State parks all around Vermont are busy for the long Independence Day weekend. Flooding this spring closed six state parks, but all 52 parks in the state's system are now open. 

With the recent summer-like heat wave that has hit the region, state park rangers and volunteers are working quickly to try to reopen parks that have been closed because of spring flooding. Comments: Are you missing the parks this season?

The water level on Lake Champlain is dropping a few inches everyday, but it remains at record high levels. And that means several Vermont State Parks along the lake will remain closed for the Memorial Day holiday. Tips For Homeowners Dealing With Flood Damage

There have been plenty of hot, sunny days this summer, just the kind of days meant to be spent at a state park or a beach. And that's where many of us have gone to escape the heat. Daytime attendance at campgrounds and beaches is up more than 50 percent.

The Vermont state parks are going solar. Governor Jim Douglas is expected to announce a plan to install solar hot water systems at bathrooms and bathhouses at state park campgrounds around Vermont today.

The state of Vermont plans to spend $6 million on improvements at its state parks this year, bucking a national trend of cutbacks and service closures by cost-conscious states.