Best Tent Camping near Champlain, NY

Another KOA that’s reliably good. Very big, very full campground, but the tent sites are nicely dispersed

Beautiful destination! Take a walk up the path next to the chasm. So relaxing listening to the water falls. Great place to watch the sunset! Make sure you bring a light jacket in the summer, the evenings can still get chilly from time to time. If you are camping here in the fall, check out Rulfs orchard for some apple picking. Fillion's diner is amazing and super reasonable pricing. 

You can rent a cabin if you don't want to camp in a tent. Nice way to stay away from mosquitoes and black flies. Tons of activities to do here: hiking, biking, walking, disc golf, etc.

Spent a few nights here as a base camp while hiking some of the mountains in the area. Camp spots were far enough away from one another, trees helped with privacy, and the tent site had a great area to setup the tent.

Facilities were accessible and clean. Quiet hours were definitely observed. Easily one of the best camp sites I’ve stayed at.

Spent 3 days, 2 nights here from a Wednesday-Friday. Very large and busy campground, close to Lake Placid and other cool activities to take in. Pros- hot showers, convenient laundromat, you are guided to your site by staff on golf carts. Cons- tent sites aren’t given much privacy, on the days we stayed we were put very close to the main building when we requested a spot near the back away from the busy area, kids allowed to run and yelling and screaming WELL after quiet hours.

The grounds: This place looks like the place to be, great facilities (with real flush toilets near the beach), and great grassy sites which met of are in the shade! Very close to many different things (Montreal, Burlington, Lake Placid) and the beach is very clean and beautiful. There is a pump station for RVs but a lot of tent camping as well.

The Belt: This belt is great, I love croaky belts in general, they are colorful and very sturdy. The design is great and they keep the pants up or give a splash of color to my outfits (when I wear them a little higher up. The colors are so pretty with the blues and are interesting to look at. Love that there are no holes, so it will not rip overtime. 5 out of 5 for sure!

This campground is lovely! The tent sites are spacious and feel somewhat private considering how large the campground is. The bathrooms are well maintained and kept clean. The showers don’t run out of hot water, which is an issue common to many other campgrounds I’ve stayed at. The staff are responsive and accommodating. There is a small restaurant on-site in the lodge and while their menu is simple they take care to accommodate guests. I have a severe food allergy and they made sure my food was made safely. The only downsides I’d give are the price and the size of the campground - just because it’s so large it does feel a little less private than staying at one of the smaller family owned places around. It’s still wonderful though and I would book again without hesitation.

Burton Island is a 2.5 mile long island state park off of the shoreline of Lake Champlain. It is a car free paradise that requires a boat or ferry to get to but yield the rewards of peace, nature, and gorgeous shoreline.

Campground Review:

Campsites at Burton Island book far in advance. When we booked our Labor Day weekend tent site back in March, there were only 2 leantos (out of 26) left and a handful of tent sites (out of 14). You can visit https://vtstateparks.com/burton.html to book a reservation. The campground is open from Memorial Day Weekend through the Tuesday morning after Labor Day.

We stayed at site 7 in the main tent site loop. While we didn't technically have shore line access, there was a short path through the woods that led to a rocky shoreline where we left our canoe and kayak. There was ample space among the trees for hanging hammocks. The dirt and gravel pad was mostly flat, without any pesky roots to poke us. The site also drained very well--it rained all night our last night and we had zero seepage into the tent floor.

The tenter section was just a short walk to a clean bathroom up on the hill. Each side had one shower that cost 50 cents per 5 minutes of shower time. There are two other bathrooms available but a further walk. The tent site section was also nice and close to the Marina area, which included a store that serves coffee and sandwiches (the coffee was decent!). While one could hear the folks docked down in the Marina when they hung out on their boats, our site was not close enough for their noise to be a nuisance. There is a water access point within 300 feet of most campsites--which was perfect.

Dogs are allowed at Burton Island, but there are areas at the State Park that they are not allowed, such as the beach area. Alcohol consumption is also allowed, but there wasn't any problem with people partying loudly or obnoxiously.

There are beautiful trails that cover the island. The south tip of the island gets more wind, and therefore waves, which my children greatly enjoyed for swimming. The northern part has shale beaches, and a few areas of mucky/pebbly beaches. Lots of old trees abound as well. There are also tons of frogs! The trails are all short enough that they could be explored during one day--or go on them multiple times for sunsets and sunrises.

Getting to the island was the hardest part. Depending on the weather, the 3/4 mile crossing from Kamp KilKare State Park can be rough and windy. If you are an experienced paddler, have a good copilot, and not too much gear, you would be fine. Also, if you have a boat with a motor, most of the time the water is not too rough. However, the Island Runner Ferry is likely the best option for most people who want to enjoy the island without being stressed about swamping a boat! The ferry is $8 per person, with no extra charge for gear. They do charge $2 for bikes. If you want to use the ferry, but still want a kayak or canoe at the island, you have to paddle it across separately

Overall, we had a fabulous time. We watched a sunset on the South tip, caught frogs at our shoreline, rented a paddleboard, played int the waves, and enjoyed the icecream sandwiches form the camp store, skipped stones in the lake, and explored the island. Our kids can't wait to go back.

Product Review:

Since I am a Ranger for The Dyrt, I have the fun task of testing products every now and then.

This camping trip I was quite thrilled to be chosen to test out a product from Nature's Coffee Kettle. We LOVE coffee, and generally bring our French Press and hand coffee grinder along camping so we can have a good cup of joe.

As parents of 5 kids, we always need LOTS of coffee while camping. During this trip, we tested out the International 16-Cup Pack. We even left our own coffee at home so that we would not be tempted to use it instead.

-- Nature's Coffee Kettle is basically an ultra-lightweight version of a pour-over coffee system. The basic component of the system is a heavy duty plastic bag with a spout and built-in funnel. Their coffees are really ground coffee (not instant) packaged in portions for 4 cups. The envelope of coffee gets placed into the funnel portion of the plastic reservoir, and you pour boiling water slowly over it. Sometimes you have to pause for the water to finish trickling down. The whole process takes about 4 minutes. The trickiest part of the system is the need to hold the bag upright while pour--a few times it tipped over since the base didn't have enough weight in it.

Coffee verdict: It tasted GOOD! Not quite as amazing as the stuff we brew at home, but honestly, as good as most coffee I have had at coffee shops! We liked the Sumatran and Guatemalan flavors the best, though we also tried the Columbian and French Roast.

System verdict: It was a little tricky to use at first--be careful not to burn yourself! I did love how lightweight it was, and how little space it took up. The plastic brew system folds flat, and is reusable. It would be fantastic for backpacking. It was so much better than instant coffee.

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This campground is not in horrible shape, but not in great shape either. When compared with camping resorts it leaves a lot to be desired, but it’s still solid in terms of amenities.

Magic pines Is located in the adirondack eastern high peaks region. The closest of the 46 is rocky peak ridge, with giant mountain not being too far off. this campground is located 45 minutes min. from lake placid and most points of interest around the region, however it is located closer to I87 (the northway) than any other campground we’ve visited in the 15 years we’ve frequented the ADK region.

Amenities include tent sites, trailer sites, RV sites, cabins, bathrooms, unheated pool, basic playground for kids, a store with basic necessities, and large grounds with opportunities for running!

this campground is best suited toward seasonal campers, but is suitable for passing through as well. Major drawback is access to rivers, though the Boquet river and many ponds for fishing aren’t too far away!

I have a 24’ RV towing a 30 foot trailer for perspective. I easily fit in site 107 and lots of other sites would have worked. They have a place to drop trailers if you don’t fit.

Sites 90 to 108 are best. Spaced out under trees.

Sites 1 to 16 are close to each other.

Sites 113 to 119 are bad. Very close to each other. No redeeming qualities.

Sites have 30 amp electric and water but might need a longish cord or hose. Clean easy to use dump with water.

Tent sites looked nice.

Short walk to nice beach or you can drive a car. Short tunnel so no campers or bikes on the roof.

Right next to rails to trails path that goes onto a causeway over the lake. There is a bike ferry to keep going. Nice ride.

Nice dog park 3/4 miles to the South on the trail.

Far away from noise. Can’t comment on loud campers.

General: 30 RV plus 11 tent sites right on Route 104 in Fairfax. 

Site Quality: RV sites are arranged around an oval. Pads are gravel. Because the loop is on a hill, some sites are not quite level, but only slightly. The sites on the outside of the loop are more desirable but they were not available when I reserved three months in advance (the campground was full on a weekday at the end of September). There are a lot of trees but limited privacy between sites. 

Bathhouse/Shower: The bathroom was clean with two stalls. Soap and paper towels. One shower that takes quarters, but I did not use so cannot comment on it.

Activities/Amenities: The office has a small store. Firewood is available. Horseshoes and a basketball hoop on a grassy area and a play structure for kids but no other activities. We appreciated the on-site laundry (which was stocked with books and brochures as well as a table and chairs) as otherwise we would have had to find a laundromat. 

This is small but compact campground. It was just an overnight stay for us, so it worked for one night.

Smuggler's Notch State Park has a small campground with 20 tent sites and 14 lean-tos. We almost always splurge on a lean-to so we can camp comfortably rain or shine. This year we stayed in Hemlock, and it was so secluded and quiet. The whole place has a real wilderness feel, but it is very close to lots of hiking and the attractions in Stowe. You can easily walk to Bingham Falls across the street, which I think is one of the most lovely waterfalls in the whole state. There's also easy access to lots of hiking trails, although I would suggest driving to the trailheads as route 108 is not fun to walk along.

A favorite Smuggler's Notch weekend in the summer would include a visit to Bingham Falls, hiking to Sterling Pond, and possibly up to the top of Mt. Mansfield. When we don't have time to hike up Mt. Mansfield, we splurge on a drive up the toll road. Then we can hike around on the summit. Lastly, we always stop at the Alchemist for a case or two of Heady Topper to bring home.

I’d say this was one of Vermont’s best kept secrets, except I don’t think it’s exactly a secret. Even in October, the Park seemed full with visitors and Stowe was hopping! Leaf peepers were in full force and the grounds were absolutely spectacular- I really picked the perfect time of year to go. Nights got pretty brisk, but the foliage was breathtaking.

The Park, located along scenic Rte108, has about 20 tent sites and 14 lean-to’s well dispersed throughout the grounds. A couple spots were drive-in sites, accessible to those with disabilities; most had small pathways and/or stairwells leading to their platforms. There was not a bad site within the entire vicinity. All were fully shaded and extremely private. Although, I’d be curious about checking out Sites 1 or 16 next time around!

Bathrooms were clean and the main office sold firewood at the entrance. Facilities are also pet friendly. Plus, there are so many hiking trails and recreational opportunities in and around the Park-from Stowe Mountain Resort to the quaint shops in town and local craft breweries. And even with the Park seeming “full”, the grounds were perfectly quiet, without the incessant sound of generators you find at larger state parks.

Without a doubt, Smugglers Notch State Park is a favorite of mine!

We travel in a 17-foot camper van, but no one ever believes that we are no bigger than a standard cargo van and can easily fit in a regular size parking space. Upon arrival at Ausable Chasm, we were told we had to take a site with water and electric since we had a camper van. These sites were $13 more per night and we really did not need the hookups. We were finally able to convince the staff that we could take a standard tent site, which was more than big enough. 

The road through the campground is dirt and rutted but the speed limit is 5 mph, so it wasn’t that bad, but it would be a mess if it was raining. 

Bathrooms and shower rooms are individual rooms, but the doors are not labeled so it’s a game of “what’s behind door number 1?”  There was no light in the shower room that I looked at so a night shower would be out of the question. The bathrooms were clean and had soap, paper towels, a garbage receptacle, and a mirror in each. 

Lots of ant hills throughout the campground so be cautious where you set up a tent. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. Large and nice-looking playground, pool, volleyball net, disc golf and mountain biking/hiking trails. It also looked like there were cross country ski trails but not sure if the campground or cabins would be open in the winter. 

Biggest advantage is that Ausable Chasm(a separate business) is directly across the street from the campground and it is very close to the ferry that will take you to Burlington, VT, our next destination.

I'm from this part of Upstate New York State, and we came up for a weekend to go to a baby shower and decided to camp out at Cumberland Head! Lots of shadey spots, very nice camping spots on Lake Champlain and the morning sunrise is beautiful!! Do yourself a favor, and visit Cumberland Head State Park!!!

Campground Review: Lakeshore camping! Beautiful little peninsula where you can watch the sunrise/set. Lovely in autumn. Good birding, water activities, sunsets, geology/gorge, short easy forest hikes, beach walking, all the good stuff you expect from this part of New York. Most of the site is off limits because of wildlife preserve, still a lot to explore. Good as base camp for a few days in the area. Get the tents sites near the lake! Popular for day use area (picnics, birthday parties, etc). Stay here and you can say you camped in Peru! (Lots of upstate NY towns are named for countries.)

Gear Review: As a The Dyrt Ranger I receive products to test and review. I won the Crazy Creek Air Chair Plus in a campground review contest in June 2016. I had been thinking of purchasing both a camp chair (for camping) and an air mattress (for camping & backpacking), as on my last few trips I got pretty sick of sitting on my closed-cell foam mat and a recent knee injury was making me rethink my open-cell foam ultralight sleeping pad. Well, this Crazy Creek Air Chair Plus does both and does them both well. It starts out as a camp chair (adjustable angle, typical back height) and flips open to a full size air pad made by Klymit. Sounds great right? I flew to NY for a whirlwind family/business/camping trip soon after receiving the chair and had ample opportunities to try it sleeping on friends’ floors and in tents. The chair portion was super comfortable, way better than any simple camp chairs I’d used. I was nervous about sitting on more rugged surfaces (I’m just paranoid about inflatables!) but so far so good. You can also flip open the bed part while you're sitting and have an extended leg rest to protect against hot sand or dirt. The conversion to the sleeping pad was simple. It inflates fairly easily, but at high altitude after a long day of hiking you might be a little annoyed puffing it all up. Sleeping on it was great: my knee and back were happier than with my open-cell foam mats (similar to the typical Thermarest). The one issue I had was that there’s a big dip/joint where the mattress flips out in the conversion from chair to bed---it’s not really that intrusive but I guess my side-sleeping and height (5’4”) conspired to annoy me a bit. Also the R value is very low (it’s not insulting) just like every other air pad but in the summer that’s fine with me. All the other aspects of sleeping on it were similar to other pads I’ve used (it’s kind of narrow, your bag will slide around a bit, etc). Doesn’t pack down too small & isn’t ultralight, but you could remove the chair aspect to help with that. In sleeping mode it’s 20” wide, 70” long, 2.5” thick, 2 lb 13 oz (according to packaging). So while this is my very first camp chair and air mattress, I’m really happy with it after 7 nights sleeping on it and many hours in the chair. It’s not gimmicky at all!

PS: Can you tell I’m way more picky about gear than campsites? :)

The Cumberland Bay State Park in New York is a great place to go and relax. If you like the beach scene, swimming, or having a picnic, then you will enjoy this park. I come here quite often to kayak, and my friends and I also like to get a game of volleyball going on the court they have within the park. During the summer months (and especially on hot days), you will find that this park is pretty busy. You can always find a little spot to put your stuff, though. Kayaking is probably one of my favorite things to do, and the lake is perfect for this. The park itself is located on Lake Champlain. You also have the option to camp overnight if you wish...I have only done this once because I wanted to get up and kayak for the sunrise! The park does provide picnic tables, restrooms and showers. I find that the restrooms and showers and pretty clean....there have been a few times that the stall I am using doesn't have toilet paper. So I would suggest checking your stall first before you sit down on the toilet :). One of my favorite parts about this park, is in the distance you can see the beautiful mountains, Adirondacks and other gorgeous views. There are also some good hiking trails nearby that you can get to by car. I would say there are trails within 5-10 miles away. All in all, a great place to come and relax!

Great tent / RV / cabin site on an island in Lake Champlain. Tent area is a large field with cabins on the rock bluffs and RV row along the road. Staff was very friendly and accommodating. Latrine and showers available at the site. Small rocky beach is available for great swimming and kayaking/SUPs.

This campground has the best staff you can find in northern New York. The whole time they are open they have activities planned for the kids all summer long. The staff is always smiling and welcoming you into the campground. Quiet and comfortable place to stay. If your kids like to read. There is place they can find a book and read a book.

Beautifully set on Lake Champlain in Vermont! This is a relatively large campground but is well laid out and doesn't feel small even when it's packed to the gills. We spent a long weekend here to enjoy some mid-summer bike riding along the many bike-paths Vermont has to offer.

The facilities are well maintained and clean. There are several camp hosts on the property and they are attentive to the needs of all the guests coming and going. There is a small welcome kiosk with a few picnic tables behind it where you can get wifi access if needed.

You can bike directly from here all the way to Burlington,without ever getting back in your car! Take the bike ferry across a small section of Lake Champlain and keep on riding.

While we were here there was even a little band playing some music one evening! We actually stayed in an ADA site (it was the only one left). It was REALLY nice. Gravel drive all the way in to a nicely built 3 walled platform with a roof. We were able to set up a tarp just off the edge to cover the picnic table as it rained for part of our stay. The site drained well and was plenty big enough for our tent and needs.

Wonderful lean-tos and campsites on an island in Lake Champlain. Great Experience!