Waubanaukee Indians first named it "Tah-wak-be-dee-ee-wadso" or Saddle Mountain. Samuel de Champlain's explorers in the 1600's called it "lion couchant" or resting lion. The name "Camel's Rump" was used on a historical map by Ira Allen in 1798, and this became "Camel's Hump" in 1830.

The park came about as an original gift of 1000 acres including the summit from Colonel Joseph Battell, who originally bought Camel's Hump to preserve the wooded mountainous view from his home. In 1911, care of the mountain was entrusted to the State Forester who managed with the aim to keep it in a primitive state according to Battell's wish.

The State of Vermont eventually adopted a policy of development regulation on all state forest lands to preserve aesthetic values. It fought proposed intrusions by communications towers and ski resorts until the summit's Natural Area was set aside; then special legislation was passed in 1969 to create a Forest Reserve whose state-owned acres (about 20,000 by 1991) form Camel's Hump State Park.

Parking: There are designated parking areas at trail heads on Camel's Hump Road on both sides of the mountain. Also, there are parking areas along River Road in Duxbury for the Long Trail.

Please obey local traffic laws. Children and families live on the roads that lead to our trailheads. It is important that visitors respect these communities by driving safely and slowly.

Camel's Hump State Park

High atop Captain's Hill, 200 feet above sea level, stands the Myles Standish Monument, a 116-foot granite shaft crowned by a 14-foot statue of Captain Myles Standish, military leader of Plymouth Colony. When the tower is open, visitors can climb 125 steps to a small viewing area at the top. The monument offers a panoramic view of the South Shore-church spires, several 19th-century lighthouses, Duxbury Beach, Plymouth Harbor, and the Blue Hills.


State Parks Tagged With: Duxbury