Boulder Beach State Park gets its name from the many large rocks left by glaciers on the sandy beach of Lake Groton and throughout Groton State Forest. The park is located on the eastern shore of 423-acre Lake Groton.

Native Americans historically traveled through the area now known as Groton to hunt, fish, and gather wild crops. As early as 1704, French settlers were using routes through Groton to reach Canada and Massachusetts. Colonists settled this area of Vermont earlier than other parts of the State due to the network of waterways which provided relatively easy access.

The rocky, tree-covered hillsides were originally made up of white pine, spruce, hemlock, beech, maple, and birch and were logged in the 19th century by local farmers for lumber, fuel, and potash. The logging industry was operated on a large scale for more than 100 years while the Montpelier and Wells River Railroad operated in the area.

Today, logging is still a vital industry; Groton State Forest is managed for multiple uses— including timber harvesting, wildlife habitat, and recreation. Groton State Forest, with over 26,000 acres, is one of the largest contiguous tracts of public lands managed by the Department of Forests, Parks, and Recreation.

The acquisition of Groton State Forest began in 1919. The Forest is managed for timber resources, wildlife habitat, and recreational activities. Many rare, threatened, and endangered plants and animals occur in the Forest. The most sensitive species are associated with the cliffs, bogs and swamps, lakes, and forests around lakes.

Groton State Forest is home to seven state parks, the Groton Nature Center, and eight lakes and ponds. The area was once home to 12 sawmills and remnants are still visible. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was instrumental in developing the area, constructing roads, trails, fire lookouts, and picnic shelters, and planting trees within the forest. Glaciers covered the area 10,000 years ago and their retreat created the mountainous terrain mixed with streams, ponds, bogs, and wetlands.

Groton State Forest is also home to several state-designated natural areas, such as Peacham Bog Natural Area (748 acres) and Lords Hill Natural Area (25 acres).

Groton State Forest is open for varied and dispersed recreation, including but not limited to camping, hiking, swimming, boating, fishing, hunting, trapping, horseback riding, cross country skiing, and snowshoeing. The Montpelier and Wells River Railroad bed was converted to a multi-use trail and is part of the Cross Vermont Trail. Snowmobiling is allowed on designated VAST trails.