Connecticut campgrounds offer a mix of developed sites and cabin facilities throughout the state's diverse regions. Hammonasset State Park Campground and Rocky Neck State Park Campground provide waterfront camping experiences along Connecticut's shoreline, while inland locations like Austin Hawes Memorial Campground in American Legion State Forest offer more secluded woodland settings. Many campgrounds across Connecticut accommodate various camping styles, with facilities supporting tent campers, RV enthusiasts, and those seeking cabin accommodations or glamping experiences at places like Brialee Family Campground or Mystic KOA.
Reservations are strongly recommended at Connecticut campgrounds, especially during the peak summer season from Memorial Day through Labor Day when most state park campgrounds operate. Campers at Brialee Family Campground note that "the cabin was absolutely beautiful and clean. The activities were great and kept my grand children busy." Connecticut campgrounds typically open from late May through early September, though some private campgrounds like Mystic KOA offer year-round accessibility. Sites with water and electric hookups are common at both state and private campgrounds, while many state park campgrounds provide basic amenities including showers, toilets and picnic areas, though alcohol is prohibited at most state park facilities.
The camping experience varies significantly between Connecticut's coastal and inland campgrounds. Shoreline camping at places like Hammonasset and Rocky Neck provides beach access and water activities, while the state's forested campgrounds offer more traditional woodland experiences with hiking trails and fishing opportunities. As one visitor to Charlie Brown Campground noted, "Arts and crafts, tractor rides, and of course the tubing down the river. Lots of built-in entertainment for the kids!" Private campgrounds frequently offer more extensive amenities and planned activities compared to state parks, particularly for families with children. Many Connecticut campgrounds feature swimming areas, whether at beaches along the coast or at inland lakes and ponds, providing popular summer recreation opportunities when temperatures typically range from the 70s to 80s Fahrenheit.
$20 - $70 / night
"Beautiful Connecticut beach sits just steps away from your campsite. Well kept showers and bathrooms are abundant and the camp store has the majority of what you need."
"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."
$20 - $70 / night
"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."
"Located right off I95 ( which you can hear at times), the park is convenient to all the major interstates and state roads."
"During our stay we enjoyed our campsite as it was close to the pool. The grounds were beautiful to walk on with water nearby and little places to explore."
"We stayed at Mystic KOA in North Stonington, Connecticut, to be tourists in Mystic. Spoiler alert… we had a great stay! "
$17 - $50 / night
"We were passing through Connecticut and needed a place to crash. Loved this campsite! Very chilled and secluded in your own site. I liked that it felt like a litrle community but still quotr private."
"Right on the farmington river and off the main road with access to many many other favorable fishing spots. Definitely need to come back. Great rates on all sites."
$25 - $150 / night
"Swimming lake, canoeing lake, pool, playgrounds. Choice of shade in trees or open field. Nice sites. Decent laundry and showers. Great place with kids.....lots of seasonal, but plenty short term."
"Nice hiking around the area. Bathrooms are clean. Good for kids/families."
$70 / night
"Connecticut is LACKING when it comes to outdoor activities when compared to some of the places around the country."
"It’s a dog friendly park which was good for us, our dog could swim in the lake with us. Cute patio overlooking the lake as well with seating."
$50 - $75 / night
"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."
"Easy access to the boatyard at night; pulled in, picked a spot and all good. Enjoyed the pool.
Walked to Fort Trumbull.
Recommend Crockers."
"His place in Niantic Connecticut very close to downtown and the beach which they have a shuttle for. The staff is very friendly, courteous and knowledgeable of the area."
"Close to level parking pad, with table and very nice brick firepit. Sites not too close together. I had woods behind me. I would definitely camp here again."
$60 - $120 / night
"It is close by to some nice shopping areas as well. Bingo is always a family favorite and they even had that as well!"
"It was a bit too cold outside but the pools and hot tubs looked nice. Splash pad was clean and used by kids. Lots of roads to bike on and walk dogs. Live band on Saturday night was nice."
"Affiliated with Lake Compounce Amusement Park adjacent to campground."
"It is adjacent to an amusement park so there were lots of families here. None of the sites have sewer, but there is a dump station on the way out."
ScoutThis place is fantastic and I would definitely stay again. It is a working shipyard and marina. Excellent showers. Very nice pool and pool deck with umbrella right on the water. One mile from block island ferry.
TravelerCrocker’s is a nice relaxing scenic place to stay in the New London area.
Walking distance to restaurants and to Fort Trumbull.
So much fun watching the boats and boating activities.
Electric and water included.
There is a free dump station about a mile away (during regular business hours). *Can be found on The Dyrt.
Hosts were super friendly and had nice recommendations for places to see around town. Thank you !!!!
We will definitely be visiting again.
TravelerDue to the heat wave, I opted not to spend the night, but we did roll through and check out the area. First thing we noticed is how close and open the sites were, with a few exceptions. I attached photos of the more secluded sites I plan to choose next time. Site 49 is what I had reserved and it was large and partially secluded. The bathroom buildings are boarded up across the campground and state park with port o potties in front. I was not eager to check those out… a bucket started feeling like the safer option lol It was quiet but on the more secluded sites, there was ample road noise and you could see the road from some sites. I didn’t get a chance to look for the walkway to the park and river, but I plan to next time. The state park and river nearby was beautiful and quiet and serene with smattering Fourth of July picnics. Overall, I plan to return here when the weather is more cooperative and my car camper is better equipped :)
TravelerWe arrived after 10pm so we couldn’t go into the general store to check in. But there was an envelope with our name and a description of where we had to go. Because it was so dark we couldn’t find it but the security guard was really helpful and showed us the way. We spent a really quiet night at this campground at a tent site with our rooftop tent and appreciated the clean showers and friendly staff. We would come back anytime.
GuideTall pines, the sound of the mighty housatonic river, and some car noise on the nearby 2 lane. The campground is landscaped and maintained beautifully. the highlight is the river, ever-present in sound. The primo sites are on the northern end , where most sites are right on the water, and just a small descent. Bathrooms are good, not great. Showers are push button automatic, water was warm. We have a small RV, the dump site is up the main road about a 1/2 mile in a turnout. Free for campers, on your honor. At office were college aged young men and women in very casual street clothes all very nice, and mannerly, but not very knowledgeable, and hard to believe they could handle an adverse situation. I asked for the soap to be filled in the mens room on Thursday afternoon at 4 and it was still not done at noon the next day. -it’s a 2 minute walk from the office. I asked about a hike, they told me a trail head was a mile up the road. We found a spur directly across the street. I miss real docents, with knowledge, and wearing the garb. All sites not directly on the river side have paths down to get there. Did a nice little moderate hike just across the street called Pine Knob. Nice vista, quick 760ft ascent, combines withe AT for a length, then back down total 3 miles the way we did it. Some nice restaurants in Kent. Found a good breakfast in Goshen. We’ll be going back.
GuideA really nice campground for tenters and dry campers. No hookups, but decent bathrooms, lukewarm showers and well kept. The Housatonic river is wide and shallow but good for soaking on a hot day and right behind pretty much every campsite. The riverside sites have a clear view, the others you walk through the woods. The only negative is Route 7, which gets busy in the mornings, and at rush hours, but quiets down at night. Not a busy highway to begin with, but a major route. A good up and down hike right across the street, 760 ft ascent in a mile or so, 3 mile loop, you see AT through hikers on the portion of the combined trail. There is a drinking water tap you can hook a hose to for filling your RV, or jugs. No dump station. We had our class B here. Sites mostly level. Come during the week for better privacy. Supposedly fly fisherman come on weekends. Cute cabins for rent in a awesome location.
TravelerWhen we arrived at our site we were instantly greeted with an angry resident. He started shooing us away as we were trying to park our camper at our site. He needed to back out and leave but we had only been there no more than 3 minutes before he popped up angrily. There are a lot of long term campers there. Very very unkept campers. Broken down, damaged, some look unlivable. Some may not like the dozens of cats everywhere, but I did. It’s fun to spot a new cat roaming around the campground. The pool is nice and clean. The playground is cute. The Arcade is not worth going to. A lot of the games were broken or empty. Bikes are NOT allowed. My 8 year old son was riding his bike and we were told he couldn’t do that at this campground. The pond/beach area is beautiful. You can try fishing in it. We didn’t catch anything. I definitely don’t suggest swimming in it. It’s not clean enough for that. Camp “store” is very minimal in what they have. Mostly little candy and some minor essentials. There is also a little restaurant attached to the camp store. I like that the sites were grass and not dirt. Or site did not have sewer. We had to go to the dump station to empty black water.
TravelerLet me save you from making a grave mistake. The campground was quiet. That's the best thing I can say about Gibson Hill after spending a week there. Totally unkempt and in disarray. The roads are a rocky, dusty rutted mess. The campsites while some newly graveled, not well I might add, are not level. The electric at my site kept tripping off. I finally discovered, with no help from the non-existent management, that the service disconnect breaker was bad. Luckily I had an extra 30A cord and was able to plug into the unoccupied adjacent site. How this abomination has any 5 star reviews is above my pay grade. During the week we were here we never saw a camp representative. We were not welcomed by anyone affiliated with the campground and I never saw anyone on duty in the office. The is NO weekly entertainment. There is NO weekly bonfire. THERE IS NO POOL. Our site had no picnic table and no fire ring and had areas dotted with clumps of gray fur. Obviously noone had inspected our site for cleanliness prior to our arrival. Our first visitor was a 4' rat snake. There was debris strewn all over the grounds. There was one trash container. Unlined and uncovered. No dog poop bags or signs regarding poop pickup. There was a lot of demolition but no new construction ongoing. The“pool” is a 4’ deep square under construction and far from being completed. The“resort” signage was a joke. It took me 3 tries to find my way out of the campground. The entrance sign is installed parallel to the road rather than perpendicular to it for visibility. The number of decrepit or abandoned trailers on site was unbelievable. We were never told if the campground was under new management and/or under going refurbishment. In any event it was missing the mark. Unfortunately we paid for a week in advance so we were stuck here. NEVER AGAIN. I’m leaving this truthful review so no other potential campers are duped into staying here. Definitely an absentee owner who doesn't have a clue. Really too bad because the location and grounds have enormous potential. I will let Happy Grounds and RV LIFE know of my great disappointment and suspect reviews. By the way, to the reviewer who said they enjoyed the pool. THERE IS NO POOL. There is NO on-site management.
ScoutThis campground is wonderful. The playground, the goats, the activities, the craft shed, there is so much to do for kids here. Everyone is so friendly and the campground is very clean. Bathrooms and showers are clean, the snack shack food is really tasty. The peacocks roaming around are the cherry on top. Overall, just a wonderful campground.
Camping in Connecticut offers a mix of beautiful nature and family-friendly activities. Whether you're pitching a tent or rolling in with an RV, there's something for everyone in this charming state.
Connecticut camping has its quirks, but with the right preparation, you can have a fantastic time exploring the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find dispersed camping in Connecticut?
True dispersed camping is limited in Connecticut. Your best option is Pachaug State Forest, which offers primitive camping at designated sites. While not technically dispersed, these sites provide a more backcountry experience with minimal facilities. Camping is permitted only in designated areas, and you'll need to obtain a no-cost permit from the DEEP website before your stay. The permits are required year-round and typically have a 14-day limit. For those seeking a remote experience, the Mohawk State Forest also offers limited primitive camping options along the Appalachian Trail. Remember that true off-trail dispersed camping is generally not permitted in Connecticut due to the state's size and conservation regulations.
Are there any free camping options in Connecticut state forests?
Connecticut doesn't offer truly free camping options in its state forests. However, Devil's Hopyard State Park Campground provides affordable primitive camping with basic facilities at a nominal fee. Similarly, Rocky Neck State Park Campground offers reasonably priced campsites at around $33 per night with access to bathhouses but no hookups. The most budget-friendly option is primitive camping in Pachaug State Forest, which requires a permit but has minimal or no fees depending on the specific site. These permits must be obtained in advance through Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection website. Remember that even when camping in these more affordable areas, you'll still need proper permits and must follow all state forest regulations.
What are the best campgrounds in Connecticut for families?
Hammonasset State Park Campground is excellent for families, offering beach access just steps from campsites, well-maintained shower facilities, and numerous amenities. Kids can bike to the playground, beach, and nearby ice cream shops. Another great option is Hopeville Pond State Park Campground, where families can enjoy swimming, fishing, hiking, and picnicking. The park features bike-friendly paths for kids to explore, though watch out for the sneaky chipmunks! For those seeking a private campground experience, Wilderness Lake Park offers secluded tent sites alongside RV options and various recreational activities. Lone Oak Camp Sites is another family-friendly option with dedicated children's activities and nearby hiking opportunities to Connecticut's highest point.
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