Effective immediately for the 2024 recreation season and beyond, North Springfield Lake, East Access, West Access, and Stoughton Pond Recreation areas will be closed on Mondays, with new park hours of 10:30 A.M. – 8:00 P.M. Tuesday - Sunday. The recreation season starts on Saturday, May 25, and runs through Sunday, September 1, 2024. The Restrooms, beach, playground equipment and boat launch will be open to the public Tuesday - Sunday. The picnic shelter is open and available for reservations through recreation.gov.
Recreation Facilities/Activities
With 1,361 acres of land ranging from forests and fields to wetlands and two lakes, North Springfield Lake has recreational opportunities for everyone! In summer months, visitors can swim, sunbathe, and picnic. Anglers can try their luck in our lake, pond, or rivers. A boat ramp is available at Stoughton Pond for small boats, canoes and kayaks. North Springfield Lake is popular location for canoeists and kayakers to explore for wildlife and the natural beauty the area offers. For those who want to swim, we provide a beach at Stoughton Pond Recreation Area, plus ranger conducted programs. Stoughton Pond Recreation Area also has a shelter available to rent for day outings. Winter sports such as snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing are also popular activities at North Springfield Lake. The staff at North Springfield Lake has recently starting grooming cross-country and snowshoeing trials at the West Access off of Maple Street in Perkinsville.
Reservations and Fees
Nothing says summer like a picnic. At Stoughton Pond Recreation Area, picnickers can dine near the pond, in shady woods, or take advantage of our covered picnic shelter. Our shelter can be reserved for a small fee. Grills are provided at the shelter, with restrooms nearby.
North Springfield Lake has also been the site of large gatherings ranging from weddings to Scout day camps. Special Use Permits can be issued for group events of this type. For information on the shelter please call 802-886-2775. If interested in reserving the Stoughton Pond Recreation Shelter, visit recreation.gov or call 1-877-444-6777.
Shelter Reservations: Accommodates roughly 60 adults -- $65.00
Special Event Fees:
These fees vary, depending on the event. Please call 802-886-2775.
Interpretive Programs
Various indoor and outdoor programs relating to natural resources and North Springfield Dam can be arranged by calling (at 802-886-2775) or emailing.
Natural Resources
The Corps understands that there's more than one use for the land we manage. We also understand that humans are not the only ones that use this land. Our other residents include many vertebrates (mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles, and fish) and invertebrates (insects, spiders, crayfish, and other creatures). So, Corps rangers work closely with state and federal agencies to insure healthy fish and wildlife populations.
Many programs are used at North Springfield Lake to benefit the native wildlife species. The installation of bird boxes has created needed nesting sites for tree swallows, wood ducks, and bluebirds. Forest stands are managed to maximize benefits to both trees and animals. The management practices of brushhogging and prescribed burning are used to maintain important open field habitats.
History
Old Grout Cemetery Site
The stonework and memorial plaque were erected in the summer of 2003 in commemoration of the sacrifices made by the town of Wethersfield and the connections area inhabitants had to this ancient burial site that many still consider hallowed ground.
Many members of the Grout family, including Hilkiah and his wife Submit, were buried in the old Grout Cemetery. The story of the Grout family is an interesting one.
Hilkiah Grout, with his wife Submit and their three young children, lived at Fort Bridgman near Vernon, Vt., with two other families. On July 27, 1755, while Hilkiah and the other men were out hoeing corn, Indians attacked them. The Indians went on to ambush the fort and burn it, and they took the three women and their eleven children captive. The Indians headed north with their captives through Springfield, North Springfield, and up through what is now the North Springfield Dam area. It is said that Hilkiah followed them as far as Perkinsville. Submit, her three children, and the others were led by the Indians along an old Indian trail 120 miles through Vermont into Canada over 15 days. Submit and her youngest daughter, Martha, were sold to a wealthy Frenchman.
Three years later in 1759, Hilkiah was able to pay for the freedom of his wife and two children. His son, Hilkiah, Jr., never returned. About 1772, the family (now with eight sons) moved to Weathersfield near the old Indian trail the captives had traveled.
Visitors are welcome to visit the original site off of Maple Street in Perkinsville.
Ten Mile Marker, Crown Point Trail
The Ten Mile marker, which marks the camp distance from the Fort at #4 in Charlestown, N.H., is one of the last Crown Point Trail camp markers in existence. The original marker stands along the Crown Point Trail, which once connected Fort Crown Point and Fort at # 4, circa 1759.
The Crown Point Military Road was constructed during the French and Indian War to provide British troops with arms, men, and supplies. Much of the original road is accessible for hiking/walking. The trail crosses part North Springfield Lake land for approximately 1.5 miles. The trail in this area is marked with yellow paint and passes along modern and former roads, up hills, and through wooded areas.
- Updated: May 30, 2023