When submitting eBird observations at Rhododendron State Park, it is most helpful to start a new checklist for each hotspot in the park. Use the general hotspot when you have a checklist that includes multiple locations or if no other hotspot or personal location is appropriate for your sightings.

Rhododendron State Park is named after the 16-acre grove of Rhododendron Maximum, which is the focal point of the park. A .6-mile-long universally accessible trail encircles the grove allowing visitors to observe, close up, the fragrant clusters of pink blossoms as they burst into bloom in mid-July.

A wildflower trail, maintained by the Fitzwilliam Garden Club, winds through the forest adjacent to the grove. From early spring to the first frost, wildflowers bloom throughout the 2,723-acre park. The last blooms in the fall are complemented by the forest’s brilliant foliage. Visitors exploring the trails are often serenaded by songbirds that live in the grove.

The rhododendron grove, which is the largest in northern New England, was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1982.

The TrailFinder website has a description and map of hikes at Rhododendron State Park.