The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Bloomfield, CT

582 Reviews

Tent camping options near Bloomfield, Connecticut include several established campgrounds within driving distance. Onion Mountain Park offers primitive tent camping with fire pits and is located in western Connecticut. Other tent-friendly options include River Highlands State Park River Campground and Windmill Hill at White Memorial Campground, which provide more developed facilities for tent campers.

Most tent sites in the region require campers to bring their own water, as drinking water is limited at primitive locations. Onion Mountain Park features walk-in tent sites that require a short hike from the parking area to reach the camping area. According to reviews, "it's not a long walk to the parking area from the campsite," though campers should be prepared to carry their gear. Fire rings are available at most locations, and some sites like Windmill Hill offer picnic tables and toilet facilities. Bear activity has been reported in some areas, with certain campgrounds providing bear boxes for food storage.

The Connecticut River provides opportunities for boat-in tent camping at locations like Selden Neck State Park and Chapman Pond Preserve. These riverside tent sites offer more seclusion than drive-in options. Many tent campsites in the region are situated in heavily wooded areas providing natural shade and privacy between sites. For those seeking a more challenging experience, dispersed backcountry camping can be found along hiking trails in the surrounding mountains. A visitor to Onion Mountain Park noted that it offers "very peaceful overnight camping, no permit required" with sites available on a first-come, first-served basis. Campers seeking solitude will find the walk-in tent sites particularly appealing as they tend to be less crowded than drive-in campgrounds.

Map showing campgrounds near Bloomfield, ConnecticutExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Bloomfield, Connecticut (18)

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 18 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Bloomfield Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near Bloomfield, CT

16 Photos of 18 Bloomfield Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Bloomfield, CT

582 Reviews of 18 Bloomfield Campgrounds

  • Nicole G.
    Aug. 24, 2025

    Tolland State Forest Campground

    Great Lakeside Campground

    This was only my second camping trip ever (and first tent camping) so grain of salt here - We had a great time at Tolland. The site was spacious and equipped with a bear box, fire ring, and picnic table. The ground at the site was large gravel which was not great in the tent, but walking around it looks like most sites are more dirt and pine needles.

    The swimming area is small but sandy, great for kids, and my daughter loved thethe campfire and nature talk given on Saturday night by park staff.

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 6, 2025

    Alander Trail Camground — Mount Washington State Forest

    Amazing Dispersed Camping

    Absolutely love this spot and highly recommend if you’re looking for a super private, true primitive camping experience. You have to park at the entrance and hike in about 1.5-2 miles with everything on your back to get to the spots. Once you get there, theres quite a few sites to choose from and each offer quite a bit or privacy. It’s completely free and it usually isn’t too busy since most people don’t like having to carry all their stuff in that far. You will be in the heart of the forest/woods so definitely make sure to be prepared. We had some scares with coyotes and bears in the past but never anything crazy. They give you a semi-flat area for a tent, a fire pit and grill rack, one picnic table, and a bear box you would be sharing with other campers nearby

  • John D.
    May. 3, 2015

    Rocky Neck State Park Campground

    Great park in a great location

    I have been camping at Rocky Neck State Park for decades, both tent camping, and now In a 30' camper. Located right off I95 ( which you can hear at times), the park is convenient to all the major interstates and state roads. If you can, stay away from the front gates during the typical peak arrival / departure times. Traffic jams occur, partly because you're also in-line with the car loads of beach goers. The beach and beach parking lots fill to capacity. Week ends are the worst.

    The campgrounds are located within internal loops. Most sites are quite level. Park-like settings surrounding a large lawn. Bathhouses are being rehabbed, deemed adequate; can be seedy towards the end of the season. Park is routinely patrolled by State Conservation Officers who will put you out if needed. CT State Police and local officers also patrol. Camp roads are paved, and lots and lots of kids spend time riding bikes, coloring with chalk, skateboarding, roller blading.

    No electrical hook-ups; potable water spigots located within the camping circles. Generators allowed, but there are quiet hours. Dump upon exit; its up top by the entrance booths.

    There is a "tent-only area" which is nice and abuts a paved road for campers to walk / bike to the beach. Use this. Stay off the main road to the beach if you can. The speed limit is enforced, but sporadically. The fines are very stiff (you receive a State traffic ticket from the Officer).

    This beach road leads you to a wonderful overlook where lots of people take their kids crabbing for Blueshells. There are size regulations so be careful. The regs are posted. Bring some raw chicken wings and kite string and have some fun. You can also follow the signs that will lead you to nature walks. Amazing.

    During inclement weather some campers leave the park. We always recommend taking a right out of the park onto east bound Route 156. Follow into downtown Niantic for restaurants, an Irish pub, or a movie. Nice village area, and pedestrian friendly.

    Rocky Neck is a very nice park, and if I had to list one complaint, it is that the State is in a financial tight-spot, and has been cutting services and personnel. Entrance booths go unmanned and that leads to traffic jams that extend out and onto the main road. Very , very messy. Life guard towers at the beach are empty at times. Bath houses can be filthy.

    All things considered, I would recommend this park..

  • Ryan A.
    May. 21, 2024

    Devil's Hopyard State Park Campground

    Good Location for Hiking, Lots of Garbage, Not Recommended

    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.

  • Katherine P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2020

    Rudd Pond Area — Taconic State Park

    A Cozy Spot

    We stayed here in August 2020.

    This is a really interesting campground that's situated on a hill overlooking Rudd Pond in Taconic State Park.  Almost all of the sites have platforms to pitch your tent on, although there are a couple of flatter spots without platforms (although they still have a slope.)

    There's space near the platform that is flat-ish with a picnic and a fire pit.  Some of these are better than others, ours was not that flat, but we made it work. You get a pretty decent view of Rudd Pond, and the sunsets are pretty. There is also a trailhead at the end of the campground that connects to the other trails in Taconic State Park. There's a swimming beach and during non-covid times, boat rentals.

    The campsites are pretty close together, so if the campground is full, you are rather close to your neighbors. It was close to half full when we were there, and it still felt like a fairly noisy campground, even after quiet hours. 

    My one complaint in these covid times is that compared to the NY-DEC campground we stayed at, I felt that the safety measures were less adhered to here. They had signs asking people to wear masks in the bathroom building, but far fewer people were. I also didn't see the staff do any cleaning of the restrooms while we were there - the paper towels ran out at one point and I had to flag the staff down to get them to go take care of that.  

    Still, I thought it was a really cute place to stay, and I think we would stay here again.

  • Amanda S.
    Jul. 17, 2018

    Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park

    Great price

    This is basic dry camping it is fun but there is no electric or water at the sites o LU in the bathhouse. So if you get a site close the the bathhouse you will have water close by and electricity close. Otherwise it’s dry camping.. the platform sites are great it makes it real easy to set up a tent because of the platform that the tent goes on and the lake is ok. The kids don’t like swimming with fish so we didn’t spend much time at the lake

  • Becca Z.
    Aug. 29, 2020

    White Pines Campsites

    Clean Campsites

    We stayed at site 85 in Sunny Crest and liked having some privacy. The sites nearby had some trees providing space between each site. A lot of the sites we drove by were pretty sloped- I would recommend a drive though if you can beforehand.

    The picnic table was chained down so there weren’t many options to set up having the fire pit and picnic table where they were.

    Hiking trails were nice, good variety of easier and more difficult terrain.

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 1, 2020

    Wolf Den Campground — Mashamoquet Brook State Park

    Basic campground with hiking trails in the area.

    This small state park campground offers basic campsites with running water and showers, open Memorial Day to Columbus Day.  This is NOT Wolf's Den Family Campground in E. Haddam, CT. Also, be aware there are 2 campgrounds at this State Park; the other one, Mashamoquet Brook, does not offer running water/showers, so if you want these amenities, be sure to select a campsite 1-35.

    There's a small playground in the middle of the loop, a number of hiking trails throughout the park along with a few geocaches (download details for offline use a phone connection is spotty), a swimming pond, and a small brook with an old mill and blacksmith shop that is sometimes open on weekends for tours. It's a nice place to explore and have a picnic. In 2020 with Covid, there were restrictions on visitors to the campground, reservations required, and swimming was not allowed. 

    The parking pads are paved and a few have overhanging branches, but the trees provide  separation and some shade on largely open sites that tend to open up toward the back with open areas for pitching tents. Sites have fire rings with grills and picnic tables. Site 20 is the only one with electric. The ones toward the back of the loop back up toward the woods and give you some more privacy. 

    They don't allow hammocks in the trees or pets. For some reason, silly string also makes the list of prohibitions.

  • Alex S.
    May. 13, 2020

    Rocky Neck State Park Campground

    Best New England beach campground!

    The beach is about a 1 mile walk or drive from the campground.  The walk is lovely and I have seen deer, turkeys, many birds, skunks, raccoons, and other wildlife along the way. There are several osprey nests too. Many families bring bikes. 

    There are several camping areas at Rocky Neck - I think Crane is the best because it is quiet and the bathrooms are updated. 

    The tent camping area is in a field without much privacy or shade. I recommend setting up your tent at a traditional site.

    The beach is great for relaxing and beach combing. The water is warm and shallow, very calm. No floats or toys are allowed in the water, not sure why. Don't bring your kite either as the Amtrak is next to the beach, it's interesting when it goes by!

    Sometimes generators are an issue, but there are limited hours at which they can run.

    Lots of dumpsters for easy trash disposal. Firewood available for a low price on site, don't bring any outside wood. 

    Campground is not too far from a Walmart if you forget something. There's a gas station close by too for ice.

    This campground books up FAST, I usually book in the wintertime. I stay for a week at a time.

Guide to Bloomfield

Tent camping opportunities near Bloomfield, Connecticut extend beyond established campgrounds to several natural areas within a 30-mile radius. The Connecticut River corridor provides numerous water-accessible camping locations, while the western hills offer more secluded forest settings. Winter camping is possible at several year-round sites, though facilities are typically limited during colder months.

What to do

Explore river trails: Chapman Pond Preserve offers tent platforms with picnic tables near the Connecticut River. According to Ben L., the site provides "good tent platforms, picnic tables and outhouse. CT river within view," making it ideal for paddlers and hikers seeking water access.

Observe wildlife: Gillette Castle State Park Campground features riverside camping with excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. Jackie G. notes, "We have camped on the south end of Hurd Park several times via boat access. It is amazing with the views of the CT River and being able to watch the sunrise and sunset."

Historical exploration: While camping in the region, visit the nearby Gillette Castle for historical context. Todd J. mentions, "Great place for a hike or a picnic. Castle has tours at certain times," providing a cultural complement to the natural camping experience.

What campers like

Solitude and quiet: Windmill Hill - Connecticut White Memorial Campground receives praise for its peaceful atmosphere. Sara R. shared, "I booked site 5 for the week. Great experience! Quiet woods atmosphere with trail's. Wonderful place to camp. Very clean."

Island camping experience: Selden Neck State Park Campground offers a unique boat-in camping experience. Jason S. describes the experience: "Selden Neck State Park is an island in the Connecticut River with no roads or development other than 4 campsites. You have to kayak or boat in...The sunset view was amazing."

Walk-in sites: Many campers appreciate the walk-in sites at Onion Mountain Park for added privacy. Nora S. explains, "We ended up finding a very primitive spot off the blue trail (on top of the mountain), where we settled down for the night. The spot is not very big so make sure to bring a smaller tent."

What you should know

Primitive facilities: Most tent camping sites near Bloomfield have minimal amenities. At Onion Mountain Park, Marshall S. notes, "It is a very casual site and good for your first trip, you are close to your car and the road in case you need it so no need for a bear bag."

Access considerations: Many sites require some hiking to reach. Ricky H. clarifies about Onion Mountain Park: "Other posts claim you can park right the site, but you can not. It's up the yellow or blue trail depending on which one you take. However, it's not a long walk to the parking area from the campsite."

Wildlife awareness: Spider activity has been reported at some campgrounds. At River Highlands State Park River Campground, Alicia B. cautions, "As a heads-up, the outhouse did have quite a few wolf spiders (which might be expected in a natural setting like this)."

Tips for camping with families

Beginner-friendly options: River Highlands State Park River Campground offers accessible sites suitable for families. Alicia B. describes it as "absolutely beautiful—especially with its location right by the river," providing scenic value for children's first camping experiences.

Skill-building locations: Onion Mountain Park serves as an educational camping environment. Marshall S. shares, "My BSA troop has been going here for years to help new scouts learn to camp. It is a very casual site and good for your first trip."

Weather preparation: Connecticut tent camping requires adequate gear for variable conditions. Nora S. warns about Onion Mountain Park, "There are a lot of bugs so be prepared," suggesting families bring appropriate insect repellent and protective clothing.

Tips from RVers

Renovation awareness: When considering campgrounds that accommodate both tents and RVs, check recent ownership changes. At Sodom Mountain Campground, Brad N. reports, "This campground has improved with the new owners as of 2021... All roads are dirt and all potholes have been repaired. The clubhouse is being renovated and activities are now back."

Alternative lodging options: For those seeking a camping experience without pitching a tent, consider unique accommodations. At Chester Railway Station, Esther L. shares, "The caboose is stationed on a big grassy field, near a real railroad. It sleeps 4 and you can set up tents outside too. You hear the trains running at night. Very clean and comfortable."

Internet connectivity: Some campgrounds near Bloomfield offer Wi-Fi access. Brad N. mentions Sodom Mountain Campground has "Great Wi-Fi now," which can be important for families needing to stay connected during their tent camping experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Bloomfield, CT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Bloomfield, CT is Onion Mountain Park with a 4.7-star rating from 3 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Bloomfield, CT?

TheDyrt.com has all 18 tent camping locations near Bloomfield, CT, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring