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Lake Compounce Campground accommodates pets across its tent sites, RV spaces, cabins, yurts, and glamping options. Black Rock State Park Campground and White Pines Campsites also welcome dogs, with most sites offering fire rings, picnic tables, and water access for pets. Bathrooms and shower facilities remain clean and accessible across these campgrounds. The sites at Lake Compounce face neighbors but provide enough space that campers don't feel crowded, while tent areas include some shaded spots. Camping photos and user guides for Plainville, Connecticut are available on The Dyrt. Some locations like Branch Brook Campground feature creekside sites providing pleasant views and extra room for dogs to explore within their designated areas.
Multiple hiking opportunities exist near these pet-friendly campgrounds, with trails accessible from Black Rock State Park including Leatherman Cave, Whitestone Cliffs, and Tory's Den within short driving distance. Most campgrounds enforce standard leash policies to maintain safety for all guests. Lake Compounce connects to an amusement park but remains far enough away that noise doesn't disturb camping areas. The swimming options vary by location, with some parks featuring lake access while others maintain pools. Bathrooms at newer facilities like Bear Creek include spacious shower areas planned with campers in mind. Branch Brook Campground offers better WiFi connectivity than most camping locations, allowing pet owners to research nearby veterinary services if needed during their stay.
"People left their left over food scraps in the grass by my camp so not only has my dog been eating it, I also hear coyotes. Won’t be surprised if I see a bear in the morning.."
"Affiliated with Lake Compounce Amusement Park adjacent to campground."
"Quiet CG near Waterbury CT. Close to major stores for resupply. CG has lots of friendly seasonal campers and lots of other sites."
"There’s two brand new bathrooms on site one of which is conveniently located right by the pool. Owners are doing new renovations to make this place look good!"
from $55 - $150 / night
Check Availability"We were passing through Connecticut and needed a place to crash. Loved this campsite! Very chilled and secluded in your own site. I liked that it felt like a litrle community but still quotr private."
"Hawes is one of the few campgrounds in CT that's dog friendly. The sites are nice and large, with room for trailers, and they also have a few cabin sites as well."
from $17 - $50 / night
Check Availability"The campground also has a lake for swimming,trails for hiking, and some nice quiet areas for fishing. Well maintained bathrooms, with available showers, are also spread throughout the grounds."
"Beautiful state park, very clean .. fishing, lake swimming, hiking trails. Bathrooms, free showers .. stores within a 5 minute drive. Most of the camp ground site are not secluded .."
from $17 - $50 / night
Check Availability"We arrived at the parking lot of Onion Mountain Park at around 2 pm and proceeded to get our bags packed for the hike."
"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."
"However one issue was the garbage situation. Had to walk a long distance to throw out the trash."
"We got a tent spot and it was perfect since it was the furthest one away and there was no one near us which is probably why we loved it so much bc we were so isolated. a little disappointed in the site"
from $74 / night
Check Availability"However, we picked this place because it has an enclosed dog park. It does have an enclosed dog park but the fence is only 3 feet high."
"We stayed near the water. Clean private bathrooms were a plus. Clean pool but only 3 feet deep."
from $72 - $122 / night
Check Availability"Sites are pretty close together and the campground is close to a fairly busy road. The pool and laundry areas were clean and seemed newer."
"We only visited for the day and left around dawn, but the campsite was absolutely beautiful—especially with its location right by the river."
from $5 / night
Check Availability"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."
"Beautiful Connecticut beach sits just steps away from your campsite. Well kept showers and bathrooms are abundant and the camp store has the majority of what you need."
from $20 - $70 / night
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ScoutWe have enjoyed our stay. Nice campground with lots of activities and things to do. However, we picked this place because it has an enclosed dog park. It does have an enclosed dog park but the fence is only 3 feet high. While this might be fine for some dogs, I have 2 young border collies that will jump that fence like it is not even there.
GuideMost amazing weekend with tons of woods (privacy is huge for us). Very friendly guests and staff! Amazing weekend with lots of fun for the kids and even the dogs! We’ve been to campgrounds with playgrounds worse than the waters edge dog park. Every one of us had a great time with the perfect campsite deep in the woods (still able to park my 26’ camper trailer). Swimming pool, great playground, among lots of trails and wooded area surrounding almost every site. Best camping weekends we’ve ever had have been at Waters Edge.
TravelerQuaint little campground. Not many tenting sites but along a beautiful lake. Pets allowed. Bathrooms close by 10, something to keep in mind. And they’re cash or check only! Taylor Pond is not far and a great hike to bring both kids and pets. This campground was perfect for us and our dog. Bring your own kayaks or use the campgrounds free of charge.
ScoutGreat family campground with lots of activities. A little pricey. Plenty of open space a dog park area. 3 pools a kiddie pool and outdoor in ground hot tub. Golf cart rentals. Very clean and accommodating
RangerI really wanted to like this place. It's in a very cool area that I didn't expect to be so awesome. First main issue was how bad the cell reception is. Normally, I'd day that's a perk for camping but we're full-timers and work on the road so it is important for us. Next, the place is massive and they are more about make money than making people comfortable. What could easily be a very nice and spacious pull-thru spot are 2 back to back back-ins. Unless you're lucky enough to get an end spot, those are pull-thru. Pros: awesome dog park, great office with laundry, activities, arcades, adult only room, community campfire, indoor pool with lifeguard, the staff is nice, there's a lake for swimming, boating, catch and release fishing. Their basketball court is on a shuffleboard court, playground is nice though. Close to Old Sturbridge Village and many cool hikes and MA cities.
TravelerClean, family friendly campground. Pet friendly with plenty of area to walk. Close to I-95 and 15 minutes from the beach. fishing areas for the kids. Spots are well organized and no issues with hookups. Propane is available at the store.
LegendI 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!!
TravelerI have camped here many times. There are three campsites; two that require short hikes (.5 miles and .75 miles, respectively) and a third that can be driven to. Each one is far away from the others. The two that are closest are still divided by several hundred feet of wooded area; you can hear if someone at the other campsite shouts loudly enough, but you can't hear normal conversation or see any lights.
There is no cell phone coverage at any of the campsites (if you care about that while camping).
All of the campsites are right next to the Shepaug River. There is a very crude outhouse between campsites #1 and #2, but none at #3. Each campsite has a designated fire pit, and the Steep Rock Association provides ample firewood. SR 1 and SR 2 both have picnic tables at them; SR 3 does not. Pets are welcome; there are many people hiking and camping with dogs, and people ride horses down some of the trails.
On 9/2/17, when camping at SR1, we saw a Dumpster on the side of the trail that leads from campsite SR1 to campsite SR2. I have never seen a Dumpster anywhere at Steep Rock before, so I don't know if that is a permanent new addition or if it was there temporarily.
Reservations are required and can be made by contacting the Steep Rock Association office during the week.
ScoutThis is a nice family friendly campground that makes for easy trips. There are a variety of sites available, from open field sites to more wooded and private areas. The campground also has a lake for swimming,trails for hiking, and some nice quiet areas for fishing. Well maintained bathrooms, with available showers, are also spread throughout the grounds. Not pet friendly unfortunately.
Branch Brook Campground near Plainville, Connecticut offers creekside campsites with views and extra room for pets to explore. Many of the region's campgrounds lie within Connecticut's western highlands, where elevations range from 500-1,000 feet above sea level. The camping season typically runs from April through October, with most facilities closing during winter months due to freezing temperatures.
Hiking near state forests: Austin Hawes Memorial Campground in American Legion State Forest provides access to numerous trails along the Farmington River. "Fantastic campground not too far from New York. Super quiet, private campgrounds nestled in the trees, right on a river. This is an anglers campground, so there was some serious fishing going on," notes Ashley B.
Amusement park access: Lake Compounce Campground connects to the oldest continuously operating amusement park in North America. "They have a small playground, activities, tennis court, basketball. Not to mention its next to the amusement park," shares Nichol P. The campground keeps enough distance that noise doesn't disrupt campers.
Mountain exploration: Visit Onion Mountain Park for primitive camping with elevation. "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 but has a firepit already set up," recommends Nora S.
Clean shower facilities: Campers consistently mention bathroom quality at various campgrounds. "Very well maintained and friendly staff will stay again when in the area. Does not have sewer hookups, but does have a dump station," says Ray B. about Lake Compounce Campground.
Swimming options: Black Rock State Park Campground features a swimming lake and hiking trails. "Beautiful state park, very clean... fishing, lake swimming, hiking trails. Bathrooms, free showers... stores within a 5 minute drive," shares Michelle B. The park maintains clean facilities throughout the camping season.
Privacy levels: Campsite privacy varies significantly between locations. "Hawes is one of the few campgrounds in CT that's dog friendly. The sites are nice and large, with room for trailers, and they also have a few cabin sites as well," notes Katherine P. about Austin Hawes Memorial Campground.
Reservation requirements: Most campgrounds require advance booking, especially during summer months. "Stayed for 2 nights midweek. Kids caught about 20 fish. The pool is nice, no deep end. It's very hilly. A golf cart is recommended if your site is far from the pool," advises Rino S. about Cozy Hills Campground.
Pet policies: While many campgrounds accept pets, specific restrictions may apply. "We arrived at the parking lot of Onion Mountain Park at around 2 pm and proceeded to get our bags packed for the hike. I saw in the other review, that it is classified as a walk-in but it's definitely more of a hike," reports Nora S. Always verify pet rules before arrival.
Wildlife awareness: Connecticut's woodlands contain various wildlife including black bears. "This is an interesting camp ground. As I am set up for bed I see one other large green tent that looks deserted. People left their left over food scraps in the grass by my camp so not only has my dog been eating it, I also hear coyotes. Won't be surprised if I see a bear in the morning," warns A.J. at Lake Compounce.
Choose sites with amenities: White Pines Campsites offers family-friendly facilities. "We love this campground. It is a small family/dog friendly campground. Large clean pool my kids loved swimming in. Staff is super nice. Small arcade," reports Kim T.
Look for educational opportunities: Several campgrounds near Plainville offer nature programs. "We've been going to Hammonasset for years as a large family gathering. Most sites don't have hook ups so you have to run off battery and water storage tanks if you have an RV," explains Jason B.
Consider noise factors: Family-friendly pet camping near Plainville, Connecticut requires attention to noise levels. "Not the worst place you could stay at by any means but definitely not the best. Just a very average campground that's probably best for if you're just passing through the area," notes Charlie & Danielle B. about Branch Brook Campground.
Site leveling challenges: Many Connecticut campgrounds feature hilly terrain. "This was good for an overnight stop on our way south. We couldn't find much else along our route, but this wasn't too bad. The sites were long so even though you face your neighbor, the sites were long enough that our door wasn't directly across from our neighbor," shares Tina about Lake Compounce.
Hookup limitations: Be prepared for various hookup restrictions. "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," recommends Diane R.
Cell service considerations: Connectivity varies significantly between locations. "Better wi-fi than most campgrounds. My wife and I both were able to work with mostly no issues, though there were some situations where it would go out," reports Charlie & Danielle B. about Branch Brook Campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Plainville, CT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Plainville, CT is Lake Compounce Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 12 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Plainville, CT?
TheDyrt.com has all 105 dog-friendly camping locations near Plainville, CT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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