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Best Tent Camping near Killingworth, CT

563 Reviews

Tent camping opportunities near Killingworth, Connecticut include several established sites within a short drive. Selden Neck State Park offers island camping accessible only by boat, with four designated tent sites along the Connecticut River. Hidden Lake Farm provides five tent-only campsites in a quiet, wooded setting, while Gillette Castle State Park Campground offers tent sites with various access types including boat-in and hike-in options.

Most tent campsites in the Killingworth area require preparation for primitive conditions. Chapman Pond Preserve features tent platforms but minimal amenities, with no drinking water or toilet facilities at many sites. Onion Mountain Park provides free tent camping with fire pits but requires campers to pack in all supplies and pack out all waste. According to one visitor, "Onion Mountain Park is definitely more of a hike than a walk-in," with primitive spots located off the blue trail. Water access varies significantly between campgrounds, with riverside sites like those at Hurd State Park and River Highlands requiring different planning than inland locations.

Tent campers in the Killingworth region can expect varied terrain and distinctive natural settings. The Connecticut River sites offer particularly scenic camping experiences. As described in feedback on The Dyrt, Selden Neck State Park provides "gorgeous riverside tent camping" with "plenty of flat area to pitch a tent, nice picnic table and fire pit" and beaches that emerge at low tide. Many sites feature tree cover for shade and natural surroundings, though seasonal considerations affect camping conditions. Chapman Pond Preserve provides views of the Connecticut River from its tent platforms. Sites that require boat-in or hike-in access typically offer greater seclusion, while drive-in campgrounds provide more convenience but may have more visitors, especially during summer weekends and holidays.

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Best Tent Sites Near Killingworth, Connecticut (15)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Killingworth, CT

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Tent Camping Reviews near Killingworth, CT

563 Reviews of 15 Killingworth Campgrounds

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

    Burlingame State Park Campground

    Huge campground, not many level sites.

    I've never camped in Rhode Island, so I was curious to see what a state park campground had to offer. Rates are reasonable for state residents, but quite high if you are out-of-state, given the amenities. There are no hookups, but dump stations are available. Bathrooms have flush toilets and coin-operated showers. There's a small beach at the pond, a boat ramp, and proximity to wildlife refuges and the ocean. It's a HUGE campground, with 700 sites and 20 cabins. Canoes are available to rent.

    There's a nice playground, a camp store, and a naturalists cabin. Trails are available for hiking and biking. The beach is sandy and there's a small parking lot there, but I suspect most people walk to it. No alcohol allowed. 

    I didn't see more than a handful of level sites, with varying degrees of slope, but many are quite large. If you have an RV, plan to level; if you have a tent, be sure to bring good mattresses to protect you from the roots and rocks and orient your head to the uphill side. Most of the sites have some degree of visual separation from their neighbors, but there are places where it's hard to tell where one site ends and the next one starts. Site have fire rings and picnic tables, but if you plan to cook over the fire, bring your own grate or plan to use sticks and/or aluminum foil. 

    If you don't have a tent, consider reserving one of their rustic cabins. These offer two sets of bunks (no mattresses) and a small porch with a picnic table and fire ring outside. Some are located along the pond.

    3-4 bar cell phone coverage. No road traffic. East Beach is nearby, but parking fills early.

  • 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.

  • Laura M.
    Aug. 25, 2018

    Burlingame State Park Campground

    Nice campground

    Super large sites, store is adequately stocked, nice lake/pond. I came here because of the location. Super close to the beach. This is a state park, no alcohol is allowed, quiet time strictly enforced. Nice family campground. No hookups.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 7, 2024

    Burlingame State Park Campground

    HUGE state park

    General: HUGE state park with over 700 sites. It does not fully open for the season until May 1 and when we were there in mid-April, only two sections, Fish Camp and Mills Camp were open. The Ranger station is staffed 24 hours a day, with a ranger on site until 11 pm. You need to show your pass to get inside the gate leading to the campsites. There are no hookups in any site (as far as I could tell). Sites are designated for tents, small trailers, large trailers, and RVs. As with other RI state parks, non-residents pay double the price of residents which kind of ticks me off (I don't mind a nominal upcharge but double is excessive IMO).

    Site Quality: The site numbers throughout the park are painted on rocks but the sites themselves are not very clearly defined. There is no designated camping pad. Our site (114) had a water view but was not level. It was large enough for us to park horizontally and make it work for one night. Some sites had excessive roots and also were not level. Some picnic tables have been replaced with new ones, but others badly need it.

    Bath/Shower house: The one in Fish Camp was adequate and clean. There is hot water, but you need to run it for a while before you get any. There was no garbage receptacle, and the toilet paper is so thin, that you can see through it. Showers are $.75 to get it started for the first three minutes. After that, the amount per minute increases to $1, $1.25, $1.50, and so forth. Machines take up to 22 quarters. There is a change machine at the Ranger Station. I did not use the shower so I cannot comment on how well they work. 

    Activities/Amenities: There is a camp store that offers wood, ice, coffee, basic groceries, propane, and canoe rentals. It was open with limited hours during our stay. Fishing, boating, swimming - all in season. Even though the park was only about 10% occupied, there was a strong Ranger presence. He circled our small loop three times just before check-out time and wanted to make sure we were leaving not a minute past the designated time. 

    This was just an overnight stay for us in a convenient location but there is no way I would stay at the height of the season!

  • D
    Jun. 7, 2019

    Green Falls Campground

    Small but cozy

    Great off the beaten path place to camp. Sites are large but close together. Each contain a rock built fire ring. There are toilets but no showers. Good parking for camper but limited for guests. Reservations are required in advance. Stones throw to beach/pond area

  • 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 Killingworth

Tent camping near Killingworth, Connecticut offers primitive to improved site options across a range of riverside and woodland settings. Camping opportunities span from free primitive sites at Onion Mountain Park to more developed facilities at sites like Hidden Lake Farm. Most Killingworth area campgrounds maintain a natural setting with limited amenities, requiring campers to prepare accordingly for varying terrain conditions and seasonal weather patterns.

What to do

Wildlife observation opportunities: The Connecticut River camping areas at Chapman Pond Preserve feature tent platforms overlooking the water. According to Ben L., the preserve offers "good tent platforms, picnic tables and outhouse. CT river within view."

Water activities: Explore the Connecticut River by kayak or canoe from River Highlands State Park River Campground. "The campsite was absolutely beautiful—especially with its location right by the river," notes Alicia B., though she cautions visitors to "beware of arachnids" in the facilities.

Day hiking: Several campgrounds connect to trail systems suitable for day hikes. At Onion Mountain Park, campers can access both yellow and blue trails from their sites. Ricky H. explains, "Other posts claim you can park right at the site, but you can not. It's up the yellow or blue trail depending on which one you take."

What campers like

Peaceful atmosphere: Many campsites near Killingworth provide quiet, secluded camping experiences. At Windmill Hill - Connecticut White Memorial Campground, Sara R. describes a "great experience! Quiet woods atmosphere with trails. Wonderful place to camp. Very clean."

Beginner-friendly options: Some sites are particularly suitable for new campers. Onion Mountain Park has served as a training ground for Scout troops. Marshall S. notes, "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, you are close to your car and the road in case you need it."

Primitive camping with basic amenities: Most sites provide fire pits and flat tent spaces with minimal additional facilities. Nora S. describes Onion Mountain Park camping: "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 (no group sites) but has a firepit already set up."

What you should know

Water access varies: Many campgrounds require visitors to bring their own water. For boat-in sites like Gillette Castle State Park Campground, Jackie G. reports, "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."

Reservation requirements: Some campgrounds operate on a first-come, first-served basis, while others require advance booking. Ricky H. notes that Onion Mountain Park offers "very peaceful overnight camping, no permit required. Small campsite, first come first served basis."

Insect preparation: Bug protection is essential, particularly in warmer months. "There are a lot of bugs so be prepared," advises Nora S. about Onion Mountain Park, adding that her group "did put a bear bag about 100 feet away" as a precaution for food storage.

Tips for camping with families

Starter camping locations: For families with young children, select campgrounds with easier access. Marshall S. recommends Onion Mountain Park: "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."

Weather considerations: Connecticut weather can change quickly, affecting river conditions and camping comfort. Jason S. describes camping at Selden Neck State Park Campground: "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."

Gear transport planning: For sites requiring hiking or boating, pack efficiently. Jason S. advises when visiting Selden Neck State Park: "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."

Tips from RVers

Site size limitations: Most tent camping areas near Killingworth have restrictions on vehicle size and type. Onion Mountain Park requires a walk from the parking area, with Ricky H. clarifying: "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."

Trail access information: When planning your visit, research trail conditions leading to campsites. Nora S. observed about Onion Mountain Park: "I saw in the other review, that it is classified as a walk-in but it's definitely more of a hike. We ended up finding a very primitive spot off the blue trail (on top of the mountain)."

Seasonal accessibility: Road conditions and site availability vary throughout the year. Sites like Hidden Lake Farm provide year-round options but may have different amenities available depending on the season.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Killingworth, CT is Hidden Lake Farm with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

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

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