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Best Tent Camping near South Willington, CT

619 Reviews

Tent camping options near South Willington, Connecticut include several established campgrounds with varying amenities and access types. Onion Mountain Park offers a primitive tent camping experience with sites accessible via hiking trails from the parking area. According to reviews, campers can find primitive sites off the blue trail at the top of the mountain with pre-established fire pits. Other notable tent campgrounds include River Highlands State Park and Gillette Castle State Park, both offering riverside camping locations with more amenities.

Most tent sites in the area have limited facilities, making them suitable for campers seeking a more authentic outdoor experience. Onion Mountain Park has no drinking water, toilets, or designated tent pads, requiring campers to bring all necessary supplies. Chapman Pond Preserve features tent platforms, picnic tables, and an outhouse with views of the Connecticut River. Hidden Lake Farm provides more amenities for tent campers, including drinking water, showers, toilets, and picnic tables at their five tent sites. Many locations require advance reservations, particularly during peak season, while others like Onion Mountain operate on a first-come, first-served basis.

The tent camping experience in this region offers varying levels of solitude and natural surroundings. One camper noted that Onion Mountain Park provides "very peaceful overnight camping" though sites are small and best suited for smaller tents rather than group setups. Several Connecticut River-adjacent campgrounds, including Selden Neck State Park, require boat access, providing a unique experience for tent campers willing to paddle to their destination. A reviewer described Selden Neck as having "plenty of flat area to pitch a tent, nice picnic table and fire pit" with "amazing sunset views." Most sites feature fire rings or pits where fires are permitted, allowing for a traditional camping experience. During summer months, campers should prepare for insects, especially at wooded sites like Onion Mountain where reviewers recommend bug protection.

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Best Tent Sites Near South Willington, Connecticut (19)

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Tent Camping Reviews near South Willington, CT

619 Reviews of 19 South Willington 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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..

  • 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

  • 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.

  • 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.

Guide to South Willington

Tent camping near South Willington, Connecticut offers several primitive options with varying levels of isolation and access methods. The region sits within the gently rolling hills of Tolland County, with elevations ranging from 250-600 feet above sea level. Connecticut's humid continental climate brings warm summers with occasional thunderstorms and mild winters, creating a roughly 180-day camping season from late April through October.

What to do

Paddle to island campsites: Selden Neck State Park requires a 20-minute kayak trip across the Connecticut River. "You have to kayak or boat in. There's a boat launch across from the island on the west side of the river at Deep River Landing where you can leave your car," notes Jason S., who adds that "at low tide, a couple of beaches emerge to play on."

Fishing opportunities: Many campgrounds offer direct water access for fishing. At Gillette Castle State Park Campground, Jackie G. reports, "You can swim and fish and relax all day!" The Connecticut River contains numerous species including smallmouth bass, northern pike, and channel catfish.

Learn camping basics: For novice campers, Onion Mountain Park provides an accessible introduction to tent camping skills. Marshall S. explains, "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, you are close to your car and the road in case you need it."

What campers like

Riverside views: The Connecticut River provides a scenic backdrop for many local camping experiences. At Chapman Pond Preserve, Ben L. appreciates the "Good tent platforms, picnic tables and outhouse. CT river within view."

Rustic isolation: Many sites offer genuine wilderness experiences without modern amenities. Ricky H. found "Very peaceful overnight camping" at Onion Mountain Park, noting it operates on a "first come first served basis" with small, primitive sites.

Campfire opportunities: Most sites permit campfires, enhancing the traditional camping experience. Nora S. reports that at Onion Mountain Park, starting a fire is "very easy as there are sticks and wood everywhere." Many established sites include fire rings or pits.

What you should know

Limited facilities: Most tent sites require self-sufficiency. At Buck Hill Campground, Greg R. describes it as "a great rural no frills campground" with "a few rough restrooms and some porta-potties" where you should "don't expect much else."

Access challenges: Some campgrounds require effort to reach. As Nora S. notes about Onion Mountain Park: "it is classified as a walk-in but it's definitely more of a hike. We ended up finding a very primitive spot off the blue trail (on top of the mountain)."

Weather considerations: Fog can delay morning departures from river sites. Jason S. experienced this at Selden Neck State Park Campground: "In the morning, we were completely socked in with fog which would have been an issue if we had to get back early. But it burned off before long."

Tips for camping with families

River beaches: Low tide reveals play areas at some riverside campgrounds. At Selden Neck, Jason S. successfully camped with his "5-year-old" and enjoyed how "at low tide, a couple of beaches emerge to play on."

Shelter options: When tent camping with children, covered areas provide weather protection. Buck Hill Campground offers practicality as Greg R. notes: "A few of the clusters have a covered patio area with electricity."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near South Willington, CT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near South Willington, CT is River Highlands State Park River Campground with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 19 tent camping locations near South Willington, CT, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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