The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Tent Camping near Old Saybrook Center, CT

557 Reviews

Tent camping options near Old Saybrook Center, Connecticut focus primarily on river access sites along the Connecticut River. Selden Neck State Park Campground offers a unique island camping experience with four boat-in tent sites on an undeveloped island in the Connecticut River. Gillette Castle State Park Campground provides tent camping with river views accessible by boat, as does Chapman Pond Preserve with its tent platforms overlooking the Connecticut River. Hidden Lake Farm, located within driving distance, features five tent sites with more amenities than the primitive riverside options.

Most tent campsites in the Old Saybrook area require water transportation to access. Selden Neck State Park requires approximately a 20-minute paddle across the Connecticut River from Deep River Landing, where parking permits are needed during peak season. Campers should pack all gear in waterproof bags due to boat wake that can splash into kayaks and canoes. Primitive riverside sites typically include fire pits and picnic tables, but limited or no facilities. Some sites like Chapman Pond Preserve offer tent platforms and outhouses. Hidden Lake Farm provides more amenities with drinking water, showers, toilets, and picnic tables at their tent-only sites.

Connecticut River tent camping creates unique experiences with exceptional water views. Sites offer opportunities for swimming and fishing directly from camp. River Highlands State Park tent sites feature beautiful scenery but campers should be prepared for wildlife encounters. "Selden Neck State Park is an island in the Connecticut River with no roads or development other than 4 campsites. The sunset view was amazing," noted one visitor. Most riverside tent campgrounds remain relatively secluded, though boat traffic can create minor noise. Early reservations are recommended for summer weekends when backcountry tent camping areas fill quickly. Weather conditions, particularly morning fog, can affect departure times from island and riverside tent camping areas, so flexible scheduling is advisable.

Map showing campgrounds near Old Saybrook Center, ConnecticutExplore the Map

Best Tent Sites Near Old Saybrook Center, Connecticut (15)

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 15 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Old Saybrook Center Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Tent Camping Photos near Old Saybrook Center, CT

13 Photos of 15 Old Saybrook Center Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Old Saybrook Center, CT

557 Reviews of 15 Old Saybrook Center 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

  • 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.

  • Mayra D.
    Mar. 27, 2021

    Cedar Point County Park

    Perfect beach site

    We have gone there a few times. They don’t take reservations but there’s always some sites open. We have walked in and book a site. Twice though in June we had tons of ticks 😬 but overall is a good site! A couple of times we had loud neighbors and it seemed that the ranger was out for lunch so nobody was making sure that quiet hours were enforced.

Guide to Old Saybrook Center

Tent camping near Old Saybrook Center, Connecticut, offers a variety of scenic locations and family-friendly activities, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to enjoy nature.

Explore Local Beaches and Nature Trails

Amenities for a Comfortable Stay

  • Hammonasset State Park Campground features essential amenities like drinking water, electric hookups, and showers, ensuring a convenient camping experience.
  • Enjoy the rustic charm of Hidden Lake Farm, which offers spacious sites with picnic tables and firewood available for purchase.
  • At Selden Neck State Park Campground, you’ll find well-maintained picnic tables and toilets, making it a comfortable spot for tent camping.

Activities for All Ages

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Old Saybrook Center, CT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Old Saybrook Center, CT is Selden Neck State Park Campground with a 5-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Old Saybrook Center, CT?

TheDyrt.com has all 15 tent camping locations near Old Saybrook Center, CT, with real photos and reviews from campers.

Keep Exploring