Best Campgrounds near Charlemont, MA

This could be a nice campground and day use area. Unfortunately VT State Parks Leadership has allowed Fort Dummer State Park to become a haven for criminals and drug users. This campground and park are not safe. Within the first month of opening in 2025 there have been two assaults, multiple incidents of heroine and meth use and drug dealing, a DUI within the park, a trespass citation, multiple reports of high power automatic weapons being shot, and one of the park managers filed a restraining order against a camper for him threatening to “hit her in the mouth” when she tried to enforce the campground rules. Brattleboro police will not respond to incidents within the park boundary as it’s technically in the town of Guilford. VT State police will not respond to issues within the campground- it took 5 call to 911 over 6 hours for them to respond to the repeated DUI offenses in the park. VT F&W Officers are over half an hour away and are understaffed. VT State Parks policy states that their campgrounds are not a short term housing solution, but homeless have taken over the park and trash their sites and the public bathrooms. Highly suggest not hiking or camping at this location for your own safety. If you like used needles, the roar of highway traffic and sleeping next to felons, this is the park for you 🥴

This trailhead provides access to bicycle-friendly nature trails. I explored both directions on my bike, riding approximately half a mile down each side. The terrain eventually transitions into a low-lying, swampy area, likely due to recent rainfall over the past week.

About 500 feet down the right-hand trail, there is a smaller path branching off to the left. This leads to a previously used campsite, approximately 200 feet from the main trail. The site includes a stone fire ring, indicating prior use.

Given that camping is permitted anywhere in the woods as long as it’s at least 150 feet off the trail, the surrounding area offers an abundance of potential camping spots.

Camping on the Battenkill is truly a gem in the Green Mountains. Excellent location and quiet campground with Battenkill swimming and world-class trout fishing. It features, wooded, sunny and on the river sites. W/E/S is available at some sites and W/E at others(nearest the river) as well as tent sites. All these sites are very roomy/private, with pull-thrus available and back-ins. There are two newly renovated,immaculate bathrooms. A lovely well-maintained grassy play area and great dog area for play/exercising. The camp office/store has also been all redone and has a great mix of items/supplies. There are washers/dryers on the grounds as well as firewood and ice available to purchase. We are very happy seasonal campers. It is under new ownership and the new manager is just spectacular,Janet will go out of her way to be extra helpful and accommodating and friendly as well as hands on. Our site has S/W/E with cable and wifi, and is nicely shaded-25b. We are here May 1-Oct12, and sad to leave every year and anxious to return every spring! This is truly a lovely and pretty park. We camped at Camping on the Battenkill in a Fifth Wheel.