Best Tent Camping near Morris, CT

Tent campers seeking primitive experiences in northwestern Connecticut can explore several backcountry options near Morris. The region offers established tent sites at Windmill Hill in White Memorial Conservation Area in nearby Litchfield, where tent camping is permitted in designated areas. For those seeking more seclusion, Onion Mountain Park provides primitive tent camping with access via hiking trails.

Most tent sites in the Morris area require walk-in access, with parking lots typically located a quarter-mile to two miles from actual campsites. Tent pads are minimal, often consisting of forest duff with little to no grading. Fire regulations vary by location, with some areas like Onion Mountain Park allowing fires in established rings while others prohibit them entirely. Bear activity is common throughout the region, necessitating proper food storage in bear boxes where provided or hanging food in trees when camping in more remote areas. Vault toilets are available at some established sites but completely absent at primitive locations.

The tent camping experience near Morris offers genuine backcountry solitude compared to developed campgrounds. Sites at higher elevations provide cooler temperatures during summer months, with tree cover offering shade at most locations. A visitor commented that Onion Mountain Park has "a very primitive spot off the blue trail (on top of the mountain)" with "a firepit already set up" but warned to "be prepared for bugs." Many backcountry tent sites serve as excellent bases for day hiking, particularly those connecting to the Appalachian Trail system that passes through the region. Walk-in tent campers should pack lightly and bring water filtration systems, as most sites lack potable water sources despite proximity to streams or ponds that require treatment.

Best Tent Sites Near Morris, Connecticut (24)

    1. Windmill Hill - Connecticut White Memorial Campground

    1 Review
    Bantam, CT
    3 miles
    Website
    +1 (860) 567-0089

    $25 / night

    "Quiet woods atmosphere with trail’s. Wonderful place to camp. Very clean"

    2. Ten Mile River Shelter — Appalachian National Scenic Trail

    1 Review
    Gaylordsville, CT
    16 miles
    Website

    "Sure, anyone can camp there, but it is designated for folks hiking the A.T., whether thru-hikers, section hikers, or whatever."

    3. Onion Mountain Park

    4 Reviews
    West Simsbury, CT
    21 miles

    "We arrived at the parking lot of Onion Mountain Park at around 2 pm and proceeded to get our bags packed for the hike."

    "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."

    4. Brassie Brook Shelter - Bear Mountain — Appalachian National Scenic Trail

    2 Reviews
    Taconic, CT
    27 miles
    Website

    "We started our hike at the under-mountain trailhead, located right off route 41, and climbed up the mountain. Be prepared for steep inclines, and lots of rocks."

    "The lean-to fit our small tens, and there is a picnic table. There's also a bear box near by. Room to camp your tent on the ground too if you wanted to or had more ppl along."

    5. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

    10 Reviews
    Cross River, NY
    36 miles
    Website
    +1 (914) 864-7317

    $45 - $55 / night

    "Close to the city and civilization, yet large enough to have nice trails and creeks to feel away from it all. The camping sites are very different so it’s useful to go in person and select the area."

    "There’s elevation gain, creeks, and open fields for stargazing. You have the options of a lean to here."

    6. Riga Lean-To

    1 Review
    Taconic, CT
    27 miles
    Website

    "We absolutely loved this little lean-to next to Bear Mountain. I'll make this review short, as we also stayed at the Brassie Brook lean-to which is located only about a mile apart from each other."

    7. Laurel Ridge — Mount Everett State Reservation

    2 Reviews
    Taconic, CT
    28 miles

    "We actually started this hike in by Race Brook Falls area, and ended it where the GPS coordinates are noted. See the map in my photos marked with yellow lines."

    "We packed on our backpacks early in the morning and arrived there mid-afternoon. Very beautiful view, and an awesome spot! No fires allowed, however."

    8. Alander Trail Camground — Mount Washington State Forest

    3 Reviews
    Mount Washington, MA
    31 miles
    Website

    "Absolutely love this spot and highly recommend if you’re looking for a super private, true primitive camping experience."

    "Each spot is easy to find off the trail. They also have bear boxes at each site!"

    9. Mountain Lakes Park

    3 Reviews
    North Salem, NY
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (914) 864-7312

    "Mountain Lakes park is a great place to camp within driving distance from NYC. A fun option available at Mountain lakes is to rent a yurt to camp in."

    "A gorgeous piece of land that contains lakes, a lookout and Mt. Bailey, the highest point in Westchester County. A dirt road loops through the property with trails off and through it."

    10. River Highlands State Park River Campground

    1 Review
    Cromwell, CT
    29 miles
    +1 (203) 287-5658

    $5 / night

    "We only visited for the day and left around dawn, but the campsite was absolutely beautiful—especially with its location right by the river."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Morris, CT

480 Reviews of 24 Morris Campgrounds


  • Nicole G.
    Aug. 24, 2025

    Tolland State Forest Campground

    Great Lakeside Campground

    This was only my second camping trip ever (and first tent camping) so grain of salt here - We had a great time at Tolland. The site was spacious and equipped with a bear box, fire ring, and picnic table. The ground at the site was large gravel which was not great in the tent, but walking around it looks like most sites are more dirt and pine needles.

    The swimming area is small but sandy, great for kids, and my daughter loved thethe campfire and nature talk given on Saturday night by park staff.

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 6, 2025

    Alander Trail Camground — Mount Washington State Forest

    Amazing Dispersed Camping

    Absolutely love this spot and highly recommend if you’re looking for a super private, true primitive camping experience. You have to park at the entrance and hike in about 1.5-2 miles with everything on your back to get to the spots. Once you get there, theres quite a few sites to choose from and each offer quite a bit or privacy. It’s completely free and it usually isn’t too busy since most people don’t like having to carry all their stuff in that far. You will be in the heart of the forest/woods so definitely make sure to be prepared. We had some scares with coyotes and bears in the past but never anything crazy. They give you a semi-flat area for a tent, a fire pit and grill rack, one picnic table, and a bear box you would be sharing with other campers nearby

  • 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.

  • Eugene  T.
    Aug. 15, 2019

    Jellystone Park™ Gardiner

    Great for beginners

    The camp is set up in a “blank slate, parking lot” type style, with a big field, center for tent camping or to be used for sports or other activities. There’s a “lazy river” at one side and a small RV village on the other, and tent sites with water or dry tent camping. Restrooms are available with hot and cold running water, showers and toilets.

  • Katherine P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2020

    Rudd Pond Area — Taconic State Park

    A Cozy Spot

    We stayed here in August 2020.

    This is a really interesting campground that's situated on a hill overlooking Rudd Pond in Taconic State Park.  Almost all of the sites have platforms to pitch your tent on, although there are a couple of flatter spots without platforms (although they still have a slope.)

    There's space near the platform that is flat-ish with a picnic and a fire pit.  Some of these are better than others, ours was not that flat, but we made it work. You get a pretty decent view of Rudd Pond, and the sunsets are pretty. There is also a trailhead at the end of the campground that connects to the other trails in Taconic State Park. There's a swimming beach and during non-covid times, boat rentals.

    The campsites are pretty close together, so if the campground is full, you are rather close to your neighbors. It was close to half full when we were there, and it still felt like a fairly noisy campground, even after quiet hours. 

    My one complaint in these covid times is that compared to the NY-DEC campground we stayed at, I felt that the safety measures were less adhered to here. They had signs asking people to wear masks in the bathroom building, but far fewer people were. I also didn't see the staff do any cleaning of the restrooms while we were there - the paper towels ran out at one point and I had to flag the staff down to get them to go take care of that.  

    Still, I thought it was a really cute place to stay, and I think we would stay here again.

  • Amanda S.
    Jul. 17, 2018

    Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park

    Great price

    This is basic dry camping it is fun but there is no electric or water at the sites o LU in the bathhouse. So if you get a site close the the bathhouse you will have water close by and electricity close. Otherwise it’s dry camping.. the platform sites are great it makes it real easy to set up a tent because of the platform that the tent goes on and the lake is ok. The kids don’t like swimming with fish so we didn’t spend much time at the lake

  • J
    Jun. 16, 2019

    Clarence Fahnestock State Park Campground

    Pleasant campground, litter was a drawback

    Came in on MetroNorth from NYC then took a pre-arranged taxi ($25 flat rate) to the campground. Check-in was fast at the registration desk, and they sold bundles of wood for$6. The campsite (#040) was private, but was located next to the Nature Center and a water spigot, so it was not a super quiet place. The site was littered with small pieces of trash and there was a folding chair someone left open beside the firepit when we arrived... not ideal. 

    However, the site itself was solid- it is surrounded by forest, and is at the top of a small ridge above Pelton Pond, so there was a pretty consistent breeze (few bugs!) and the soft sounds of bullfrogs at night. A tree with a couple medium-size dead limbs was above the ideal place to pitch the tent. The site comes with a picnic table (it was in OK shape) and a fire ring with removable grate, as well as a standing-level charcoal BBQ grill. This site and several others on the opposite (west) side of Pelton Pond had easy access to the 1.5 mile Pelton Pond hike loop. There was plenty of dry kindling around the site, which was a huge help because the wood bought from the Park hissed and didn't really get burning (damp wood? fresh cut?). 

    The park rangers told us the plumbing had been re-done in the past year, so the water fountains and water spigots were in great shape and provided cold, clear water. The bathrooms were clean and well-kept (saw toilet bowl cleaner in the morning), no stalls ran out of toilet paper, and there was soap most of the time at the sinks. We did not use the showers, so can't speak to those. There are even dish washing sinks available with hot running water. 

    We walked 20 min from our site to the beach across the 2-lane highway. The lake is clear and sandy (some rocks in sand on shore, but standard for imported sand), and many families seemed to have traveled up for a day trip. There are facilities and a small grill (burgers, popsicles, etc.) at the beach. 

    Overall, the campsite was pleasant and it was peaceful during quiet hours (10pm-7am) on both Friday and Saturday nights. Removing one star for the lack of care at the site itself (litter, trash around when we arrived) and the poor firewood quality. I would recommend this campground to those looking for a quick trip out of the city, to people new to camping, or to use as a base to explore the Hudson River Valley if you have a personal vehicle.

  • 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.

  • G Y.
    Jul. 29, 2024

    Lake Waramaug State Park Campground

    Quiet Rustic Camping

    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.


Guide to Morris

Primitive tent camping near Morris, Connecticut features several sites within a 25-mile radius across state boundaries into New York and Massachusetts. The terrain includes both valley-based camping options along rivers and higher elevation sites that require moderate to challenging hikes. Temperatures vary significantly by season and elevation, with mountain sites experiencing nights 10-15 degrees cooler than surrounding areas during summer months.

What to do

Trail connections: At Ten Mile River Shelter, campers access the Appalachian Trail directly. "Ten Mile River Shelter and campsite is not a public campground. Sure, anyone can camp there, but it is designated for folks hiking the A.T., whether thru-hikers, section hikers, or whatever," explains a camper.

Mountain summits: Bear Mountain offers challenging hiking within a day's walk from several shelters. A visitor reported, "This site is just south of the Bear Mtn summit. You can park at the Undermountain Trailhead area. Once you hit the AT go to the right and it goes to the summit."

Water activities: Multiple ponds and streams provide swimming, fishing, and paddling opportunities during summer months. Several sites like Windmill Hill have adjacent water access for cooling off when temperatures exceed 85°F.

What campers like

Privacy between sites: At Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, campers appreciate the separation between camping areas. "Beautiful campsites! Lots of lean to sites with fireplaces in them. Our favorite site is #25. Up a hill, totally private and has a lean-to," notes one reviewer.

Lean-to structures: Several backcountry sites provide three-sided shelters as alternatives to tent camping. "The shelters are great for people who want to camp and not have to worry about unplanned weather," mentions a visitor to Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.

Natural surroundings: Onion Mountain Park provides a true forest experience. One camper shared, "Very peaceful overnight camping, no permit required. Small campsite, first come first served basis."

What you should know

Reservation systems: Most primitive sites near Morris operate on a first-come basis with no advance booking available. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation requires in-person registration: "You have to go in person to make a reservation and pay."

Facilities limitations: Alander Trail Campground represents typical backcountry amenities. "You have to park at the entrance and hike in about 1.5-2 miles with everything on your back to get to the spots. They give you a semi-flat area for a tent, a fire pit and grill rack, one picnic table, and a bear box you would be sharing with other campers nearby."

Fire restrictions: Regulations vary significantly between sites. A camper at Riga Lean-to noted, "Carry out all your trash, but there are toilets." Many Appalachian Trail shelters prohibit open fires completely.

Tips for camping with families

Scout-friendly locations: Beginning campers can start at more accessible sites. A visitor to Onion Mountain Park shared: "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."

Playground access: Some established campgrounds include recreational facilities for children. "The camp area is beautiful, especially in the fall. Pet friendly and kid friendly with a playground available," notes a reviewer at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation.

Pack-in considerations: When camping with children at hike-in sites, distribute weight appropriately. Access to Mountain Lakes Park involves "a dirt road loops through the property with trails off and through it."

Tips from RVers

Size limitations: Most tent camping areas near Morris cannot accommodate RVs larger than pop-up campers. Sites typically feature unpaved access roads with limited turn-around space.

Hookup availability: Only select established campgrounds provide utilities. River Highlands State Park offers electric connections but limited amenities otherwise.

Parking constraints: Access to many tent sites requires separate parking and walking to the actual camping area. "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," reports an Onion Mountain Park visitor.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Morris, CT is Windmill Hill - Connecticut White Memorial Campground with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 24 tent camping locations near Morris, CT, with real photos and reviews from campers.