Molly Stark State Park

Spent the weekend tent camping. First time camping in VT. We were really impressed! Only ~23 camp sites = quiet, clean, no wait for showers. Hot showers are free. Brand new bathhouse is immaculately clean. Our camp site was wooded and private. Ranger office sells firewood and ice.
$ 20/​night for rent sites (out of state prices when we went in 2015)
$ 27/​night for lean-​to sites
Definitely go for the hike (~0.9 miles) to the fire tower. Nice hike, scary climb up the fire tower, but DEFINITELY worth it. Views were amazing!

Spent a beautiful relaxing weekend here. When i originally booked I selected lot 17 because it was off the road and I thought there was an apple tree right across from it.
Well it turns out all those things marked with tree names are actually lean-​to sites (seem to be little three walled structures to put your tent under in case it rains). When we got there I realized my mistake and because there was a family right next to us, I decided to see about switching my site.
The park ranger was super accommodating and circled all the available sites on a map. She also explained to us that the bathroom near the bottom of the park «leaves much to be desired and hot water cost 50 cents for five minutes». The bathroom right across from the park rangers house has recently been re-​modeled and has free hot water.
Don’t book sites 18 – 23 because you can hear the cars on the main road. We settled on number 5 and were very happy. Beautiful set of woods behind us and we could not see any other sites.
The trails were very beautiful and moderately challenging. The grounds are also close to a small town which was nice to stroll though and have dinner.

Molly Stark State Park. Say that three times fast!
She was the wife of General John Stark from the Revolutionary War. This is a park named after her that’s along the road from Bennington to Brattleboro VT, aptly called the Molly Stark Scenic Byway (or Rt 9).
John Stark said: «Now, my men, yonder are the Hessians! Tonight, the American flag flies over yonder hill or Molly Stark sleeps a widow!» She was not made a widow that night.
She helped her husband by recruiting men for his army and raised 11 children at the same time. All the while, she made her home into a hospital for the wounded (regardless of side).
The land was donated from the State and a private citizen to make up the park. Today, there are campgrounds with facilities, groomed hiking trails, and play areas. From what we saw the campgrounds were clean and well cared for.
This is a great park for a day hike, as we did.
Nearby Things to Do:
Gondola, Hiking, Mountain biking, Golf, Mt. Snow; Vermont Historical Society, Norton House Museum, Hermitage Sugar house and Game Bird Farm, 1836 Country Store Village, Maple Grove Honey Museum, Memorial Hall Center for the Arts, Farmstands & Tours, Historic Downtown, Harriman Reservoir– boating & swimming, Wilmington; Brattleboro Museum and Art Center, Brattleboro; Luman Nelson Wildlife Museum, Southern VT Natural History Museum, Marlboro; Bennington Museum, Battle of Bennington historic sites, Historic downtown and villages, Bennington.

This is an absolutely lovely campground. It’s the nicest state park campground i have ever stayed in, and I’ve camped in 48 states. Its a lovely wooded spot near a quaint town and it has trails to a mountain overlook. The staff is very friendly and do a great job. The bathrooms are amazingly clean and they even rake every campsite between each use. They take care of this place as if it were their own home. If you go into town, don’t miss the deck restaurant at the Old Red Mill Inn. This is a must-​stay campground!

This is an ideal campground for groups with non-​campers, or people who want to camp without being too hardcore about it. It has beautiful grounds, a nice, easy hiking trail up Mt. Olga, easy access to Brattleboro and Bennington, hot showers, and even recycling on premises.
The campsites vary from open and grassy to secluded and wooded, so the degree of privacy you get is up to you. The rangers are always pleasant and helpful — unless you are making noises louder than a whisper after 10 PM.
If you live in a bright area, make sure you get out and see the stars at night. They have a large, open, grassy hill that is perfect for kicking back and watching the sky.

Molly Stark State Park is a beautiful state park located just to the east of Wilmington. It’s centerpiece is Mt. Olga, which you can take the 1.8 mile hike to the top and back (Just a hint: the .7 mile trail that starts at the ranger office is steeper than the mile long trail that starts in the campground). The view from the top is excellent. There is a historic fire tower at the top which you walk via stairs to the top of (FYI: The fire tower feels rickety at the top, remember it’s historic). Up there, you can see the mountains throughout Windsor County and into NW Massachusetts. The centerpiece of the view is the ski slopes at Mt. Snow and Haystack. There is a campground which appeared very nice and well maintained. Overall, if you want a great workout, a great view, or a night with nature, stop by Molly Stark State Park and either hike to the top, pitch a tent, or both.