Best Tent Camping near Derby Line, VT

Rudy's looked mostly to be an RV park, so my stop was maybe not the usual for this campground. I stopped for one night while I was thru-hiking the Cohos Trail in New Hampshire and had a great experience. There seemed to be much more space at this campground for RV and van travelers, though I didn't check out that part of the facility

I booked a tent site beforehand and on arrival had the choice of right next to Clarksville Pond or another area that I didn't check out since pondside sounded amazing, so my review is specific to the tenting experience.

I stopped by Rudy's before my hike, and they held onto a food drop for me (in a sealed big plastic container) for free, and held onto some extra gear for me so that I didn't need to carry it 

There are maybe ~3-4 tent sites right along the edge of the pond, in front of a few permanent cabins. They are basic tent sites right on the grass, with a fire ring and a picnic bench. The sites were flat and the views were amazing along the pond. 

I was able to get in a morning fly fishing session 5 feet from my tent! The wind was a bit high so no luck for me, but I saw the fish jumping when I stopped by after my hike to pick up some gear I left. Kathleen, the owner of the property, offered a free fly fishing lesson during my stay, but I had to decline to keep up the pace of my hike.

There was also access to the bathhouse with free heated showers, full bathrooms, and coin-op laundry. This was a great free amenity after 7 days on my hike for a necessary refresh.

The owner and other residents of the campground were super friendly. This was a great stop along my hike to refresh and connect with a few folks along the way.

This is an RV campground w a handful of tent spots. We stayed at T4, a site w electric right on the lake. I was initially very excited to be so close to the lake but my enthusiasm waned a little after a swim- the lake bottom was murky sticky mud which is fine it’s just not my favorite. My fiancé went swimming and got a leech or leech-like thing on his foot so swimming for him was pretty much over. Being at the lake meant a lot of noise from others including the campers that use the facility, I mean like actual camp, like groups of kids and counselors. I don’t mind kids but others might. It was the usual kid squealing and stuff. When we arrived a counselor was using our site and picnic table, spilling cheese-it’s all over the place which made us popular with the many many seagulls. She left when she saw us pulling in but left the mess behind so the birds were an issue. They continued to be an issue the whole 3 days we were there- every day we’d come back to our tent to find our stuff scattered a bit- not a huge problem but a present nuisance nonetheless. We tried to keep our things contained but still they tried to carry some stuff away. On the lake shore was a lot of seagull feathers and goose presence, poop, it’s not my favorite way to swim. The bathrooms were ok, pretty basic, very much reminiscent of when you get sent to camp as a child, bare bones. The stalls in the bathroom are uncomfortably short so when you stand up your head is poking out over the door, you can make eye contact w everyone else in the room which is just weird! We went two days without paper towels being restocked to dry your hands, I finally had to call the office. (Everyone in the office was super awesomely nice, always!) Sunday morning there is a group that makes breakfast in the pavilion I guess for donations which they use to beautify the campground. This is a lovely gesture. However the pavilion is right next to the tent sites and the group started setting up about 6:30 AM, which included honking their car horn, and talking very loudly with complete disregard for quiet hours or the full row of tent sleepers. My fiancé finally approached them and told them they must be unaware of how much their voices are carrying but that everyone was still sleeping. They didn’t apologize or say anything and honestly I don’t think they cared or lowered their voices at all. Our site was comfortable, water and electric worked fine, clean fire ring, we didn’t use it. The group next to us talked late past quiet hours (I didn’t not approach the campground about it we just dealt w it), and used a drone which was extremely uncomfortable, loud, and disruptive. I did call the office about that the next day and asked if there was a drone policy, she said there was not but that she would address it if they used it again, they ended up leaving so it wasn’t a problem but there should definitely be a policy about it. All in all, people were nice but the lake location meant a LOT of additional noise from other users and there did not seem to be any reminders about quiet time. Don’t come here if you’re looking for solitude but do come here if you’re looking for a great location in northern Vermont close to a cute town and amenities. Just set your mindset that it’s not a secluded or quiet spot but a spot w stuff to do and lots of people to interact w. We did not use the boat rentals or tennis courts or other stuff.

We made a single nights reservation, for a tent, based on recommendation from Kingdom Trails website. The campground is located in a beautiful area of Vermont, but....the tenting campground, a bit dismal. We arrived to find a teeny tiny space, right next to other spaces...in fact, had we set up our small tent, we would be less than ten feet from adjacent tents. Within less than 20 feet across the dirt path were side by side tent trailers and rvs. We would not have been able to use the metal fire ring because the fire would have been within 6 feet of our small tent. When we backed our car onto the narrow space, it was within a foot of the picnic table. Basically, it would have been like camping in a WalMart parking lot on a Saturday morning...if the parking lot was a treeless dirt lot. Within 3 minutes, we decided there was no way we could stay here, we were just not that desperate! We stopped at the rest room on the way out...gross! Smelly, wet, dirty, dingy. As we left, we decided that this was the best 25.00 we ever wasted...in fact, you could not have paid us to stay there . We cannot believe Kingdom Trails continues to suggest this disaster. I will add, the girl at the store/office was quite friendly...but she did not seem surprised when we returned for our bathroom key deposit so quickly! We were fortunate in that we could just head home...but if you are planning on a peaceful nights rest after mountain biking or hiking, this is not the place. There are beautiful state parks that we could recommend, and we just don't want folks that end up here to think that this is typical for Vermont camping!

General: Large state park with two loops, both of which are lakefront. A mix of primitive sites (no w/e/s), lean-tos, and two cabins, one in each section. Sites/lean-tos are designated premium (lakefront) or non. There is also an ADA-accessible lean-to. Upon check-in, you are given a gate code to enter. 

Site Quality: Our site, like all others, was generous in size and a back-in site. Most sites don’t have clearly defined camper pads, and the surface is grass/dirt (or mud if it has rained recently). A large wooden picnic table and fire ring complete the site. There are plentiful trees, so each site has at least some shade and some are very shaded. Lakefront sites have a filtered view of the lake through the trees. 

Bath/Shower House: The one closest to us was very clean. Three stalls and one shower. Cold water only at both the sinks and the shower (at least I didn’t get any hot water). The showers do take quarters and although you get five minutes for each quarter (up to 15 quarters, although I can’t imagine taking that long of a shower), it was quite possibly the wimpiest shower I’ve experienced in quite some time. But, after I finished, I saw my quarter had been returned. The toilet paper was so thin, it was nearly transparent! 

Activities: Although swimming is allowed, the “beaches” are very small and there was a bacteria warning in place when we were there advising against swimming. There are two boat launch areas, one in each loop. Great for kayaks, and canoes, and we saw what looked like a fishing boat. There was one very annoying motorboat revving its engine while doing circles in the lake. The day-use area has a small, dated playground, fire pit, horseshoe pit, and volleyball net. There is a short nature trail and one other small walking trail. Nearby is access to the Missisquoi Rail Trail. 

A surprise was a family of ducks who visited our site when I was outside reading! Our stay was very quiet during the week after Labor Day, but I imagine the vibe is quite different during summer weekends, especially given the sign in the restroom stating that quiet hours are strictly enforced. We were annoyed by one loud boat so I can’t imagine what it would be like if the lake was filled with boaters. This is why we prefer shoulder-season camping!

This state park has a little bit of everything. There are sites with electric hookups as well as some without. Some sites are in the middle of a grassy field while others are tucked in the trees. Site size various pretty vastly as you travel through the campground. There are two main loops, one is more secluded and spaced out than the other. The campground loops have bath houses, complete with coin operated showers. Park staff were attentive and restrooms were being cleaned with frequency. 

There are more remote walk-in shelters on the Osmore Pond, located within New Discovery State Park. The shelters are rustic, have shared outhouses between a few sites, fire pits and small picnic tables. The remote sites are spaced nicely around the pond along a hiking trail that skirts the perimeter. The walk from the parking area to the shelters varies, depending what side of the pond you are camping on. If bringing a full-sized cooler(or other large/luxury car camping items) be sure you are heading to a site closer to the parking area. It would be a challenge to get some of those larger, heavier items to sites across the pond from the parking lot.

This is one of many state parks all clustered around a few bodies of water in Vermont. The campground has a mix of standard tent/rv(no hook ups) sites and lean-to shelters. Sites are relatively close to one another but have a decent amount of vegetation between them to create a little more separation. That being said, we could hear our neighbors reading Harry Potter at bedtime to their kiddo. 

Lean-tos are large enough to accommodate 2 moderately sized free-standing tents(2-4 person, depending on the style). All sites have standard fire rings and large picnic tables. The bath house is centrally located to all sites and was adequate as it relates to cleanliness and accommodations. Despite their being a ton of signage regarding mask wearing in the bathrooms, there were very few heading the request. 

I was disappointed to see trash and cigarette butts left in our fire pit from the last campers. Additionally, our lean-to did not appear to have been swept out and tidied in between parties. 

I would also say that the staff who checked us in were not super attentive or helpful. One thing to note: check in for this park happens up the road at Stillwater State Park. I would probably stay somewhere else before staying here again. But if the surrounding parks are full(common this summer), this location allowed us to still explore the area and enjoy some time outdoors.

Campground Review

Kettle Pond State Park is located in Marshfield, VT only 30 minutes from our home, yet going there still managed to feel like a retreat.  We booked a group site with a couple other families for August back in the winter. We were thrilled when the weather ended up being perfect for camping.  Low 80s during the day, and 60s at night, without any rain. A few of the mornings, the kids even swam before breakfast because the water was warm enough that it was warmer than the cool morning air temperature!

 The group sites all have 5-6 lean-tos, with each lean-to having privacy and its own fire ring with grill. In addition, each group site has a large, community fire pit, picnic tables, and out house. Our group site  (which was labeled Group Site 12-15) also had direct access to the camper kayak/canoe launch on Kettle Pond. 

Kettle Pond State Park also has about 12 remote paddler campsites, most of which are lean-tos.  All the campers that stay in the group area and the remote sites launch their boats from the launch that was within our group site. This meant we had a little less privacy than the other group sites, and that we had cars rolling down to the water to drop off boats, but overall, the disruption was minimal. We enjoyed being that close to our boats and swimming for the kids.

This state park also was conveniently located with an access trail to the Cross Vermont Trail. The Cross VT trail is a multi-use bike path that travels much of the width of VT on old farm roads, snowmobile trails, railroad beds, and occasional roads. We took a half day bike trip on it one day to go to the town of Marshfield to visit Rainbow Sweets, home of some of the best French pastries in Vermont.  We biked through marshland, seeing Great Blue Herons and other wildlife. We passed by a waterfall, and even stopped at a little farm stand to buy pickles. There were so many fun things to discover! Via the Cross VT trail, you can also travel to other state parks in the Groton State Forest, such as Boulder Beach (excellent lake swimming with sand, playground, and picnic areas), Ricker Pond, and Owl's Head.

Kettle Pond State Park is primitive. There is not ANY running water. The running water is accessed by going to New Discovery Campground, which is is about 3 miles down the road. New Discovery is also where you check in for Kettle Pond. So bringing several large water vessels is important so you can pick up plenty of water, or bring a water filtration system so you can use water from the pond.

So, the jewel of Kettle Pond State Park is really Kettle Pond itself. It is a glacially-carved shallow pond. I was pleased to discover that the bottom of the pond was not mucky at all, as it is all ground of rock silt and rocks.  The kids especially enjoyed their time swimming in it at all hours of the day.  We also spent lots of time in boats, exploring the pond. The park does not allow any motorized boats on the pond, so it is extremely peaceful and serene.  Wild life abounds here, including fish, beavers, and loons. One evening, during a sunset paddle, we got to float alongside a loon family, which was VERY cool.

The lean-tos were in great condition. The floors were flat and easy to sweep out. The overhang was large enough to hang a hammock under.  We did not bring mosquito netting for the opening, and the bugs were hardly noticeable.  All the lean-tos are far enough apart that you can't hear your neighbor's snoring, which was a plus.  However, one night during our stay, a new group arrived at the group site next door.  We couldn't even see them, but we could hear them way too late at night, even past the quiet hours.  That was only one night, however, and then the next day the campground staff heard and dealt with it promptly.  The bathroom was clean, and always stocked with toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Highlights:

• Biking on the Cross Vermont Trail

• Sunset and Sunrise paddles

• Swimming

• Biking in the campground loops

• Enjoying the large group fire pit

• Night time loon calls

• Playing games at the large group picnic tables

• Hammock hanging

Things to consider:

• Bring a way to filter water, or large containers for getting water at New Discovery

• Definitely rent or bring boats

• Transporting firewood from outside VT is illegal

• The gate is always closed, but never locked (but it looks locked!)

• Bring water and biodegradable soap for hand washing

INH540 Vertical Hang Bike Rack Review

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I was given an opportunity to review this rack from INNO while camping.  As a family of 7, we have a ton of bikes to haul.  We were able to test out the rack with several different bike frame styles and sizes.

The initial impressions of the rack were great. The rack is designed to fit two different sizes (1 1/4 inch and 2 inch)  of hitch receivers.  They allow for the 2 different sizes by using metal sleeve that slides over the smaller metal pipe. We have a 2 inch hitch, and so used the rack with the adapter.  My husband was super impressed by how easy the rack was to install. The rack installs solidly and securely on the hitch without needing additional tools (a big plus in our minds!).  

Ones the rack is installed, you flip the arm up to load the bikes.  There are two arms on the rack. The beauty of this rack is that only the upper arm goes through the frame of the bike. Basically, the frame hangs off of the top arm, and then the lower bar of the bike rests on the lower arm.  The bike is held into position by a cambered, rotating plastic ratchet-type strap that tightens on to any sized frame.  So far, this attachment system seems more durable and universal than the stretchy rubber-type bike straps used by other racks.

 The rack holds 4 bikes total. It holds our two adult sized mountain bikes quite well--each one takes just a couple of minutes to load on. However, it is a bit more of a struggle to load the 24 inch kids bikes on, as their bars and frame geometry are tighter. This requires a bit more messing around and adjusting. So smaller bikes take a bit more time to load--probably 5 minutes per bike.  

Once the bikes are loaded, there are velcro straps to hold the front wheel rigid, which prevents it from rubbing on the other bikes during transit.   There is a locking cable mechanism built into the rack, which is great for longer trips.  The rack also has a foot-pedal activated tilt-down feature for accessing your trunk, which is awesome, and easy to use.  

When the bikes are unloaded, you can collapse the swing arm of the rack, giving it a lower profile if you don't want to remove it from the car.

Our overall impression of this rack is great. The components are all super-sturdy. The aluminum framing of it is rigid, but not too heavy. The rubberized frame contact points where the bike sits really help keep the bikes stable. We like the included tools, with the storage bag. This makes it way easier to have what you need. Nothing like looking for a tool when you really need it!   The rack is a great way to carry mountain bikes for camping, riding, or local recreation. 

The one improvement we would make would somehow make it adjustable for smaller framed bikes, but we know that might not be possible! In the meantime, we still use it for smaller framed bike, and it works fine, just takes a little longer to load. It is a keeper, for sure!