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Best Campgrounds in Connecticut

486 Reviews

Connecticut campgrounds offer a mix of developed sites and cabin facilities throughout the state's diverse regions. Hammonasset State Park Campground and Rocky Neck State Park Campground provide waterfront camping experiences along Connecticut's shoreline, while inland locations like Austin Hawes Memorial Campground in American Legion State Forest offer more secluded woodland settings. Many campgrounds across Connecticut accommodate various camping styles, with facilities supporting tent campers, RV enthusiasts, and those seeking cabin accommodations or glamping experiences at places like Brialee Family Campground or Mystic KOA.

Reservations are strongly recommended at Connecticut campgrounds, especially during the peak summer season from Memorial Day through Labor Day when most state park campgrounds operate. Campers at Brialee Family Campground note that "the cabin was absolutely beautiful and clean. The activities were great and kept my grand children busy." Connecticut campgrounds typically open from late May through early September, though some private campgrounds like Mystic KOA offer year-round accessibility. Sites with water and electric hookups are common at both state and private campgrounds, while many state park campgrounds provide basic amenities including showers, toilets and picnic areas, though alcohol is prohibited at most state park facilities.

The camping experience varies significantly between Connecticut's coastal and inland campgrounds. Shoreline camping at places like Hammonasset and Rocky Neck provides beach access and water activities, while the state's forested campgrounds offer more traditional woodland experiences with hiking trails and fishing opportunities. As one visitor to Charlie Brown Campground noted, "Arts and crafts, tractor rides, and of course the tubing down the river. Lots of built-in entertainment for the kids!" Private campgrounds frequently offer more extensive amenities and planned activities compared to state parks, particularly for families with children. Many Connecticut campgrounds feature swimming areas, whether at beaches along the coast or at inland lakes and ponds, providing popular summer recreation opportunities when temperatures typically range from the 70s to 80s Fahrenheit.

Best Camping Sites in Connecticut (98)

    1. Hammonasset State Park Campground

    39 Reviews
    Clinton, CT
    Website
    +1 (203) 245-1817

    $20 - $70 / night

    "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."

    "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."

    2. Rocky Neck State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    South Lyme, CT
    Website
    +1 (860) 739-1339

    "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."

    "Located right off I95 ( which you can hear at times), the park is convenient to all the major interstates and state roads."

    3. Mystic KOA

    25 Reviews
    North Stonington, CT
    Website
    +1 (860) 599-5101

    "During our stay we enjoyed our campsite as it was close to the pool. The grounds were beautiful to walk on with water nearby and little places to explore."

    "We stayed at Mystic KOA in North Stonington, Connecticut, to be tourists in Mystic. Spoiler alert… we had a great stay! "

    4. Austin Hawes Memorial Campground — American Legion State Forest

    16 Reviews
    Riverton, CT
    Website
    +1 (860) 379-0922

    $17 - $50 / night

    "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."

    "Right on the farmington river and off the main road with access to many many other favorable fishing spots. Definitely need to come back. Great rates on all sites."

    5. Brialee Family Campground

    14 Reviews
    Ashford, CT
    Website
    +1 (800) 303-2267

    $25 - $150 / night

    "Swimming lake, canoeing lake, pool, playgrounds. Choice of shade in trees or open field. Nice sites. Decent laundry and showers. Great place with kids.....lots of seasonal, but plenty short term."

    "Nice hiking around the area. Bathrooms are clean. Good for kids/families."

    6. Wilderness Lake Park

    14 Reviews
    Willington, CT
    Website
    +1 (860) 684-6352

    $70 / night

    "Connecticut is LACKING when it comes to outdoor activities when compared to some of the places around the country."

    "It’s a dog friendly park which was good for us, our dog could swim in the lake with us. Cute patio overlooking the lake as well with seating."

    7. Niantic KOA

    14 Reviews
    South Lyme, CT
    Website
    +1 (860) 739-9308

    "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."

    "Close to level parking pad, with table and very nice brick firepit. Sites not too close together. I had woods behind me. I would definitely camp here again."

    8. Strawberry Park

    13 Reviews
    Griswold, CT
    Website
    +1 (860) 886-1944

    $60 - $120 / night

    "It is close by to some nice shopping areas as well. Bingo is always a family favorite and they even had that as well!"

    "It was a bit too cold outside but the pools and hot tubs looked nice. Splash pad was clean and used by kids. Lots of roads to bike on and walk dogs. Live band on Saturday night was nice."

    9. Odetah Camping Resort

    13 Reviews
    Bozrah, CT
    Website
    +1 (860) 889-4144

    "Tucked away in the woods I never knew this was there! Beautiful pond and a good mix of seasonal and overnight sites as well as cabins. Plenty of areas to walk our dogs and have them swim."

    "Has a nice beach on a pond, a very cool splash pad next to the pool which all looked very clean. There is a snack shack next to the pond with a play scape and horseshoes."

    10. Kettletown State Park Campground

    12 Reviews
    Stevenson, CT
    Website
    +1 (203) 264-5678

    $17 - $50 / night

    "We love this State Park because it's close to our home for a quick getaway.  This time we tried one of the sites on the water, and I probably wouldn't choose the same site again. "

    "Semi private with great view and nice walks to the water. Noise was not a problem overnight as to having problems with noises neighbors at other CT state parks."

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486 Reviews of 98 Connecticut Campgrounds

  • V
    Jun. 22, 2026

    Hide-A-Way Cove Campground

    Just okay

    When we arrived at our site we were instantly greeted with an angry resident. He started shooing us away as we were trying to park our camper at our site. He needed to back out and leave but we had only been there no more than 3 minutes before he popped up angrily. There are a lot of long term campers there. Very very unkept campers. Broken down, damaged, some look unlivable. Some may not like the dozens of cats everywhere, but I did. It’s fun to spot a new cat roaming around the campground. The pool is nice and clean. The playground is cute. The Arcade is not worth going to. A lot of the games were broken or empty. Bikes are NOT allowed. My 8 year old son was riding his bike and we were told he couldn’t do that at this campground. The pond/beach area is beautiful. You can try fishing in it. We didn’t catch anything. I definitely don’t suggest swimming in it. It’s not clean enough for that. Camp “store” is very minimal in what they have. Mostly little candy and some minor essentials. There is also a little restaurant attached to the camp store. I like that the sites were grass and not dirt. Or site did not have sewer. We had to go to the dump station to empty black water.

  • Richard A.
    Jun. 21, 2026

    Gibson Hill RV Park

    Worst I've Been To Blatant Deceptive Advertising

    Let me save you from making a grave mistake. The campground was quiet. That's the best thing I can say about Gibson Hill after spending a week there. Totally unkempt and in disarray. The roads are a rocky, dusty rutted mess. The campsites while some newly graveled, not well I might add, are not level. The electric at my site kept tripping off. I finally discovered, with no help from the non-existent management, that the service disconnect breaker was bad. Luckily I had an extra 30A cord and was able to plug into the unoccupied adjacent site. How this abomination has any 5 star reviews is above my pay grade. During the week we were here we never saw a camp representative. We were not welcomed by anyone affiliated with the campground and I never saw anyone on duty in the office. The is NO weekly entertainment. There is NO weekly bonfire. THERE IS NO POOL. Our site had no picnic table and no fire ring and had areas dotted with clumps of gray fur. Obviously noone had inspected our site for cleanliness prior to our arrival. Our first visitor was a 4' rat snake. There was debris strewn all over the grounds. There was one trash container. Unlined and uncovered. No dog poop bags or signs regarding poop pickup. There was a lot of demolition but no new construction ongoing. The“pool” is a 4’ deep square under construction and far from being completed. The“resort” signage was a joke. It took me 3 tries to find my way out of the campground. The entrance sign is installed parallel to the road rather than perpendicular to it for visibility. The number of decrepit or abandoned trailers on site was unbelievable. We were never told if the campground was under new management and/or under going refurbishment. In any event it was missing the mark. Unfortunately we paid for a week in advance so we were stuck here. NEVER AGAIN. I’m leaving this truthful review so no other potential campers are duped into staying here. Definitely an absentee owner who doesn't have a clue. Really too bad because the location and grounds have enormous potential. I will let Happy Grounds and RV LIFE know of my great disappointment and suspect reviews. By the way, to the reviewer who said they enjoyed the pool. THERE IS NO POOL. There is NO on-site management.

  • Sara B.
    Jun. 20, 2026

    Hidden Acres Campground

    Super family friendly

    This campground is wonderful. The playground, the goats, the activities, the craft shed, there is so much to do for kids here. Everyone is so friendly and the campground is very clean. Bathrooms and showers are clean, the snack shack food is really tasty. The peacocks roaming around are the cherry on top. Overall, just a wonderful campground.

  • Nancy W.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 12, 2026

    Sun Outdoors Mystic

    Mixed feelings about the campground but love the area.

    We have stayed at this campground many times because we love the towns of Mystic and Stonington. The campground has changed hands many times and it seems things are always different. I’ll start off with the bad. At check-in, we were greeted by one of the rudest people we have encountered in fifteen years of full-time RVing. There is a page of rules but they don’t seem to be enforced– like dogs off leash and no fences at your campsite. There are seasonal campers that are proud to fly political flags but I suppose there are no rules against that. The park is a mix of seasonals (who seem to just come on weekends to party) and transients. There are lots of amenities (which we did not use) but still had to pay the$10/day resort fee which really drives up the cost. This is a Passport America park so we were able to get 50% off on our stay. The laundry was really dirty (including a wet, slippery floor) and very busy since there weren’t that many machines and some were broken. 

    As for the good. We had a long, level back-in site with lots of room on both sides of us. The grass was lush and nicely mowed (which our dog loved) and we had a nice shade tree. The utilities worked well but were placed at the back of the site and the water was a shared spigot on opposite side. Our water hose was long enough so I didn’t have to add another one to reach the spigot. There are no sewer sites but there are two dump stations available. 

    There is a hiking trail nearby (Hoffman Evergreen Presreve) that we like to visit and is great for dogs. The campground is very convenient to downtown Mystic, the aquarium, and Mystic Seaport Village. Our GPS routed us through the tiny town of Old Mystic which was really tricky to navigate. If you are in a big-rig, we suggest using the Cow Hill Road exit off I-95 and then HWY184 to the campground.

  • C
    Jun. 1, 2026

    Austin Hawes Memorial Campground — American Legion State Forest

    Excellent Solo Tent Camping

    I was a solo female tent-camper and I stayed at the Austin Hawes campground for 2 nights. I had an excellent experience. The office is open daily from 9-5 and 2 young women were staffing it during my stay. They welcomed me with a smile, answered all my questions and sold me two bundles of firewood for$7 each. I camped in site#22 which overlooked the Farmington River. You could hear the river running by all night long. It was very peaceful. I did not know that this portion of the river offers excellent fly fishing, so it looked like something out of an Orvis Catalog as men(they were all men) in waders with serious fly fishing gear often passed by or were standing in the shallow river doing their thing. It is important to know that BLACK BEARS ran through the campsite at night.(The young women in the office had warned me to be careful with my food, and that bears were often sighted). I am an experienced camper and left no trace of food anywhere near my tent, fire or picnic table. The bears did not bother me. I heard they spooked one family who blew some airhorns, then packed up and left in the middle of the night. There are 2 bathhouses, but one was locked because it is currently under construction. I had no trouble using the 1 that was open for campers. There are 2 female(private) showers, 2 male(private) showers, 2 bathroom sinks and 3 toilets in each house. I had no trouble using them and the facilities were clean. All-in-all, it's a beautiful, but very rustic(no electricity) campsite. I look forward to returning in the future.

  • Sue B.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 22, 2026

    Austin Hawes Memorial Campground — American Legion State Forest

    Great smaller campground on the river!

    We love Austin Hawes (Also referred to as American Legion). We have been coming here for years, and it is a great spot. Not too far, not too busy, tent sites, trailer sites, and cabins too. It is in a great location with plenty of hiking trails nearby, and lots of options for swimming, fishing, boating, etc.

  • Sue B.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 22, 2026

    Salt Rock Campground

    Enjoyed our weekend here

    We did a family campout here and had several sites together. We camped in our pop up in the field. We were close to activities and enjoyed an afternoon tubing down the river. The bathrooms weren't the cleanest, but we've seen worse. We enjoyed our time here.

  • Sue B.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 22, 2026

    West Thompson Lake Campground

    Nice Campground!

    We stayed at one of the lean-to sites and really enjoyed our time here. We went fishing and explored the area. We hiked to the tri-state marker (CT-MA-RI) on a nearby trail. Plenty to do and see! Bathrooms were cleaner than what we are used to in a state campground.

  • Janet V.The Dyrt PRO User
    May. 22, 2026

    Rocky Neck State Park Campground

    Mid May - Mid week quiet and l9vely

    Camped early in the season mid week, and it was nice and quiet. The "new" park rangers are take their jobs delightfully serious.

    Our site had plenty of sun for solar but in seagull loop there is loads of shade

Guide to Connecticut

Camping in Connecticut offers a mix of beautiful nature and family-friendly activities. Whether you're pitching a tent or rolling in with an RV, there's something for everyone in this charming state.

What to do

  • Explore State Parks: Connecticut is home to several state parks with hiking trails and scenic views. For example, at Devil's Hopyard State Park Campground, you can hike to Chapman Falls and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. One camper mentioned, “It was great to hike and see the waterfall.”
  • Visit Amusement Parks: If you're near Lake Compounce Campground, you can enjoy the rides at Lake Compounce Amusement Park. A reviewer noted, “It is part of the Lake Compounce Amusement Park.”
  • Fishing and Swimming: Many campgrounds, like Black Rock State Park Campground, offer fishing and swimming opportunities. One visitor said, “Fishing, lake swimming, hiking trails.”

What campers like

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate well-maintained bathrooms and showers. A review from Riverdale Farm Campsites stated, “The facilities are in good shape, friendly staff.”
  • Friendly Staff: Many campgrounds have staff that go above and beyond. At Waters Edge Family Campground, a camper shared, “The kids who work here are so friendly.”
  • Spacious Sites: Campers enjoy having enough room to spread out. A review for Wolf's Den Family Campground mentioned, “Spacious lots very clean and organized facility.”

What you should know

  • Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds, like Gentiles Campground, may not have all the amenities you expect. A camper noted, “I wasn’t crazy how close we were with the other campers.”
  • Seasonal Crowds: Popular spots can get busy on weekends. One visitor at Salem Farms Campground mentioned, “We were told by a seasonal that it's a whole different story on the weekend.”
  • Wildlife Encounters: Be prepared for wildlife. A camper at Lake Compounce Campground shared, “I also hear coyotes. Won’t be surprised if I see a bear in the morning.”

Tips for camping with families

  • Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for places with activities for kids. Wolf's Den Family Campground offers mini-golf and playgrounds. A parent said, “Family oriented park. Bingo, board games, and other activities available.”
  • Safety First: Always keep an eye on your kids, especially near water. A reviewer at Riverdale Farm Campsites mentioned, “The lake is perfect, the river needs work.”
  • Plan Group Activities: Organize games or campfire stories to keep everyone entertained. One camper at Salem Farms Campground noted, “We felt safe allowing the kids to go ride bikes and go mini golfing.”

Tips from RVers

  • Check Site Sizes: Make sure your RV fits the site. A camper at Gentiles Campground said, “Roads were narrow and steep and hard to maneuver bigger trailers.”
  • Look for Hookups: Many campgrounds offer electric and water hookups, but not all. A reviewer at Black Rock State Park Campground mentioned, “No water or electric hookup but I have solar and a generator.”
  • Be Prepared for Bugs: Bring bug spray, especially in the summer. A camper at Devil's Hopyard State Park Campground warned, “Bring lots of bug spray or be eaten alive!”

Connecticut camping has its quirks, but with the right preparation, you can have a fantastic time exploring the great outdoors!

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find dispersed camping in Connecticut?

True dispersed camping is limited in Connecticut. Your best option is Pachaug State Forest, which offers primitive camping at designated sites. While not technically dispersed, these sites provide a more backcountry experience with minimal facilities. Camping is permitted only in designated areas, and you'll need to obtain a no-cost permit from the DEEP website before your stay. The permits are required year-round and typically have a 14-day limit. For those seeking a remote experience, the Mohawk State Forest also offers limited primitive camping options along the Appalachian Trail. Remember that true off-trail dispersed camping is generally not permitted in Connecticut due to the state's size and conservation regulations.

Are there any free camping options in Connecticut state forests?

Connecticut doesn't offer truly free camping options in its state forests. However, Devil's Hopyard State Park Campground provides affordable primitive camping with basic facilities at a nominal fee. Similarly, Rocky Neck State Park Campground offers reasonably priced campsites at around $33 per night with access to bathhouses but no hookups. The most budget-friendly option is primitive camping in Pachaug State Forest, which requires a permit but has minimal or no fees depending on the specific site. These permits must be obtained in advance through Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection website. Remember that even when camping in these more affordable areas, you'll still need proper permits and must follow all state forest regulations.

What are the best campgrounds in Connecticut for families?

Hammonasset State Park Campground is excellent for families, offering beach access just steps from campsites, well-maintained shower facilities, and numerous amenities. Kids can bike to the playground, beach, and nearby ice cream shops. Another great option is Hopeville Pond State Park Campground, where families can enjoy swimming, fishing, hiking, and picnicking. The park features bike-friendly paths for kids to explore, though watch out for the sneaky chipmunks! For those seeking a private campground experience, Wilderness Lake Park offers secluded tent sites alongside RV options and various recreational activities. Lone Oak Camp Sites is another family-friendly option with dedicated children's activities and nearby hiking opportunities to Connecticut's highest point.

Keep Exploring

  4. View all Connecticut cities for camping