Best Tent Camping near Gilman, CT

Recent Tent Reviews near Gilman, Connecticut

610 Reviews of 11 Gilman Campgrounds

• 

  Michael C.

  Guide

  

  Aug. 15, 2018

  West Thompson Lake Campground

  West Thompson Lake Campground

  We'll run and very clean. Nice wooded tent sites with activities and fishing.

• S

  Scott I.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 19, 2021

  George Washington State Campground

  A wonderful escape

  This is my second time here with my Airstream. Clean and well kept campground. I’d easily tent camping here. A lake and great trails to hike.

• 

  Robert L.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 30, 2020

  Wilderness Lake Park

  How did I not know about this place?

  Connecticut is LACKING when it comes to outdoor activities when compared to some of the places around the country. That being said, it's more rewarding when you find a little gem like Wilderness Lake Campground.

  While this is about 60% RVs, the tent sites are great. The host gave us a secluded spot in the back to the point I didn't feel like I was at a campground other than the fire ring. We didn't need bathrooms, water or electricity, but there was a bathroom within walking distance. It also looked like they were building a little outbuilding for Women and Men's bathrooms near the tent sites. 

  The lake was quiet and we saw kids swimming in it in the morning. There was a hiking trail on the property and the host mentioned they were building a Disc Golf course on the property. Whether you have an RV, want to Car Glamp or looking to feel deep in the woods, this place checks all the boxes. It's also conveniently located off I-84(exit 70).

• 

  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.

• 

  Kimbo K.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 27, 2021

  Newport RV Park

  Great staff

  Wonderful staff clean tent site are amazing great place to camp and fish and hike great place to take a dog

• K

  Kayla B.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 18, 2019

  Wilderness Lake Park

  Best. Campground. In CT.

  Man I love his place. Quiet rv and tent site park. Portopotties scattered about and showers and such near the entrance. Tent sites are nice and isolated, but not scary far apart. Lots of wildlife so keep your food sealed... Nice walking trails and free kayaks as available. I always get site 1, it's in its own area with pretty flat terrain. To reserve, fill out the form on the website and you'll get a confirmation. You can pay at the office when you check in. they'll also bring firewood to your site.the kid that works there is really nice but I always forget his name!

• 

  Tom R.

  Scout

  

  May. 29, 2019

  Burlingame State Park Campground

  Nice state run campground

  Book early before memorial day, sites fill up quick and around 4th of July.  I went here for years with friends and family. Great sites. Flat level. Some of the best tent camping in the state.

• 

  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.

• 

  Todd J.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 30, 2018

  Hopeville Pond State Park Campground

  Great for families

  Stay at least once or twice a year. Always a good time. RV and Tent sites with one cabin as well as canoe sites off the beatin' path. Public beach with another beach for campers. Store on site for firewood and ice.

• 

  Will A.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 19, 2023

  Mystic KOA

  Great camping experience for all ages

  Stayed at a great wooded tent site - quiet during the week and packed out by the weekend. Close to the bathrooms, with water spigot and electric hook up. Two small ponds with enough blue gill action to excite the kids. Worth checking out!

• K

  Kailie G.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 25, 2020

  Brialee Family Campground

  Large Family Campground

  Fairly large campground. Tent sites available but mostly RV/Campers. WiFi in common areas isn’t great so if you’re planning on working during some down time, this isn’t the place. Nice hiking around the area. Bathrooms are clean. Good for kids/families.

• 

  Christina M.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 22, 2020

  Whispering Pines Campground

  Whispering pines

  Busy campground with a lot of RV sites on top of each other. Campsite was large and set in the back. Hike to the bathroom from tent site. Two sites right on top of each other but lots of room. Screaming children all night took away from the peacefulness.

• S

  Susan C.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 25, 2020

  Wilderness Lake Park

  RV park

  $60 cash. Maybe tent sites less but not given the option. Not good value. (State parks in CT and MA requiring 24 hr advance rez.)Water/elec. Some porta potties in tents area. A little swampy lake. Mostly permanent summer residents parked with big rigs and plastic decor. But, almost nobody around mid week August. As prev reviews, woodsy, moderately secluded up in tent area. Visited in the time of COVID. WEAR A MASK!

• 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.

• K

  Kerrie C.

  Scout

  

  May. 21, 2022

  Old Holbrook Place - Closed Til Spring 2022

  For Sale

  Lovely quiet campground on cove of Manchaug Lake. Great Tent sites in Hollow as well as seasonal RV and visiting RV’s,Canoe-Boat (row or troll) , beach and picnic area for day visits. 

  Adjacent to an outer lake Family Activity Campground/Sutton Falls

  Previous Manager/Owner/Operators had a parent decease a while ago and saddened to see it up for sale

• M

  Matthew

  Scout

  

  May. 24, 2021

  Wells State Park Campground

  Hiking Gem in Sturbridge

  Beautiful campground in a nice central location nearby several nice towns in Central Massachusetts. The hiking is some of the best I have seen from a campground in the area, with a huge system of trails which are all very well marked. These trails vary greatly in terms of difficulty, a few of the trails are doable in less than 15 minutes if you maintain a quick pace. The harder trails, including the one going up to Carpenter's Rocks are more strenuous and feature a good amount of elevation gain, rocky terrain, and very worthwhile views for the trouble.

  Not usually too busy on the trails, though expect hordes of people at the parking lot especially during the warmer months. Firewood is easily available, if a bit pricey, and the tent sites are generously sized with plenty of room for multiple shelters. Have spotted beavers deep into some of the water-adjacent trails, as well as many species of birds.

  Definitely give this one a try if you're in the area. Rental fees for the tent sites are very reasonable, and it's worthwhile to come for the trails and views alone.

• 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.

• 

  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.

• 

  Michelle C.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 15, 2021

  Newport RV Park

  Quiet, small, bigger sites, no amenities

  This is a cute little campground that’s easy to access. It’s 20 minutes from downtown Newport and about 45 minutes to downtown Providence.

  It’s well shaded, has a nice playground, bathhouse, and a laundry room. My biggest complaint is the dryers are terrible. I had to dry my clothes 3 times ( that’s 3 hours). Nobody has time for that. Also if you’re tent camping, the bathrooms are very inconvenient.

  Finally, our site was not angled and that made it tougher to get in to it.

• J

  John C.

  Traveler

  

  May. 28, 2019

  Thousand Trails Sturbridge

  Campsite

  I was probably the only person tent camping in the entire resort. The manager was able to give me a great campsite away from all of the RVs and cabins. It was right at the entrance however you did have to hike up a short 50ft hill to get to the site. It had a great new fire ring and the campsite was very clean/cleared. Running showers and flushable bathroom was very close. I dinged a star from this review because I have seen campgrounds with cleaner bathrooms

• 

  Jacob D.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 18, 2024

  Fishermen’s Memorial State Campground

  Somewhere to stay, not the best

  $18/night if you live here, but $36 if from out of state. Large tent campground with lots of spaces, so everyone is in pretty close together. My main concern is there are showers in the bathrooms you can pay for, but ones outside that are free, but cold water and no curtain, so you literally have no privacy.

• 

  Steve T.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 3, 2020

  Fort Getty Campground

  Tent campers

  Perfect location for a summer / beach camp. Mostly for RVs but tent site #6 was great. Views of the ocean to wake up too and tucked away from main area.

  Worst part is you can’t bring your car on the site. Do not understand this, especially since it was over 95° and we have dogs that need AC, one if which is 14. We did sneak the car up by asking an RV camper to use his land because they block off the entrance with giant tree trunks.

  More good stuff, the private pet friendly beaches were great! Small but perfect to relax. No problems with the pets at all and old but clean bathrooms.

• 

  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.

• 

  Alex S.

  Guide

  

  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.

• K

  Kailie G.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 25, 2020

  Wilderness Lake Park

  Really enjoyed our time here

  Quaint little campground. Not many tenting sites but along a beautiful lake. Pets allowed. Bathrooms close by 10, something to keep in mind. And they’re cash or check only! Taylor Pond is not far and a great hike to bring both kids and pets. This campground was perfect for us and our dog. Bring your own kayaks or use the campgrounds free of charge.

• 

  Joanna M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 31, 2020

  Fishermen’s Memorial State Campground

  Clean campground. Nearby beaches

  Lots of nearby beaches and restaurants. Campsites are simple. A patch of grass with a small bush or two, not very much shade, space or privacy. Tent sites do not have water or electricity but bathhouse is in easy walking range. A nice place to ride a bike around so definitely bring your bike. More of an RV park. RVs do have hookups. Bathrooms and showers are clean. $1.50 in quarters for a 6 min hot shower. Which is nice after a long day at the beach. Playground and courts on the premises and walking paths and an area that accesses the water if your wanted to throw a kayak in. It's a nice place for the location. But not much privacy really, and not much shade, but that will vary from site to site. It's nice because there is so much to do nearby and kept very clean. Our site ended up being right next to the bathhouse so there wasn't too much privacy there. I'd come back again though. And I would definitely come back in an RV instead of I could.

• 

  Ryan A.

  Guide

  

  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.