Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Branford Center, CT has a lot to offer. There's so much to see and do, from exhilarating hikes or bike rides to exploring the local dining and shopping. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Branford Center. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
Hammonasset Beach State Park is the largest of Connecticut’s shoreline parks. Two-mile beach, facilities for swimming, camping (third weekend in May to Columbus Day), picnicking, saltwater fishing, scuba diving, hiking and boating; concessions. Nature center and interpretive programs. Bicycle rentals available through Labor Day, rates begin at $10 per hour and range up to $75 per week, with discounts for children. Helmets provided free to use and are mandatory for riders 15 and younger. Note: Lifeguards on duty on Wednesday through Sunday. Pricing: Weekdays: free for CT vehicles; $15/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm. Weekends and holidays: free for CT vehicles; $22/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm William F. Miller Campground. 558 open sites. Concession, dumping station, bathrooms, showers. Saltwater swimming and fishing. Individual fireplaces not provided. No pets.
$20 - $45 / night
Take the Virtual Tour! - WILDWOOD STATE PARK
Wildwood State Park comprises 600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest, terminating on the high bluff overlooking Long Island Sound. Swimmers can take advantage of the cool waters of the Sound, and picnickers can relax at shaded picnic tables as their children enjoy the nearby playground. Visitors can fish and use the hiking and cross-country ski trails, making this an enjoyable place to camp and be outdoors in any season. Geography: Wildwood State Park is located near Long Island Sound, on the north shore of Long Island, in Suffolk County. Recreation: Considered a flagship facility, visitors can enjoy the beach, biking, camper recreation programs, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and cross-country skiing. During July and August, movies are shown weekly, and once a week, campers can enjoy an evening of line or square dancing. Facilities: The park has 2 miles of beach on the Long Island sound for fishing and swimming. Each campsite has a picnic table, and dumping stations are nearby. There are 10 cottages, each with a fire ring, screened-in patio, and are available for rent through mid-November. The campground recycles newspaper and cardboard. Other amenities include food concessions, a nature trail, twelve miles of marked hiking trails, a picnic area, basketball courts, ball fields, a playground, and showers. Firewood is for sale at the park; bring your own barbecue or metal fire container.
Situated along the scenic Connecticut coastline making great camping near New Haven, Rocky Neck State Park is a is a small recreation area that features white sand beaches, salt marshes, and the rocky remnants of Ice Age glaciers. The park is located about 1 hour southeast of Hartford, near the town of East Lyme, with a view across the sound of Fishers Island, Gardiners Island, and Long Island. The park showcases several examples of ancient glacial terrain, including rock scouring and polishing, potholes and erratic boulders. In some places, the overlying sediment has been completely eroded away to reveal interesting outcrops of banded granitic gneiss.
The campground at Rocky Neck offers 160 drive-in campsites for tent and RV campers. Visitors can choose from open, grassy sites and wooded, shady sites. Each site is equipped with picnic tables and fire rings, but RV hookups are not available. Sites can accommodate vehicles/trailers up to 35 feet; some sites are tent-only. Water faucets, restrooms, and trash/recycling receptacles are located throughout the campground; a dump station is located near the campground entrance. Dogs are not permitted in this park. Camping is available from May through September; sites are $20–$30/night; reservations accepted.
The main attraction at Rocky Neck is its wide, sandy beach, where visitors can lounge in the sun, or go for a dip in Long Island Sound. The park has several picnic areas for family and group gatherings, several miles of hiking trails for exploring the park’s salt marshes, waterways and natural features, and anglers can fish for saltwater bass, blackfish and flounder. Along the park’s western shore, the historic Ellie Mitchell Pavilion has concessions, and dining and lounging areas. The park also offers a variety of seasonal interpretive programs, guided hikes, wildlife viewing, and evening entertainment.
Lake Compounce Campground is a one-of-a-kind family camping experience located steps away from Lake Compounce Family Theme & Water Park. Lake Compounce Campground provides one-bedroom cabins, two-bedroom cabins, cub huts, tipis, RV spaces, and tent sites. Plus, perks like discounted single-day admission to the park, themed weekends every weekend, family activities, and tons of amenities.
Owned & operated by the Gustine family since 1994, Wolf’s Den Campground is located on 35 scenic acres in the beautiful Connecticut River Valley. Whether for the day, week, month or season, the campground is an ideal place to camp, relax and enjoy the great outdoor life with your friends and family. Every year thousands of families, many of them repeat customers, find their way to Wolf’s Den to join us for loads of fun activities, visiting many nearby attractions, and just kicking back and escaping for a while. We cater to all ages and lifestyles and welcome tent & popup campers, full time travelers, seasonals, and weekenders alike. As we celebrate over 50 years in the camping industry, we invite you to visit and experience all the family fun and camping excitement that we have to offer.
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.
$14 - $24 / night
Hammonasset Beach State Park is the largest of Connecticut’s shoreline parks. Two-mile beach, facilities for swimming, camping (third weekend in May to Columbus Day), picnicking, saltwater fishing, scuba diving, hiking and boating; concessions. Nature center and interpretive programs. Bicycle rentals available through Labor Day, rates begin at $10 per hour and range up to $75 per week, with discounts for children. Helmets provided free to use and are mandatory for riders 15 and younger. Note: Lifeguards on duty on Wednesday through Sunday. Pricing: Weekdays: free for CT vehicles; $15/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm. Weekends and holidays: free for CT vehicles; $22/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm William F. Miller Campground. 558 open sites. Concession, dumping station, bathrooms, showers. Saltwater swimming and fishing. Individual fireplaces not provided. No pets.
$20 - $45 / night
Lake Compounce Campground is a one-of-a-kind family camping experience located steps away from Lake Compounce Family Theme & Water Park. Lake Compounce Campground provides one-bedroom cabins, two-bedroom cabins, cub huts, tipis, RV spaces, and tent sites. Plus, perks like discounted single-day admission to the park, themed weekends every weekend, family activities, and tons of amenities.
Owned & operated by the Gustine family since 1994, Wolf’s Den Campground is located on 35 scenic acres in the beautiful Connecticut River Valley. Whether for the day, week, month or season, the campground is an ideal place to camp, relax and enjoy the great outdoor life with your friends and family. Every year thousands of families, many of them repeat customers, find their way to Wolf’s Den to join us for loads of fun activities, visiting many nearby attractions, and just kicking back and escaping for a while. We cater to all ages and lifestyles and welcome tent & popup campers, full time travelers, seasonals, and weekenders alike. As we celebrate over 50 years in the camping industry, we invite you to visit and experience all the family fun and camping excitement that we have to offer.
Scout
Very peaceful overnight camping, no permit required. Small campsite, first come first served basis. 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.
Legend
We generally only stay in KOAs or similar RV parks when we need showers, laundry, or a dump station. This one was in a convenient location plus many campgrounds had not yet opened for the year when we were there. It had rained for a few days before our arrival and that did not help our first impression as we drove on the rutted and muddy road to our site. There was a sign that improvements are underway, but I am not sure what those planned improvements are and when they will be implemented.
On the plus side:
*Friendly and helpful staff. Not sure why when we are given a map an employee escorts us to our site but that is a KOA thing. Later an employee asked if I wanted help carrying our clothes to the laundry.
* Warm showers (but it did take a while for the water to get warm)
*Brand new pool that was uncovered but it was way too cold in April to use*Sites were spaced a decent amount of space apart (although there is little physical separation). This was helped by the fact that there was no one on either side of us during our stay.
*In season, there are many activities to occupy families (pool, playground, mini golf, daily firetruck rides, complimentary shuttle into the town of Niantic); however, we could not take advantage of most of these.
*Reasonably priced laundry, although the washing machines were smal, and it took two to do what should have been one load. However, the dryers give you 60 minutes so although it took longer to dry, I only had to use one.
On the negative side:
*Unmaintained roadways. The main one was once paved but has not been maintained; others were dirt (and mud after a rain)
*High price for what we received. Not sure if we received an off-season rate but at $87 per night for a water/electric site and not being able to take advantage of amenities seemed high.
*Allowing political flags to be displayed at sites. I understand that on private property, this can be allowed at the owner's discretion, but this was offensive to us.
Again, this is not our preferred type of camping. Initially, I struggled to give this two stars but once the rain stopped, our stay improved somewhat.
Scout
Stayed at this campground this past weekend and yes it was a long weekend so the campground was packed. All the camping spots are pretty much right next to each one with hardly any space, packed like Sardines. Neighbors are loud and some of them are ignorant of the park rules. Staying on the phones in the middle of the night while talking so loud that all camping neighbors can hear their whole story
Its a pity that they take a nice park and remove the fun out of camping.
However the walk to the beach area was very serene, especially early morning before sunrise and didn't feel like we live in dense suburbia and sunrise from the beach was worth the trip
Camp site itself was pretty flat, had a water station, bathrooms were well kept , no fire ring (BYOFP)
Traveler
The campsites are very close together without any defining borders so everybody just walks across each other site’s to get to a different one, a path, the bathroom, etc. No solitude, lots of families with kids, lots of music, I mean it’s basically a party. I didn’t realize this when I made my reservations. The place is great for families who want a safe space to camp and it’s a typical Long Island campground. Rangers came around checking on everyone often so it really did feel incredibly safe. I had a pick up truck w/ tinted windows follow me in the park for quite a while which was rather creepy and I couldn’t shake them. When I biked into the campground itself, the pick up truck couldn’t get past the check in area. Everyone I met was friendly and there’s a little shop in the front of the campgrounds that sells various items. I personally wouldn’t stay here again unless I was meeting up with friends or something and wasn’t trying to have more solitude. This is no fault of the park itself though, I’m just more of a woods girl.
Scout
We love camping at Odetah. Clean facilities. Great staff. New pool and hot tub. Will definitely come back
Traveler
Campground is a bit crowded with sites close together. The facilities were clean but quite old. There are some nice hiking trails along the river.
Scout
Needed a place to stay for 2 nights , My wife and I were going to show at the Garde Theater. Which was walking distance from the boat yard.
Had a bite to eat at the Blue Duck, it was fine. Saw the show and walk back to the boat yard.
The next day we took the ferry to Block Island which was also walking distance from the boat yard. Block Island a must see. Took the 5 pm ferry back.
Had dinner at a Thai restaurant which was 5 minutes walking and it was great.
Sunday we went and visited Fort Trumbull which is also walking distance away. Very nice place to visit and learn.
Also took a tour of the Coast Guard Ship at Fort Trumbull.
Head home around 12 pm stopped a Logee's Greenhouse on the way home.
All and All it was a great get away weekend.
Thank You Crocker Boat Yard!
Guide
Camping Review:
This campsite is beautifully located in the woods, offering a peaceful and serene environment. There are no busy roads nearby, which ensures a quiet setting during the day.
However, there are several downsides to consider. The camping spots are uneven, making it challenging to set up tents or campers. Additionally, swimming at the nearby beach is restricted to residents of the village, so visitors are not allowed to swim there.
During our stay, there were multiple large groups, including a Christian group that preached (screamingly) and played loud music until midnight, despite the designated quiet hours. Unfortunately, the management did nothing to enforce the rules, which was disruptive.
Another significant issue was the state of the sanitary facilities. They were extremely dirty, with feces present in various places. It took a long time before anything was cleaned, which obviously kept us from using the facilities.
Overall, while the location is beautiful, the poor management, noise issues, and dirty sanitary facilities seriously detract from the experience.
ScoutSecure and convenient location. Site can be a bit loud but calms down during the evening . Bathrooms were clean and the pool was amazing. Definitely going back!
Traveler
Updates
Note that some of the photos submitted to this site were taken in areas that were NOT IN the Park. Also the Park is NOT under new ownership.
Legend
I had a hankering for East Coast seafood, so I picked Hammonesett Beach State Park for Connecticut. Our 2nd state of 5.
Hammonesett Beach has a huge campground. They divide the loops with names. I unfortunately chose Pequot. This loop has THE WORST bathrooms/showers on the South side of the campground. Looks like they were built in 1950s with rotten wood siding. Dirty. The showers were outside the bathroom- there was a bench & hooks OUTSIDE! We found out all the other loops had modern bathhouses.
My first impression of this campground is it's loud, crazy busy & there's traffic noise from the beach road. I actually liked it! This is a fun campground for families. There were kids on bikes, scooters, skateboards,roller blades. Watch your speed! They don't always watch out for your car.
I found out most people stay through Sunday & leave on Monday. There were still lots of campers left. Lots of tent campers.
I chose site 14 on the Pequot Loop because I thought I would have a view of one of the ponds. There was tall vegetation, so that was out.
The sites on the other side of the loop were right by the main beach road. Noisy during the day, but quiet at night.
There are some sites with shade, but most are sunny.
There's no electricity at most of the sites. Our site was full sun(yay for the solar panel!). On Beach Road in the campground there's 2 rows of full hookup sites, but they go FAST! I tried.
NO PETS! Including dogs.
No WiFi, but there's cell service. At least 5 dump stations.
The beach was popular.
There was a stream running from a pond that kids were playing in.
They have a beautiful Nature Center. A couple of easy hikes through one of the preserves.
This was a good base camp for the area. Gillette Castle & other state parks are within driving distance. Connecticut is a beautiful state!!
Scout
JUNE 30,2024 my husband & I were seasonals at waters edge campground Lebanon Connecticuit gave them a 30 day notice we were leaving this place wasnt for us just awful the owners are just money hungey thieves they told us they were keeping our deposit wich we expected because it says non refundable deposit so okay fine but we paid for the whole season its open april15 to october15 gave a 30 day notice left june 30 they refused to give us back the money for july ,august,september,to october 15 they ket 750 plus 2500 dollars told us were not getting our money back So iam sure they rented the site thats double dipping so fair warning I dont want this to happen to anyone else they will Rob you blind oh and they broke our ice maker when they dewinterized our trailer and never owned up to it came down to my floor in camper soaked with water from my freezer and didnr bother to clean tthe mess and said it must have been broken nefore so they are also dirty liars I didnt want to even give a one star rating but had to put somethin i give the a big fat 0
ScoutEasy access to the boatyard at night; pulled in, picked a spot and all good.
Enjoyed the pool.
Walked to Fort Trumbull.
Recommend Crockers.
ScoutWe were here on an extremely hot and humid couple days. It was great to have electric and water hookups. Also being able to use their pool with our grandchildren was great. They were very accommodating with all our questions and needs. No trees but its a boat yeard. And very interesting to watch the goings on at a boat yard
Scout
I booked site 5 for the week. Great experience! Quiet woods atmosphere with trail’s. Wonderful place to camp. Very clean
Scout
My family has been camping at Lake Waramaug for over 20 years. I can say most of what’s been said is true or partially so but whether it’s bad or good depends on your point of view. Note that we are a Scout family and my husband and son have camped many days well off the grid with only the gear and food in their backpacks. That skews our point of view.
First off, Connecticut’s state campgrounds are not KOA’s.
Do not expect top of the line activities that private campgrounds have.
What it does have are clean, large sites that are partially wooded and not out in the open.
The lake is great for kayaking, paddle boarding, canoes and for fishing. Bring your own gear but kayak and canoe rentals are available. The swim area is marginal- best for little ones.
This park is remote from all conveniences- pack it in or expect a drive. There have been several times I’ve driven to the Dunkin Donuts miles down the road for coffee but I find using a French press is more convenient. For takeout there’s the White Horse on 202. It’s ranked a top restaurant in the state - the food is good.
Never have we had issues with wildlife besides squirrels and ducks. Leave no trace is important - it keeps the unwelcome wildlife out.
There have been issues with the bathrooms off and on over the decades. It seems like they’ve finally fixed everything. Our trip of 7/27-28 showed everything was fine.
The only on-site services are firewood and ice sales. The little food shack is out of business.
Yes, cell service is basically non-existent. Our trip this weekend was the first time we received more than 1 bar in 20 years. Actually we were a bit disappointed because this camp ground is a great place to disconnect and relax. Being forced to put away the devices is heaven in my mind. You can drive about 5+ minutes out and get cell service. Regarding rowdiness, of the 20+ times we’ve camped only twice was it a problem.
Also, this place is not glamping. The area is rural, so cows do moo at 6am, and kids are up even earlier. If you like to sleep in skip and rent a B&B.
Also if you want a better place to swim go to Mt.Tom state park about 10 minutes up the road. It’s a day use only park-no camping- but the lake is gorgeous and there are very few people there.
ScoutLarge campground with 3 pools, many amenities and scheduled activities
Traveler
I took the train to Montauk on 6/20/24 and got a cab ($20) to the campsite. All sites were reserved, but only 1/3 were being used. I was able to put my name on a waitlist and got a tent lot. They wouldn’t let me register for more than 1 night.
I was in A6, which is against the dunes (which are ~12ft tall), so I could hear the surf, but not see it. There was no one within 2 sites, so it was quiet.
Friday morning, I put my name on the waitlist at 8am, I had to break down my site by 11am, and come back at 1pm to claim a site. I took J10 (which is on a bluff ~20ft above the beach and G, H and I areas). Strangely, I was offered a 2 night stay (Fri&Sat).
Beautiful views of the ocean from my tent and I could still hear the surf. Area J has the best (newest?) facilities (bathrooms, showers, sinks (kitchen and personal)). Drawback is 10 minute walk to the general store/ranger station and 5 minutes to the beach (10 to swimming area).
Almost no cell service! 2 bars was the maximum and finding that was rare. (Not enough service to get an Uber or play Spotify). There is a landline outside at the ranger’s station.
General Store closed at 3pm, but Gurney’s is 1.5 miles down the beach if you want expensive bars and restaurants.
FYI, guarded swimming area is ~100 yards wide and located next to the entrance circle.
ScoutOdetah Camping Resort called us today 24 hours prior to our arrival- after 4 years of camping there- to cancel our site unless we rented an RV and didn’t use tents. We were allowed to book and had the booking for 4 months. I was on the phone with them while I booked for assistance since it’s a group booking for 16. I called later to book a cabana too. They never once said anything. Then they called 24 hours in advance because our reservation said tent and that’s not allowed. Then they charged us a cancellation fee. Even tho they cancelled ON US.
But my favorite part is them saying that the camping industry is moving to no longer allow tents. They think they are*kind* to still allow tents-a handful of sites on a rocky hill that don’t have electricity or water. So those with medical needs cannot use those sites. Those with mobility limitations cannot either.
WHAT?!
Camping= tents. Change your name if you are going to discriminate. Don’t worry tho, you can put on a tent NEXT TO an rv on the sites. You just cant put only a tent.
Their customer service was horrendous. The experience was horrendous. What a shame.
Traveler
Truly great spot. Amazing sites with plenty of room, though they are close together. But was worth it for the amenities and fantastic views. Stayed on the bayside (site 30), which had a fantastic direct bay view. Although most sites have views of the bay, some are blocked by seagrass (for example site 28 - huge corner spot but the flat spot to park has an obstructed view). Literally steps to the beach.
Traveler
The staff greeted with warm welcomes and big smiles. Even when I arrived on a rainy Sunday. Stayed until Friday. And the grounds staff smiled and waved as they went by. The family next to me offered me dinner one night after I spent the whole day working on my RV. Spanish rice chicken the works the plate could barely hold it all. No body bothered me and I was right front and center. Kids riding around on the bikes and lots of laughter from other sites. It was nice. Was able to just relax and do some school work and watch some webinars and get some much needed work done. This was my first of many stops on my countrywide trip. From NJ originally. Spent almost a week here in CT hitting Hartford for the weekend then off to Rhode Island. It was great. No water or electric hookup but I have solar and a generator and they have a wash area for dishes and REALLY HOT showers. Lol I like my showers hot butt my biscuits were burnin lol. They also have a dump station and a place to fill up ur water tank as well. 5 star all the way. Side note...the map online is misleading. I thought site 1 was like away and sorta back by no one...ha noppeeee I was riiiight in the middle where EVERYONE saw me lmao. No tree cover or anything! Lol. All good tho. That was my own fault for not calling and asking lol helped me level up on my social anxiety 😂🫣🤗😅
Traveler
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.
Scout
This is a nice campground - not crowded and centrally located. However, I cannot walk ANYWHERE without picking up ticks. Even on the large sand paths, going to and from the bathroom I find ticks. It’s amazing!
GuideCamped 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.
Legend
Jake from the Dyrt here! We're excited to have this campground on the Dyrt and ready for you to book, check them out and make sure to leave a review!
Traveler
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. There's a boat launch across from the island on the west side of the river at Deep River Landing where you can leave your car. (Entering and parking at the boat launch requires a permit Memorial Day to Labor Day.)
It's about a 20 minute paddle across the river to the island. If it's a nice day, you're going to encounter some wake from passing boats so make sure your gear is in waterproof bags. Once you get to the island, follow the bank north until you spot the sign for your campsite.
My 5-year-old and I camped at site 2, Hogback. I haven't visited the other sites, but probably will just book this one again because it was so good. Plenty of flat area to pitch a tent, nice picnic table and fire pit. There's a private outhouse. At low tide, a couple of beaches emerge to play on.
The sunset view was amazing. There was a little noise at night from boat traffic but it didn't keep us up. In the morning, we were completely socked in with fog which would have been an issue if we had to get back early. But it burned off before long and we headed back.
Traveler
Perhaps it was the weekend we went but this was an extremely unpleasant trip. The bathroom facilities are wonderful as is the beach but the crowd stayed awake playing music all night very loudly. I think the cabins here are the way to go.
Camping near Branford Center, Connecticut, offers a mix of beautiful nature and family-friendly activities. Whether you're looking for a quiet retreat or a lively campground, there are plenty of options to explore.
Camping near Branford Center, Connecticut, has something for everyone, whether you're a family looking for fun or an RV enthusiast seeking adventure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Branford Center, CT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Branford Center, CT is Hammonasset State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 38 reviews.
What parks are near Branford Center, CT?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 13 parks near Branford Center, CT that allow camping, notably Hop Brook Lake and Northfield Brook Lake.
