Blush Hill boat launch overflow parking lot is under construction

Oct. 16, 2022  |  By Waterbury Roundabout 

Work is progressing on Blush Hill Road to build a new parking lot to accommodate vehicles with boat trailers. Photo by Gordon Miller

Construction is underway along Blush Hill Road to create a new overflow parking lot just above the Waterbury Reservoir boat launch. 

The project by the state Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation is scheduled to be completed by early November. 

The boat launch allows for motorboat and paddle craft access to the Waterbury Reservoir. While there is parking at the water’s edge, vehicles from users at the launch frequently fill the existing lot and line Blush Hill Road stretching up from the reservoir. 

The spot has grown in popularity over the past decade and it became particularly busy and congested during the COVID-19 pandemic prompting town officials in 2020 to enact new parking rules designating one side of Blush Hill Road for parking and one to remain open at all times. 

Some improvements were made at the launch itself in 2019 supported by Green Mountain Power as required by the Federal Energy Regulation Commission in connection with the utility’s license to generate power at the reservoir. 

The new overflow lot located a short distance above the boat launch will create spaces for trailered vehicles only and one handicapped-accessible parking stall. It also will have room for an accessible port-a-potty for the high-use season. 

During construction, the boat launch will still be accessible but state parks officials recommend that visitors use extreme caution when driving through the construction area and follow the guidance from on-site flaggers. 

Due to the activity, roadside parking is limited on weekdays. Construction work will take place during the week between 7:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Visitors are also reminded to not use private roads or nearby driveways for turnarounds. 

To reduce congestion at the Blush Hill launch, boaters and paddlers are encouraged to use the Waterbury Dam boat launch at Little River State Park during this time. That location has greater parking capacity. 

The Waterbury Center Day Use Park is closed for the season and access is restricted while repairs are being made to the access road into the park this month.  

The Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation is currently collecting data to direct future management steps. One way it is seeking public feedback is with a survey available online and through paper copies. The short questionnaire asks respondents to provide an email address to enter for a chance to win a 10-punch park pass for Vermont State Parks. 

Hard copies are located at multiple points around the Waterbury Reservoir: at Little River State Park, at the Waterbury Dam boat launch, at the Blush Hill boat Launch, at Waterbury Center State Park, and at the Moscow Paddlers Access located off Cotton Brook Road in Stowe. 

Waterbury Reservoir is the ninth largest waterbody in Vermont, created in the 1930s by the  Civilian Conservation Corps as a flood control project. There are two state parks and 30 remote campsites located on its shores and it is a popular spot for boating, wildlife viewing, swimming, camping, and fishing. 

Waterbury Reservoir is almost completely surrounded by state land, managed primarily by the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation as part of the 44,444-acre Mount Mansfield State Forest.