Best Tent Camping near Hyde Park, VT

Great tent site, site 1 can have 3 platform and fire pit

My wife and I spent 10 days at this remote tent site. Our site was on the far western end of Kettle Pond and the only tent site in the remote camping area. A trail that goes around the pond is easily accessed from site 10. We were able to watch the Loons teaching it's chicks to hunt for food. A bit of work to get to this site but every bit worth the trade off for peace n quiet!

Beautiful destination! Take a walk up the path next to the chasm. So relaxing listening to the water falls. Great place to watch the sunset! Make sure you bring a light jacket in the summer, the evenings can still get chilly from time to time. If you are camping here in the fall, check out Rulfs orchard for some apple picking. Fillion's diner is amazing and super reasonable pricing. 

You can rent a cabin if you don't want to camp in a tent. Nice way to stay away from mosquitoes and black flies. Tons of activities to do here: hiking, biking, walking, disc golf, etc.

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.

Spent a few nights here as a base camp while hiking some of the mountains in the area. Camp spots were far enough away from one another, trees helped with privacy, and the tent site had a great area to setup the tent.

Facilities were accessible and clean. Quiet hours were definitely observed. Easily one of the best camp sites I’ve stayed at.

Kettle Pond is a classic northern pond set in Vermont's Groton State Forest. Besides the group camping area, which can get busy, the pond has six lean-tos (across the pond from the group sites) and one tent site. They've got fire pits, crappers and a fair amount of privacy. The first two lean-tos are a few hundred feet apart. But the rest are fairly private, spread out along a trail that rings the pond. You must park in the lot and walk to all these sites. The farthest, most remote site, is about a mile from the parking lot. Here's a map: https://vtstateparks.com/assets/pdf/groton-remote.pdf

This campground was fantastic! Tucked away in a beautiful part of Vermont, the campground is right on Groton Lake with a swimming area and designated boat launch. There's also an access path to the Montpelier & Wells River Rail Trail. 

The campsites are really nice with tent sites and leanto options. The overall facility was really well kept. What stood out the most at this campground was the staff! I was having car issues and the staff was extremely helpful in helping me fix the problem! They kept checking in and asking if I needed anything, helped me research solutions, and even on their own time tried to tinker with my car to figure it out. It was above and beyond expectations! I really enjoyed my stay here and will make a point to come back.

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.

The grounds: This place looks like the place to be, great facilities (with real flush toilets near the beach), and great grassy sites which met of are in the shade! Very close to many different things (Montreal, Burlington, Lake Placid) and the beach is very clean and beautiful. There is a pump station for RVs but a lot of tent camping as well.

The Belt: This belt is great, I love croaky belts in general, they are colorful and very sturdy. The design is great and they keep the pants up or give a splash of color to my outfits (when I wear them a little higher up. The colors are so pretty with the blues and are interesting to look at. Love that there are no holes, so it will not rip overtime. 5 out of 5 for sure!

We stayed two nights in early September 2018. Easily found with google maps. Was greeted by a friendly staff member and shown how to get to our site. Arrived in the pitch black but was easy to find out site. Tent site #10.

It was very quiet, everyone seems to be enjoying their own spot. You can see your neighbors but there is some room in between sites. Clean bathrooms and relatively clean showers. Out site hand a picnic table and fire ring with grate.

We were a very short walk to the beach, where you could swim. Perfect spot to practice some night photography with minimal light pollution.

Also had a fire going all night by the building attached to the bathrooms. They offered wood, ice and small things to buy if needed.

Definitely recommend staying here. Pricing would be the only slight negative, it is about average from what we have looked at. Wish we could have stayed longer.

I have a 24’ RV towing a 30 foot trailer for perspective. I easily fit in site 107 and lots of other sites would have worked. They have a place to drop trailers if you don’t fit.

Sites 90 to 108 are best. Spaced out under trees.

Sites 1 to 16 are close to each other.

Sites 113 to 119 are bad. Very close to each other. No redeeming qualities.

Sites have 30 amp electric and water but might need a longish cord or hose. Clean easy to use dump with water.

Tent sites looked nice.

Short walk to nice beach or you can drive a car. Short tunnel so no campers or bikes on the roof.

Right next to rails to trails path that goes onto a causeway over the lake. There is a bike ferry to keep going. Nice ride.

Nice dog park 3/4 miles to the South on the trail.

Far away from noise. Can’t comment on loud campers.

There are showers and toilets on property, only two for M/F. You pay $.25 for 5 minutes of hot water, which unfortunately isn’t always hot! I learned that the hard way. However, the sites are $30 per night (tents) and $40-$45 I believe for RV/Campers. There are a lot of people who have RV’s parked there year round and come seasonally. I was actually camping out of my car at this point and the site was perfect for it. Would be perfect for someone pitching a tent as well, as there is a lot of room on each site for multiple things. They also have running water for dishes and drinking. The owners live on a house on property, and cultivated the land from an RV they lived in while they developed the property. They have a big fluffy white dog that’s awesome. Lastly, there is a grill and picnic table at every site and they even have a waterfall on property with an available tent site nearby. However, you’d have to park your car at the top and hike down. it’s not too far!

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!

Smuggler's Notch State Park has a small campground with 20 tent sites and 14 lean-tos. We almost always splurge on a lean-to so we can camp comfortably rain or shine. This year we stayed in Hemlock, and it was so secluded and quiet. The whole place has a real wilderness feel, but it is very close to lots of hiking and the attractions in Stowe. You can easily walk to Bingham Falls across the street, which I think is one of the most lovely waterfalls in the whole state. There's also easy access to lots of hiking trails, although I would suggest driving to the trailheads as route 108 is not fun to walk along.

A favorite Smuggler's Notch weekend in the summer would include a visit to Bingham Falls, hiking to Sterling Pond, and possibly up to the top of Mt. Mansfield. When we don't have time to hike up Mt. Mansfield, we splurge on a drive up the toll road. Then we can hike around on the summit. Lastly, we always stop at the Alchemist for a case or two of Heady Topper to bring home.

Burton Island is a 2.5 mile long island state park off of the shoreline of Lake Champlain. It is a car free paradise that requires a boat or ferry to get to but yield the rewards of peace, nature, and gorgeous shoreline.

Campground Review:

Campsites at Burton Island book far in advance. When we booked our Labor Day weekend tent site back in March, there were only 2 leantos (out of 26) left and a handful of tent sites (out of 14). You can visit https://vtstateparks.com/burton.html to book a reservation. The campground is open from Memorial Day Weekend through the Tuesday morning after Labor Day.

We stayed at site 7 in the main tent site loop. While we didn't technically have shore line access, there was a short path through the woods that led to a rocky shoreline where we left our canoe and kayak. There was ample space among the trees for hanging hammocks. The dirt and gravel pad was mostly flat, without any pesky roots to poke us. The site also drained very well--it rained all night our last night and we had zero seepage into the tent floor.

The tenter section was just a short walk to a clean bathroom up on the hill. Each side had one shower that cost 50 cents per 5 minutes of shower time. There are two other bathrooms available but a further walk. The tent site section was also nice and close to the Marina area, which included a store that serves coffee and sandwiches (the coffee was decent!). While one could hear the folks docked down in the Marina when they hung out on their boats, our site was not close enough for their noise to be a nuisance. There is a water access point within 300 feet of most campsites--which was perfect.

Dogs are allowed at Burton Island, but there are areas at the State Park that they are not allowed, such as the beach area. Alcohol consumption is also allowed, but there wasn't any problem with people partying loudly or obnoxiously.

There are beautiful trails that cover the island. The south tip of the island gets more wind, and therefore waves, which my children greatly enjoyed for swimming. The northern part has shale beaches, and a few areas of mucky/pebbly beaches. Lots of old trees abound as well. There are also tons of frogs! The trails are all short enough that they could be explored during one day--or go on them multiple times for sunsets and sunrises.

Getting to the island was the hardest part. Depending on the weather, the 3/4 mile crossing from Kamp KilKare State Park can be rough and windy. If you are an experienced paddler, have a good copilot, and not too much gear, you would be fine. Also, if you have a boat with a motor, most of the time the water is not too rough. However, the Island Runner Ferry is likely the best option for most people who want to enjoy the island without being stressed about swamping a boat! The ferry is $8 per person, with no extra charge for gear. They do charge $2 for bikes. If you want to use the ferry, but still want a kayak or canoe at the island, you have to paddle it across separately

Overall, we had a fabulous time. We watched a sunset on the South tip, caught frogs at our shoreline, rented a paddleboard, played int the waves, and enjoyed the icecream sandwiches form the camp store, skipped stones in the lake, and explored the island. Our kids can't wait to go back.

Product Review:

Since I am a Ranger for The Dyrt, I have the fun task of testing products every now and then.

This camping trip I was quite thrilled to be chosen to test out a product from Nature's Coffee Kettle. We LOVE coffee, and generally bring our French Press and hand coffee grinder along camping so we can have a good cup of joe.

As parents of 5 kids, we always need LOTS of coffee while camping. During this trip, we tested out the International 16-Cup Pack. We even left our own coffee at home so that we would not be tempted to use it instead.

-- Nature's Coffee Kettle is basically an ultra-lightweight version of a pour-over coffee system. The basic component of the system is a heavy duty plastic bag with a spout and built-in funnel. Their coffees are really ground coffee (not instant) packaged in portions for 4 cups. The envelope of coffee gets placed into the funnel portion of the plastic reservoir, and you pour boiling water slowly over it. Sometimes you have to pause for the water to finish trickling down. The whole process takes about 4 minutes. The trickiest part of the system is the need to hold the bag upright while pour--a few times it tipped over since the base didn't have enough weight in it.

Coffee verdict: It tasted GOOD! Not quite as amazing as the stuff we brew at home, but honestly, as good as most coffee I have had at coffee shops! We liked the Sumatran and Guatemalan flavors the best, though we also tried the Columbian and French Roast.

System verdict: It was a little tricky to use at first--be careful not to burn yourself! I did love how lightweight it was, and how little space it took up. The plastic brew system folds flat, and is reusable. It would be fantastic for backpacking. It was so much better than instant coffee.

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