Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Putnam, CT has a lot to offer. Putnam is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Discover great camping spots near Putnam, reviewed by campers like you.
$14 - $35 / night
Nestled deep in the woods between Boston & Cape Cod, Normandy Farms Campground is a luxury camping destination that has been a family tradition since 1971 and widely recognized as one of the premier resorts in the world. Relax and enjoy the unique seasons of New England in your RV, tent, or in one of our deluxe cabin or YURT rentals. We also have pop-up trailers and safari tents for those seeking an elevated camping experience.
Normandy Farms Campground Special Amenities include: a bike park, creative arts center, disc golf, a dog park, a fitness center, laundry facilities, playgrounds, a store, volleyball, basketball, soccer, bocce, tennis, 4 swimming pools, spa, wellness center, and more!
$50 - $200 / night
Brialee Family Campground is located in the Northeast Corner of Connecticut, on 120 acres of beautiful grounds, surrounded by the Natchaug State Forest. A true country setting, with rolling hills, forest, and farms. Brialee was founded by Ed& Addie Specyalski in 1974, and is still being run by the Specyalski family today! With planned and supervised activities for all ages, staples like ceramics, bingo, free crafts, and live entertainment every weekend, and park amenities like a pond, pool, splash pad, and more. Brialee is proud of maintaining a family-run business that has a strong focus and dedication to family camping, and is built on referrals and positive feedback from camping families like you.
$25 - $150 / night
West Thompson Lake Campground is located near the wooded shoreline of its namesake lake in northeastern Connecticut. The natural setting surrounding West Thompson Lake can be enjoyed year round. Visitors come to the lake for camping, fishing, boating, kayaking and hiking.
West Thompson Lake provides great boating, kayaking, canoeing and fishing opportunities. It has an excellent population of warm-water fish, including bass and small panfish. A boat ramp is located near the campground for easy access to the water. The Thompson Section of the Quinebaug River Water Trail offers a leisurely three-hour outing for paddlers who are comfortable with moving water. The trail has no rapids or portages and meanders through extensive wildlife habitats. An 18-hole disc golf course is located on the lakeshore and is free to the public. This challenging course is known for its long drives and scenic views of the lake and dam.
West Thompson Lake provides great boating, kayaking, canoeing and fishing opportunities. It has an excellent population of warm-water fish, including bass and small panfish. A boat ramp is located near the campground for easy access to the water. The Thompson Section of the Quinebaug River Water Trail offers a leisurely three-hour outing for paddlers who are comfortable with moving water. The trail has no rapids or portages and meanders through extensive wildlife habitats. An 18-hole disc golf course is located on the lakeshore and is free to the public. This challenging course is known for its long drives and scenic views of the lake and dam.
The campground is nestled in a forest of Eastern white pine, Northern red oak and Shagbark hickory. Shade is abundant throughout the campground, and autumn leaves put on a beautiful show. An overlook at the dam offers pleasing panoramic views for sightseers and photographers.
$20 / night
THE IDEAL GETAWAY: Charlie Brown Campground is located in the peaceful, pre-revolutionary town of Eastford, Connecticut. It is nestled among rolling hills, sleepy rivers and 12,000 plus acres of state park and forests. With miles of nature trails for horseback riding, biking, walking and some of the best fishing in the state, Charlie Brown Campground offers families an ideal getaway from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
GREAT LOCATION: Less than 40 miles from Hartford or Providence, Charlie Brown Campground is far enough to get away from it all but still right in your own back yard. This seasonal campground is well revered for its more than 30 landscaped and manicured acres and especially for its 85 grassy, over sized campsites that are perfect for family gatherings and can easily accommodate the largest RV or camper.
FUNCTION HALL RENTAL: Our awesome Recreation Hall with its stone fireplace, new heating system and full kitchen facilities is now available to rent for various functions. Affordable, convenient, and a great place for your special event, the hall might be just right for you.
CONVENIENCES: This picturesque campground may be full of country charm but it is still savvy enough to provide guests with wireless, high-speed internet, 16 channels of Direct TV cable and 30 or 50 AMP electrical service, arcade style video games and a large screen TV with full surround sound for watching movies or the big game or race.
UNIQUELY SCENIC: With a leisurely drive from Charlie Brown Campground, over scenic byways and through quaint towns formed when the country was still young, you will soon find yourself amongst country fairs, rustic farms, historic landmarks and friendly locals.
The swimming hole at CBC marks the head of the Natchaug River. This class IV drop pool river is just as thrilling for kayakers during the spring thaw as it is for the anglers, both young and old, when it slows down during warmer months becoming the second most heavily stocked Trophy Rivers in the state.
LOCAL CHARM: Time seems to slow down as you stroll through the areas famous antiques district, visit museums or treat yourself and the kids to a farm fresh ice cream cone at one of the many roadside dairy stands.
Just a little further off the beaten path you and your family can experience the New England tradition of crafting maple syrup. At a local sugar house, you can see and taste how sap is collected and then boiled down to make maple syrup and sugar.
For another local treat, stop off at one of the areas' many apple orchards. Here you and your children can pick crisp juicy apples right off the trees, pick out a carving pumpkin and even go for a tractor or horse drawn hay ride as you sip on fresh-pressed apple cider.
FUN or JUST RELAXING: Whatever your inclination might be, Charlie Brown Campground has many wonderful activities and special events to offer throughout the season.
Great care is taken to ensure that there is an abundance of camping activities such as themed weekends, barbecues, moon bounces, pony rides, horseshoe tournaments, entertainment, etc. to choose from so that your stay will not only be fun and memorable, but will keep you coming back again and again.
Set amidst century-old maples, quaint stone walls, and reproduction colonial architecture, this family resort provides the best Connecticut camping has to offer. Here the prevailing breeze is fresh, and the westerly views are of rolling wooded hills and magnificent sunsets.
With modern facilities, the campground is beautifully situated on a hill among maple and apple trees. Most sites are pull-through, allowing for easy parking with additional areas offering everything from secluded tent sites to a three-acre field for groups.
No RV? No problem! With our speciality accommodations, including Camping Cabins and Deluxe Cabins, you may not even feel like you're roughing it at all.
Enjoy all the attractions in the greater Mystic Connecticut area, including Rhode Island beaches, Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mohegan Sun Resort Casino. Mystic KOA is also near to some of Connecticut's finest tourist attractions, including the Mystic Seaport Museum, Dinosaur Place and the Mystic Aquarium.
Strawberry Park is a 160 acre campground nestled in the heart of southeastern Connecticut, in a region of lakes, streams and ocean beaches, conveniently located near all the major points of interest, and only 5 miles off I-395 or 15 miles from I-95. Strawberry Park offers a wide variety of campsites, ranging from open lawns, wooded and shaded sites, some close to the facilities, while others are more secluded.
Updates
Note that some of the photos submitted to this site were taken in areas that were NOT IN the Park. Also the Park is NOT under new ownership.
Very peaceful! Little hidden gem! We loved our weekend away
We stayed at Mystic KOA in North Stonington, Connecticut, to be tourists in Mystic. Spoiler alert… we had a great stay!
This campground is just 15-minutes from Mystic and about an hour’s drive to Newport, Rhode Island. It’s just a few minutes from I-95 and so close to Mystic Aquarium, downtown Mystic, Mystic Seaport, and all the local spots.
It’s a well-maintained campground with 2 pools(though the larger one was closed for maintenance during our stay), lots of play areas and daily activities for little ones, and a cool“pub truck” for adult drinks. Our site(#408) was about 85’ long with plenty of room for our 45’ motorhome and toad(and then some!). It was level and gravel with a nice fire ring and picnic table. The hookups worked fine with 50-amp electric and decent water pressure. Cable TV had nearly 50-channels, but the wi-fi didn’t quite reach our part of the park.
Due to a family issue, we needed to leave about a day-and-a-half early. We called the office as a courtesy to let them know as we were pulling out and received a partial credit for a night’s stay on our credit card. Didn’t even ask, they just did it. Thanks Mystic KOA!
We’ll definitely be back. This is a great place to stay when visiting the coastal Connecticut/Rhode Island area.
Stayed for a week mid-July; during the week had almost an entire loop to ourselves which was wonderful - it felt like having the entire park to ourselves. Things picked up on Friday/Saturday but overall we lucked out with no neighbors who were disrespectful of the quiet hours (10p - 7a). Bathrooms, dumpsters, and portapotties are plentiful, but not always well maintained. Staff are seen frequently throughout the park and are very willing to be helpful when asked - our site had a few Yellowjacket nests and they took care of them for us almost immediately when asked. It’s worth investigating the various sites ahead of time - there are a number of sections much more likely to be busy than others, and lots of low-lying sites that show signs of easily being washed out in anything more than a moderate rain. With multiple great east coast beaches minutes away (as well as conveniences like fuel/stores) we will definitely be back.
We had our very first camping experience with our new camper at this campground and it was everything we could have imagined and more. It’s a beautiful campground, the gentleman and his family who own it are sooooo nice and they helped us a lot when it came to learning how to properly use our camper. All the fellow campers that we met were extremely nice. It’s a quiet campground, located right on a river. My children spent hours in it playing and fishing. Looking forward to returning.
Large campground with 3 pools, many amenities and scheduled activities
We enjoyed our tent site with a wooden lean-to. Overall very private and peaceful, however the only drawback is that people took frequent casual walks pass the area all day long. There's really no way around that.
We did not get a chance to enjoy the amenities, but they all looked nice and well thought out.
We will return.
Pros: 15 minutes from Mystic CT 50 AMP, sewer & water hookup Nice amenities
Cons: Gravel site No shade Tight site & hard to get in/out for big rig
This was our first time visiting and my entire family enjoyed themselves so much, that we've already reserved a site for a few weeks from now. Arts and crafts, tractor rides, and of course the tubing down the river. Lots of built in entertainment for the kids! The grounds were clean, the playground was nice, and the people were all friendly. We did a late checkout for $5 extra, but the noon checkout and two dump stations would make leaving on time a non-issue as well.
Of note: We camped with friends, who were given a spot next to a large group of people (weekend prior to 4th of July is to be expected). The group were very polite and abided by quiet hours, but they were having fun and a bit loud for my buddy's 2 month of baby. They requested to move sites, and the management was super accommodating and apologetic. Helped him move his site and threw in some firewood for the troubles.
We had an excellent experience at this camp ground. The Staff and Rangers were polite and welcoming. We were able to see some boat races and played a round of disc golf on property. Once the boat races finished each day the camp was very quiet and peaceful. Had a great weekend
We camped here from Friday to Sunday. The staff in the main office was very inviting and friendly, the rangers kept everyone in check . The bathrooms were kept clean, but the showers in the Legiontown area are kinda crappy, it's mainly the shower heads...they feel like bullets hitting you and you can't even adjust the shower head nozzle. The showers are $1.50/8mins I only put $1.00 in for 5 minutes which was more than enough time for me. There's a beautiful lake and you can rent Kayaks or a canoe for the day I believe it was around $45.00. there's a nice general store, an arcade, playground, trails, cabins... And the sites are pretty big. No real big complaints, except that the staties are usually waiting for you to come back from the bars since there's no alcohol allowed on the property. So if you are to drink off the property, make sure you have a Designated Driver. They love handing out DUIs. (I did not have this issue, but my friends did.)
Came for the boat races, very relaxing weekend
Odetah Camping Resort called us today 24 hours prior to our arrival- after 4 years of camping there- to cancel our site unless we rented an RV and didn’t use tents. We were allowed to book and had the booking for 4 months. I was on the phone with them while I booked for assistance since it’s a group booking for 16. I called later to book a cabana too. They never once said anything. Then they called 24 hours in advance because our reservation said tent and that’s not allowed. Then they charged us a cancellation fee. Even tho they cancelled ON US.
But my favorite part is them saying that the camping industry is moving to no longer allow tents. They think they are*kind* to still allow tents-a handful of sites on a rocky hill that don’t have electricity or water. So those with medical needs cannot use those sites. Those with mobility limitations cannot either.
WHAT?!
Camping= tents. Change your name if you are going to discriminate. Don’t worry tho, you can put on a tent NEXT TO an rv on the sites. You just cant put only a tent.
Their customer service was horrendous. The experience was horrendous. What a shame.
Camped out here for two nights after reading about this place in the"Best Tent Camping: New England" book. It's better than the other campgrounds in Rhode Island that I looked at (Burlingame, Fort Getty) but isn't my favorite campground. If you're not a Rhode Island resident the fee for most sites is$36/night. Is it worth it? Eh, probably not unless you're really jonesing to camp for a weekend in the Ocean State.
It does have some great things going for it, namely the hiking trails and views of the lake. There are some tent-only sites which are numbered T1-T5. I stayed in T5 and it was the best of the bunch because it had the most privacy and space, including a grassy area. The other tent-only sites were fairly small and if you go to any mixed use sites you run the risk of having an RV next to you. The A1-A7 sites are remote and hike in, but you're going to have to hike either 0.4 or 0.6 miles through some uneven terrain. The next best group of sites would be 19-24 which are on their own small loop near the lake.
The things I didn't like were the streetlights over the port-a-potties that shine all night. There is a manned gate where you check in and you have to get let into the campground during the day, but at night the gates are wide open and it seems like some people know this because there are a few oddballs around in the early morning. There is swimming at the lake but it looked way too dirty.
Overall the place was managed very well, the sites were cleanish and the grounds were taken care of. The employees drove by at least once an hour, I thought they were collecting trash from dumpsters but the only place with a dumpster is near the entrance. I couldn't figure out why they kept driving by so often. I had a good time, it was relaxing and scratched the camping itch.
This is a great spot that’s perfect for a weekend camping. I ended up getting a cabin here and stayed the night. It was thwir opening weekend and the weather was pretty cold so we didn’t have to foght the crowds too much. That said, they have a huge capacity and during summer the place is swarmed by RV’ers and folks staying for longer stays.
Absolutely beautiful. When we drove in we fell in love with the grounds!! We were in site B9. We have a 25” B+ and basically had to park sideways and use a lot of leveling blocks to get our rig level. As we walked around we spoke to others who had similar problems with the sites not being level. We recommend this campground but just be prepared and bring plenty of leveling blocks! The office did provide us with additional blocks to level so they were very accommodating.
Chose this spot to give us a rest on a trip to Canada (and again to go back to Maine to complete the vacation after we had truck trouble). Chose a pull-through to save time and effort. The first time we chose site 1 (pull through). This past weekend we chose site 38 (pull through).
A few weeks ago when we visited, site 1 was close to the entry gate, but was very confusing as a pull through. I just backed the trailer in. The next morning we saw that the "pull through" had not been maintained in several seasons. Tree limbs and brush intruded on the driveway. There was no way to get a truck and trailer through that without damage.
Yesterday we tried site 38. We had to take the camp road around the entire park, then enter the "loop" section. Even the "main" roads required my wife to watch as I cleared tree trunks; it was difficult to snake our little trailer around the bends. The driveway to site 38 was a mess. Tree limbs and brush invaded the drive, and there was nowhere level on the whole site. I used a record 9 blocks to get 4 levels high on the downhill wheel. When leaving we had to go out through the adjoining site, because there was no way we'd be able to make the turn out of the site onto the 10' wide tote road because of the trees.
A surcharge which makes it $50/night for non-MA residents, plus, no dump station on site and $7 for four pieces of firewood (go to the Walmart 2 miles away instead) will have us skip this place in the future, even if it's in a convenient place.
For those looking to vacation here. There was minimal cell phone coverage with Verizon. I could check messages but wouldn't try to stream. The highway is very loud (I-90 is across the lake). There are a lot of boggy areas and swamps which, although pretty, grew a lot of mosquitoes that kept my wife indoors. A lot of sites were fairly large and private. The beach area is close to the lower sites. Bathrooms and showers were tight and needed updating, but cleaned.
Very clean, not as busy, and has all the basics. Everyone complains about the local small wildlife getting into your food but basic practices can keep them out so it’s not a problem I had
Was a little weary at first as our site was smack in the middle of about 15 seasonal sites ! Turns out everyone was awesome and helpful. The pool atmosphere was like you were in some strangers pool! Hummingbirds galore !
Stayed at a great wooded tent site - quiet during the week and packed out by the weekend. Close to the bathrooms, with water spigot and electric hook up. Two small ponds with enough blue gill action to excite the kids. Worth checking out!
Burlingame state park campground is 3100 acres and many of the 739 reservable campsites are well spaced out and you could obtain great privacy if you know which site to pick. The condition of the park has steadily declined since about 2016. Plans are in the work to update all bathroom facilities, but it keeps getting pushed back year after year. Burlingame State Park campground is the only state park managed by an outside corporation who assumes the day to day responsibilities for campsites, dumpsters and bathrooms. Ongoing issues, especially on holiday weekends have been noted by hundreds of campers. The new pre-registration offered through Reserve America has been a great improvement. It allows to avoid the long lines at the check-in station and drive straight up to the gate. Lack of staff on the management level, and Rhode Island state park department level definitely shows. Rhode Island DEM is allowing this wonderful campground to deteriorate. Flooding issues during even minor rainfall is apparent in a large portion of sites, so beware which campsite you reserve. Camper created group called Bound4burlingame has filmed every campsite and put them on YouTube and has created a private group on FB where the camping community of Burlingame contributes daily to an extremely popular public forum. Best place to gain info and insight. Get campsite recommendations straight from the people who actually camp there.
The sites in the 500 section are nice and big, and that’s about where the positives end :( There was a huge party that went on till 3 AM with crazy loud music, if you like quiet nights this is not your place. I really don’t mind loud people though so if that had been the worst of it I would have been ok. For me the bathrooms and dumpsters were absolutely unacceptable 🤢 I think the bathroom was cleaned once the 3 days we were there. There was feces on the toilet 2 of the 3 days, people washing dishes in bathroom sinks, floors covered in garbage. The dumpster smelled so bad and you couldn’t even throw garbage away, it was so full people just kept tossing it on top. Most of the time there was one person checking people in at the desk and trying to let people in the gate which takes forever since they have to check papers and license plates. Also, the mosquitoes are relentless so bring bug spray, lots of it.
Very nice staff, campground is nice also. Bathrooms could be cleaner. Close to downtown and beaches - campsite offers a shuttle service to most things around which is great!
So many activities for kids and family. Well maintained facilities. Kind and helpful staff. No sewer hook up, but they do provide a honey wagon pump service, once, free of charge. They say you can request additional pumps for a fee, if necessary. However, we were not able to be pumped because it was the “pumpers” day off. LOL Hey, it happens. :) They do have a dump station for a DIY.
You just can’t go wrong  with a KOA campground. His place in Niantic Connecticut very close to downtown and the beach which they have a shuttle for. The staff is very friendly, courteous and knowledgeable of the area. Plenty activities for adults and kids and they are putting in a new swimming pool which will be up middle of July . They have spaces for 10 sites and up (I would call to see if you can fit if you have a larger rig ) very easy to get to write off I-95 even though you’re close to I-95, I could barely hear the traffic. I heard, crickets and birds before traffic. 
Normandy Farms is perfect. The grounds are beautiful, the staff is lovely. The sites are level, the bathrooms/showers are spotless with piped in music and hairdryers. It's one of the few campgrounds that really is a resort. This was our second visit and it just keeps getting better. They've added a huge covered area with a snack bar and a big TV over the fireplace next to the Recreation Lodge. It's not far from a park and ride area, so taking the train into Boston is easy.
Absolutely love this campground. It has so many things for the kids to do. Everyone is so friendly. Can't wait to go back for the 4th of July.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Putnam, CT is George Washington State Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 26 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 30 glamping camping locations near Putnam, CT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
