Best Tent Camping near Middlebury, CT

Recent Tent Reviews near Middlebury, CT

455 Reviews of 20 Middlebury Campgrounds

• 

  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.

• 

  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.

• 

  Susan M.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 3, 2022

  Mills Norrie State Park Campground

  Decent state park campground

  This is an older campground with several options. Only 6 sites with electric. 50 & 51 are nice & private. Lots of large tent sites, some in an open area & others fairly private. 4 tent pads with obstructed river views. Assorted cabins, mostly above the river. Restrooms small but pretty clean by state park standards.

• 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.

• 

  Elaine C.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 23, 2018

  Kettletown State Park Campground

  Camping in nature, not too far from civilization

  Kettletown State Park isn't just for camping. There are also hiking trails , a fishing area and a swimming hole, but the week I was there there was a high bacteria count, so no swimming was allowed. Also, when swimming is allowed, there isnt a lifeguard.

  The campsites are varied, you can tent camp, use a camper, or they also have a few cabins you can rent. Be advised, there isn't a kitchen or bathroom in the cabins!

• 

  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.

• 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.

• 

  Megin F.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 16, 2020

  Prospect Mountain Campground and RV Park

  Loved it

  I flew up here from Louisiana and met my sister in a primitive tent site. The grounds were absolutely beautiful and very well maintained! Pool was lovely and refreshing. I do wish they had more bathrooms though. Especially by the pool!!! Camp staff was very friendly and helpful. The kids had a blast fishing and riding their bikes around. We are going to make this a yearly thing from now on!!

• M

  Mary-Kate L.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 13, 2019

  Lake Taghkanic State Park Campground

  Great Spot!

  Big and spacious state park with many camping options. Has options for trailers, tent sites, platforms for tents and even some cabins. Small store in park that sells firewood and ice and a few other things you may need. Big lake with swimming and boating as well as many hiking trails. Bathrooms on site as well as showers. Some sites are close together, but there are a few a little more secluded and set back. Fire pits are great. Can’t wait to camp here again!

• 

  Erin B.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 18, 2018

  Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park

  Would stay again

  Taconic State Park has a beautiful campground. No electric hookups, but plenty of water and tent sites are available with very large platforms. Bathroom facilities are adequate. There are 2 dog friendly loops at the back. Overall, very quiet and friendly.

  2 lIfeguarded swimming areas — a kiddie pool and a deep area with floating dock to jump off of. Very short hike (or drive) to the beautiful Bash Bish falls

  If you are traveling with a dog, be sure to bring proof of rabies— they ask.

  Fees are $15 residents and $20 non residents plus processing fees.

• 

  Jonathan C.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 24, 2020

  Croton Point Park

  Nice, but loud at night

  Nice site and a 30-40 minute drive from Western Queens. Tent site is after the RV site, so use their LX before you get to site if you can. Dumpster and water near sites. We stayed in site 9. The higher number sites were closer to the RV site and the water. The site was very loud (dance music) until after 11pm. Quiet time at 10pm. Great site for a party, try to stay away from this end of the site or choose a site away from other bookings if you’d like quite. $50/night without Westchester pass.

• 

  Seth K.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 27, 2018

  Lake Taghkanic State Park Campground

  Comfortable, clean, great for stargazing

  This campground was one of the best I’ve been to. They have both platform and dirt tent sites, all sites come equipped with fire pits. The bathrooms and showers are clean and the water stayed hot until the last weekend of the season (Oct 12-14, 2018) which was when we were there. The campground has a lake with boat rentals. Late night, stargazing over the lake is a great pastime, because the water is calm and the light pollution is low.

  The town of Hudson is also close by if you’re looking to get some of the comforts of a town while you’re out and about.

• 

  Casey L.

  Ranger

  

  Oct. 21, 2022

  Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park

  Close quarter sites in scenic campground

  There are a mix of platform and regular tent sites as well as some camper sites. We stayed on a platform site, which I questioned the structural integrity of after looking underneath lol… it held up though and there were also some new platforms which looked nice. Sites are a little close together for my liking. Luckily we checked out early before the weekend started so it was peaceful for us. The bathhouse was awesome! New building and it wasn’t a communal shower area with all the stalls in one room, there were all separate rooms each with their own bathroom and shower stall. Overall I would recommend if you’re not looking for too much peace and quiet.

• 

  Anil S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 6, 2020

  Croton Point Park

  A gorgeous camping ground right on the Hudson with beach and trails

  This must be one of the most breathtaking camp grounds (family friendly) right on the Hudson. Tent sites are very private with some dirt roads to exit out but thats what make it unique experience! Bathrooms with shower is near by and has plenty porta potties all around. Keep your food in the dry bag and away from the tent or benches provided or face the packs of fearless racoons at night. Fire is allowed and has no issues of mosquitoes. No on-site stores so pick up all your necessary essentials prior to. Short 5 minute drive to nearby supermarket to pick up food or firewood. I would highly recommend it. Oh...and did i say, gorgeous scenery along the river and a private beach which is opened from Wednesday to the weekend with life guards on duty!

• 

  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.

• 

  Don R.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 20, 2021

  Lake Taghkanic State Park Campground

  Wide-open state park with cramped campsites

  The park is huge with tons of space for picnics, beachgoing and - weirdly - parking. (Someone must've gotten a tasty asphalt contract.)

  Unfortunately, all of the campsites are jammed into one quadrant, with very little distance between each. Our site (#17) was quite small and was not clearly marked. It seemed to run into #18. We were told we could spread out into two sites since the adjoining site wasn't taken. (By the way: Site #19 looked to be the best in our neck of the woods.)

  The roads to the tent sites are quite rocky and can be difficult to navigate. 

  The facilities are a bit warn, but the maintenance staff does a good job of upkeep. Since it was raining during our visit, it was impossible to keep the individual shower/lavatories clean for very long.

  Though the camp was mostly filled, noise was not a problem during our stay. 

  The lake is quite nice and the swimming area is well-protected.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 18, 2024

  Croton Point Park

  Not too much to offer

  General: A county park with a mix of w/e (6 sites) and FHU sites plus about a dozen tent sites near a capped dump! There is a lodge and cabins close to the end of the point, but they appeared to be part of a group camp experience. They all appeared to be closed for the season (or because no one was renting at the time; they reminded me of places I used to take youth groups for weekend camps). The reservation process is a bit wonky. You need to call (no online reservations) and then wait for an e-mail, but the e-mail does not tell you your assigned site; you have to wait until you check in to find out your site.

  Site Quality: We had a loosely defined gravel pad that was level. All sites appeared level. The FHU sites were back-to-back and although there were trees separating the sites, they were close together. No one was in the tent sites, but they did have new picnic tables.

  Activities/Amenities: Other than a playground and a basketball court, there did not seem to be any activities to partake in. There used to be a pool but from the looks of it, it hasn’t been in use for many years. There are walking paths outside of the campground that are located within the park, but we did not have time to explore them. 

  Bath/Shower house: Clean but a bit dated. No shelves or hooks for toiletries. I was surprised the door was left open all night long. There was a sign warning that the toilets were slow flushing, but I think this may have been fixed because the flush was so powerful that the water splashed over the top of the seat! 

  Because it was on a point on the Hudson, I had hoped for views from the campground but there were too many trees to see the water. I was perplexed by the signs throughout saying no trespassing/fishing prohibited. I get the no fishing part but the trespassing? When we checked in, we had to write down our credit card number on a slip of paper before we were given a key that opened the gate to the campground. When we checked out, we asked for the paper or to watch it get shredded but were told they had to keep it on file which concerned us.

• 

  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.

• 

  Ming R.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 1, 2018

  Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

  Manicured grounds; sites far apart

  Ward Pound Ridge is very well known to the locals as a great place for sled-riding in winter (Pell Hill area) and a place for big group gatherings. The many different trails are frequented by the locals as well. In recent years, the county government also allow bow-hunting of deer to control its population during the months of October to December.

  As far as camping as a family, it is not too exciting a place for us. The grounds are far too well trimmed, as you can see in one of the videos. There is wide open space and the paths are well paved so kids can have fun riding the bikes or running around. There is also many trails of various difficulty levels to suit everyone, including horseback riders. The Trailside Nature Museum is also fun for the kids.

  There are lean-to sites as well as tent sites. A maximum of eight people in two tents are allowed at each site. But if you really do have a party of eight, one picnic table seems to be inadequate. The sites are much farther away from the comfort stations than most campgrounds we have been to. But there are port-a-potties very close to the sites, which is very important when you have young kids.

  All in all, it is not a place I would recommend if you want to get close to nature.

• 

  Christina M.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 28, 2017

  Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park

  Great Place for First Timers

  I went here with two of my coworkers for a relaxing weekend getaway. I'm use to the rough and tough it of backpacking the AT Trail so this place had quite a few amenities I am not use to! Haha. We stayed at a platform tent site and were able to park two vehicles on site but the grounds had plenty of parking not too far from the sites. Each of the sites had a large platform (enough room for one very large tent or 2-3 smaller tents), a fire pit, and picnic table. You are very close to your neighbor in this area but when we were there everyone was very respectful. There was potable water a short walking distance away as well as flushing toilets. There was a very large open grassy field for play/sports, a playground and life guarded portion of the lake for swimming. This location was very accesible to the Bish Bash Falls trail and even had a few side trails to explore. This place is very good for easing on first timers and there were quite a few children so those who are parents should consider this a great place to get kids involved in the outdoors as well. There were other accommodations such as RV hook ups, events, and rentals but we weren't there long enough to take adavatage of those. Overall a great experience and relatively cheap for what you get. I believe it was around $30 for two nights which was the minimum.

• 

  Kathy L.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 17, 2021

  Mills Norrie State Park Campground

  Mixed reviews

  Mixed reviews. Pros: State park is in a beautiful part of the country - the Hudson River Valley - with a good location for visiting the towns, villages and hamlets on the valley. State park also has a good hiking trail network with trailheads connecting to the campground. Cons: the campground itself needs some work. There’s only one bath house with just a few showers and toilets. It’s in pretty bad shape - dirty, bad drainage, and sometimes backed up toilets. I found one other restroom house in the park and the doors were boarded up and locked. The campsites are okay - mostly tent sites. Some are better than others. There are only a handful of sites with electric hookups and only one (site 51) is level. Some have a steep descent off the road, abs there’s a lip on the road that can scrape bottom of campers/RVs. This happened to our neighbor and it took out his RV sewer system, which will be not only a hassle but a costly repair. Back to pros: the campground and state park is nicely forested with beautiful tall trees. Everyone we met was very nice. Lots of families having a good time. We stayed here for 9 days in July 2021. Campground is empty during the week, and more crowded on weekends. We would return here if in this area again, but the state park & campground needs some upgrades.

• 

  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.

• 

  John D.

  Scout

  

  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..

• 

  Sylvia P.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 15, 2020

  White Pines Campsites

  Could have been so much better

  Upon arrival, I liked the atmosphere and friendly service but our site was filthy. A bag of dog poop by a tree, trash under the picnic table, cigarette butts littering the rocks around the fire pit, and the pit was so full of ash, there was no more room for firewood. And as other reviewers stated, these sites aren’t the cheapest. I don’t normally complain but this was unacceptable in my opinion. I called the front desk and spoke with a very lovely person. She was mortified and said she’d send maintenance. No. One. Ever. Showed. Up. We waited an hour and then we just started cleaning it up ourselves so we could move on and get started on dinner.

  Our site was T3 and it was spacious and spread out from other tent sites. There was a tiny creek meandering behind the site and the woods just went on for miles. We felt grateful to be separated from the RVers and have so much space to ourselves.

  Night fell and the place turned into Margaritaville. The seasonal RVers have really taken over the place and while some have tasteful decor and lights, others not so much. Even 50 yards away from the RV section and I felt like I was in a dance club parking lot. The music was so loud. No one seemed to care. Nothing was enforced.

  Lastly, there was a lonely port-a-potty across the road from us along with a water spigot. There was trash all around the spigot that remained there throughout our stay (an entire roll of sopping wet toilet paper and an eyelash curler, guys), but the camp sanitation truck came once a day to empty that outhouse, which I never used based on the smell. If you have young kids that nap during the day, this truck would wake them. I walked the extra .2 miles to the bathhouse, which started out immaculate but quickly turned south with the sheer number of people using it. A cleaning log claimed it was tended to but it couldn’t have been true. Trash was endlessly overflowing and soap was running low.

  The loud music I could get over for the view but the uncleanliness was just annoying. What a simple thing to fix for your customers.

  Also beware of bears. We and several other neighboring campers spied a pretty big black bear not far enough away in the late morning hours. I’m sure they are fed well.

• 

  Justin P.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 18, 2022

  Kettletown State Park Campground

  Great activities but compact sites

  I tented here while doing a river stream reconstruction project in southern Connecticut.

  To start, access to the river was great, though no swimming was allowed because of an algae bloom. The shorter hiking trails in the area were really beautiful.

  Site 32 and the upper loop was not great though. The sites were super close together and the boundary lines were unclear, so my neighbors ended up using my fire ring to secure their tent. The picnic table seemed to be shared between sites and had boards missing, so it was challenging to use when available.

  Overall, folks seemed to be there in larger groups for celebrations so things were loud well past midnight, which was challenging given how close each site was. I realize this is very time specific but there was no management presence around quiet time, and this happened both evenings I was there, so I got the sense that quiet times didn’t really apply.

  The location was great especially for folks closer to the major metro areas, but I’ll be looking elsewhere if I’m ever in the area again.

• 

  Christy C.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 8, 2017

  Rocky Neck State Park Campground

  Large campground close to beach

  On our way to through Connecticut, we needed to stop for a night. This was on Long Island Sound and had walk-up sites available. $33 per night gets you a site with bath house/restroom close by but no hook-ups. There is a public "beach" nearby which is way different than our Florida ones. We had to walk under the railroad tracks through a tunnel to get there. Interesting but still a nice feature and probably the main attraction here. There was also a concession stand, nature center, picnic area and boat ramp here at this park. Since we were getting a walk-up site they let us drive around and pick our site from a list of available ones. Most of them were on the small side accommodating tents or pop-ups. We found one in the Osprey loop which was very shaded. The bath rooms were clean and up to date. Good for a night on our way to Rhode Island.

• 

  Cynthia K.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 29, 2024

  Hammonasset State Park Campground

  Connecticut

     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!!