Button Bay State Park

State: Vermont

Address 1: 5 Button Bay State Park Rd.

City: Vergennes

Zip: 05491

Phone: 802-475-2377

Open: Memorial Day Weekend - Labor Day Weekend

Number of Sites: 86

Camp URL: http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/buttonbay.htm

Full Hook: Yes

Button Bay, a 253-acre park, is located on a bluff in Ferrisburgh along the 130-mile long Lake Champlain. Historically, the area has been visited by such notables as Samuel De Champlain (1609), Ethan Allen (1776), Ben Franklin (1776), and Benedict Arnold (1777). What once operated as a farm, opened as a state park in 1964. The park is so named for the button-like concretions formed by clay deposits found along the shoreline.

The camping area is generally an open, grassy area overlooking Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains to the west. There are 73 sites including 13 lean-tos. Flush toilets, hot showers ($), and a dump station are provided. The park has a play area and a swimming pool with lifeguards. There is a picnic area and a large open picnic shelter pavilion for large group gatherings. Boating (Canoe, kayak and rowboat rentals available), fishing, and sailing are popular on Lake Champlain. You can explore Button Point Natural Area, a small mature hardwood forest, hike the trail, and visit the Nature Center.