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Caboose Camper Rental! Camp in an authentic 1919 railroad caboose! Drive right to the site. Electricity available. Outdoor cooking/eating facilities. Camp beside the busy CSX Boston Line. Need more room? Set up tents on the lawn.
$50 - $100 / night
This town-owned park consists of 190 acres of wooded, rocky mountainside. Trails here are relatively easy on the flat but significantly more difficult on the hillside. The ground can be very wet after rains. Onion Mountain Park is accessed on the west side of West Mountain Rd. just south of Shingle Mill Rd. Visitors will find a good size parking lot.
Scout
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.
Scout
There are no hookups. Need to change the profile on the Dyrt.
Scout
The staff was friendly. The sites are spaced out enough and have greenery in between so it feels a little more private than some places. Bathrooms and showers were very clean.
Legend
What a beautiful and well maintained CG! Great owners, facilities, and amenities. Gravel roads and relatively level gravel sites. There are W/E sites, dry sites, and many secluded tent sites. There are two lakes and another nearby. It is close to many hiking trails. We arrived an hour after the water was turned off due to freezing temps. We were allowed to fill the fresh tank from the lodge. We woke the next day to heavy fog. We would definitely stay here again - for longer than an overnight stay!
Scout
Quiet (besides occasional plane overhead) lots of trees, spacious sites, clean and modern bathrooms and showers, nice friendly helpful staff.
Guide
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.
Scout
I thought I read someplace that there is new ownership, at any rate the folks there were very nice. And the place lives up to its name. We’re not fond of RV parking lots and the sites were well spaced which gets it many extra points. We had a popup in a drive-through site at the bottom of the hill which was fine, though pretty muddy after a day of rain. With that hill there’s no place for larger RVs here unless they were to decide to use the field at the bottom. As far as infrastructure a lot of what is here is very old and dated, sometimes to the point of being comical, but it does appear some updates are happening. Bathroom building is decent and kept very clean (though it would be nice if any of the door latches on the women’s toilets worked.) It appears they have built or rebuilt some cabins. Hiking up and down the hill to the bathroom does get old and there is really no place to park there like most places have without blocking the road. Can squeeze in one car near the (ancient and yucky cold water) dishwashing station. There is a tiny campsite with cabin on the road below it, with a firepit and table like a foot away from the road. Maybe they should eliminate that site to make parking for a couple cars at least, as its a terrible campsite probably the only bad one there. (One night that site had 2 cars, with one blocking the road when we tried to drive past - they should have made the extra car stay down in the lot.) People moved their car a bit, but still had to drive very close to their bonfire. Like much of the area, there is essentially no cell coverage here. An area with wifi would be an excellent upgrade. I know, you’re camping, but sometimes you just need to do something, make a restaurant reservation, or check the weather.
Update- I just found and read an article about the change of ownership. Showed a picture of a recreation room. Where the heck was that? In the building labeled “the Barn?” Which I thought was an actual barn and off limits. The dyrt says there is wifi, maybe it was there? Would have been nice to know about.
Traveler
Absolutely loved this campground, sites are well spaced and the surrounding area is gorgeous! We had a tent site right on the river and couldn’t have been happier with our stay. Each site has a fire pit and a picnic table. Facilities were exceptionally clean and the camp store was stunning!
Scout
I just got here. Road was quite good. I believe I have the last of 4 sites. Nice camp fire area.
Scout
No camping signs. Private property
RangerBeautiful state park campground with all the amenities you expect, located on the Hudson River.
The state did an excellent job designing sites with dense foliage as sound and site barriers creating good privacy for campers.
Sites are all within 200 feet of the bathrooms. The bathrooms have good showers and were very clean during our stay. There is also a dishwasher sink and even bookshelves with books available to borrow.
Our favorite feature was the day use and boat ramp on the Hudson River. We saw many larger boats (maybe smaĺl yachts?) during the day. The view from the boat ramp area was amazing. However, stay away if you see boat going by. The boat ramp dock turns into a death trap when a big wake from a boat hits the river bank!
Scout
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.
Ranger
I don’t mind paying a little extra some places because of being out of state, but paying $54 a night for not even any hookups when MA residents pay $17 is insane.
Scout
Paid in full for a week in July, we stay here every year. Learned in May that I had cancer and would need surgery and weekly chemo until the end of September. Contacted Forest Lake Campground in May to cancel reservation, discussed options and was told we could carry our week over for later. Just received the all clear from my Dr today. Called to make reservations and was told they would not honor our already paid week. They said we would not get our money back either. Won’t stay here again as they are not people of their word.
RangerWide spaces near the Hudson River are beautiful. Campgrounds are under renovation to clear some trees and improve facilities in what might be the best state park we’ve camped at. Lots of well marked trails with great views of the river (cannot be seen from campsites).
Electric only on site but lots of spots to fill fresh water in campgrounds. Bathrooms are big and very clean.
At&t one bar. Site was open enough that Starlink was great.
Guide
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!
ScoutGreat spot for quiet desolate camping. Several spots to choose from.
Ranger
Only the first section of the campground was open due to flooding. As a result, there were puddles everywhere.
Campsites are listed as disbursed but there are only 7 trees to separate 9 camp sites. The campsites are all next to the road and have fire circles.
There is a single pit toilet at the end of the camping area. No garbage service, no water, no cell service. Basically a camp site where you can share a fire with the neighbors.
ScoutIt is a beautiful spot to visit the Taconic region, however this campsite is not up to pace. There is a lot of noise, a lot of people, and not much enforcement of the rules of candy clicker.
Scout
Had a pleasant stay at Woodford State Park. Sites near T38 have a great elevated view of the reservoir. Also a nice loop trail for those looking to do a little bit of hiking.
GuideLarge, well organized camping spots along the road. The spot I chose had a beautifully built fire pit. It was a little muddy from rain.
Traveler
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.
Traveler
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.
Traveler
The best activities for children and adults, great amenities, clean restrooms, Awesome pool thanks to ASHTON, Thanks so much.
Scout
I booked site 5 for the week. Great experience! Quiet woods atmosphere with trail’s. Wonderful place to camp. Very clean
GuideI 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.
Scout
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Chester, MA?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Chester, MA is Chester Railway Station with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 26 tent camping locations near Chester, MA, with real photos and reviews from campers.
