Best Dog-Friendly Camping near North Troy, VT

Basic well spaced campsites. Flush toilets. No cell service. Allows dogs and cats. Dirt road to campground, friendly staff.

We stayed last year during the fall and the views were breathtaking. Close to tons of beautiful hikes. As for the campground. It was quiet, comfortable, and kid, as well as pet friendly. Would definitely camp here again. The staff was friendly and the bathroom facilities were kept nice and clean.

This campground is drive in and never touch the car again. Two huge sites that can be rented in tandem as a group site. Each site has a prep table, picnic table, fire pit, 5 gallons of fresh water, a raised platform for tents, and a porta potty. Very spacious sites. Easily two camoer vans and two tents on each site. Site is at the bottom of Kitchel and Herbs trails, atop the exit/entrance trails into the village of East Burke. Showers are a short walk away at Mike's Tiki Bar, in the Kingdom parking lot. The sites can be reserved, and usually are up to a year in advance. So call ahead! Sites are pet friendly and there's lots of space for big dogs to run around. Sites are super private from the outside world. This place is truly a hidden gem that can make your trip.

Smugglers notch was not only beautiful but the campground was one of the best ones I’ve stayed at. We stayed in cherry (leanto) site which was fairly private and big enough for us to set up our 8 person tent. They were pet friendly which is always a plus. The bathrooms were the cleanest ones yet. The staff was friendly and helpful. They make nightly rounds to check on the campers and make sure no one has any questions or concerns. There were trails leading from campgrounds and beautiful views. We had an unforgettable weekend. Would 100% camp there again in the future!

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!

It's hard sometime to get away from all the people in Vermont but this park is far enough out of the way where you can avoid a majority of the summer tourist. I was able to take advantage of this and go on a relaxing hike my girlfriend and our dog.

I've been exploring Vermont State Parks since before I could walk, and Burton Island State Park is my all time favorite! There's a million reasons to love camping here, and if you are visiting Vermont in the summer, I think it's one of those must-visit destinations. Here's why it's my favorite place to camp in the whole state.

1. It's like going to to a tropical island without leaving Vermont.
2. There are no cars on the island. You have to paddle yourself out or take the VT State Park passenger ferry from St. Albans.
3. It's super family friendly - maybe it's because there aren't cars all over the place, but the island is full of free range kids, and they're having a blast.
4. There's a camping bistro where you can buy pancakes, coffee, local beer, and fine wines
5. Sunsets are magical - if you can, get a lean-to right on the water. If not, hike to the western shore for the main event.
6. You can bring your dog - there's even an off-leash dog beach!
7. You can stay in a cabin! If you don't want to rough it, you don't have to.
8. There are lots of trails to explore, and almost all of them lead to the water where you can cool off in Lake Champlain.
9. There are kayaks and canoes to rent.
10. There's a marina (with WiFi), and you can rent slips for the night.

Waterfront sites book very quickly (like 11 months in advance), but 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. You can paddle out to Burton Island on your own from Kamp Killcare State Park, where you'll leave your car. It's a very short paddle and shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. The passenger ferry runs throughout the day, if you don't have a boat of your own.

Once you're on the island, you can borrow a cart to bring your gear to your site, or you can pay one of the park rangers to haul it in one of their golf carts. We have stayed in a few different sites over the years -- we aren't picky, because we usually get one of the last sites available. We've never been disappointed a site. They're all great, and within easy walking distance of the beach.

Came here in the fall with some friends. Dog friendly, cool trails to walk on. The sites were very private. Would love to come back! The sites and bathrooms were also VERY clean. Friendly staff!

We camped here with our dog. It was wonderful minus the noise of other campers. If you come here to camp and plan to stay out late go to the office prior to leaving so you can get a pass to avoid a long trek to your campsite.

Family friendly campground with great amenities. We brought our dog as well. Busy, depending on the time of year, so may be a little loud at night. RV sites available. Large campsites with fire pits and picnic tables.

Great place. We have been coming here for over 20 years. Right on Lake Champlain. The only downside is the beach is rocky, so bring water shoes! Dog friendly, and you have the choice between wooded areas and grassy. Close to great road biking and hiking.

We stayed here and were VERY happy! Dog friendly, mini golf, heated pool , two playgrounds, and crafts and fun things for the kids ! We truly enjoyed this park most sites are spacious and some good ones with privacy as well you have walking trails local stores, and a pond too !! We will be back 100%

My first night there the staff was able to accomadate my request to stay one night on the lake front and the next day I had to move to another site farther back. The campground felt very safe and everyone was very friendly to me and my dog. They had a playground with lots of children running around too.

The spots are very close together, no privacy whatsoever, but the lake is beautiful. Every site by the lake is sandy and great. Loons all night singing as well.

The host guy was awful, he was talking about how he needed to lay off the vodka...and he freaked out on us for dogs barking once or twice at him. But otherwise was great!

If you want a place to nomadic camp that is near Stowe, but away from the hustle and bustle, then this place is for you.  It is a private landowners land, and she has up to  5-6 campers at any point in time.  Sites are set up with picnic or other small tables, and randomly spread out across the field.  There is good distance between sites, but all other sites are within view.  There is a porta potty at the entrance to the field.  Dogs are allowed.  The landowner is very responsive and helpful with questions.   Across the street from the camping field is another field with access to water via a hose, and a very large flower garden.  There is also a small store that sells honey

The sites in the field are generally un-level, and we had to really work to level our trailer.  While we were there, there were car campers, tent campers, and a class C rv, in addition to us in our travel trailer.  Dogs are allowed on the property.

In addition to being 20 minutes to downtown Stowe, you can gravel bike right from the field.  We built a number or rides with Ride with GPS, leaving from there site.  There are never ending hiking options, from easy to advanced, in the general area.  

We would gladly return to this camp, even though we had challenges leveling.

We made the mistake of camping here for the 4th of July and should have known better, especially with a dog terrified of fireworks! While they aren't allowed in the State Park, much of the lake is private property...so between the rule breakers and the private land owners this was a cacophony of noise for days. The other bummer about this park in particular is that many of the sites were marked as reserved even though they sat empty for the three nights we were there and many of them were lakeside. Sadly, no shows don't forfeit their sites which was frustrating. 

Our site, though not on the water, was nice and had a lean-to. The nice new bathhouse was also very much appreciated. Though it seemed that the drainage system could use some work, as the showers continually backed pretty far up. Thank goodness for shower shoes!

The campground employee was incredibly talkative and a little nosy but we didn't mind it so much sense we are generally well behaved campers.

Our site was spacious and we enjoyed having a lean-to for some shade. It easily accommodated two vehicles, two canoes, three dogs and four humans. Firewood and ice are readily available. Be prepared to drive a fair distance down gravel roads to get there. 

There are a few hiking trails available in the park as well as several public access points to the lake. There is also a small swimming area/beach.

We enjoyed ourselves at this campground very much. The sites are spacious although in the area where we stayed the vegetation was pretty sparse between sites. The bathrooms are clean and have showers. We were able to let our dogs swim at the boat ramp which was a definite plus. We also caught some fish from the shore here. The rangers were super friendly and we picked up a new VT State Park hat from them during our visit. We would definitely visit again. There are other parks to visit nearby and the farmers market is a must.

-Campground review- What can i say about this lovely state park campground? Totally beautiful, private spots, pit toilets and a night sky to die for! The rangers are extremely helpful and very friendly. The sites are pretty well priced- all they had left for us were Lean-to sites which were 27/night. No complaints here! We set our tent right up in the Lean-to and enjoyed the quiet. We stayed in the group site because everything else was packed. They ask that you limit your driving on the path to the site- so we were sure to go into town to get all we needed before we settled into camp- which wasnt hard to do. A 40 minute drive brings you to Stowe, which has breweries, places to grab food and some awesome rock climbing spots! A short walk from the group campsite takes you straight to various (amazing!) hiking trails.

This place had everything we could have wanted for our weekend spent in Vermont. Highly recommend it!!

-MOUNTAIN HOUSE RANGER REVIEW- So, as with all my Gear reviews, I have a disclaimer.

I don’t like weird food. I just recently stopped ordering “chicken fingers” from restaurants my husband and I visit. I like predictable camp food- hot dogs, burgers, frito pie. So getting “turkey casserole” in a ziplock bag wasn’t exactly something I was thrilled about.

However- we do a lot of backpacking. And honestly, I’m tired of eating snicker bars for dinner, so I though this review might broaden my horizons for some delicious, lightweight, easy to make backpacking food.

Correct.

THANK YOU mountain house for making this oddly delicious space food that with a cup to boiling water (and about 7 minutes) turns into thanksgiving dinner!! The process is so easy and quick, the food itself is virtually weightless (so perfect for lightweight backpacking) and I would never be able to tell it had been rehydrated. The stuffing was delicious, the turkey was moist... just wow.

Backpackers and campers— get your hands on this magic stuff here:

https://www.mountainhouse.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjws8vaBRBFEiwAQfhs-AmTitjnMfLcWTqCcTNxiMmaWDyTm9FcIr8hCL1eo8rqI6R6m-iI5RoC3oAQAvD_BwE