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.
The campground was nice. The site we had was an open grassy area though we tucked the tent off to the side. On the other side of the roped banking was a beautiful view of the river. The showers were nice and they were free! There is also a beach with great fishing! Highly recommend this campground.
I was here 2 nights. Wasn’t able to make the check in time, wasn’t 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.
Location, location, location. Nice private beach,clean and well maintained. Friendly.
In a last minute attempt to get some camping in we ended up at this little spot. First of all, as we were driving we were passing all these other campgrounds that looked pretty run down and trashed. Enter Epsom Valley. What an awesome spot!! The owners were so relaxed and friendly, the spots were pretty spacious and the rules were very relaxed.
My friend and I wanted to do a sunrise hike up in the Whites, but due to work schedules could only get a start up after 6pm. My parents were able to set up the RV and we came in around 9pm, no problems and no extra charge for me, my friend or my dog.
Our campsite was nice and level, right next to a river (with free canoe use!) and even had hammock trees.
The facilities were beautiful and clean. The only thing I would have to say is their “playground” needs a little work. I don’t have kids but I don’t think I’d let them go there if I did. It looked a little sketchy.
But my FAVORITE part was what was called the “wilderness area”. AMAZING little tent sites! They were secluded but still had full hookups. This campground truly has something for everyone and we will be back!
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.
We went here as opposed to the nearby camp site we usually go to. Big mistake. The sites are so close together that it is uncomfortable. Despite this, we had to park and haul our gear basically right through other people’s campground to get to our site. I would honestly rather pitch a tent in the backyard. I wouldn’t ever come back to this campground.
Staff is very friendly. Office is in building right off the road. Pleasant, sandy camping. It’s especially nice if you grab a spot on the edge of the river. The river is very clean and a nice spot to hang out in the sun and splash around (not very deep most of the year).
Camped here two nights in 2015 en route to Maine. Located in a 10000 acre forest preserve, the campground is heavily forested and very secluded from civilization. We stayed on site 22, which was spacious and private from the other sites on either side.
We were there in the fall but the swimming area at the pond was very inviting. I also liked the sites across from ours near the ball field and thought they would make a nice place for a large group of friends to pitch their tents (Sites 31, 32, 33, 34)
The bath and shower house was well maintained and a short walk from 22.
The camp store carried some great souvenirs, snacks, ice cream and even had a coffee machine for those traveling light and in need of a hot cup of coffee.
All everyone does here is ride around in Golf carts with cases of beer and get drunk. Not my scene! It’s 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
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.
Great family campground! We stayed for one night and got a river spot last minute on a holiday weekend. The only thing I would change is the wood you buy there was very wet and hard to burn. If your a group looking to hang out late night this spot is not for you. If you want a good night sleep before you have an adventure filled day then this is your spot.
Bring sandals for the shower as you may get tetanus. A lot of MA people show and are extremely massholeish.
Clean well kept level areas! Staff was friendly! Great hiking or biking along the West River!
Pillsbury State Park is a great place to get away from it all. There are great hikes that you can get to right from your campsite, connecting to the Monadnock-Sunapee greenway(a 48 mile trail connecting two of NHs beautiful mountains). The park also has great little ponds for exploring by kayak or canoe. Don’t expect major accommodations at the park, there are spots for campers but smaller ones, and there are a few outhouses but no bathhouse.
, Spacious, wooded sites, super clean…friendly, helpful owners and gorgeous setting! Lots to do too
This “campground” is the shittiest place I’ve ever stayed. Owners are miserable and nasty. Grounds are unkept.
Lake St. Catherine state campground is located in the heart of the Slate Valley. There are 50 tent/rv sites and 11 leantos. This lake is known by anglers and boaters alike. Plentiful mountain bike trails are being developed all over this area. Pine hill in Rutland, and the Endless brook trails top the list of systems in the area to check out. The campground in secluded on the lake and has an excellent beach. Facilities are well maintained, and there is a nature center. People looking for a good place to hang out and grab so food should check out Castleton, situated atop the lake. This college town is bustling with life. Need more? Rutland is a half hour drive east, with Killington another half hour past there. Lots more to do here too. Come check it out.
This is a cute campground biking distance from Brattleboro.
The store and ice cream are cute, prices are very reasonable. Staff is fantastic and friendly.
The mini-golf course is in kind of rough shape, ask for a few extra balls because a few holes are going to eat them.
Main detractor is the neighbor blares really terrible music at obnoxious volume for about 16 hours a day. Get a site as far in the back as possible to get away from the noise.
Ranger Review: Grub Sticks at Monadnock State Park
Campground Review: It’s been a rainy, drizzly spring in New England and this weekend was no exception, but I had reservations for Gilson Pond campground at Monadnock State Park, so I headed out. I’ve hiked Mt Monadnock several times), but had never camped here before. It’s a newer campground, opened in 2010. Before I left I received a call notifying me that there was a problem with the water system, so there would be no running water during my stay. So much for a warm shower after a muddy hike up the mountain! Upon arrival they provided me with a gallon of water and a bundle of firewood to compensate.
The campsites are large and wooded; I had a better view of the campsite across the road than the ones next door. The bathrooms/showers are centrally located, but there are pit toilets distributed throughout the campground. The pit toilets are clean and, this early in the season at least, odorless, with waterless hand cleanser available. Because of the water outage, I didn’t get to see the interior of the bathrooms, but they do have a large dishwashing area with coin-operated hot water.
I had a standard site (A13) with ample space for my teardrop camper and a 12x12 canopy; I could easily have pitched a large tent as well. When choosing a site, note that the tent only sites often have small parking areas with 1-2 platforms and are not suitable for an RV/trailer. Only 7 sites are suitable for a trailer/RV, 4 of them with electric hookups (add $10 to the site rate), but none with water. There are 5 remote sites, but I only made it to 2 of them (R1 & R2). The trails were quite wet. R2 is nice, near a small waterfall.
There’s a long approach to Mt. Monadnock that leaves from the campground (Birchtoff), with shorter trails leaving from the State Park headquarters 2 miles down the road. Because of the puddles and muck I encountered when trying to find the remote sites, I decided against hiking the Birchtoff trail for my Saturday afternoon ascent and drove to the Headquarters entrance instead, where my camping pass covered the entrance fee. Pond trail run around Gilson Pond. There is a large playground for kids <12 and a wide open day use area for picnicking. It would be a great place to run around and play games.
If you want a treat after your hike, head into Jaffrey for homemade ice cream at Kimball Farm.
Grub Stick Review:
As a Ranger for the Dyrt I sometimes get to review equipment. On this trip I was testing Grub Sticks Deluxe and Intro kits. My current camping gear includes an assortment of hot dog sticks and skewers, so I was interested in checking out these sets that give you solid handles with interchangeable heads. Here’s how I used them:
1. Forks: chicken jalapeno sausage and vegetables
2. Burgcage: hamburger (I pre-mixed the ground beef with hot salsa)
3. Grubcage:
a. S’waffles: I made gingerbread waffles at home for a twist on this; also tried waffles with cinnamon
b. S’mores: standard recipe
c. Silver clouds: peppermint patty and marshmallow inside crescent rolls
d. Nutella and strawberry inside crescent rolls
4. Grubtube: biscuit dough- filled with chocolate pudding; crescent rolls – rolled in cinnamon sugar before and after cooking; filled with chocolate pudding
5. Grubpocket & bacon clip – fail
The telescoping handles are sturdy and substantial, with a rubbery grip that feels comfortable in your hand. I liked being able to adjust the length and it still felt sturdy; a groove in the extension keeps them from rotating. In addition to the handles and heads, the kits include a carrying bag (drawstring for the intro kit; zippered for the deluxe) and a tool for opening the cages. The deluxe version also contained silicone trivet and fingertip protector, plus a bacon clip (more on that later).
Forks: straightforward, it’s great to have 2 spikes at the end of the stick. It enabled me to cook 2 of the sausages at once and to spike slices of vegetables across both. The sausage cooked quickly and evenly.
Burgcage: also straightforward; the cage closes securely and it’s easy to open while hot with the special tool they include.
Grubcage: Besides shape, the difference between this and the Burgcage is the depth, making it better suited to cooking something thicker/multi-layered like the s’mores and s’waffles. I tried the gingerbread s’waffles the first day and found it held everything securely in place; my biggest challenge was patiently holding it far enough from the coals that it would melt the chocolate and marshmallow and not burn the waffles. It was good! I tried the s’mores the next day and found this a little harder to manage. I used fun-sized chocolate bars, so when I flipped it, one of the bars was not held securely by marshmallows and fell against the cage. I’d love to try these with the new chocolate filled marshmallows that are out, but I couldn’t find any in time! Using a hazelnuet spread would be an alternative.
Be sure to fill the full depth of the Grubcage to make sure your pieces stay together. I tried these with slices of vegetables as well, but they have to be very large to not fall through the gaps between the wires. Some of the suggested recipes with larger vegetables wrapped in bacon, etc. might be a better choice.
Grubtube: Ever make doughboys as a youth camper, wrapping dough around a stick? This takes those to a new level. Wrap the dough around the tube and it slides off effortlessly when cooked. I contemplated mixing dough, but ended up using refrigerated biscuits the first time and crescent rolls the second time. The trick is to ensure the seams are sealed. Two crescent rolls are a perfect fit around the tube. One time I rolled it in cinnamon sugar before and the second time after I cooked it. Rolling it in the cinnamon sugar before cooking it makes a nice glaze. It reminded me of a treat I’d had in Romania a couple of years ago where the dough is spiraled around a larger tube and then roasted, sometimes dipped in cinnamon sugar or coconut. I opened it at the seam afterwards and spooned chocolate pudding into it, making a pudding boat. It was easier than spooning it into the tube as I did the night before with the biscuit dough. I could see filling these with taco meat, string cheeze, or pizza filling, etc.
Grubpocket: I watched the videos showing how to make a bacon pocket, but try as I might, this was a fail. First piece of advice is not to use thick bacon! The bacon clip won’t fit around it. I found the clip very hard to operate; I couldn’t open it far enough and long enough to easily slide it down over the bacon. I was thinking about this and I would have liked a nesting cage (think the two sides of the Burgcage nested) instead, so I could weave bacon in it, holding the bacon in place. I didn’t try this again with dough to form a cup. The downside of making the cups is that you either need to fill it with something cold or heat the filling separately. I think I’d rather have an extra Grubtube rather than a Grubpocket.
I’m a simple camp cook and expect I’ll use the Burgcage, Forks, and Grubtube most often. You need to upgrade to at least the Deluxe kit to get the Grubtube. These are a higher quality than your standard hot dog/marshmallow sticks, but you’ll have to decide for yourself if they’re worth the extra cost and if you’re interested in the windows they open for some more creative meal options. They fill a fun niche, but I wouldn’t call them a need.
First off the store is phenomenal. You could forget anything and they would have. Excellent camping store. Lots of fun things to do for the kids. Very busy
This is a small campground. Some are first come first serve sites. A couple are walk in. Most are right along the loop and have easy access. Small campers and tents are best here. There are pit toilets around the loop. There are showers at the bathhouse at the beach. There is two pavilions for rent. There is a small pond with beach area where you can swim or boat in non motorized boats. There a trail around the pond. Fishing is also allowed here. Very nice clean park.
Nice campground on a beautiful lake. The camp sites are close but if you are lucky enough to get one out on the island its private but no bathrooms out there. Take a non motorized boat on the lake. Fish and swim.
Awesome owners with a small campground! Swimming pond and pool. Small Playground. Pull through, back in, tent sites.. we go here every memorial day for their 1 set of awning to awning sites with our camping buddies!
I called once to make a reservation and was told they shut down operations years ago.