The Park is open for camping from Memorial Day to Labor Day. For hiking in-season, check in at the Ranger's Station and pay a small fee. You can pick up a trail map or look at it on the information board.
During the off-season, park near the gate. The hike for this cache, from the parking area, is approximately 3/4 of a mile in moderate terrain. For all the caches in the Park, the hikes can be linked for about a three and a half mile hike.
There are two separate hiking trails that are connectible using campground roads. The Sunset Trail begins on the trail/road along the highway near the gate. The trail continues to the Sunset viewpoint and then on to the playground.
To do this cache in combination with the Fort Dummer Sunrise cache, I like to go to this cache first and then go through the playground to the campground road and on to the Sunrise Trail.
There is a picnic table and a bench at the viewpoint. Please don't go beyond the split rail fence along the trailside at the view. The ground is severely eroded under the two large pine trees here. (This is not near the cache.)
The cache is in the woods, well off the trail. I found some evidence that this land may have been an apple orchard many years ago. The cache container is a cylindrical container with a black screw top.
The cache may be available in winter, up to a point, but may be difficult to get.
Leashed dogs are allowed with proof of rabies vaccination. The trails are great for snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the winter. Check out the quarry on the main campground road, too. (There used to be another cache there, but it's long gone. There is now an earthcache there.)
Fort Dummer is named after the first white settlement in Vermont. The original location was flooded when the Vernon Dam was built in 1908.
The land for Fort Dummer State Park was acquired by the state in the 1950s when Interstate 91 was being built. It was turned into a State Park in the '60s.
The campground has 50 tent/trailer sites and 10 lean-to sites. These are located in two adjacent areas and are served by two toilet buildings, both with hot showers (for an extra fee). There is a sanitary dump station, but no hookups. Also located within the park are a small picnic area and a playground. (The playground has a kick-ball diamond and horseshoe stakes!)
If anyone is here at sunset, it would be great to see some sunset photos!
For more info go to: www.vtstateparks.com/htm/fortdummer.cfm.