Best Glamping near Fair Haven, VT

We stayed in the Venus yurt from Saturday August 3rd thru Thursday August 8th 2024. We were going to stay until the 10th, but we had an incoming hurricane and decided to leave before the exit flooded. 

Overall, their website pictures are NOT current and I believe the reviews on their website to either be inaccurate or very old. 

Day 1: the yurt smelled heavily of febreeze and was smaller than the pictures showed. The mattress, which had no cover on it, had been turned over(the bottom had nubs on it so it wouldn’t slide- this was face up). When we flipped it over, there were obvious fresh red fluid stains and other stains on the top of the mattress. For the price we paid, we would have expected either a waterproof cover enclosing the mattress or that the owners would have swapped out this mattress. The fact that the cleaning staff felt it was ok to turn it over expecting nobody to check was a bit revolting. We went to the office to get it removed, but the best they could do was provide 2 comforters to place between the mattress and our sheets. 

When we left to meet up with friends, we found the door lock was broken. We could only lock it from the inside. Our friends were in RVs and apparently the site was digging for new sewer lines, so when the wind shifted, we got a fresh scent of raw sewage. 

When we went to take showers at the facility nearest the yurts, we found there was no hot water, the showers had to be pumped to run(no continuous water flow in either the showers or the sinks), and only 1 of the 4 stalls had lockable doors. Both of these were reported to the office the following morning. 

Day 2: found that by the store were 6 showers with hot, continuously running water. 3 were out of service and only 1 locked. This was reported to the store/office multiple times. 

The lifeguard on duty at the smaller pool across from the store was sitting down in a regular chair with a table with an umbrella between her and the pool, face down in her phone with one hand, holding her sunglasses up with her other hand, while 3 small children(~8 years old) were sliding and playing unsupervised. As a former life guard/ wave pool certified lifeguard, I would have fired her on the spot. That is an unacceptably dangerous situation. 

The mini golf course was in disrepair, the arcade was empty of machines, and the activities touted on their website were nonexistent. 

The charcoal grill, which we would have used, had a large rusted hole in the bottom right side taking out~25% of the usable bottom, making it basically useless. Thank goodness for butane camp stoves.

 Day 3: shower lock situation had not improved(did not improve during our stay despite the office being made aware) Our neighbors left the yurt to our left and the person cleaning the yurt did a cursory cleaning at best. No sign of COVID cleaning discipline whatsoever. We spent the majority of the day offsite  

Day 4: lawn mowing started at 8:15 am. The grass absolutely did not need to be mowed. Very loud stand behind rider mower that kicked up dust more than anything as it had been very dry. Took them~3 hours. As a person on vacation, this clearly woke me up early. Very disappointing.

 Day 5: got a bit cold in the early morning, so we turned on the heat. It blew dust, filled the entire yurt with a burning smell and caused my partner to use her rescue inhaler. We turned it off quickly, opened the door and 2 windows to clear the air, and found the heater had not been cleaned. 

Day 6: decided to leave due to the pending hurricane. As I was checking out, a gentleman checking in was told he had been moved further into the campsite in case the river flooded and was told that, if the river did flood, they had a plan and to not be surprised to see RVs in the road. That was their plan?!?!? 

Overall, we will not be returning and will not be recommending this to anyone. If anything, we will encourage anyone looking to camp in the Adirondacks to avoid this campground.

This campground is the number one rated in Vermont for a reason. The staff were wonderful, the sites are pristine and picturesque, the faculties are decorated with wildflowers. We met a number of AT through hikers, who were very willing to share their adventure stories.

Plenty of space between sites. Decent bathroom situation--I've seen better and I've seen worse in Vermont. The (AT&T) cell phone reception was pretty good, but could be slow at times (which could be because of the area or because of the busy fall color season.)

Beautiful campground in south central Vermont.  On a lovely emerald green small lake with nice beach. Good for fishing and kayaking.  Well kept. Was very quiet when we visited though I suspect it's much busier in mid summer.  Near Manchester, which has numerous great restaurants and a fabulous bookstore.

We stayed at this campground in a travel trailer for one week spent hours floating down the river biking took day trips to Lake Placid and Burlington Vermont lots of seasonal campers but for a day camping the sites are really nice would highly recommend. There was a single bathroom right up from our site which was a plus.

I have stayed here a couple times and loved it. they sites are nice and private. The views on some of the sites to the lake are beautiful. the grounds and facilities are well kept. and you are close to both Bennington and Wilmington. a great spot to camp at in Southern Vermont!

What a great little park! apparently this is the first state park in Vermont. Only 8 campsites so try to book early. Nice trails that lead to scenic views of Lake Champlain. Bathrooms and showers were clean. Showers were quarter operated, 50 cents for 5 minutes. Firewood sold on site. Sites are well groomed and have a fire pit and picnic table.

I only got to stay two nights here but it was veey nice. only seven tent sites and three Leanto so pretty secluded. the best part is every night its only a ten minute hike to the summit from where the sites are and you get to watch the sunset over Vermont and lake champlain as the sun falls behind the adirondack mountains, its quite an amazing site. very highly recommended if y oi u want piece and quiet and that mountain feel with a stunning view.

We just finished six nights at Emerald Lake State Park.  Camping at Vermont State parks is always top notch.  We had a lean-to site and good privacy from the sites around us.  There was plenty of room for our tent and screen tent.  Everyone was respectful and quiet, even on the weekend when it was busier.  Bathrooms were cleaned daily, showers were fine.  50 cents for 5 minutes and then extra time for each additional quarter.  Two bars of AT&T.  Manchester was an easy 10 minute drive away for provisioning, and we enjoyed a great hike to Lye Brook Falls (the trailhead was around a 20 minute drive).  We would definitely come here again.

Unfortunately, we stayed here on a pretty rainy weekend in June, but I have nothing but good things to say about our visit to Half Moon Pond. We stayed in site T06, which is right on the water. We were easily able to go straight from the tent to our kayak, which was so awesome. 

The bathhouse was very clean, the swimming beach is small but perfect, and there are even cabins for rent on the other side of the pond. Bomoseen State Park is right down the road, but I recommend staying at Half Moon and taking advantage of the large swimming area at Bomoseen, as well as all the cool ponds, lakes, and hiking trails nearby. 

Of all the Vermont State Parks we've camped at, Half Moon Pond is high at the top of the list for its privacy, quiet paddling, and proximity to other cool attractions. I wish I had more photos to share, but rain...

We have camped at Woodford State Park in the summer and fall. It's a small park, but it never feels crowded. Most park activities are based around a small, 25-acre lake. You can rent canoes or kayaks, fish for trout, or hike the loop trail around the lake. Here's what we love most about camping here:

1)It's the highest elevation campground in Vermont, which means that when the temperatures soar in the valleys, you can come here for a noticeable temperature difference.

2. It's one of the most dog-friendly state parks. Dogs are allowed everywhere except three of the camping cabins.

3. The fall foliage is unreal!

There are great waterfront sites, cabins if it's too cold to tent, and the bathrooms are modern and clean.

I've stayed at 10 of the state parks of VT. Gifford Woods takes the cake in friendliness of its staff. The park is amazingly clean, well run, located just of RT 4 and very near to Killington, Vermont. It has multiple lean-to sites which are in wooded areas. Cool stone bathrooms and playing fields for kids but the highlight (for me) is access to the Appalachian Trail. The AT runs directly through this park. While on a 4 state section hike I traveled by foot through this park. The ranger gave me an ice cream, pointed me to the showers and then chatted with me for an hour about my hike so far. He also gave me a ride to the Inn at Long Trail to pick up a resupply box since I was a few days behind schedule and low on food. I'll always remember his kindness. Living just across the state line in NH, I have frequented Gifford Woods on 4 other occasions for day hiking with family. Enjoy! I sure did!

Vermont’s oldest state park has just 10 campsites (7 tent sites and 3 lean-tos). We’ve stayed there a few times, and even during high summer the campsites aren’t usually full. The park itself is busy during the day, in part because the views from the top of Mt. Philo are incredible, and you can drive your car right to the top for an impromptu picnic.

My favorite part about camping here is getting up early and hiking the short trail to the top for a spectacular sunrise. The sites are very private and shaded, and it’s close proximity to Burlington make it a good choice for travelers, but because the road is steep and winding, it’s not suitable for RVs. Bathrooms are small and clean with hot showers. If you want to cool off in the summer, head to Kingsland Bay State Park on Lake Champlain, which is just a few miles away.

We've been camping at Button Bay for years, and while it can be hot and buggy in the summer months, there is no place we'd rather be in September! There are two campground loops to choose from. The first is where you'll find the lean-tos and the dog trail/beach. This area is super quiet, offers a bit of shade, and plenty of privacy. We almost always get the Catalpa or Willow lean-to because we bring dogs and it's easy for them to run to the lake and cool off.

The second camping loop has a few waterfront camping cabins, which we are dying to check out, but haven't yet. The main camping area is essentially a huge field, so not much shade or privacy. The benefit of this area is that it's closer to everything - the playground, pool, nature center, kayak and canoe rentals, and the trail out to the point. There are also amazing views of the lake and the mountains right from the camping area.

I think this is one of the best state parks in Vermont for families with kids, and for dogs. There isn't a great place to swim in the lake here, although plenty of people swim off the point. There is a nice pool, but it closes after Labor Day weekend. If you want to swim in Lake Champlain, I highly recommend Kingsland Bay State Park, just a few miles north.

Definitely hike the short nature trail out to Button Bay Point. It's especially lovely in the evening as the sun is setting. Enjoy!

This is a nice state park located near the Quechee Gorge, a lovely place to explore and play. Vermont State parks often offer lean-to options and Quechee is no exception. If you don't have a tent, you still have a dry structure; if you do have a smaller tent, you can even pitch it in the lean-to. It give you some security for those wet camping trips that inevitably hit at some point in the summer!

The sites are broken up into several smaller loops; sites are large and private. A few of them are Y sites that make a nice setting for families and friends camping together. Sites are back-in, generally level with lots of space to pitch a tent. No hookups, but a dump station is available. There's a large field that a few of the sites back up to. Bathrooms were clean, showers are coin-operated, so bring your quarters. Firewood available for sale. Groceries are available nearby.

Take time to walk down into the gorge and explore the river. It's a great place to cool off. You'll need to walk back toward the visitor's center (there's a trail that will take you over to the parking lot) for the descent. At the top, check out the visitors' center. Farther afield you can visit the Billings Farm and Museum, explore trails at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP, enjoy scenic Woodstock. There's an annual balloon festival and even if the balloons don't fly due to weather, there's music and other entertainment. Lots of small shops and markets in the area. In Quechee, VINS has a canopy walk and raptors; check out their calendar for events. Traffic can be a beast during

This is our first time at this KOA, been a rewards card member for years. It’s very peaceful and quiet here. The scenery was beautiful as well. They had boat rentals, game room, indoor mini golf and even soft serve ice cream. The staff was very friendly. Now some place for improvement, A person to show where your site is, is needed. Saw a lot of arrivals getting lost to their camp site. The store should cater to the camping guests more not be a variety store to the general public. We were looking for stuff with their name of the KOA on them, only found tumblers and shot glasses. Just kinda disappointing. Also we noticed lots of campers left do to lack of WIFI . Cell service is very limited. Very remote .. the WIFI didn’t even work at the office . I also saw and heard from other campers the cable tv was bad, had sound picture was all snow. But the location and the grounds were greatly appealing. But not sure if we will return.

This is a solid, family-friendly campground. It has the standard amenities plus some fun extras (arcade, mini-golf, boat rentals, etc.). However, all amenities are in worn shape. The playground is approaching dangerous, for instance (metal pipe sticking out of sandbox?) and the arcade was largely broken (ate a lot of quarters). Granted we were there for the last weekend of the camping season, but these appear to be longer term issues.

The camp store was great. Service was helpful and friendly.

Odd $10 CASH deposit for gate key that no one asked for. No ATM on site to get cash…

The sites are spacious enough, but are very close to each other. Zero buffer between neighboring sites means encroaching slide outs.

Cell services on ATT and TMobile were nonexistent. Campground WiFi is a joke (less than 1mbps).

Beautiful views of lake down by the dock, but campsites have no view.

Easy access to several great hikes and local restaurants.