog Natural Area encompasses 728 acres, though the bog itself covers about 200 acres.

It’s considered a dome bog, which means it rises slightly above the surrounding landscape, a subtle but striking effect when you’re standing in the middle of it.

I recently hiked the 4.5-mile loop, which took about 3 hours, including a stop for lunch. I didn’t see another person the entire time, but I did discover an abundance of songbirds, millions of dragonflies, and the carnivorous pitcher plant in full flower, one of the more unexpected and beautiful things I’ve encountered on a Vermont trail.

The trail begins at the nature center on Boulder Beach Road. Pay close attention to your map and the signage; there are many connecting trails, and I took a wrong turn at one point and had to backtrack.

Download a trail map before you go, or pick one up at the nature center. The boardwalk through the bog leads to a lone bench that marks the halfway point of the loop, and it’s a perfect spot for a picnic.

Big Deer and Little Deer Loop: 6.2-mile loop

This loop brings you to the top of Big Deer and Little Deer Mountains, both with fantastic views of the lakes, ponds, and mountains in Groton State Forest. Start at the Groton Nature Center for a 6.2-mile loop with 1,260 feet of elevation gain.

You can also combine this with the Osmore Pond Loop (below), which starts in New Discovery State Park and totals 5.6 miles. I actually prefer this route because you can swim after hiking the mountains.

Osmore Pond: 2-mile loop

This is an easy loop around a gorgeous pond, with spots for summer swimming. Kids and dogs love this one because of the water access, and the empty campsites make great picnic spots.

Owl’s Head: 4.7 miles, round-trip

I asked a local friend where I should hike to catch the sunset, and she didn’t even hesitate for a minute before suggesting Owl’s Head.

The trailhead to Owl’s Head is in New Discovery State Park, and it has quickly become one of our favorite hiking trails in Vermont.

It’s a moderately steep hike and 4.7 miles, round-trip. There’s a stone fire tower at the top, built by the CCC in the 1930s. The Owl’s Head trail is a great hike for families with kids, and the views are fantastic!

Paddling in Groton State Forest

One of the quiet pleasures of Groton is that there are multiple ponds to paddle, and most of them see very little boat traffic, especially early in the morning.

My best morning in the forest was at Ricker Pond, where I launched a canoe at sunrise from the campsite right next to the put-in.

There were at least five loons on the water that morning, slipping in and out of the fog as I paddled the shoreline. Ricker Pond is small enough to paddle completely around while the coffee is still brewing back at camp, which is the kind of morning that makes you want to cancel everything and stay another week

Ricker Pond’s small size allowed me to paddle along the whole shoreline as the sun was rising and still be back to the lean-to in time for a cup of coffee.

In addition to Ricker Pond, you can paddle on Osmore Pond, Lake Groton, and Kettle Pond. Kayak/canoe rentals are available at Boulder Beach State Park, Ricker Pond State Park, New Discovery State Park, and Stillwater State Park.

Swimming at Boulder Beach State Park

Boulder Beach State Park is the place to be for family swimming in Groton.

There’s a fabulous sandy beach, the water is clear and weed-free, and on the hot summer day I last visited, it had that rare quality of feeling lively without feeling overcrowded. I treated myself to ice cream at the snack bar and floated the rest of the afternoon away.

Dogs are welcome throughout the forest on leash, but not on the sandy beach — plan accordingly.

Planning Your Visit: What to Know Before You Go

Groton State Forest is remote by Vermont standards, which is part of its appeal — and part of what requires a little extra planning.

Here are some things to know before you go:

• Day use fees are $5 for adults and $2 for kids.
• Tent/RV sites are $20 for Vermont residents and $38 for non-residents
• Lean-to sites are $30 for Vermont residents and $49 for non-residents
• Add an additional $3 per night for pets
• Boat rentals are $10 and $20 per hour, depending on the boat you choose.

The nearest grocery store and gas station is in the Upper Valley General Store with basic provisions, delicious pies, and gas.

Visiting Groton State Forest is like escaping back in time.

The landscape is wild, the trails uncrowded, and the pace blissfully slow. Plus, the state parks within Groton State Forest will provide you with the quintessential summer-in-Vermont vacation you’ve been looking for — camping, swimming, paddling, and hiking. It’s an enchanting place, with a bit of magic for every explorer.

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