Best Tent Camping near North Troy, VT

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!

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

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 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.

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!

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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General: 30 RV plus 11 tent sites right on Route 104 in Fairfax. 

Site Quality: RV sites are arranged around an oval. Pads are gravel. Because the loop is on a hill, some sites are not quite level, but only slightly. The sites on the outside of the loop are more desirable but they were not available when I reserved three months in advance (the campground was full on a weekday at the end of September). There are a lot of trees but limited privacy between sites. 

Bathhouse/Shower: The bathroom was clean with two stalls. Soap and paper towels. One shower that takes quarters, but I did not use so cannot comment on it.

Activities/Amenities: The office has a small store. Firewood is available. Horseshoes and a basketball hoop on a grassy area and a play structure for kids but no other activities. We appreciated the on-site laundry (which was stocked with books and brochures as well as a table and chairs) as otherwise we would have had to find a laundromat. 

This is small but compact campground. It was just an overnight stay for us, so it worked for one night.

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.

I almost gave this campground three stars. Our lean-to, Hickory is situated in a lovely meadow, but quite close to other campers and a view that overlooks the campground road. There is very little shade and no privacy. Other sites in the campground have a similar feel. Some of the wooded tent sites are quite private, but most are not. 

Despite not feeling all that private, I was impressed with the sandy beach on Lake Elmore and the hiking trail up to the top of Elmore Mountain. Because this is the only trail within the park, it does get really busy on the weekends, and I found it nearly impossible to give 6-feet of space to other hikers because of how narrow the trail is. I would not hike this on a Saturday in summer or fall, at least not until the threat from COVID is behind us!

The restroom in the campground loop we were in was very clean but outdated. The sinks are cold water only, which I normally wouldn't mind, but the temps dropped into the 20s during our trip, which made washing up a little bit painful.

Because our lean-to was in a meadow with no tree coverage, we were treated to the most awesome night sky we've ever seen at a Vermont state park. It was mesmerizing! I only wish that I had the skills with a camera to capture it! It totally erased all my grumblings about not having privacy. Starry sky for the win!

Public campgrounds are pretty limited in this part of VT, so we ended up at Gold Brook CG. This is definitely best for RVs/travel trailers where you can escape inside your unit because this place gets busy on the weekend. We visited in early June before the high season, so the crowds were minimal during the week but busy on the weekend. We personally would prefer more seclusion/privacy between the sites since we tent camp. All that said, the plots are level, grassy, and seemingly well maintained. The bathroom facilities were clean and nice; washer and dryer room available. Too cool for the pool but looked nice. We stayed in site 12, though next time i believe we’d opt for something further down to be closer to the creek. While we were next to the creek at site 12, it was blocked by brush and trees.

Check in was easy, and the staff were present enough in case you had questions or needed to buy firewood. Road noise was moderate; I wouldn’t want to stay in sites 1-11 due to the proximity to the road.

The campground served as a good ‘basecamp’ for accessing Stowe and other surrounding attractions.

Can’t speak to the negative review re cancellations, but my experience with the staff was all positive and received relatively prompt responses to questions.

 There are hiking trails right from the campground, which we always appreciate. You can also go down to the water and rent a kayak or canoe from the rangers. Camp fees are $28/night, plus $5/day per adult for state park fees. 

There is a dump station and drinking water on site, but the spigots for the water are not threaded. We tried our water bandit, with messy wet results. (Apparently you can’t use those if the other end of the hose is pressurized.) Luckily, we found we could unscrew the head of the hose at the dump station and had no problem filling our tank with potable water. 

Each site is so different and may or may not fit an RV. Some sites are so sloped I don’t even know how a car would camp there. Some sites are out in the open grass where you just find a spot within the site that works for you. We saw fresh moose poop on a hike but sadly no moose or other wildlife. There are bears around the area though so please be bear smart when camping here. 

Showers are something like $1 for 8 minutes, quarters only. The lean-to sites are really cool, and if I was tent camping I think they’d be so fun to sleep in. They have food compost bins here, but the rangers keep forgetting to unlock the bin, so you just have to ask them. There’s also a book exchange library and adorable little gnome habitats set up in the campground. We had a pleasant stay here.

It made me sad to think what this campground used to be (either that or the website was terribly misleading, however, since the property is for sale, I am thinking that it may have fallen on hard times). 

I called a week ahead to make sure there would be space. Heath, the owner, called back later the same day, very apologetic that it took him so long to return my call (less than a day did not seem to be too long to me). He assured me there was space, so we made our plans. We did not plan on arriving after dark, but we did, having had too much fun admiring the fall color. I called ahead to let Heath know we would be arriving late and left a message (it took three different phone numbers to reach an answering machine). No one was there when we arrived. It was challenging in the dark, but we found two open spaces and backed into one of them. We were not able to use the electrical connection as it required both input and output 30 amp connections and we need a 110 for one of the connections.

I was so tired that, despite the heavy road noise from Route 2, I fell asleep shortly after 9 pm. However, we were woken out of a sound sleep at around 2 am to the sounds of a woman shouting loudly and angrily (at her kids, husband, someone). This went on for a few minutes and no one sounded in distress and then all was quiet again. Even the road noise had subsided. 

The bathrooms were small but reasonable. There was a laundry area and a game room/lounge, stocked with a pool table, couch and chairs, books, (recent) newspapers, and games. There was also an above-ground pool and a separate tent area. Cell service was strong and WiFi is available, but we did not use as we did not have the password. 

RV sites were$35 and tent sites were$25, cash or check only. The next morning, we checked the office again and it was still locked up with no trace of anyone having been or being around. There was no place to leave the money and we never heard back from Heath, so we left. There could be so much potential to this conveniently located campground and I hope that someone is able to revive it.

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!

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.

**Campground Review **    

Stillwater State Park in Groton VT is a delightful retreat, nestled on the shores of Lake Groton. The campground has a mix of lean-tos and tent sites. There are waterfront, waterview, and regular sites. Depending on the site booked, the price can vary by a few dollars. I made a short notice reservation, and we managed to score a waterfront site that someone else had cancelled. 

Having our own personal shoreline was wonderful. I was camping with a group of 12-14 year old girls. They enjoyed sitting on the large rocks, watching the ducks and fish in water. We also brought kayaks, which were fun to launch from our site. Our site(site 8) had two fire pits--an older, stone hearth one, and the newer round metal type with a grill. We ended up using the stone hearth to store wood and supplies, and primarily cooked over the round fire pit. The site was large enough for an 8 person tent, a 4 person tent, and a whole bunch of bikes.

 We were within easy walking distance of the beach and pavilion. The girls mostly biked everywhere. There is even a nice path through the woods to the local camp store. This was very helpful the first morning when I discovered the bowls had been left at home! The prices at the camp store are reasonable, and they sell many essentials, including ice cream!

The lake water was beautiful and clear. There was enough sand at the camper beach for sand castles and other beach games.  We did see a few leeches here and there--none right at the swimming area, but more to the side, close to the vegetated areas.

Stillwater's bathrooms were clean, and there were enough bathhouses that it was never far to one. On our second day, there was an interpretive program at the the pavilion. The ranger led visitors in making bark boats out of materials found in the park. The project was a great idea, as the kids could test their boats right there in the lake. Our group had varying degrees of success, but all the girls agreed it was a super fun activity.

We stayed at the campground on a busy weekend when every site was booked. I was impressed by how quiet the campground ones considering the number of people. The resident campground staff do a good job patrolling to keep things quiet. He even came and check on us because the girls were a little too loud!

In trying to come up with a list of cons, I am having trouble! It was a very positive experience. My only piece of advice would be to make sure you bring the right provisions. This area of VT is 25-30 minutes from any type of grocery store. There is the camp store, but their stock is limited. Just FYI. Also, there is cell service near the water, but it is very inconsistent. Generally, I like limited service since leaving technology is one of the things I love about camping!

Overall, a highly recommended camground.  If you have a certain week you want to camp, make sure you book early in the spring, otherwise you might have to wait for a cancellation like I did. The proximity to hiking, boating, swimming, and biking in Groton State Forest makes this a very popular summer campground.

Gear Review

As a Ranger for the The Dyrt, I periodically am given gear to review. This trip, I was stoked to review gear from Banner and Oak.  I tested out their women's Pathfinder  hat during this trip.  I selected it because it had lighter colors, while still looking stylish. I was not disappointed! This hat is structured enough to stand up to abuse and still look good. It is a more feminine riff on the tradition trucker hat style.  The back is made out of a stiff mesh, while the front is made of cotton duck fabric. It adjusts with the classic plastic tab system on the back.  I loved this hat! It is perfect for throwing on over a braid or pony tail on those messy-hair camping days.  It also hides dreaded "helmet hair" after biking.  It is now a permanent part of my outdoor gear kit.  My 12 year old daughters want their own, and keep wearing mine.  

The one area I see room for improvement is in the plastic mesh back. I felt it could be a bit softer, but overall found it comfortable. Definitely check out Banner and Oak if you are looking for solid options for hats!

Great campground located ontop of Burke Mtn in East Burke, Vermont as part of the overall ski area complex. Nice semi secluded sites, some big enough for small trailers or RV, some with leantos. Each site comes with picnic table, level tent areas, and a fire pit with grill for cooking. All sites come with access to Burke Mtn's pool, sauna and hot tub. There is no shuttle to the campground though, so be prepared to get yourself down the hill to the Kingdom Trails parking lot. It is a hella climb to get back up to the campground after riding all day.

General: 70 tent/RV sites and 20 lean-to sites plus five cabins divided into two areas on Waterbury Reservoir. 

Site Quality: Good separation and decent-sized, wooded sites. 

Bathhouse/Shower: Basic but clean 

Activities: Boating, swimming, and hiking. Plus a nature center.

We came here to hike the Dalley Loop Trail (which is a great trail full of history), but we wish we had camped here instead of the private campground 45 minutes away where we did stay. The access road is a bit rough but navigable by all vehicles. The park is beautifully maintained and there are many more trails to explore so it is on our list for a return trip to Vermont!