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Hammonasset Beach State Park is the largest of Connecticut’s shoreline parks. Two-mile beach, facilities for swimming, camping (third weekend in May to Columbus Day), picnicking, saltwater fishing, scuba diving, hiking and boating; concessions. Nature center and interpretive programs. Bicycle rentals available through Labor Day, rates begin at $10 per hour and range up to $75 per week, with discounts for children. Helmets provided free to use and are mandatory for riders 15 and younger. Note: Lifeguards on duty on Wednesday through Sunday. Pricing: Weekdays: free for CT vehicles; $15/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm. Weekends and holidays: free for CT vehicles; $22/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm William F. Miller Campground. 558 open sites. Concession, dumping station, bathrooms, showers. Saltwater swimming and fishing. Individual fireplaces not provided. No pets.
$20 - $45 / night
Take the Virtual Tour! - WILDWOOD STATE PARK
Wildwood State Park comprises 600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest, terminating on the high bluff overlooking Long Island Sound. Swimmers can take advantage of the cool waters of the Sound, and picnickers can relax at shaded picnic tables as their children enjoy the nearby playground. Visitors can fish and use the hiking and cross-country ski trails, making this an enjoyable place to camp and be outdoors in any season. Geography: Wildwood State Park is located near Long Island Sound, on the north shore of Long Island, in Suffolk County. Recreation: Considered a flagship facility, visitors can enjoy the beach, biking, camper recreation programs, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and cross-country skiing. During July and August, movies are shown weekly, and once a week, campers can enjoy an evening of line or square dancing. Facilities: The park has 2 miles of beach on the Long Island sound for fishing and swimming. Each campsite has a picnic table, and dumping stations are nearby. There are 10 cottages, each with a fire ring, screened-in patio, and are available for rent through mid-November. The campground recycles newspaper and cardboard. Other amenities include food concessions, a nature trail, twelve miles of marked hiking trails, a picnic area, basketball courts, ball fields, a playground, and showers. Firewood is for sale at the park; bring your own barbecue or metal fire container.
The family campground at Watch Hill provides a camping experience like no other.
$25 / night
Selden Neck offers 4 sites: Cedars site - 20 campers Hogback site - 6 campers Springledge site - 8 campers Quarry Knob site - 12 campers
$5 / night
Four public camps along the Connecticut River at Hurd, Gillette Castle, River Highlands and Selden Neck State Parks offer primitive, riverside sites with fireplaces and pit toilets for individuals traveling on the river.
Use of river campsites at River Highlands, Hurd and Gillette Castle is restricted to canoers and kayakers only.
***Very quiet and private in back woods horse pastures on a small farm with free range chickens, a dog, and a couple of horses. Your pets are welcome too! ***
Locally there are state parks with beaches, and state forest for trails & lakes, hiking and biking. Or you can just relax and enjoy the serenity!
*** Each campsite has its own fire-pit and table with chairs. ***
We cannot allow any wood for camp fires to be brought in form the outside for environmental reasons. It can be purchased for $10 per bundle on site or $12 preordered with reservation.
Farm Fresh eggs daily when available for $4.00 per 1/2 dozen. And there are also blocks of ice $5. Garbage removal is available as well $5 per bag provided.
**Other attractions include local farmers markets, Gilette's Castle, and the famous River Ferry crossing the Connecticut River with a vehicle across to East Haddam. *
$49 / night
Legend
We generally only stay in KOAs or similar RV parks when we need showers, laundry, or a dump station. This one was in a convenient location plus many campgrounds had not yet opened for the year when we were there. It had rained for a few days before our arrival and that did not help our first impression as we drove on the rutted and muddy road to our site. There was a sign that improvements are underway, but I am not sure what those planned improvements are and when they will be implemented.
On the plus side:
*Friendly and helpful staff. Not sure why when we are given a map an employee escorts us to our site but that is a KOA thing. Later an employee asked if I wanted help carrying our clothes to the laundry.
* Warm showers (but it did take a while for the water to get warm)
*Brand new pool that was uncovered but it was way too cold in April to use*Sites were spaced a decent amount of space apart (although there is little physical separation). This was helped by the fact that there was no one on either side of us during our stay.
*In season, there are many activities to occupy families (pool, playground, mini golf, daily firetruck rides, complimentary shuttle into the town of Niantic); however, we could not take advantage of most of these.
*Reasonably priced laundry, although the washing machines were smal, and it took two to do what should have been one load. However, the dryers give you 60 minutes so although it took longer to dry, I only had to use one.
On the negative side:
*Unmaintained roadways. The main one was once paved but has not been maintained; others were dirt (and mud after a rain)
*High price for what we received. Not sure if we received an off-season rate but at $87 per night for a water/electric site and not being able to take advantage of amenities seemed high.
*Allowing political flags to be displayed at sites. I understand that on private property, this can be allowed at the owner's discretion, but this was offensive to us.
Again, this is not our preferred type of camping. Initially, I struggled to give this two stars but once the rain stopped, our stay improved somewhat.
Scout
Stayed at this campground this past weekend and yes it was a long weekend so the campground was packed. All the camping spots are pretty much right next to each one with hardly any space, packed like Sardines. Neighbors are loud and some of them are ignorant of the park rules. Staying on the phones in the middle of the night while talking so loud that all camping neighbors can hear their whole story
Its a pity that they take a nice park and remove the fun out of camping.
However the walk to the beach area was very serene, especially early morning before sunrise and didn't feel like we live in dense suburbia and sunrise from the beach was worth the trip
Camp site itself was pretty flat, had a water station, bathrooms were well kept , no fire ring (BYOFP)
Traveler
The campsites are very close together without any defining borders so everybody just walks across each other site’s to get to a different one, a path, the bathroom, etc. No solitude, lots of families with kids, lots of music, I mean it’s basically a party. I didn’t realize this when I made my reservations. The place is great for families who want a safe space to camp and it’s a typical Long Island campground. Rangers came around checking on everyone often so it really did feel incredibly safe. I had a pick up truck w/ tinted windows follow me in the park for quite a while which was rather creepy and I couldn’t shake them. When I biked into the campground itself, the pick up truck couldn’t get past the check in area. Everyone I met was friendly and there’s a little shop in the front of the campgrounds that sells various items. I personally wouldn’t stay here again unless I was meeting up with friends or something and wasn’t trying to have more solitude. This is no fault of the park itself though, I’m just more of a woods girl.
Scout
We love camping at Odetah. Clean facilities. Great staff. New pool and hot tub. Will definitely come back
Guide
Camping Review:
This campsite is beautifully located in the woods, offering a peaceful and serene environment. There are no busy roads nearby, which ensures a quiet setting during the day.
However, there are several downsides to consider. The camping spots are uneven, making it challenging to set up tents or campers. Additionally, swimming at the nearby beach is restricted to residents of the village, so visitors are not allowed to swim there.
During our stay, there were multiple large groups, including a Christian group that preached (screamingly) and played loud music until midnight, despite the designated quiet hours. Unfortunately, the management did nothing to enforce the rules, which was disruptive.
Another significant issue was the state of the sanitary facilities. They were extremely dirty, with feces present in various places. It took a long time before anything was cleaned, which obviously kept us from using the facilities.
Overall, while the location is beautiful, the poor management, noise issues, and dirty sanitary facilities seriously detract from the experience.
Legend
I had a hankering for East Coast seafood, so I picked Hammonesett Beach State Park for Connecticut. Our 2nd state of 5.
Hammonesett Beach has a huge campground. They divide the loops with names. I unfortunately chose Pequot. This loop has THE WORST bathrooms/showers on the South side of the campground. Looks like they were built in 1950s with rotten wood siding. Dirty. The showers were outside the bathroom- there was a bench & hooks OUTSIDE! We found out all the other loops had modern bathhouses.
My first impression of this campground is it's loud, crazy busy & there's traffic noise from the beach road. I actually liked it! This is a fun campground for families. There were kids on bikes, scooters, skateboards,roller blades. Watch your speed! They don't always watch out for your car.
I found out most people stay through Sunday & leave on Monday. There were still lots of campers left. Lots of tent campers.
I chose site 14 on the Pequot Loop because I thought I would have a view of one of the ponds. There was tall vegetation, so that was out.
The sites on the other side of the loop were right by the main beach road. Noisy during the day, but quiet at night.
There are some sites with shade, but most are sunny.
There's no electricity at most of the sites. Our site was full sun(yay for the solar panel!). On Beach Road in the campground there's 2 rows of full hookup sites, but they go FAST! I tried.
NO PETS! Including dogs.
No WiFi, but there's cell service. At least 5 dump stations.
The beach was popular.
There was a stream running from a pond that kids were playing in.
They have a beautiful Nature Center. A couple of easy hikes through one of the preserves.
This was a good base camp for the area. Gillette Castle & other state parks are within driving distance. Connecticut is a beautiful state!!
Scout
JUNE 30,2024 my husband & I were seasonals at waters edge campground Lebanon Connecticuit gave them a 30 day notice we were leaving this place wasnt for us just awful the owners are just money hungey thieves they told us they were keeping our deposit wich we expected because it says non refundable deposit so okay fine but we paid for the whole season its open april15 to october15 gave a 30 day notice left june 30 they refused to give us back the money for july ,august,september,to october 15 they ket 750 plus 2500 dollars told us were not getting our money back So iam sure they rented the site thats double dipping so fair warning I dont want this to happen to anyone else they will Rob you blind oh and they broke our ice maker when they dewinterized our trailer and never owned up to it came down to my floor in camper soaked with water from my freezer and didnr bother to clean tthe mess and said it must have been broken nefore so they are also dirty liars I didnt want to even give a one star rating but had to put somethin i give the a big fat 0
Legend
We stayed at Mystic KOA in North Stonington, Connecticut, to be tourists in Mystic. Spoiler alert… we had a great stay!
This campground is just 15-minutes from Mystic and about an hour’s drive to Newport, Rhode Island. It’s just a few minutes from I-95 and so close to Mystic Aquarium, downtown Mystic, Mystic Seaport, and all the local spots.
It’s a well-maintained campground with 2 pools(though the larger one was closed for maintenance during our stay), lots of play areas and daily activities for little ones, and a cool“pub truck” for adult drinks. Our site(#408) was about 85’ long with plenty of room for our 45’ motorhome and toad(and then some!). It was level and gravel with a nice fire ring and picnic table. The hookups worked fine with 50-amp electric and decent water pressure. Cable TV had nearly 50-channels, but the wi-fi didn’t quite reach our part of the park.
Due to a family issue, we needed to leave about a day-and-a-half early. We called the office as a courtesy to let them know as we were pulling out and received a partial credit for a night’s stay on our credit card. Didn’t even ask, they just did it. Thanks Mystic KOA!
We’ll definitely be back. This is a great place to stay when visiting the coastal Connecticut/Rhode Island area.
LegendPros: 15 minutes from Mystic CT 50 AMP, sewer & water hookup Nice amenities
Cons: Gravel site No shade Tight site & hard to get in/out for big rig
Traveler
I took the train to Montauk on 6/20/24 and got a cab ($20) to the campsite. All sites were reserved, but only 1/3 were being used. I was able to put my name on a waitlist and got a tent lot. They wouldn’t let me register for more than 1 night.
I was in A6, which is against the dunes (which are ~12ft tall), so I could hear the surf, but not see it. There was no one within 2 sites, so it was quiet.
Friday morning, I put my name on the waitlist at 8am, I had to break down my site by 11am, and come back at 1pm to claim a site. I took J10 (which is on a bluff ~20ft above the beach and G, H and I areas). Strangely, I was offered a 2 night stay (Fri&Sat).
Beautiful views of the ocean from my tent and I could still hear the surf. Area J has the best (newest?) facilities (bathrooms, showers, sinks (kitchen and personal)). Drawback is 10 minute walk to the general store/ranger station and 5 minutes to the beach (10 to swimming area).
Almost no cell service! 2 bars was the maximum and finding that was rare. (Not enough service to get an Uber or play Spotify). There is a landline outside at the ranger’s station.
General Store closed at 3pm, but Gurney’s is 1.5 miles down the beach if you want expensive bars and restaurants.
FYI, guarded swimming area is ~100 yards wide and located next to the entrance circle.
ScoutOdetah Camping Resort called us today 24 hours prior to our arrival- after 4 years of camping there- to cancel our site unless we rented an RV and didn’t use tents. We were allowed to book and had the booking for 4 months. I was on the phone with them while I booked for assistance since it’s a group booking for 16. I called later to book a cabana too. They never once said anything. Then they called 24 hours in advance because our reservation said tent and that’s not allowed. Then they charged us a cancellation fee. Even tho they cancelled ON US.
But my favorite part is them saying that the camping industry is moving to no longer allow tents. They think they are*kind* to still allow tents-a handful of sites on a rocky hill that don’t have electricity or water. So those with medical needs cannot use those sites. Those with mobility limitations cannot either.
WHAT?!
Camping= tents. Change your name if you are going to discriminate. Don’t worry tho, you can put on a tent NEXT TO an rv on the sites. You just cant put only a tent.
Their customer service was horrendous. The experience was horrendous. What a shame.
Traveler
Truly great spot. Amazing sites with plenty of room, though they are close together. But was worth it for the amenities and fantastic views. Stayed on the bayside (site 30), which had a fantastic direct bay view. Although most sites have views of the bay, some are blocked by seagrass (for example site 28 - huge corner spot but the flat spot to park has an obstructed view). Literally steps to the beach.
Traveler
This was our first stay at Devil’s Hopyard campground. We enjoyed our stay and were happy with our site. It was great to hike and see the waterfall.
ScoutThis is a nice campground - not crowded and centrally located. However, I cannot walk ANYWHERE without picking up ticks. Even on the large sand paths, going to and from the bathroom I find ticks. It’s amazing!
GuideCamped here on a Friday night in Site 16, yet another campground recommended in“Best Tent Camping: New England.” Overall I was not impressed. The campsites are right next to each other and are marked with posts. The sites are so close that the posts are marked with the site number on both sides which tells me that there has been confusion in the past.
The sites along the creek mostly have worn paths to walk to it but it’s nothing impressive and I wouldn’t want to eat fish that came out of it. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, some have the kind where the top flips over and others have the moveable grate that goes up and down. There is a large dumpster in the campground and several porta-potties. The old outhouses have been permanently closed and locked shut. My campsite had a lot of trash in it, old tent stakes, plastic bottle caps, plastic fork, broken glass, etc. Not good.
Some of the people there were camping in a group and were blasting music. I didn’t see a single park ranger the entire night so I’m not sure how often they police it. Someone in a pickup truck came into the campground, did a u-turn, and sped out at 30 mph which was really annoying and unsafe.
Across the street from the campground is a trail to Chapman Falls, which will take less than 10 minutes to hike to, but it’s a pretty waterfall despite all the foam and garbage around it.
This is a pretty basic campground and is nothing special. Out of all the sites I think 22 looked the best, it is more isolated and you can hear the waterfalls from it, which would be relaxing. The downside is that it’s right next to the entrance and road so you’ll get car headlights at night.
I woke in the morning to a gray sky and hundreds of birds singing– it was my favorite part of the trip. I delayed getting up to enjoy the moment. I also didn’t see any ticks but I’m sure there are plenty based on other reviews.
I’ve always thought that if states were condiments Connecticut would be mayonnaise– relatively unremarkable and bland. This campground fits that description perfectly.
Traveler
Selden Neck State Park is an island in the Connecticut River with no roads or development other than 4 campsites. You have to kayak or boat in. There's a boat launch across from the island on the west side of the river at Deep River Landing where you can leave your car. (Entering and parking at the boat launch requires a permit Memorial Day to Labor Day.)
It's about a 20 minute paddle across the river to the island. If it's a nice day, you're going to encounter some wake from passing boats so make sure your gear is in waterproof bags. Once you get to the island, follow the bank north until you spot the sign for your campsite.
My 5-year-old and I camped at site 2, Hogback. I haven't visited the other sites, but probably will just book this one again because it was so good. Plenty of flat area to pitch a tent, nice picnic table and fire pit. There's a private outhouse. At low tide, a couple of beaches emerge to play on.
The sunset view was amazing. There was a little noise at night from boat traffic but it didn't keep us up. In the morning, we were completely socked in with fog which would have been an issue if we had to get back early. But it burned off before long and we headed back.
Traveler
Perhaps it was the weekend we went but this was an extremely unpleasant trip. The bathroom facilities are wonderful as is the beach but the crowd stayed awake playing music all night very loudly. I think the cabins here are the way to go.
ScoutStayed in May, June, and November 2023. The location is its best feature. The beach is just over the dunes. Village Pizza is remarkably good.
Had to take a star off for no hookups. Generator hours are limited. There are spigots located down the middle of the rows. Go on google maps to find a spot near a spigot.
Cell signal varies wildly by spot. B17 no prob at all. G14 spotty. F20 total dead zone.
Bath house on the west side is eh. The east side- beautiful.
ScoutDer Camping Platz ist in der wunderschönen Natur gelegen. Das Personal ist sehr freundlich und die Camping Plätze sind grosszügig und gut gepflegt. Das Preis Leistungsverhältniss ist ebenfalls sehr gut. Einziger Nachteil: in den Waschräumen brennt die ganze Nacht das Licht und es gibt keine Türen. Damit wird aus den Waschräumen ein zu Hause für Moskitos und Ungeziefer…
ScoutOur 36ft motorhome backed up to a raised balcony overlooking the bay. Less than 100 feet from the front of our site was the beach and the Atlantic Ocean view. A stones throw away was one of several shower and rest room buildings. Clean and well lit. Our site had a trex picnic table on a cement patio. An on site firepit was cozy at night. A general store, complete with an ice cream shop window, on the grounds was a treat. And sweet deer. I watcheda momma deer nursing two of her babies. This is paradise.
ScoutI camped here solo on Friday and Saturday over the Labor Day weekend. Overall my experience was positive.
Camping Sites
Each camping site has a picnic table and barbeque grill. The sites are designated by printing on the roads and do not have clear boundaries between them. My site had good shade coverage and was free of rocks and other hazards.
I had enough space that I didn't feel like I was intruding on my neighbors and vice-versa. That said, there aren't clear paths to the restroom building so it's not uncommon for people to cut through the edges of sites to get there. In my experience I (and others I saw) tried not to go right through the middle people's setups to do so.
If you're looking for privacy, the sites at the rear seemed to be less-densely packed, even though every site was occupied. Quiet hours are generally adhered to but not enforced - there were some campers that had noise running later.
Amenities
The restroom building is in the middle of the campground and was clean and had plenty of stalls.
Potable water is available at regular intervals, about at the corners of each group of four campsites.
Cell phone reception is limited - I had data but it was very slow which led to my phone's battery draining quickly.
Access
A car is an absolute must for this part - the entrance is directly off of Southern State Parkway with no pedestrian access. Train stations are nearby so you could take the train most of the way and rent a car from there.
Traveler
Favorite place ever. You can get there by ferry. Very quiet and comfortable. Birdsong in the morning and the sound of the waves. There are showers, toilets and a café. For those who want to be at one with nature. Lots of mosquitoes, be prepared.
TravelerBeen to this campsite 2 times. Nice beach with no waves. A lot of fishermen. 5-7 minutes by car to the store, gas station and farms.
ScoutBathrooms are a health hazard, have not been cleaned in who knows how long. Poop is smeared on the walls, floor and toilet. Showers are horrendous. There are young children that have to use those showers and bathrooms. I wouldn’t want to bring my kids here!!!
Traveler
Average compared to other state/county parks. The crowd was a little questionable. State police were called in the settled a dispute between campers. Neighbor ran a generator all night (luckily it was somewhat quite)I, but had no issues with anyone. There seemed to be a disproportionate amount of dilapidated trailers on the side of the campground with no electricity. I'm not sure how some of them even moved. The side with electricity was ok. Places to eat are very close, and a 15 minute drive to Smith's Point beach was a plus. You need a Green Key card membership for reservation which at least got me a 50% ($9) discount on beach parking.
ScoutStayed at a great wooded tent site - quiet during the week and packed out by the weekend. Close to the bathrooms, with water spigot and electric hook up. Two small ponds with enough blue gill action to excite the kids. Worth checking out!
ScoutVery nice staff, campground is nice also. Bathrooms could be cleaner. Close to downtown and beaches - campsite offers a shuttle service to most things around which is great!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Laurel, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Laurel, NY is Hammonasset State Park Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 38 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Laurel, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 11 tent camping locations near Laurel, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
