Devil's Hopyard State Park Campground, near East Haddam, Connecticut, is a straightforward spot for those looking to enjoy nature without too many frills. The campground features designated sites with picnic tables and fire rings, making it easy to settle in for a cozy evening under the stars.

Visitors often highlight the nearby hiking trails and the picturesque Chapman Falls, which is just a short walk away. The area is known for its wildlife, with some campers sharing stories of beavers splashing around in the marshes nearby. While the sites are fairly close together, many appreciate the friendly vibe and the chance to connect with fellow campers.

Keep in mind that this campground doesn’t offer drinking water or electric hookups, so be sure to bring your own supplies. The lack of extensive facilities means you’ll be roughing it a bit, but that’s part of the charm for many. As one camper noted, “It’s small and lots of open space,” which gives it a wilderness feel. If you’re up for a little adventure and don’t mind a basic setup, Devil's Hopyard is a solid choice for a weekend escape.

The water at Devil's Hopyard State Park is unsafe for drinking.  Please plan to bring your own water when camping or visiting the park.

21 wooded sites near scenic waterfall. Stream fishing, no swimming. No pets.

Devil's Hopyard State Park Campground

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good flat site. plenty of hiking. excellent spot for youth camping

great site

Small little campground located in an amazing a beautiful park. Go here every spring for opening day of fishing season and camp the entire weekend.

Great place for opening day of trout 

We biked from the Chester ferry to Devils Hopyard campground, at the north part of the park. We reserved by phone, site number five which ended up being a good spot. There are no neighbors to the right of the site but the porter potty‘s are right there.

There is no running water or electricity but the campground still served its purpose. The waterfall was a quick walk away and you could hike down to the river for a quick dip. The river isn’t deep enough for a full swim but still was good enough on a hot day.

There is a general store in Hadlyme about 4 miles away. Other than that there are not many options for food or supplies. A woman at the general store mentioned the campground recently reopened. Based on the hike we did around the state park it appeared a storm had ripped right through the area.

All in all, this car camping or bike camping campground was a solid option.


Solid car camping location

Stayed here about two years ago just before then governor closed the state parks due to a fiscal crisis. The sites are very open, not wooded so you have little privacy from adjacent sites. Unfortunately our second night had some noisy obnoxious neighbors and there are no staff on site to monitor noise levels. Despite this the surrounding area is great. We hiked and went fishing nearby. There are few places to purchase goods on the way to the site so stock up before arriving. No water hookups or bathrooms either. If you prepare and know how to effectively car camp with a tent you’ll have a good time.

Great location 

Devil's Hopyard is a small state park and the campground here provides open sites with a few large trees near a stream and across the street from a waterfall. There is a slight slope to some of the sides, Latrines are provided, but water is not; due to contamination, you'll need to bring your own. Picnic tables and fire rings provided. Sites 4 &amp; 5 are next to the latrines. Sites 1-3 have a slight slope. Sites are large enough for an RV. Cell phone coverage poor.

Sites are inexpensive if you are a CT resident, only $14, but there's a $10 surcharge for out of state campers (2021). The season opens early, in April, and runs through early October. On a Wednesday afternoon in July there were still 5 site available for the upcoming weekend, so it may be a reasonable option for last-minute plans. And by mid July they are allowing campers without prior reservations, but no guests (again, 2021 COVID restrictions)

Available activities include hiking the trail network, fishing for brook trout, picnicking near the river, or mountain biking.

Basic open campground with limited facilities with hiking and fishing

This place is a real gem! It’s small and lots of open space and not very patrolled which makes it seem like camping in the wilderness! Very beautiful and lots of exploring site 19 is where I was which provided some  shade haveing a big tree

Awesomeness 

First time camping here and had a great time! Sites are very close together and little privacy, but our site was by far the most private (set back a little so bushes covered us from neighbors) and one of the largest sites on the campground before the porta pottas. There are trails behind the sites along a large marsh. The wildlife was incredible, a beaver family family lives in the marsh so every night around 10 they would be up splashing around loudly. Everyone was super friendly and so kind! The trails and waterfall is literally steps away less then a minute walk. Most sites are in direct sun so the heat was brutal not sure if I could handle it in June or July. Be very careful with ticks, there were tons of them under our picnic table and by the campfire. Bring your own chairs to sit on and don't put to much down that they may be able to stick to. Our 2 nights we found over 25 ticks, mostly from sitting at the table when we first arrived.

Devils Hopyard Site 20

Camped here on a Friday night in Site 16, yet another campground recommended in“Best Tent Camping: New England.” Overall I was not impressed. The campsites are right next to each other and are marked with posts. The sites are so close that the posts are marked with the site number on both sides which tells me that there has been confusion in the past.

  

The sites along the creek mostly have worn paths to walk to it but it’s nothing impressive and I wouldn’t want to eat fish that came out of it. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, some have the kind where the top flips over and others have the moveable grate that goes up and down. There is a large dumpster in the campground and several porta-potties. The old outhouses have been permanently closed and locked shut. My campsite had a lot of trash in it, old tent stakes, plastic bottle caps, plastic fork, broken glass, etc. Not good.

  

Some of the people there were camping in a group and were blasting music. I didn’t see a single park ranger the entire night so I’m not sure how often they police it. Someone in a pickup truck came into the campground, did a u-turn, and sped out at 30 mph which was really annoying and unsafe.

  

Across the street from the campground is a trail to Chapman Falls, which will take less than 10 minutes to hike to, but it’s a pretty waterfall despite all the foam and garbage around it.

  

This is a pretty basic campground and is nothing special. Out of all the sites I think 22 looked the best, it is more isolated and you can hear the waterfalls from it, which would be relaxing. The downside is that it’s right next to the entrance and road so you’ll get car headlights at night.

  

I woke in the morning to a gray sky and hundreds of birds singing– it was my favorite part of the trip. I delayed getting up to enjoy the moment. I also didn’t see any ticks but I’m sure there are plenty based on other reviews.

  

I’ve always thought that if states were condiments Connecticut would be mayonnaise– relatively unremarkable and bland. This campground fits that description perfectly.

Good Location for Hiking, Lots of Garbage, Not Recommended

This was our first stay at Devil’s Hopyard campground. We enjoyed our stay and were happy with our site. It was great to hike and see the waterfall. 

Photos of Devil's Hopyard State Park Campground

Real photos from real campers