At the foot of Killington and Pico Peaks sits a 285-acre state park that does a bit of everything: Gifford Woods, established in 1931, protects one of Vermont's last surviving old-growth hardwood forests — a designated National Natural Landmark — while also serving as a handy rest stop for hikers on the Appalachian and Long Trails, which overlap nearby.
Overnight options cover the classic Green Mountain spectrum. The campground has 22 standard non-electric sites across two loops (six tent-only, the rest open to RVs up to 35 feet), plus 19 lean-to sites, one of them ADA-accessible. All sites and lean-tos are pet-friendly and cap out at eight people. If you'd rather not sleep on the ground, four rental cabins come with electricity and sleep up to six; three are ADA-accessible and pet-friendly, but note the two-night minimum booking. Everyone shares restrooms, hot showers and a dump station, and the day-use area adds a volleyball court, horseshoe pit and picnic spots.
Water lovers get Kent Pond, a 101-acre body on the park's west side. A boat ramp on the western shore covers both shore fishing and small watercraft, and you can buy your fishing licence right at the park. Largemouth bass and yellow perch are the reliable catches, rainbow trout tend to show up on the east side, and pumpkinseed sunfish round out the mix.
Hiking runs the full difficulty ladder. The easy Pesky Cairn Trail is a 4.1-mile out-and-back into Green Mountain National Forest with 433 feet of climb — shaded, rocky in patches, open to mountain bikers, and good odds of spotting deer or some striking fungi. Step up to the moderate Overlook Trail, a 5.1-mile loop to Deer Leap Mountain that gains 1,505 feet and takes around 3.5 hours, paying you back with views of Pico and Deer Leap. Serious hikers can tackle the difficult 13.8-mile Appalachian Trail segment from Kent Pond to Green Gate Road, which stacks up a 4,117-foot elevation gain through meadows, dense woods and a highlight stop at Thundering Falls. And if you're eyeing the whole Long Trail — America's oldest long-distance hiking route — this park sits conveniently close to it.
Getting there is simple: roughly 1.5 hours south of Burlington, about 1 hour 20 minutes from Stowe, and just an hour from Montpelier.
Why it matters: Gifford Woods works equally well as a base for a low-key Vermont camping weekend or a resupply-and-rest point on a through-hike. Families will like the cabins and pond; seasoned hikers get genuine elevation and trail access without crowds. Book early for summer weekends — Vermont state park sites and cabins go fast in peak foliage season, when the old-growth forest is at its most photogenic.
