Best Cabin Camping near Hardwick, VT

This hut has it all and its pet friendly! It's a short walk from a roadside parking area (though a little longer in the winter due to the parking being moved across the road). There is a lovely wood burning stove and fire wood is supplied. There's a nice deck outside with a picnic table and fire ring there as well. The river is a few steps away and water can be treated from there. 

There is a well maintained privy outside the cabin and toilet paper was available. The cabin has a sleeping loft with a few foam mattresses but the stairs are quite steep, too steep for a four legged doggo to make it up and down. There is a futon downstairs that can be used as a couch or sleep two people. There are dishes and everything you need from knives to bottle openers. There is a propane stove and a kerosene lamp. 

The Nulhegan section of the Silvia O. Conte wildlife refuge is a short drive away with a lot of hiking options. There is a general store less than five minutes away in Bloomfield, VT. This spot really can't be beat!

Can’t say enough good things about this place.  It is a private landowners land, and she has various camping options including a cabin, hives, or open locations for rv or tent camping.  We stayed for a long weekend with friends in a separate rv, and then a friend who rented a hive.  The land is 8 acres, and you feel a sense of privacy and serenity. You hear roosters in the morning from a local farm.  The views are vast, and it’s relaxing.

Logistically, there is a good place for rv parking below the garden hoop house.  It is a flat long gravel area, which can access power, but you’ll need an extension chord or two to reach it.  The hives are set back from this area and behind other gardens, near a water source.   There is a cabin in the middle of the property, and then additional rv or tent camping in another area above the main house, which also has an electric hookup.  Each area is far enough away from the others that you feel a sense of privacy and serenity.  

There is a common area building on the property with Wi-Fi, a bathroom and a kitchen area, which seemed to be used mostly for making tea or accessing the kitchen sink for water.  I am not sure if you could use it for cooking - you would need to ask the landowner.  It has a small sitting area with tourism/hiking/sightseeing guides and maps.  We used it to check email and make phone calls, as cell access is spotty in this general area of Vermont and we didn’t have a cell signal by our rv.  You can shower and use the toilet.  I would recommend bringing your own soap and shampoo.

There are a few fire pit areas on the property, and the land owner will show you where you can find wood in the surrounding woods.  The gardens are full of flowers and vegetables.    There is also a sauna and a yoga room, neither of which we used. 

It truly is a magical environment.  You are a few minutes away from Cabot, which is very small.  The area is a hiking and gravel biking hot bed.  The “Ride the Ridges” gravel ride passes the property, so you can do the course from there.  There are numerous hikes of all distances and difficulty in this area of Vermont.

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!

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!

We had an amazing family camping trip to Mountain Lake Campground. This is definitely one of those campgrounds that has something for everyone. All of the attractions of the White Mountains plus all of the amenities you could ask for in a campground. There is a heated pool with water slides that even adults can enjoy, a lake for swimming and boating with rentals available, activities for the kids, a playground and giant life-size checker/chess boards, clean bathrooms/showers, and they can even deliver blueberry muffins and hot coffee to your campsite in the morning (which worked really well for us on the morning we checked-out because we were able to pack up the kitchen the night before!).

We camped in a large group and stayed in yurts, cabins, the tee pee and tents/trailers. Everyone was happy with their stay. The rental units were clean and some of the cabins even had bathrooms/kitchenettes. The sites were spacious and wooded. We booked late and weren't all together but we didn't mind walking.

Some even went to Santa's Village while other went hiking in the mountains or hung at the campground. We had an awesome stay and can't wait to go back.

Lonesome Lake hut is one of three AMC huts open year-round. During peak season, your rate includes dinner, breakfast, a bunk with 3 wool blankets. Meals are served family style; if you have food restrictions, let them know when you make your reservation. There's running water in the sinks (peak season) and composting toilets. Bunkrooms are smaller here than at other huts; you'll be sharing a room with 3-6 others and most of the bunks are only two high rather than the triple deckers you'll see elsewhere. During the off-season, a caretaker may start a fire, but you're on your own for meals and bedding. Sit on the deck or down by the lake and enjoy the views, maybe some wildlike. If you're not an AMC member, join and you'll get a discount on the rate while also supporting their work.

It's about 1.6 miles and 1000' elevation gain from Lafayette Place trailhead, making it a family-friendly destination. NOTE: parking at the trailhead is at a premium and you may need to park at the hiker shuttle at Cannon Mountain. If that's the case, drop off the majority of your crew so that only 1 person has to pay the shuttle fee.

In winter the trail is so frequently travelled that you may not need snowshoes, but I would definitely recommend spikes to minimize the risk of sliding on ice.  Your reward is a beautiful view (on a clear day) across the notch to Franconia Ridge. The Kinsman Ridge towers over you to the west. If you're bagging 4000-footers, it's great to hike up here in the evening one day and then head up to the ridge for the Kinsmans and Cannon the next, to make it just a little easier.

Campground Review: Beech Hill Cabins and Campground

I’ve camped at many of the campgrounds in the Twin Mountain, NH area and wanted to try a new spot. Beech Hill Campground did not disappoint with its large wooded campsite and numerous campground amenities at a fair price. You have to call to make reservations and can’t see the sites, but there aren’t many sites I wouldn’t want (3& 4 are small sites just across from a street light; a few others had slopes or a lot of roots). I was along Blueberry Lane, one of the roads on either side of the power line and all the sports areas(basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, shuffleboard) with some park benches and a view of Mt Washington). You may borrow equipment at the store. 

The sites are often narrower at the road (but still wide enough to make backing a trailerRV in easy) and then open up to a spacious site. There’s enough low growth under the trees that although you are aware of your neighbors, you’re not on top of each other. I was there on an early August weekend and the campground was not close to full. It was quiet and folks were friendly. There are a large number of seasonal sites in areas separate from the rest of the campers that are generally well maintained and neat. They also have some cabins and a park unit (see their photos on the website as I didn’t get to see the insides). Full hookups including cable will run $50/night. 

Laundry, bathrooms with showers, and a dishwashing sink are in a building near the entrance. Bathrooms are clean, if worn. They’ve been recently painted; the caulking/edges show their age more. Other amenities include an indoor heated pool, outdoor chess and checkers, a game room with air hockey, pool, and arcade games, and an outdoor playground. Saturday evenings there may be ice cream sundaes for a small fee; check their calendar for special events. 

The store is well stocked with everything from camping supplies, ice, and firewood to knick knacks, snacks, and maps. They also sell some campfire grills, which could be helpful if you’re cooking over a fire; the fire rings do not have grills. There’s a gated entrance, so you need to check in before the camp store closes on your first night. There will be a $20 cash deposit for the access card, refundable when you return the card. My cell phone had 2-3 bars 4G on Verizon. 

Product Review: Banner& Oak  Freedom Hoodie in Heathered Black 

As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get to review equipment. Just before I headed out on this camping trip I received a Banner& Oak Freedom Hoodie in heathered black. I was grateful for the cool evenings and mornings so I could try this out. I usually wear a women’s large, so I ordered this in a medium and the fit was perfect, coming down over my waist and wrists. I like the length, but if you’re shortwaisted, you may find it is too long. The fabric is super soft and lightweight, not bulky. 

When I put my hands in the pockets I discovered the left pocket had an~1 1/2” hole where the stitching didn’t join the front and back of the pockets. It was high enough that I wasn’t too worried about losing something through the hole, but I did make a point not to put my keys in that pocket; I’ll be running it through the sewing machine. The graphics are simple light gray lettering. It’s 60% cotton/40% poly, so you won’t want to rely on it for a hiking trip, but for hanging around a campsite, it's perfect!

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!