Best Tent Camping near Bethel, CT

Recent Tent Reviews near Bethel, CT

427 Reviews of 28 Bethel Campgrounds

• 

  Eugene T.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 15, 2019

  Jellystone Park Lazy River

  Great for beginners

  The camp is set up in a “blank slate, parking lot” type style, with a big field, center for tent camping or to be used for sports or other activities. There’s a “lazy river” at one side and a small RV village on the other, and tent sites with water or dry tent camping. Restrooms are available with hot and cold running water, showers and toilets.

• P

  Paul A.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 8, 2024

  Jellystone Park Lazy River

  Great Campsite for Families and Kids

  Great first tent camping experience for kids. Lots of activities, clean restrooms. One thing to keep in mind is the tent sites on the opposite side of the road from the river has no shade. Site gets pretty hot on a sunny day. Sites by the river have some shade.

• S

  Stephanie M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 2, 2019

  Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

  Lovely campgrounds an hour north of NYC

  Drive-in tent campgrounds. Adequate restroom facilities sprinkled amongst tent sites. Some campsites have raised platforms. All sites have picnic tables and fire ring with flip-top grill. If looking for privacy, back end of campgrounds (#’s 1, 13, 15, 21, 23, etc) provide adequate quietness, a bit hidden and tucked away from the rest. Very near many trailheads and the expansive Lake Welsh. Alcohol prohibited... Uploaded photo/vid from off-season 2019.

• R

  Rebecca S.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 22, 2018

  Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

  Quiet, off-season, mid-week retreat

  We stayed here on a Thursday night in September prior to taking off backpacking. The campground was clean and quiet. RV hook-ups, tent platforms, and rustic tent sites were available. Our rustic tent site had a few good options for pitching a tent, as well as picnic table and fire ring.

  Ranger said that during summer weekends the grounds fill up and can be quite noisy, but mid-week during the off-season it was great. Expect to purchase firewood, although scrounging for kindling was possible. Facilities were clean and what you'd expect from a campground.

  Would definitely return!!

• 

  AdventureStang

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 15, 2021

  Lake Compounce Campground

  Nice campground with nice facilities

  The playground was awesome for our two year old. The tent sites had some shade, the showers and bathrooms were really nice.

• 

  Michael M.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 23, 2019

  Heckscher State Park Campground

  Work in progres

  State is really trying with this park, putting in new beach front cottages. Other then that the RV and tent camping is horrible, as the previous review stated sites aren't marked and the tables and BBQs are trashed.

• 

  Ruth K.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 27, 2021

  Lake Compounce Campground

  Great Stopover or Amusement Park visit

  Campground is only years old. Sites were large enough for RV. NO privacy, bit tent sites were ok. Fre showers for number of campsites, but very clean. Affiliated with Lake Compounce Amusement Park adjacent to campground.

• k

  katrina M.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 19, 2019

  Battle Row Campground

  Nothing there but clean and quiet

  This campground is old and there isn't much there, but it depends on why you're camping whether that matters to you.  We wanted to be by the beach and we were.

  The playground is new and centrally located.  They also have a horseshoe pit. 

  There are lots of RVs but not close to tent sites.  There were lots of showers but only 1 was unlocked (free and with hot water).  The bathroom was very clean and well stocked.

  There are 5-7 tent sites.  Ours was #59, well shaded and spacious.  

  The water spigot and the gray-water dump are not right by the tent sites.  Seems silly since the tents are the ones using them.

  Our site was not clean when we arrived.  There was garbage in the woods and cigarette butts on the ground.  We cleaned up everything ourselves (except in the woods due to poison ivy), but I think they can do better.

  There are NO fire pits, you must bring your own.  Fires are allowed but you must have a fire container or bucket for your fire off of the ground. 

  The sites all have a table and raised BBQ "pit" for cooking only.

  They are extremely nice there.

  I still give this campground 4 stars because it was quiet, the campground itself was clean, the bathrooms were clean and it was centrally located to what I wanted to do plus the sites are very big.

• 

  Susan M.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 3, 2022

  Mills Norrie State Park Campground

  Decent state park campground

  This is an older campground with several options. Only 6 sites with electric. 50 & 51 are nice & private. Lots of large tent sites, some in an open area & others fairly private. 4 tent pads with obstructed river views. Assorted cabins, mostly above the river. Restrooms small but pretty clean by state park standards.

• J

  Jose N.

  Traveler

  

  Feb. 16, 2020

  Camp Glen Gray

  Rustic

  Great Camp !!! One rustic place with many hiking trails to choose from. Camp also provides trucking of gear weather permitting. No vehicles allowed to drive through camp. Trading Post for treats and other items.

  Many camp sites open to rent. Cabins - Leanto - Tent Sites. Check web site for pricing.

• Y

  Yoni N.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 28, 2021

  White Pines Campsites

  Great for a group!

  We camped here with a group of friends - about a dozen in all. It was easy to coordinate with the staff to get a few tent sites and a cabin in close distance. Campsites were a bit minimal, and amenities were OK. Overall we were looking for a quiet and clean space and this was excellent for that.

• 

  Elaine C.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 23, 2018

  Kettletown State Park Campground

  Camping in nature, not too far from civilization

  Kettletown State Park isn't just for camping. There are also hiking trails , a fishing area and a swimming hole, but the week I was there there was a high bacteria count, so no swimming was allowed. Also, when swimming is allowed, there isnt a lifeguard.

  The campsites are varied, you can tent camp, use a camper, or they also have a few cabins you can rent. Be advised, there isn't a kitchen or bathroom in the cabins!

• 

  Michael M.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 26, 2022

  Battle Row Campground

  Fantastic hidden tent camping experience

  I have lived 6 miles from this campground for the last 20 years and never knew they had tent sites. The park is clean the bathrooms are well maintained and there is a playground for the kids. Each site is set back off a common area so there is plenty of privacy. It's great if your local easy in and out

• 

  Diane R.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 12, 2021

  Lake Compounce Campground

  Great campground

  Easy entry, long pull thrus. You will face your neighbor door to door but enough room between you don't feel invaded. Restrooms are clean and spacious. Showers are great. Whoever planned this campground is/was a camper. They have cabins, teepee and tent sites. This is attached to an amusement park but far enough away not to be a bother. If ever in the area again we will definitely stay again.

• K

  Kayla B.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 18, 2019

  Hammonasset State Park Campground

  Nice family place

  Good family campground with access to the ocean. No fire pits in the ground but you can bring your own ($50 on Amazon) or rent one (bring cash). I've done tent camping here in the summer but don't know much about the RV side, although I believe they have dump stations and such. Restrooms and showers are pretty good too, but typical campground bathrooms. 4 stars cuz I'm not a huge fan of the beaches, if I could give 4.9 stars I would.

• 

  Jonathan C.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 24, 2020

  Croton Point Park

  Nice, but loud at night

  Nice site and a 30-40 minute drive from Western Queens. Tent site is after the RV site, so use their LX before you get to site if you can. Dumpster and water near sites. We stayed in site 9. The higher number sites were closer to the RV site and the water. The site was very loud (dance music) until after 11pm. Quiet time at 10pm. Great site for a party, try to stay away from this end of the site or choose a site away from other bookings if you’d like quite. $50/night without Westchester pass.

• E

  Elliot G.

  Traveler

  

  Nov. 21, 2019

  Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

  Variety of camping styles

  I have camped Beaver Pond for the last 45 years and have found something new and better each every year I've gone to the campgrounds. I have gone from tent platform,  tent camping, tarp, and now hammock camping. The sites can be a bit tight, at times and you may find a few visitors, not necessarily on two legs, but always a delight. It's great to be among the trees away from the hustle and bustle of the city in what I consider a majestic chapel that will always welcome and embrace your presence. Something for all, swimming, camping, access to bear mountain pool, or the appalachian trails, and lean tos, (not on the camp sites).  Prices all can afford to come. Great for all types of levels of campers.

• 

  Anil S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 6, 2020

  Croton Point Park

  A gorgeous camping ground right on the Hudson with beach and trails

  This must be one of the most breathtaking camp grounds (family friendly) right on the Hudson. Tent sites are very private with some dirt roads to exit out but thats what make it unique experience! Bathrooms with shower is near by and has plenty porta potties all around. Keep your food in the dry bag and away from the tent or benches provided or face the packs of fearless racoons at night. Fire is allowed and has no issues of mosquitoes. No on-site stores so pick up all your necessary essentials prior to. Short 5 minute drive to nearby supermarket to pick up food or firewood. I would highly recommend it. Oh...and did i say, gorgeous scenery along the river and a private beach which is opened from Wednesday to the weekend with life guards on duty!

• 

  Morrow L.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 8, 2018

  Sleeping Giant Picnic Shelter - CLOSED

  Pin

  Sleeping Giant has been closed since May 2018. A tornado came through and knocked down many trees near the main entrance to and major parking lot for the park (on Mount Carmel Avenue across from Quinnipiac University).

  This entrance area has been cleared and is being rebuilt. The picnic and pavilion areas were also affected (though less so) and will be renovated also.

  In the past the picnic shelter and pavilion areas were well shaded by trees and were a wonderful place to bring the family or even large groups of people for a party. This will presumably be so at some point in the future after the park re-opens.

  There were Sleeping Giant Park campground sites which could be reserved and used for tent camping back in the twentieth century. I remember them from the 1980s. They have not been available for many years now.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 18, 2024

  Croton Point Park

  Not too much to offer

  General: A county park with a mix of w/e (6 sites) and FHU sites plus about a dozen tent sites near a capped dump! There is a lodge and cabins close to the end of the point, but they appeared to be part of a group camp experience. They all appeared to be closed for the season (or because no one was renting at the time; they reminded me of places I used to take youth groups for weekend camps). The reservation process is a bit wonky. You need to call (no online reservations) and then wait for an e-mail, but the e-mail does not tell you your assigned site; you have to wait until you check in to find out your site.

  Site Quality: We had a loosely defined gravel pad that was level. All sites appeared level. The FHU sites were back-to-back and although there were trees separating the sites, they were close together. No one was in the tent sites, but they did have new picnic tables.

  Activities/Amenities: Other than a playground and a basketball court, there did not seem to be any activities to partake in. There used to be a pool but from the looks of it, it hasn’t been in use for many years. There are walking paths outside of the campground that are located within the park, but we did not have time to explore them. 

  Bath/Shower house: Clean but a bit dated. No shelves or hooks for toiletries. I was surprised the door was left open all night long. There was a sign warning that the toilets were slow flushing, but I think this may have been fixed because the flush was so powerful that the water splashed over the top of the seat! 

  Because it was on a point on the Hudson, I had hoped for views from the campground but there were too many trees to see the water. I was perplexed by the signs throughout saying no trespassing/fishing prohibited. I get the no fishing part but the trespassing? When we checked in, we had to write down our credit card number on a slip of paper before we were given a key that opened the gate to the campground. When we checked out, we asked for the paper or to watch it get shredded but were told they had to keep it on file which concerned us.

• K

  Kelsey R.

  Scout

  

  May. 27, 2021

  Samuel F. Pryor III Shawangunk Gateway Campground

  Awesome location!

  Shawangunk was SUCH a nice place to stay. So many good things - though a few things to keep in mind when you're booking, too. 

  I definitely recommend trying to get the walk-in (meaning you can't drive to them) sites (8-15) because they're just a little bit more set back and kind of wonderfully wooded all around. 8 & 9 seemed like the star sites, because they're up and away a little bit more than 10-15.

  Here goes:

  The Good:

  • The nicest, most level tent site you'll ever find. So easy to set up, and no worries whatsoever about roots or rocks.
  • Bathrooms and wash area, water access, etc. are all very easily accessible from any campsite
  • Nice new picnic benches
  • Gorgeous area - especially in the walk-in sites (i.e., not car accessible), where you're a little separated from the pavement
  • Holy crap is this the perfect location for exploring the Gunks, Mohonk Preserve, etc. You couldn't be more central to everything that's going on around it.
  • Phenomenal access to a trash can. It's very central and made throwing out dog poop really, really simple.

  The just okay:

  • Campsites are pretty close to a road. It's not particularly busy, but the speed limit is 55 so you do get some pretty decent whooshing sounds while you're trying to sleep.
  • The tent site is literally the only flat part of most campsites. Even our picnic table at site 13 was slightly tilted. Not an issue, really, but it was noticeable.
  • With all the heavy bear traffic signs that were up, I was surprised to see how close bear boxes were to our tents. They seemed to be 1-10 feet away from tents in each campsite. 
  • Take with a slight grain of salt my recommendation of sites 8-15 - 8 & 9 are up a little higher and might be better, but 11-15 are within 50 feet of a wet area, and the bugs in late May were pretty annoying. I'm guessing other sites would have been better, and our hikes were almost bug-less.
  • Campsites are CLOSE together. I was relieved to be in a site we had to walk to, because having the car right there combined with other tents would have been a little claustrophobic. 

  Overall we really did love staying here. It was pretty empty and we were able to have two cars in the parking spots (usually you can only have one in the assigned spot) without putting anyone out. It was full of friendly people and my dog had an awesome time romping through the leaves and people watching. Definitely recommend this site if you're hiking or climbing in the area!

• 

  Ming R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 1, 2018

  Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

  Manicured grounds; sites far apart

  Ward Pound Ridge is very well known to the locals as a great place for sled-riding in winter (Pell Hill area) and a place for big group gatherings. The many different trails are frequented by the locals as well. In recent years, the county government also allow bow-hunting of deer to control its population during the months of October to December.

  As far as camping as a family, it is not too exciting a place for us. The grounds are far too well trimmed, as you can see in one of the videos. There is wide open space and the paths are well paved so kids can have fun riding the bikes or running around. There is also many trails of various difficulty levels to suit everyone, including horseback riders. The Trailside Nature Museum is also fun for the kids.

  There are lean-to sites as well as tent sites. A maximum of eight people in two tents are allowed at each site. But if you really do have a party of eight, one picnic table seems to be inadequate. The sites are much farther away from the comfort stations than most campgrounds we have been to. But there are port-a-potties very close to the sites, which is very important when you have young kids.

  All in all, it is not a place I would recommend if you want to get close to nature.

• 

  Kathy L.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 17, 2021

  Mills Norrie State Park Campground

  Mixed reviews

  Mixed reviews. Pros: State park is in a beautiful part of the country - the Hudson River Valley - with a good location for visiting the towns, villages and hamlets on the valley. State park also has a good hiking trail network with trailheads connecting to the campground. Cons: the campground itself needs some work. There’s only one bath house with just a few showers and toilets. It’s in pretty bad shape - dirty, bad drainage, and sometimes backed up toilets. I found one other restroom house in the park and the doors were boarded up and locked. The campsites are okay - mostly tent sites. Some are better than others. There are only a handful of sites with electric hookups and only one (site 51) is level. Some have a steep descent off the road, abs there’s a lip on the road that can scrape bottom of campers/RVs. This happened to our neighbor and it took out his RV sewer system, which will be not only a hassle but a costly repair. Back to pros: the campground and state park is nicely forested with beautiful tall trees. Everyone we met was very nice. Lots of families having a good time. We stayed here for 9 days in July 2021. Campground is empty during the week, and more crowded on weekends. We would return here if in this area again, but the state park & campground needs some upgrades.

• 

  Emma N.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 27, 2018

  Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

  Lacking in privacy

  I stayed at Beaver Pond Campground in Harriman State Park for two nights with my husband. We chose this campground because of its close proximity to Schunemunk Mountain. We found a lovely 6.4 mile lollipop/loop route hike that weekend, complete with beautiful rolling meadows, gradual hills, and steep climbs.

  Due to some mentally-draining traffic on the way, we arrived to the campground around 9:30pm. The camp office was closed, but we were able to check in at the ranger station across the parking lot. At the ranger station we were greeted by a bunch of spiders in their webs. I'm not going to lie, I freaked out! Once we were all checked-in, the ranger explained the usual rules (quiet hours are from 10pm-7am, check out by 11am, etc.). A rule that he made sure to stress was that no alcohol is allowed in the campground.

  Harriman State Park is located in a densely-forested area, and there is very little light pollution, so we didn't notice until the morning how little privacy there is between sites. There are hardly any trees within the campground, and you can see and hear just about everything. We had some rowdy neighbors, so it was a long night.

  We stayed in a regular tent site, but there was also the option of sites with platforms. Each site had a picnic table and fire ring. The campground had restrooms with flush toilets and showers. There were a good amount of insects crawling around in the restrooms, including what we think were ticks. The showers were a bit dirty and old-looking. However, the showers were free and hot, so I won't complain. :)

  My 3-star rating mainly stemmed from the noise an major lack of privacy.

• 

  Sylvia P.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 15, 2020

  White Pines Campsites

  Could have been so much better

  Upon arrival, I liked the atmosphere and friendly service but our site was filthy. A bag of dog poop by a tree, trash under the picnic table, cigarette butts littering the rocks around the fire pit, and the pit was so full of ash, there was no more room for firewood. And as other reviewers stated, these sites aren’t the cheapest. I don’t normally complain but this was unacceptable in my opinion. I called the front desk and spoke with a very lovely person. She was mortified and said she’d send maintenance. No. One. Ever. Showed. Up. We waited an hour and then we just started cleaning it up ourselves so we could move on and get started on dinner.

  Our site was T3 and it was spacious and spread out from other tent sites. There was a tiny creek meandering behind the site and the woods just went on for miles. We felt grateful to be separated from the RVers and have so much space to ourselves.

  Night fell and the place turned into Margaritaville. The seasonal RVers have really taken over the place and while some have tasteful decor and lights, others not so much. Even 50 yards away from the RV section and I felt like I was in a dance club parking lot. The music was so loud. No one seemed to care. Nothing was enforced.

  Lastly, there was a lonely port-a-potty across the road from us along with a water spigot. There was trash all around the spigot that remained there throughout our stay (an entire roll of sopping wet toilet paper and an eyelash curler, guys), but the camp sanitation truck came once a day to empty that outhouse, which I never used based on the smell. If you have young kids that nap during the day, this truck would wake them. I walked the extra .2 miles to the bathhouse, which started out immaculate but quickly turned south with the sheer number of people using it. A cleaning log claimed it was tended to but it couldn’t have been true. Trash was endlessly overflowing and soap was running low.

  The loud music I could get over for the view but the uncleanliness was just annoying. What a simple thing to fix for your customers.

  Also beware of bears. We and several other neighboring campers spied a pretty big black bear not far enough away in the late morning hours. I’m sure they are fed well.

• 

  Ellen C.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 15, 2019

  Heckscher State Park Campground

  Like camping in a city park, the beach cottages are the highlight

  My husband and and I camped one night at this newly reopened park over the weekend in Long Island just to check it out and were pretty disappointed by the tent camping area. There are 69 tent/trailer sites(no hook ups). There is no distinguishing separation between each site nor a designated driveway for your car- you merely pull up on the grass. It's basically like camping in your local city park. People park wildly all over the place, which also makes it more difficult to determine which site is which by the number painted on the roadway. Each"site" has a picnic table and an barbecue grate on a post. There is one bath/shower house in the center of all of these sites with no path provided for folks to walk to and fro, so naturally people will walk right through your site randomly rather than around the road. While the bathroom building itself is in decent shape and has a large amount of toilet stalls and about five showers, the condition of women's room was absolutely ghastly inside.

  At some point during the evening, a maintenance worker on a golf cart showed up with a mop and some cleaning supplies and cleaned the men's side of the building. I was so relieved when I saw him, but he seemed to neglect the women's side completely, so I resorted to using the men's facilities all night.

  There are no fire pits on any of the sites, although I learned afterwards that they do allow you to bring your own metal fire pit as long as it is elevated off the ground. There are large dumpsters located throughout the camping area and a large trash bag is provided (if needed) at the camp office when you check in.

  The highlight of Heckscher State Park is the newly constructed heated cottages located on the shore of Nichol's& Great South Bays.. There are currently 11 cottages--- with more under construction. There are cottages suited for two, four, and six people and range in price from$225-$285 per night during off peak seasons and$250- 320 per night during the peak seasons.

  The cottages are fully furnished, with a full kitchen and large bathroom with a walk in shower. The cottages are a short walk from the beach and also include a fire pit with Adirondack chairs and an outdoor shower on the exterior each property. I do not have photos of the inside, but they do have them on the Reserve America website if you are interested.

  While the cottages are lovely and their location is fabulous  they are quite pricey and  no TLC was spent in the$22 tent/rv camping area, other than a new registration office which is not yet completed as of this weekend. I do hope they invest some funding in the primitive area to add fire pits,more water spigots, clearer site markings and for the continued maintenance& upkeep of the bath/shower house.

  * I emailed the parks departement about the issues mentioned above about the camping area and received this reply:

  I am sorry that you are upset with the conditions in our recently opened campgrounds. We have replaced all of the picnic tables. Although, they may look old because they are weathered since these picnic tables were put together during the Winter, however, they are brand new. All of the barbeques are also new and were installed during the Winter. We have changed and modernized the light fixtures and we will be replacing the rusted doors that you mentioned. There are also plans to install a playground within the campground beginning this Fall and we are looking for other improvements and additions to the campgrounds. As you probably noticed there is a new building under construction, at the entrance to the campgrounds, and it will serve as a check-in area, as well as, additional comfort stations, including family restrooms. Your suggestion of fire pits is a good one and the Park Managers will evaluate the feasibility of installing these. Lastly, I have spoken to the Park Manager who will review the cleaning operation to ensure the restrooms are appropriately maintained. I apologize for our employee not cleaning the women's room. Again, I am sorry for your negative experience but we are continuing to make improvements to the campgrounds.

  Sincerely, George Gorman Regional Director New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

  I will check back later this year to see if anything was changed and report back.

• 

  Justin P.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 18, 2022

  Kettletown State Park Campground

  Great activities but compact sites

  I tented here while doing a river stream reconstruction project in southern Connecticut.

  To start, access to the river was great, though no swimming was allowed because of an algae bloom. The shorter hiking trails in the area were really beautiful.

  Site 32 and the upper loop was not great though. The sites were super close together and the boundary lines were unclear, so my neighbors ended up using my fire ring to secure their tent. The picnic table seemed to be shared between sites and had boards missing, so it was challenging to use when available.

  Overall, folks seemed to be there in larger groups for celebrations so things were loud well past midnight, which was challenging given how close each site was. I realize this is very time specific but there was no management presence around quiet time, and this happened both evenings I was there, so I got the sense that quiet times didn’t really apply.

  The location was great especially for folks closer to the major metro areas, but I’ll be looking elsewhere if I’m ever in the area again.