Camping
Day use
THINGS TO DO
Camping
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Venture Vermont
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Enjoying Nature
Underhill, VT 05490
Fee Area: Day Use/Camping fees apply
Camping: 10 tent sites, 6 lean-to sites, and 1 shelter tent siteGroup Camping: 2 tent sites and 7 lean-to sites
Pets are permitted throughout the park. Please clean up after your pet.
Park Updates & Alerts
- The first pedestrian bridge on the Sunset Ridge Trail - closest to the trailhead/register box sign-in - is temporarily closed. Please follow the flagged trail until further notice.
- The Underhill State Park parking lot is currently undergoing construction. Please be aware of trucks actively working in the lot and be prepared to park roadside. Campers will be given priority of available spaces nearest the campsites.
- Due to limited parking capacity, carpooling to Underhill State Park is recommended. In times of peak visitation, visitors may need to park along Mountain Road below the State Park entrance.
- Firewood is not to be brought to parks from out of state UNLESS the wood is packaged, labeled as having been heat treated, and certified by USDA or the appropriate state department of agriculture. For more info, click here.
Take exit 11 and turn right at W Main ST/ US RT 2. Turn slightly to the right, onto River Road/ VT Route 117. In about 260', turn right onto Governor Peck Highway and follow it to the end. At the stop sign, turn left onto Browns Trace Road and follow it to the end (about 5.3 miles). At stop sign, turn right onto Route 15 for 1/2 mile. Turn right onto River Road. Continue onto Pleasant Valley Road (2.7 miles). Turn right onto Mountain Road and follow for 3 miles to end.
Take exit 19. VT Route 104 East joins VT Route 15 East in Cambridge. At the Shell gas station, turn right onto Lower Pleasant Valley Road. After 8 - 10 miles, look for the state park sign and turn left onto Mountain Road. Continue 3 miles to the end of road.
Camping: There are a total of 13 tent sites and 13 lean-to sites at the park. 7 tent sites and 2 lean-to's are designated for group camping. All campsites are walk-in.
Hiking: A number of trails lead up Mt. Mansfield.
Welcome
Underhill is within Vermont's 39,837-acre Mt. Mansfield State Forest. On the headwaters of the Brown's River, at about 2,000 feet elevation, the park lies on the west slope of 4,300 feet Mt. Mansfield, the state's highest peak. Just over the summit ridge is the Stowe ski area, one of North America's original ski resorts.
The elevation and corresponding exposure to harsh climatic conditions have resulted in some relatively unusual vegetation types along the mountain's summit ridge. The low, stunted-plants found in the alpine tundra near the summit, very rare in New England, are more typical of types found on broad expanses of Arctic tundra a thousand miles farther north. These plants are fragile (if you hike to the summit, please stay on marked trails).
The park is probably best known for its hiking. There are four trails to the summit ridge of Mt. Mansfield from Underhill State Park. Walking up the gated road from the park headquarters, the trails begin branching off shortly above the group camp area. The Sunset Ridge Trail, 3 miles to the summit, is the most popular. Vermont’s Long Trail traverses the summit ridge and, with several trails from the other side of the mountain, many loops are possible. Hiking information and trail maps are available at the park headquarters.
Facilities / Amenities
The upper camp area, about 3/4 of a mile above the ranger station, has 7 lean-to sites and 2 tent sites, pit toilets, and is reserved for organized group-use. In the lower camp area, around the contact station, are 11 tent sites and 6 lean-to sites. There is cold water and flush toilets in the restrooms, but there are no showers.
Access to all campsites requires a short walk. Campsites are not accessible by vehicle.
The park also has a CCC-built sheltered tentsite tentsite that can be rented for up to a maximum of 8 people. The site comes with a picnic table and the shelter fireplace is to be used in lieu of a fire ring. Additionally, there are 2 standing grills adjacent to the shelter. The sheltered tentsite is $51 per night plus the $8 reservation fee.
Off-season access: The park gate remains open after park closes until the first snowfall. Once it snows, the gate is closed until there is sufficient snowfall to ski into the park, then it is reopened until spring melt.