So noisy we only stayed one night. No privacy. Tents parked a few feet apart. We had smokers on both sides and our camper was blue with their smoke. Heavy drinking and loud voices all afternoon and evening. Many had their car radios blaring, all on different stations. Outdoor bingo game was done on a loudspeaker that penetrated every inch of the grounds. Drunken campers were banging on our door after midnight thinking we were the camper they were looking for. Nightmare!
Beautiful clean campground! Great for kids and pets. We love taking the dog to the dog beach for a swim.
Camp store is great, fun fishing on the lake and tons of activities for the kids.
The campground was large enough to tire out the dogs walking around, staff was friendly, helpful and welcoming!
We spent the weekend of the 4th and although there were no fireworks it ended up being a better weekend for one of our dogs who fears them.
The sites are level and a decent size with a picnic table, fire pit, shaded by the tall pines.
There was a rain event the second to last evening we were there but the staff was quick to be sure the roads were repaired for check out!
The âOlympic size poolâ was not filled at the time but it did not effect our stay at all, there was a smaller pool for those who wanted to cool off. (Weâre more of the swim in the river/pond kind anyway)
The bathrooms were clean and showers had nice hot water if you wanted it. No coin operation here!
Had we had more time I would have ventured into the adjacent wildlife management areas as well.
First time staying there. Two tents allowed per site, no alcohol although no one checked. No water or electricity at the sites. You park & walk in but they provide carts. You have to buy firewood from them. Canoe, kayak & padddleboard rental available. Showers & bathrooms by the parking area. Lots of islands & places to explore on the lake. Buggy in June so bring your repellent. Dogs allowedâŠthatâs all I got for now :)
My family go every year and ALWAYS have fun! Whenever there is any problems, the owners are always there to help! They always have have something for everyone. I highly recommend!
Just stopped for one night, small kids playground, friendly staff, very quiet (except birds chirping in the morning). Friendly seasonal guest helped us with our campfire. We heard the lake was full of mercury and not to go swimming there, but since it was a quick stopover for us we didnât see the lake.
Very large campground with lots of woods to block you from other campers. Dog friendly đ¶
Very clean, quiet and well-managed state park. Exactly what Iâve come to expect from the VT State Park campgrounds. The prime tent locations book quickly but those are definitely the ones to go for, as they have private access to the water. Otherwise you have to go around the lake/reservoir to swim. Firewood is very good; $6/bundle and ice for $2/bag. Helpful staff.
The goodâŠ..nice level site w gravel base, pea stone around camp, friendly staff, lots to do, clean all around. The not so goodâŠ.A lot of sites are tight to get in. The lake beach could use a dredge so there is more sand (weedy). Mini golf course needs some upkeep. Overall a nice campground.
Our family loves this campground. We come here for softball and they are so accommodating. Plus the have an amazing Ice cream stand. I will post a video of their back field. My daughters always make me hit softballs to them here. Here is a brief fly over and a couple photos. Plus one of me chasing my son with my drone.
People are real nice here. Pretty place. But very remote. Ok place for overnight stay but wouldnât stay longer.
Clean open and level camping areas. Prime areas are near the water some what elevated but you are able to drag your boat through on paths. Ice and firewood sold at $6.00 a bundle and it is Kiln dried so it burns fast. If it is windy I would move away from the water. Staff was young but were pleasant and accommodating and will deliver wood and ice. Great biking on paved areas.
Gilson Pond Campground is smallâ just 37 sites nestled into the woods near a swampy, but beautiful pond in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Most people stay here because it is located in Monadnock State Park at the base of Mount Monadnock. Have you heard of it?
Mount Monadnock is 3,165 feet tall and is best known because of its cameos in writings by both Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Itâs quite a prominent peak in southern New Hampshire, and Iâve heard tell that itâs the second most hiked mountain in the world, after Mount Fuji in Japan. Mount Monadnock may not be the tallest mountain in New Hampshire, but itâs rocky and bald, and provides 365-degree views of the surrounding valley and distant mountains.
We chose Gilson Pond Campground because of its proximity to Keene State College, where we were headed for a college orientation, but we figured since we were camping near the base of a famous mountain, we might as well hike it. First tip, camp at Gilson Pond Campground the night before so you can get up early to beat the heat, if that applies, and the crowds.
This is one of the quietest and most peaceful campgrounds Iâve ever stayed at. The sites are super private, the rangers are friendly, and the mosquitoes are ferocious, but I canât give a campground a bad review because of the mosquitoes. Just a warning to be prepared. Thereâs a decent bathhouse with pay showers, a small playground, and a loop trail around Gilson Pond that leads right from the campground. No matter which site you choose youâll be happy. Theyâre all really nice.
A few words of caution- donât bring a large RV- the sites are not meant for big rigs. Also, dogs arenât allowed anywhere in Monadnock State Park, and while we were sad to leave our goodest boy at home, he would have hated the hike up the mountain anyway- too many rock scrambles.
A Quick Overview of the Hike up Mount Monadnock
The ranger at the trailhead office recommended that we hike up the White Dot Trail (2 miles) and down the White Cross Trail( 2.5 miles) so that we could do the steepest route on the way up and take it easy on the way down. This was a great suggestion.
The White Dot Trail starts off flat, but thatâs very short-lived. The trail begins to climb steeply pretty early on. The second half of the trail is very steep with lots of rock scrambles. You definitely have to watch your footing most of the hike because the rocks can be wet in places and very slippery. Once you get above the treeline, follow the rock cairns across the ridge. On a nice day, you will be able to see for miles in every direction.
The White Cross Trail is not as steep, but my knees were still pretty sore after all was said and done. We started the hike at 8 am and finished up at 12 pm. We saw about 15 people in total, but when we got to the trailhead, the parking area was full and many people were starting their hike. Iâm a middle-aged woman who does more walking than hiking, and I would consider this a strenuous hike that is totally worth the huffing and puffing.
Gregory Octal 55 Review
As a ranger for The Dyrt, I occasionally get to test out products and gear. For this particular trip, I received a discount on the Gregory Octal 55 Ultralight Backpacking Pack. Itâs meant for short treks and can carry a maximum of 35 pounds. I used it for day hiking, and found to my surprise, that it was lighter and more comfortable than any of my day-hiking packs.
This pack has oodles of awesome features, including three external pockets, large hipbelt pockets, an Aerospan ventilated suspension system that wicks away moisture and keeps the pack off of your back, and a quick stow system for your sunglasses.
The Octal 55 is hydration bladder compatible, comes with a custom rain cover, and an ultralight aluminum frame. Oh, and I almost forgot the most important partâ itâs designed specifically for a womanâs frame. Not to sound clichĂ© or anything, but this pack was so comfy, I hardly knew it was there.
I had a small issue early on in my hike that I will mention. My water bottles, which were stowed in the two mesh side pockets, fell out on the rock scrambles. Because they werenât held in securely, they would just slide out whenever I bent over. I realized after the fact that there are small straps that can be tightened around them within the pockets. This solved the problem after I scrambled down several rock faces after my runaway bottles.
All-in-all Iâm really happy with this pack and canât wait to take it on some longer adventures.
I really wanted to like this place. It's in a very cool area that I didn't expect to be so awesome. First main issue was how bad the cell reception is. Normally, I'd day that's a perk for camping but we're full-timers and work on the road so it is important for us. Next, the place is massive and they are more about make money than making people comfortable. What could easily be a very nice and spacious pull-thru spot are 2 back to back back-ins. Unless you're lucky enough to get an end spot, those are pull-thru. Pros: awesome dog park, great office with laundry, activities, arcades, adult only room, community campfire, indoor pool with lifeguard, the staff is nice, there's a lake for swimming, boating, catch and release fishing. Their basketball court is on a shuffleboard court, playground is nice though. Close to Old Sturbridge Village and many cool hikes and MA cities.
Iâve gone here 3 times in 2 years and my kids love it canât wait to go bAck I hear they built a mini golf course
This place is pretty awesome. They have an ice cream shop attached to their office/store, mini golf just outside of it too. There is an amphitheater for concerts and shows throughout the summer. RV Spots, tent camping spots, a dog park, badminton, basketball, horseshoe, shuffleboard, the works. The bathrooms are beautifully redone and clean. The laundry room is pretty good too. Its close to Brattleboro and Putney and just across the border to New Hampshire. I'd most definitely stay again when I'm in the area. The other guest were very nice and we could also have packages delivered.
Great campground. The pools are amazing. Kid pools. Adult pools! Adult hot tub.
I was here 2 nights. Wasnât able to make the check in time, wasnât a problem. They left a envelope on the office door with directions that led right to my site. Bathrooms are clean and nice with hot water. Our site was nice and big and shaded. Overall great campground.
Sites are nice and the campground is nice and clean.
First time coming back here in 20 years. Got a great site by the pond.
There are some wonderful sites in this campground, but not all of them have privacy. We really lucked out with getting one of a few sites left on Memorial Day weekend - after walking the campground, I think we would have chosen the same one again! #18 is right next to a ravine, so it was wooded on one side, and the two adjacent camps were visible but not on top of us. The trees are primarily pine, which made for pretty comfy tenting. Was a short walk to the facilities, but not close enough for the foot traffic to be annoying.
I loved that there were trails to hike from right in the park; you could do a short one, or a slightly longer loop (2.5 hours depending on your pace) with some inclines and boulders to scramble up and over. We were on foot, but it would be challenging for mt. bikers in some spots.
Just ok. This is a small family run operation. We stayed 3 nights and that was plenty. We basically used this campground as a base to get out and explore the surrounding area, so in that sense, it was fine. They only had a couple spots open as the entire campground was basically full of long stay campers and cabins. The shower house was in the main home of the owner/operators, which was at times odd (you could hear them talking, cooking etc, so it kind of felt like you were intruding). No sewer hookups . At Check-in they said their son would come to our site and remotely pump our tanks before we left, but that never happened and we didnât even bother to make a big deal about it. As we were pulling out they apologized saying he came by but we werenât there đ€·đ»ââïž The cabin âresidentâ next to us had loud dogs that barked at anything that moved outside, so that didnât make for a peaceful stay. The sites were set up a little weird with the hookups not where it made sense to park. If you had a big rig (40 ft+), I donât think it would be easy to figure out a solution. We had to wiggle ours around to get in a position to hook our electric up. In a pinch this campground would work, but this is definitely not a campground that Iâd recommend for a longer stay. Cell coverage was ok for us to work (att & Verizon).
We were delighted when we learned we had the little peninsula of site P1 all to ourselves. Stunning views across the large pond, and serving as a wonderful halfway rest/respite on the journey from NYC to Belfast, ME. We felt like we were on top of the world, discovering this perfect quiet nook and basking in natureâs splendor.
I can only speak for the camping on this peninsula/land, but the rest of the sites looked cozy, family-friendly, and fun. Cabins and RV sites across the lake, along with beaches for swimming. Bathrooms located on P1 peninsula. Canoe rentals on-site. Lovely picnic dining area alongside covered bridge and waterfall. Completely picturesque and, mostly, totally peaceful!
My husband I camped here for a weekend getaway and we wanted hookups being it was Columbus Day Weekend. This is a parking lot with grass. The Menâs room was so disgusting that my husband refused to use it, actually he couldnât ( there is a camper who is a dirty bird) which is not a good first impression. This is a residential park with older travel trailer residences. There was a nice back field area. The shower houses and toilets are very dated. I like to proximity to the city of North Hampton. We had great meals in town. The staff here is great, the other campers were nice. They had a Halloween/trick or treat night, fire truck rides itâs very kid friendly. We didnât like being right on top the other rvs, our sewer pipe was in front of my neighbors picnic table. There was 30/50 amps, water and electric and WiFi! This campground is âin the countryâ plenty is sightseeing and hiking opportunities in the area.
Wymanâs Beach closed in 2006. It has now been developed as private, seasonal holiday condos.
All everyone does here is ride around in Golf carts with cases of beer and get drunk. Not my scene! Itâs a underfunded trailer park.
Nice sites. Very friendly staff, owners are true campers at heart. Very clean restrooms no matter what time of day they were always clean and look newer. Pool area was very nice, kids spent hours there. Will defiantly go back
Me and my friends get a group site at least once a year. It's an amazing place with really great staff that care about the safety of everyone and keeping the areas clean. We always have an amazing time here. The views are great and we have never had any issues.
First time I went it was intimidating because I had never camped in an all tent camping site with no running water or public restroom areas. However, as soon as I got acclimated, I loved it. There are outhouses stationed at different areas all around, and bear boxes for every group. There are bears around so use the boxes seriously.
There are a number of rivers and little waterfalls that are always nice to visit. I plan to go there again very soon!
I was probably the only person tent camping in the entire resort. The manager was able to give me a great campsite away from all of the RVs and cabins. It was right at the entrance however you did have to hike up a short 50ft hill to get to the site. It had a great new fire ring and the campsite was very clean/cleared. Running showers and flushable bathroom was very close. I dinged a star from this review because I have seen campgrounds with cleaner bathrooms
We did memorial day weekend 2019 here.
A lot of good things to say:
A pretty, wooded, natural looking campground.
The waterfront area, the trail, most of the campground in general is pretty.
It seemed like everyone respected the quiet time, after 10pm it was very quiet and peaceful.
The camp store is one of the best I've seen, very well stocked.
I really liked that it was a gated community and well enforced
The playground and kid area is centrally located and was full of kids
The 5mph speed limit is well respected, and it needs to be because there are kids darting around all over the place.
If there is a chance you'll be coming and going very early or late just get a gate card and save yourself some frustration.
Constructive criticisms:
"Heated Pool" is not a lie but don't assume this means "warm pool". Both pools are heated by 3 smallish solar panels on a nearby roof. The large pool was in the low 50's, the kiddie pool was probably mid 60's. I'm sure late July and early August it's pretty warm. Adjust expectations accordingly!
Our campsite was quite large, but there were a lot of trees and getting back out of it took quite a bit of back and forth. The wooded sites make navigating more challenging. If you have a large rig or if you are nervous about navigating in tight spaces, you may want to ask for a pull through (most aren't) or go into the overflow area (no sewer)
The sewer hookup had no cap. Just a rock. It wasn't threaded. This means it smells if it isn't attached. Also you need to use a brick or rock to stay attached with the lack of threads.
Water, cable connections are there but you may have to hunt for em a bit - mine were about 25 feet behind the parking portion of the site.