Ricker Pond State Park Campground

We have now stayed twice at Ricker Pond and have loved it each time.  We chose a lean-to, which proved to be invaluable at our last stay, as we were hit with t-storms and torrential rains for a period.  The grounds and facilities are very well kept and maintained, and the staff is helpful and friendly.  No cell service (Verizon) or internet, which is just fine for us!  It's peaceful and quiet.  Fellow campers are considerate of rules and regulations, while no one is going nuts.  There's a nice bike/rail trail that runs through it.  Paddling and swimming on site.

I was super lucky to snag a last-minute spot at this VT state park (my first one!).

There was even a fully built fire in the pit just ready to be lit when I arrived (I don't think this is normal!).

The sunset was gorgeous and it cleared up for a beautiful morning paddle around the pond.

The park staff was also super nice and the sites were well spaced and private!

I’ve been visiting Ricker Pond for nearly 20 years (except for the years that I don’t book enough in advance and aren’t able to secure a spot for my desired length of stay). My favorite lean to site is directly on the water, private, and fills up fast. My favorite cabin site, is set back from the water, is private, and also fills fast for the season. I LOVE venturing to Vermont every summer & staying at Ricker. There is an electrical outlet in the basic cabins, quarter-run showers, and an excellent country store/restaurant a few miles away that has anything you may need and might have forgotten. Tents/RV sites are also available. Book in advance for the best availability!

This is a pretty small State Park, so it fills up quickly. The sites on the pond are beautiful if you can get one! The campground has a small beach, boat launch and it's right on the Cross Vermont Trail. I stayed in October and it was really quiet and relaxing. There is absolutely no cell service for miles, so plan accordingly.

Ricker pond is especially good if you’re looking for a little bit of a less busy state park. Unlike Stillwater this is on its own pond so not as much traffic. It’s a little far from the Groton store though if you run out of something. And if your site is closer to the boat launch you’re gonna be in the muck and weeds. But overall I love it here - we usually get a leanto once a year.

Checked in late so we weren’t too picky where we set our tent up, but loved all the room there was. Nice table and fire pit and LOVED the view we had!! Bathrooms are clean and take quarters. Wood and ice are able for purchase.

We stayed two nights in early September 2018. Easily found with google maps. Was greeted by a friendly staff member and shown how to get to our site. Arrived in the pitch black but was easy to find out site. Tent site #10.

It was very quiet, everyone seems to be enjoying their own spot. You can see your neighbors but there is some room in between sites. Clean bathrooms and relatively clean showers. Out site hand a picnic table and fire ring with grate.

We were a very short walk to the beach, where you could swim. Perfect spot to practice some night photography with minimal light pollution.

Also had a fire going all night by the building attached to the bathrooms. They offered wood, ice and small things to buy if needed.

Definitely recommend staying here. Pricing would be the only slight negative, it is about average from what we have looked at. Wish we could have stayed longer.

This campground is easy to access, though owing to that one can hear traffic on the nearby road. The lake is beautiful, clear and clean, and there is a beach with sand for swimming. We had our trail bikes so took advantage of the Montpelier-Wells Rail Trail (Cross Vermont Trail), accessible directly from the campground. The site was directly on the lake and clean. The folks working check-in were friendly and helpful. The lake is really nice for kayaking or swimming, and has some loons, but when we were there it carried lots of noise from other sites. The place is gorgeous, but a few knocks because of the noise level. I would go back again though!

Ricker Pond State Park literally has something for everyone! It’s located along with several other state parks in the Groton State Forest so there’s so much to do! Clear mountain lake? Check! Miles of stunning hiking trails? Check! Rail trails? Check! Horseback riding trails? Check! The park itself is quiet and heavily wooded with most sites being right on the water. You could explore the woods all day, cool off in the lake before dinner, and drift off to sleep listening to the calls of the loons. It’s a little piece of heaven! Oh yeah, and camping here gets you into all the nearby state parks for free! Bonus exploration!

A quiet camp ground on Ricker Pond, a motor free pond, is a wonderful way to spend the weekend. The pond is serene and a great place to swim, paddle, explore, and fish.

If you paddle or swim to the other side of the camp ground, there is a huge rock with a rope swing.

My favorite is to get sites 22 & 23 and have awesome water access, places to hang hammocks, just across from the bathrooms but down the hill enough to not be bothered by the comings and goings.

There ishiking close by as well.

Staying at Ricker Pond was awesome. It was late in the season and mid week so it was pretty quiet around the park. Also super close to some great hikes like owls head. The pond is really nice especially since very few motor boats are on the pond. Mostly just kayaks and canoes which you can rent from the park.

We stayed here in early August 2016 with friends and kids. The tent only loop is so private and perfect for kids biking and swimming. Nice pavilion and the pond was wonderful for canoes and kayaks.