Fort Dummer State Park covers 217 forested acres in the Connecticut River Valley just outside Brattleboro. It is named for Fort Dummer, Vermont's first permanent European settlement. Built in 1724, the fort served as a gateway to early settlements along the Connecticut River and was manned in its first year by 43 English soldiers and 12 Mohawk allies. Season runs from the Friday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, with picnic spots along the Sunset Trail.