Family-friendly campgrounds dot the shoreline of Lake Champlain near Plattsburgh, New York, where elevation ranges from 100 to 500 feet above sea level. This region experiences warm summers with average temperatures in the 70s°F and cold winters that can drop below freezing. Most campgrounds in the area operate seasonally from May through October, with several offering direct water access to the 120-mile-long lake.
What to do
Biking on lakeside trails: At North Beach Campground, visitors can connect directly to Burlington's popular bike paths. According to one camper, "Burlington is my favorite city by far, and this campground is right on the beach! Biking into Burlington takes 5-10 minutes and you're also right on the beach of Lake Champlain. A gorgeous bike trail also runs right through the campground."
Swimming in Lake Champlain: Cumberland Bay State Park Campground offers a clean swimming beach with lifeguards on duty during summer months. One camper notes, "This is a great place for the family. The playground is great. New bath house. Some sites with electric. Even with a windy, cold, rainy day it is still beautiful."
Mountain biking and disc golf: AuSable Chasm Campground maintains mountain biking trails and disc golf on the property. A visitor mentioned, "I didn't know that this was a biking campground and there were SO MANY trails. Made the most of them with running, but overall, a fantastic campground."
Rock collecting and geological exploration: At Camp Skyland, the shoreline offers unique geological specimens. A camper shared, "Water was clean & clear. Fantastic lake for rock collecting!!! Very pretty and diverse geological landscape! We immediately started googling the rock formations and it was super interesting!"
What campers like
Island camping without cars: Burton Island State Park Campground provides a car-free environment accessed only by boat or ferry. A visitor explains, "It's like going to to a tropical island without leaving Vermont. There are no cars on the island. You have to paddle yourself out or take the VT State Park passenger ferry from St. Albans."
Easy access to Burlington: Shelburne Camping Area serves as a convenient base for exploring Vermont's largest city. As one camper reported, "Only a 20 min drive into downtown Burlington. Took narrated tour on Ethan Allen ferry on Lake Champlain. Shopped in artsy town. Extended our stay for TWO extra nights."
Onsite dining options: Burton Island stands out with its unexpected food service. A visitor mentioned, "There's a camping bistro where you can buy pancakes, coffee, local beer, and fine wines." This distinguishes it from most other campgrounds in the region that require bringing your own provisions.
Proximity to outdoor attractions: Lake Placid/Whiteface Mountain KOA Holiday offers access to numerous hiking trails. One camper discovered, "Behind the 100-Acre section are trails that lead to Whiteface Mountain so you don't have to get in the car to start a hike."
What you should know
Site spacing and privacy varies: Shelburne Camping Area has more closely arranged sites. As one camper noted, "This campground was convenient for us. The place is more like a trailer park with a lot of long term RV rentals. Bathrooms were clean."
Seasonal availability: Most glamping close to Plattsburgh, New York operates from May through October. Burton Island State Park Campground has an even shorter season, running "from Memorial Day Weekend through the Tuesday morning after Labor Day."
Reservation requirements: Popular waterfront sites at Burton Island book up to 11 months in advance. A camper advises, "If you don't mind being farther from the main campground and running water, you can almost always rent one of the four primitive sites, which are secluded and waterfront."
Noise considerations: Several campgrounds sit near busy roads or highways. At Cumberland Bay State Park, a visitor mentioned, "It is a nice campground right on the lake but the road next to it is very busy. Just not my kind of place to be honest."
Tips for camping with families
Best playground facilities: Maple Grove Campground features kid-friendly amenities in a compact setting. A visitor described it as having "a basketball hoop on a grassy area and a play structure for kids." The campground's small size makes it easy to supervise children.
Kid-friendly beaches: Cumberland Bay State Park provides a clean, supervised beach. A camper shared, "The playground is great. New bath house. Some sites with electric. Even with a windy, cold, rainy day it is still beautiful."
Easy lake access: North Beach Campground offers convenient beach access for families with children. One visitor reported, "We loved being able to walk down to the beach, as well as having full hookups. We also met the nicest people here."
Weather preparation: Pack for variable conditions even in summer. At Cumberland Bay, a camper noted, "Even with a windy, cold, rainy day it is still beautiful. But when it is sunny out it is great." Bring layers and rain gear, especially when glamping close to Plattsburgh in spring and fall.
Tips from RVers
Site selection strategy: At Lake Placid/Whiteface Mountain KOA Holiday, choose the right campground section. One RVer advised, "There are two distinct sections of this campground– the 'Resort' section and the '100-Acre Woods' section. We stayed in site #73 of the 100-Acre section and would highly recommend staying in this area as opposed to the other. This section has tall shad trees and much more space between sites than the resort area."
Electric service variations: Check voltage before hooking up. At AuSable River Campsite, services include "drinking-water, electric-hookups, thirty-amp-hookups, fires-allowed, pets-allowed, picnic-table, sewer-hookups, showers, toilets, trash, water-hookups." No 50-amp service is available.
Seasonal road conditions: The roads at some campgrounds can become difficult in wet weather. At AuSable Chasm Campground, a visitor noted, "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."
Full hookup availability: Iroquois Campground & RV Park offers complete services but with limitations. A camper reported, "Sites somewhat small and tight but there are some larger sites. Staff very friendly, under new ownership, lots of seasonal sites and folks, fun activities, campers friendly and welcoming, roadway a little rough but overall ok."
