Best Tent Camping near West Haven, CT

Recent Tent Reviews in West Haven

412 Reviews of 19 West Haven Campgrounds

• 

  Ricky H.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 5, 2024

  Onion Mountain Park

  Quiet overnight

  Very peaceful overnight camping, no permit required. Small campsite, first come first served basis. Other posts claim you can park right the site, but you can not. 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.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 1, 2024

  Niantic KOA

  Future potential?

  We generally only stay in KOAs or similar RV parks when we need showers, laundry, or a dump station. This one was in a convenient location plus many campgrounds had not yet opened for the year when we were there. It had rained for a few days before our arrival and that did not help our first impression as we drove on the rutted and muddy road to our site. There was a sign that improvements are underway, but I am not sure what those planned improvements are and when they will be implemented.

  On the plus side:

  *Friendly and helpful staff. Not sure why when we are given a map an employee escorts us to our site but that is a KOA thing. Later an employee asked if I wanted help carrying our clothes to the laundry.

  * Warm showers (but it did take a while for the water to get warm)

  *Brand new pool that was uncovered but it was way too cold in April to use*Sites were spaced a decent amount of space apart (although there is little physical separation). This was helped by the fact that there was no one on either side of us during our stay.

  *In season, there are many activities to occupy families (pool, playground, mini golf, daily firetruck rides, complimentary shuttle into the town of Niantic); however, we could not take advantage of most of these.

  *Reasonably priced laundry, although the washing machines were smal, and it took two to do what should have been one load. However, the dryers give you 60 minutes so although it took longer to dry, I only had to use one. 

  On the negative side:

  *Unmaintained roadways. The main one was once paved but has not been maintained; others were dirt (and mud after a rain)

  *High price for what we received. Not sure if we received an off-season rate but at $87 per night for a water/electric site and not being able to take advantage of amenities seemed high.

  *Allowing political flags to be displayed at sites. I understand that on private property, this can be allowed at the owner's discretion, but this was offensive to us. 

  Again, this is not our preferred type of camping. Initially, I struggled to give this two stars but once the rain stopped, our stay improved somewhat.

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 18, 2024

  Croton Point Park

  Not too much to offer

  General: A county park with a mix of w/e (6 sites) and FHU sites plus about a dozen tent sites near a capped dump! There is a lodge and cabins close to the end of the point, but they appeared to be part of a group camp experience. They all appeared to be closed for the season (or because no one was renting at the time; they reminded me of places I used to take youth groups for weekend camps). The reservation process is a bit wonky. You need to call (no online reservations) and then wait for an e-mail, but the e-mail does not tell you your assigned site; you have to wait until you check in to find out your site.

  Site Quality: We had a loosely defined gravel pad that was level. All sites appeared level. The FHU sites were back-to-back and although there were trees separating the sites, they were close together. No one was in the tent sites, but they did have new picnic tables.

  Activities/Amenities: Other than a playground and a basketball court, there did not seem to be any activities to partake in. There used to be a pool but from the looks of it, it hasn’t been in use for many years. There are walking paths outside of the campground that are located within the park, but we did not have time to explore them. 

  Bath/Shower house: Clean but a bit dated. No shelves or hooks for toiletries. I was surprised the door was left open all night long. There was a sign warning that the toilets were slow flushing, but I think this may have been fixed because the flush was so powerful that the water splashed over the top of the seat! 

  Because it was on a point on the Hudson, I had hoped for views from the campground but there were too many trees to see the water. I was perplexed by the signs throughout saying no trespassing/fishing prohibited. I get the no fishing part but the trespassing? When we checked in, we had to write down our credit card number on a slip of paper before we were given a key that opened the gate to the campground. When we checked out, we asked for the paper or to watch it get shredded but were told they had to keep it on file which concerned us.

• 

  Prashant M.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 17, 2024

  Indian Island County Park

  Very Busy! Close quarters! Can be loud and neighbors are ignorant of rules

  Stayed at this campground this past weekend and yes it was a long weekend so the campground was packed. All the camping spots are pretty much right next to each one with hardly any space, packed like Sardines. Neighbors are loud and some of them are ignorant of the park rules. Staying on the phones in the middle of the night while talking so loud that all camping neighbors can hear their whole story

  Its a pity that they take a nice park and remove the fun out of camping. 

  However the walk to the beach area was very serene, especially early morning before sunrise and didn't feel like we live in dense suburbia and sunrise from the beach was worth the trip

  Camp site itself was pretty flat, had a water station, bathrooms were well kept , no fire ring (BYOFP)

• J

  Jessica C.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 11, 2024

  Heckscher State Park Campground

  Great for families, not for solitude

  The campsites are very close together without any defining borders so everybody just walks across each other site’s to get to a different one, a path, the bathroom, etc. No solitude, lots of families with kids, lots of music, I mean it’s basically a party. I didn’t realize this when I made my reservations. The place is great for families who want a safe space to camp and it’s a typical Long Island campground. Rangers came around checking on everyone often so it really did feel incredibly safe. I had a pick up truck w/ tinted windows follow me in the park for quite a while which was rather creepy and I couldn’t shake them. When I biked into the campground itself, the pick up truck couldn’t get past the check in area. Everyone I met was friendly and there’s a little shop in the front of the campgrounds that sells various items. I personally wouldn’t stay here again unless I was meeting up with friends or something and wasn’t trying to have more solitude. This is no fault of the park itself though, I’m just more of a woods girl.

• 

  Ioan P.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 2, 2024

  Croton Point Park

  Very nice

  This is state park, very large nested on Peninsula on the Hudson River.

• 

  Matt O.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 25, 2024

  Odetah Camping Resort

  Great place

  We love camping at Odetah. Clean facilities. Great staff. New pool and hot tub. Will definitely come back

• 

  Betty K.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 16, 2024

  Fieldstone Farmstead

  oke

  I like everything about it. It's a nice thing to share a great story io games

• A

  Arno W.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 10, 2024

  Kettletown State Park Campground

  Great location, but not a good experience

  Camping Review:

  This campsite is beautifully located in the woods, offering a peaceful and serene environment. There are no busy roads nearby, which ensures a quiet setting during the day.

  However, there are several downsides to consider. The camping spots are uneven, making it challenging to set up tents or campers. Additionally, swimming at the nearby beach is restricted to residents of the village, so visitors are not allowed to swim there.

  During our stay, there were multiple large groups, including a Christian group that preached (screamingly) and played loud music until midnight, despite the designated quiet hours. Unfortunately, the management did nothing to enforce the rules, which was disruptive.

  Another significant issue was the state of the sanitary facilities. They were extremely dirty, with feces present in various places. It took a long time before anything was cleaned, which obviously kept us from using the facilities.

  Overall, while the location is beautiful, the poor management, noise issues, and dirty sanitary facilities seriously detract from the experience.

• 

  Cynthia K.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 29, 2024

  Hammonasset State Park Campground

  Connecticut

     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. 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!!

• 

  carol T.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 23, 2024

  Waters Edge Family Campground

  BEWARE WATERS EDGE CAMPGROUNDS THEY WILL KEEP ALL YOUR MONEY

  JUNE 30,2024  my husband & I were seasonals at waters edge campground Lebanon Connecticuit  gave them a 30 day notice we were leaving this place wasnt for us just awful the owners are just money hungey thieves they told us they were keeping our deposit wich we expected because it says non refundable deposit so okay fine but we paid for the whole season its open april15 to october15 gave a 30 day notice left june 30 they refused to give us back the money for july ,august,september,to october 15 they ket 750 plus 2500 dollars told us were not getting our money back So iam sure they rented the site thats double dipping so fair warning I dont want this to happen to anyone else they will Rob you blind oh and they broke our ice maker when they dewinterized our trailer and never owned up to it came down to my floor in camper soaked with water from my freezer and didnr bother to clean tthe mess and said  it must have been broken nefore so they are also dirty liars I didnt want to even give a one star rating but had to put somethin i give the a big fat 0

• 

  Sara R.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 4, 2024

  Windmill Hill - Connecticut White Memorial Campground

  Quiet woods

  I booked site 5 for the week. Great experience! Quiet woods atmosphere with trail’s. Wonderful place to camp. Very clean

• 

  G Y.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Lake Waramaug State Park Campground

  Quiet Rustic Camping

  My family has been camping at Lake Waramaug for over 20 years. I can say most of what’s been said is true or partially so but whether it’s bad or good depends on your point of view. Note that we are a Scout family and my husband and son have camped many days well off the grid with only the gear and food in their backpacks. That skews our point of view. 

  First off, Connecticut’s state campgrounds are not KOA’s. 

  Do not expect top of the line activities that private campgrounds have.

  What it does have are clean, large sites that are partially wooded and not out in the open. 

  The lake is great for kayaking, paddle boarding, canoes and for fishing. Bring your own gear but kayak and canoe rentals are available. The swim area is marginal- best for little ones. 

  This park is remote from all conveniences- pack it in or expect a drive. There have been several times I’ve driven to the Dunkin Donuts miles down the road for coffee but I find using a French press is more convenient. For takeout there’s the White Horse on 202. It’s ranked a top restaurant in the state - the food is good. 

  Never have we had issues with wildlife besides squirrels and ducks. Leave no trace is important - it keeps the unwelcome wildlife out. 

  There have been issues with the bathrooms off and on over the decades. It seems like they’ve finally fixed everything. Our trip of 7/27-28 showed everything was fine.

  The only on-site services are firewood and ice sales. The little food shack is out of business. 

  Yes, cell service is basically non-existent. Our trip this weekend was the first time we received more than 1 bar in 20 years. Actually we were a bit disappointed because this camp ground is a great place to disconnect and relax. Being forced to put away the devices is heaven in my mind. You can drive about 5+ minutes out and get cell service. Regarding rowdiness, of the 20+ times we’ve camped only twice was it a problem. 

  Also, this place is not glamping. The area is rural, so cows do moo at 6am, and kids are up even earlier. If you like to sleep in skip and rent a B&B. 

  Also if you want a better place to swim go to Mt.Tom state park about 10 minutes up the road. It’s a day use only park-no camping- but the lake is gorgeous and there are very few people there.

• 

  mike

  Scout

  

  Jul. 15, 2024

  Fieldstone Farmstead

  Amazing experience!

  My partner and I booked a weekend at Fieldstone Farmstead and it was such a pleasant experience.

  The outdoor shower and outhouse were such an appreciated amenity. The proximity to hiking trails and lakes was such an added benefit as well. We would have been happy hanging out in the alpaca pen all day, but it was great to cool off in the nearby lake.

  The campsite was clean and free of leaves and sticks.

  Always felt safe on the property and the star gazing was a beautiful sight. Clean, quiet and cozy weekend. Would recommend to anyone.

• 

  Bianca D.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 8, 2024

  Fieldstone Farmstead

  Peaceful and relaxing stay

  Although we were rained on in the beginning, the stay was very relaxing and pleasant. Dave and Kate were extremely kind and helpful. The animals were also very adorable and sweet to be around. I would definitely recommend staying here and visiting parks in the area.

• K

  Kevin G.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 7, 2024

  Croton Point Park

  First time campers, loved it

  I took my 5 year old-son and wife, all of us first time campers. this place was great. The site was very nice, all the people friendly and area beautiful.

• 

  Kerry G.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 21, 2024

  Odetah Camping Resort

  “Camp”grounds that discriminates against tent campers

  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.

• G

  Gianna

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 14, 2024

  Smith Point County Park

  Lovely campsite

  Truly great spot. Amazing sites with plenty of room, though they are close together. But was worth it for the amenities and fantastic views. Stayed on the bayside (site 30), which had a fantastic direct bay view. Although most sites have views of the bay, some are blocked by seagrass (for example site 28 - huge corner spot but the flat spot to park has an obstructed view). Literally steps to the beach.

• 

  Topher L.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 14, 2024

  Black Rock State Park Campground

  Great Place to Relax

  The staff greeted with warm welcomes and big smiles. Even when I arrived on a rainy Sunday. Stayed until Friday. And the grounds staff smiled and waved as they went by. The family next to me offered me dinner one night after I spent the whole day working on my RV. Spanish rice chicken the works the plate could barely hold it all. No body bothered me and I was right front and center. Kids riding around on the bikes and lots of laughter from other sites. It was nice. Was able to just relax and do some school work and watch some webinars and get some much needed work done. This was my first of many stops on my countrywide trip. From NJ originally. Spent almost a week here in CT hitting Hartford for the weekend then off to Rhode Island. It was great. No water or electric hookup but I have solar and a generator and they have a wash area for dishes and REALLY HOT showers. Lol I like my showers hot butt my biscuits were burnin lol. They also have a dump station and a place to fill up ur water tank as well. 5 star all the way. Side note...the map online is misleading. I thought site 1 was like away and sorta back by no one...ha noppeeee I was riiiight in the middle where EVERYONE saw me lmao. No tree cover or anything! Lol. All good tho. That was my own fault for not calling and asking lol helped me level up on my social anxiety 😂🫣🤗😅

• 

  Theresa H.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 11, 2024

  Devil's Hopyard State Park Campground

  Nice for a small campground

  This was our first stay at Devil’s Hopyard campground. We enjoyed our stay and were happy with our site. It was great to hike and see the waterfall.

• D

  Denis S.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 2, 2024

  Suffolk County Sears Bellows County Park

  Tick Kingdom

  This is a nice campground - not crowded and centrally located. However, I cannot walk ANYWHERE without picking up ticks. Even on the large sand paths, going to and from the bathroom I find ticks. It’s amazing!

• 

  Ryan A.

  Guide

  

  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.

• A

  Athelstan

  Scout

  

  Apr. 22, 2024

  Fieldstone Farmstead

  interesting outing

  I give this location a 100% rating since it's lovely and quiet, and the owner is really kind and kind. I definitely plan to go back slice master.

• 

  Jake C.

  Legend

  

  Apr. 9, 2024

  Freedom Farm Homestead

  New to the Dyrt!

  Jake from the Dyrt here! We're excited to have this campground on the Dyrt and ready for you to book, check them out and make sure to leave a review!

• 

  Jason S.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 28, 2024

  Selden Neck State Park Campground

  Gorgeous riverside tent camping

  Selden Neck State Park is an island in the Connecticut River with no roads or development other than 4 campsites. 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. (Entering and parking at the boat launch requires a permit Memorial Day to Labor Day.)

  It's about a 20 minute paddle across the river to the island. If it's a nice day, you're going to encounter some wake from passing boats so make sure your gear is in waterproof bags. Once you get to the island, follow the bank north until you spot the sign for your campsite.  

  My 5-year-old and I camped at site 2, Hogback. I haven't visited the other sites, but probably will just book this one again because it was so good. Plenty of flat area to pitch a tent, nice picnic table and fire pit. There's a private outhouse. At low tide, a couple of beaches emerge to play on.

  The sunset view was amazing. There was a little noise at night from boat traffic but it didn't keep us up. 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 and we headed back.

• 

  CM M.

  Traveler

  

  Mar. 3, 2024

  Wildwood State Park Campground

  Proceed With Caution

  Perhaps it was the weekend we went but this was an extremely unpleasant trip. The bathroom facilities are wonderful as is the beach but the crowd stayed awake playing music all night very loudly. I think the cabins here are the way to go.

• 

  Paul R.

  Guide

  

  Dec. 5, 2023

  Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

  Well maintained and friendly

  Ive been coming here for years. They have great sights and are open all year round. Ive stayed in hammocks, tents, leantos, and even did a good share of car camping. They have many sites and a tone of hiking trails. All of the shelters have fire pits and some have interior fireplaces. The one downside is that you need to book in person but it can be done well in advance if need be.