Best Tent Camping near Windsor Locks, CT

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Best Tent Sites Near Windsor Locks, CT (26)

Showing results 1-10 of 26 campgrounds

Recent Tent Reviews in Windsor Locks

635 Reviews of 26 Windsor Locks Campgrounds


  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Hopeville Pond State Park Campground
    Nov. 10, 2024

    Hopeville Pond State Park Campground

    Small campground in three sections on Hopeville Pond

    General: There are three sections to this campground: five canoe sites; 16 sites including one cabin behind the ranger station and what I would assume is the main section with 61 sites. Some sites have water and electric hookups, but the majority of the sites have no utilities. Note: Pets are not allowed at this campground!

    Site Quality: We arrived in the rain after the Ranger station had closed and circled the main section several times trying to find the site with the least amount of water. We did not know until the next morning when we went to pay that we ended up in an ADA-accessible site. It was not marked in any way and I’m guessing that the only reason it was designated as such was its proximity to the restrooms. All sites appeared level and even though they were supposed to have gravel pads, they were mostly a mix of dirt (or mud) and grass with a little gravel. 

    Bath/Shower House: In the main section, there is a very large and clean indoor bathhouse with free showers. Did not use the shower so cannot comment. Appreciated that there was immediate hot water at the sinks. The other two sections have vault toilets. 

    Activities/Amenities: In season there is swimming, but the beach is very small. Fishing, canoeing, and kayaking are also popular. There are also some trails for walking/hiking, a basketball hoop, a dump station, and recycling. 

    This was an overnight stay for us but the rate for out-of-state campers, while higher than for residents, was reasonable at $30. We would return to this campground.

  • Ricky H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Onion Mountain Park
    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.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Niantic KOA
    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.

  • Missi N.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Northampton / Springfield KOA
    Oct. 11, 2024

    Northampton / Springfield KOA

    Cute little campground

    Quiet (besides occasional plane overhead) lots of trees, spacious sites, clean and modern bathrooms and showers, nice friendly helpful staff.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Spacious Skies Woodland Hills
    Oct. 8, 2024

    Spacious Skies Woodland Hills

    Tightly squeezed sites.

    Although sites are squeezed in, it is a nice family campground. However the site I had was steep grade from steps to picnic table. Flat ground area for camper was very narrow.Tricky footing for older folks like my wife and I. Particularly since my wife uses a cane.

  • Kathy T.
    Camper-submitted photo from Salt Rock State Campground
    Sep. 23, 2024

    Salt Rock State Campground

    Clean, but dated facilities

    Campground is a bit crowded with sites close together. The facilities were clean but quite old. There are some nice hiking trails along the river.

  • f
    Camper-submitted photo from Sunset View Farms
    Sep. 21, 2024

    Sunset View Farms

    Lovely spot in the woods

    We booked last minute (2 hours before we arrived) and were met with the friendliest staff ready to help us at 7:30PM and get us checked in. Perfect spot if you don’t mind a 40 minute ride over to The Big E fair which is what brought us out to this part of MA. The restaurant was so nice, and to my surprise more than accommodating as I have celiac, they really went above and beyond. We will definitely be back next summer for a longer stay.

  • Jacob D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Fernwood Forest Campground
    Sep. 15, 2024

    Fernwood Forest Campground

    Great and Friendly

    This campground has a lot of amenities for what you pay. You can get a site with just water, or electric and water. Can do RV or tent. Warm showers and playground for kids with communal areas. Quiet and dark both nights and the staff is very friendly, the campground is in the family. Will definitely stay here again!

  • AThe Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Kettletown State Park Campground
    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.
    Camper-submitted photo from Hammonasset State Park Campground
    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.
    Camper-submitted photo from Waters Edge Family Campground
    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

  • SomadNomad M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Granville State Forest
    Aug. 17, 2024

    Granville State Forest

    Gotta chance

    Dyrt says $17-$54 went through all the hoops to book one for tonight said $17 per night went to check out expecting a few extra fees, $58.50.....that's over the max advertised....DYRT YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH AND DELETE BAD ENTRIES. YOU ARE A DISSAPOINTMENT.

  • SomadNomad M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from October Mountain State Forest
    Aug. 17, 2024

    October Mountain State Forest

    WHAT!?

    First off no same day reservations or walk ups allowed, second it yells you that the fee is $17.50 per site, I expected a little added extra fee for booking etc.... check out was $58.50 per night. I would have if they weren't so manipulative about it.

  • Emily F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Camper-submitted photo from Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park
    Jul. 29, 2024

    Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park

    Perfect for a chill weekend with friends

    I can here to spend time with friends and i feel like we got lucky with our site. It had a nice wooded area behind us and felt more private than some of the other site.

    The swimming there felt really clean and I loved the dock. Close to great hiking.

  • G Y.
    Camper-submitted photo from Lake Waramaug State Park Campground
    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.

  • L
    Camper-submitted photo from Peppertree Camping
    Jul. 23, 2024

    Peppertree Camping

    Amazing stay

    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.

  • Laura D.
    Camper-submitted photo from Brialee Family Campground
    Jul. 10, 2024

    Brialee Family Campground

    Best Camping Experience

    This was our families first time staying at Brialee Campground.  The cabin was absolutely beautiful and clean.  The staff were friendly and helpful. The activities were great and kept my grand children busy.  Swimming and the lake were fun.  I cannot say enough wonderful things.  We had such a great time I booked my reservations for Next July 2025 before I left.

    A special thank you to Sherri for the personal tour and showing us the ropes!  She is the best.

    The D'Avanzo Family

  • R
    Camper-submitted photo from Strawberry Park
    Jul. 10, 2024

    Strawberry Park

    Large campground with 3 pools, many amenities and scheduled activities

    Large campground with 3 pools, many amenities and scheduled activities

  • A
    Camper-submitted photo from Spacious Skies Woodland Hills
    Jul. 1, 2024

    Spacious Skies Woodland Hills

    Great weekend site

    We rented a rustic campsite for a long weekend and it was way better than expected. The staff was helpful, the site was pretty and there are so many places to hike and the best of the Berkshires so close by. There are only two showers in each gendered bathroom, but there are so many RVs here it never was an issue. The pool is being renovated so it is currently closed.



Frequently Asked Questions

  • Which is the most popular tent campsite near Windsor Locks, CT?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Windsor Locks, CT is Hammonasset State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 38 reviews.

  • What is the best site to find tent camping near Windsor Locks, CT?

    TheDyrt.com has all 26 tent camping locations near Windsor Locks, CT, with real photos and reviews from campers.