Best Tent Camping near New Britain, CT
State parks and public lands surrounding New Britain, Connecticut provide several tent camping options for outdoor enthusiasts. Onion Mountain Park offers primitive tent campsites with a first-come, first-served policy and requires a short hike from the parking area to reach the camping area. About 30 minutes east of New Britain, Gillette Castle State Park Campground and Selden Neck State Park Campground provide tent-only camping experiences along the Connecticut River. Chapman Pond Preserve, located approximately 25 miles southeast of New Britain, features walk-in tent sites with tent platforms overlooking the Connecticut River. Windmill Hill in the White Memorial Conservation Center (about 30 miles west in Litchfield) offers a quiet woods atmosphere with established tent campsites.
Most tent campgrounds in the region have basic amenities with varying levels of development. Onion Mountain Park provides primitive tent camping with established fire pits but no drinking water, toilets, or trash facilities. Campers should pack in all necessary supplies and pack out all waste. At Chapman Pond Preserve, tent platforms, picnic tables, and outhouses are available, but the site lacks drinking water. Selden Neck State Park requires boat access, with a 20-minute paddle from Deep River Landing to reach the island's four tent campsites. Bear activity is present throughout the region, so proper food storage is essential, with some sites providing bear boxes while others require hanging food from trees.
Tent campers frequently report peaceful experiences even during peak seasons. According to reviews, Onion Mountain Park offers "very peaceful overnight camping" with sites located off either the yellow or blue trail. One visitor noted that while the spot "is not very big," it includes a pre-established fire pit with plenty of wood available nearby. At Windmill Hill, campers appreciate the "quiet woods atmosphere with trails" and clean facilities. Selden Neck State Park provides a unique backcountry tent camping experience, with one camper reporting "plenty of flat area to pitch a tent, nice picnic table and fire pit" at the Hogback site, plus "a private outhouse" and beaches that emerge at low tide. The island setting creates a true primitive tent camping experience despite being relatively close to urban areas.