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Best Tent Camping near Orwell, VT

743 Reviews

Tent campsites near Orwell, Vermont range from established sites to dispersed options within the Green Mountain National Forest. Michigan Brook Road Camping offers primitive tent sites where campers can enjoy streamside locations with basic amenities. The Last Light on Michigan Brook provides free tent camping with access via drive-in, hike-in, or walk-in routes, while Davey Falls ADK offers secluded creekside tent camping with private waterfall access just across the New York border.

Tent campsites throughout the region typically feature minimal development and services. Michigan Road sites require high-clearance vehicles during certain seasons, with one review noting that "the road goes in pretty far, some parts are muddy and very rough. Higher clearance would be advised." Many tent sites lack drinking water, so campers should bring their own supply. Fire rings exist at established sites, but campers should practice Leave No Trace principles as some areas have experienced overuse. Michigan Brook locations offer three distinct camping spots, including a prime site "before the bridge that's right next to the river."

Walk-in tent sites in the area provide a more secluded experience away from vehicle traffic. Tent campers at Last Light on Michigan Brook enjoy streamside camping with opportunities for hiking nearby. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, the area offers "crystal clear waters with never ending mesmerizing relaxation." Sites along Patterson Brook feature various primitive tent camping options along a dirt road that follows the river. These locations typically close during winter months due to snow, with seasonal access limited to spring through early fall. Tent campers should note that cell coverage is typically nonexistent in these backcountry settings, requiring preparation for being off-grid while enjoying the natural forest environment.

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Best Tent Sites Near Orwell, Vermont (45)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Orwell, VT

61 Photos of 45 Orwell Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Orwell, VT

743 Reviews of 45 Orwell Campgrounds

  • Craig F.
    Jul. 23, 2018

    North Beach Campground

    Amazing Location!

    We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at North Beach Campground.

    We spent 4 days in a full hookup site. The site was spacious, tree covered, and hard packed grass/dirt. Overall the site was very level with good water pressure. The water/electric sites in the middle of the campground were a bit snug. The campground is a city operated campground and we were impressed with the upkeep, maintenance and friendly service during our stay. The camp office is small, but has information on area attractions, Ice, and fire wood. The bathhouse/restrooms were well kept during our stay even with the volume of campers at the site.

    Location, Location, Location is the main reason to stay at North Beach. The campground is literally along the Island Line bike/walking trail and had direct access to the beach on Lake Champlain (life guards, snack bar, and patio bar). The city center of Burlington is only 1.5 miles along the bike path from the campground. Most days we either walked or biked into town (which has ample bike racks to park your bike).

    While we stayed in our camper, as a former die-hard tent camper, I was impressed with the number of tent friendly sites, because most campgrounds see tenters as “second class”. The tent sites were spacious, level, and not located in some obscure location.  

    We loved North Beach and plan to camp here in the future!

  • Justin P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 19, 2022

    Stony Brook Backcountry Shelter on the AT in Vermont — Appalachian National Scenic Trail

    Basic AT shelter with lots of tent camping and swimming hole nearby

    Note: This is a hike in back country shelter with unreliable water and a pit bathroom.

    I tented here on a section hike of the AT. The shelter was a fairly basic 8ish person shelter, but this stop stood out because of a brand new privvy, large tenting areas, and a swimming hole and consistent water just a bit further down the trail (when heading northbound).

    For camping, there were a few large tent areas where multiple tents could fit and which looked quite level.

    The privvy looked brand new and was more spacious than most on the trail.

    There was no water on the shelter, but there was plenty of water at Stony Brook / Mink Brook a bit further northbound. I only explored a bit offtrail down the brook but found a decent swimming hole (could just barely submerge myself) to clean off a bit.

    There was also a bear box here, which I hadn't seen at other shelters along the AT in Vermont (heading southbound).

    Although the shelter was fairly basic, I would keep this on my list as a go-to place to stop if I was planning to hike in the area.

  • Kate K.
    Aug. 1, 2019

    Camel's Hump State Park — Camels Hump State Park

    Amazing Hike! Great Campground

    This is a short and sweet hike to one of the higher points in Vermont. It is a beautiful scenic (somewhat strenuous) hike to the summit. The views are pretty epic though. The designated primitive camping area is about 1.5 miles into the hike. If I recall it had about 10-12 sites. The area had a host who was there 24/7 and a shared area for eating and food storage (I guess Bear’s are a problem there). We hiked all day, so we didn’t have a fire and to be honest I can’t remember if there was a shared spot for them or not. Either way, this hike was gorgeous and so was the camping. I would love to go back!

  • J
    Sep. 24, 2018

    Lazy Lions Campground

    Adults only, comfortable but lacking excursions

    Lazy Lions is a comfortable campground with an adults-only policy. Having spent time in plenty of campgrounds with screaming or unwinded children, I could see this as a positive draw for the RV'ing crowd. I think we were the only tent campers the night we stayed.

    Our tent site was level and on comfy plush grass, well maintained and either a beautiful addition of two (plastic) adirondack chairs at our fire pit with grill. This was especially welcome because we hadn't really planned on cooking but when we saw the great fire set up not only did we save time and energy by not having to take out (and put away!) our camping chairs, I was able to turn our chips and salsa into nachos using some amazing Vermont cheese we'd picked up earlier. My boyfriend has declared this was his favorite camping meal ever so thanks Lazy Lions for the unexpected awesomeness.

    Our check in was smoothe, there was plenty of room at this campground, perhaps due to the fact that there isn't too much to do other than set up and sleep. It did have a pool.

    On check in we found the front desk (owner?) to be less than warm, and at $7 to firewood a little pricey. We were warned to be careful with our food because of "critters" and when I asked what kind of critters the man responded, "all of them". Less than helpful. In hindsight we believe we found bear scat on our site.

    We slept well, bathroom facilities were clean and well stocked. Showers, which we did not use, we $0.25 for four minutes. There was a microwave and wash sink as well for dishes, we didn't use either.

    We met lovely people and had a fine night, there was just nothing particularly special about the place

  • Justin P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 19, 2022

    Gifford Woods State Park Campground

    Quiet and well maintained campground

    I tent camped here before doing a section hike of the Appalachian Trail and it was one of the best campgrounds I’ve stayed at before.

    The sites have some privacy and woods in between, though the tent sites vs. shelters and cabins were mostly closer to the access road. All sites were super clean and had a picnic table and fire ring. Most sites had a built in cooking fire structure (vs. a fire ring) they looked great for camp cooking, though my site (T01) seemed to be the only without it.

    The facilities were well-maintained, there were water spigots everywhere, and though I didn’t get a chance to enjoy, there were lots of activities right there (volleyball lawn, the AT running right through the campground, mountain bike trails).

    I didn’t stay in them, but the cabins and lean-tos looked great for group or family options.

    Kent Pond was also just across the road for water activities, and I saw at least one fly fisher out.

    Killington was also right nearby for restaurants and other needs.

    I will definitely be coming back to explore more!

  • Lauren S.
    Jul. 27, 2020

    Moosalamoo Campground

    Hidden Gem

    Tucked down a gravel road in the Green Mountain National Forest is this hidden treasure. Large sites, friendly campground host, the moosalamoo trailhead right next to campground. The trail connects to many others. You will pass several trailheads on your way up to the campground. Many of the sites are reservable, others are first come first serve. You will find a pay station as you enter the campsite. The camp host is at site 1. Surprisingly clean vault toilets. No showers. There are dumpsters on the way out for trash and recycling. I saw bear storage lockers but I did not use them as I had my bear keg with me. Behind the parking spur at the site there is gravel with picnic table and fire pit. Beyond that in the trees was a spot for the tent. I didn’t experience many bugs, no mosquitoes, what I saw the most of were caterpillars. But If you needed bug spray or forgot anything back in town a few miles Ripton grocery has you covered.

  • Maribeth W.
    Aug. 30, 2016

    Lake Harris Campground

    Wet but beautiful!

    We got rained out!! Our site did have good drainage and ample tree cover so that helped. Easy access to buy firewood on the road into the campground.

  • M.A.D. P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 3, 2022

    Greendale Campground

    Greendale campground, Weston Vt.

    Greendale Campground is a small remote campground located along Greendale Brook in Weston, VT.

    There are 11 campsites available in a wooded setting. Each site has a picnic table, a fire ring with a grill, and a parking spur. Most sites can accommodate small campers as well as tents. There is also a vault toilet.

    The campground offers easy access to the Greendale Loop, a 4.0 mile hike through a mixed forest of northern hardwood and conifer trees with long stretches bordering scenic streams. This loop includes approximately 2 miles of walking along town maintained roads open to vehicular traffic.

    This site is not maintained for winter use. Deep snow often covers amenities at this site December – mid April. The nearest plowed parking area to the campground in the winter is approximately one mile away and access is via skis or snowshoes. My wife and I car camped in July and there were very few campers. Many sites are beside Greendale Brook. The water is clean, refreshing and soothing. Especially soothing while sitting by the campfire.

  • Greg D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 22, 2025

    Lazy Lions Campground

    Nice quiet place

    Nice campground with plenty of shade, well maintained and decent restrooms. The showers are ok and cost a quarter for 4 minutes. Our site was level and along with a picnic table, they also provide two Adirondack chairs (plastic) and a fire ring.

Guide to Orwell

Tent camping options near Orwell, Vermont extend beyond established campgrounds into Green Mountain National Forest wilderness areas. The region sits at elevations between 500-2,000 feet with a humid continental climate characterized by warm summers and cold winters. Several dispersed camping areas require no permits but follow strict regulations about camping distances from water sources and trails.

What to do

Waterfall exploration: At Davey Falls ADK, campers access private waterfall areas on the New York side of Lake Champlain. "Amazing secluded creekside spot. Private waterfall, hiking trails," notes Keith D., describing it as the "perfect location to explore eastern Adk."

Stream fishing: Michigan Brook offers multiple streamside locations for anglers seeking native brook trout. A camper reports, "Nice little spots to hangout all day. Lots to see, and explore," highlighting the recreational potential beyond just camping.

Winter recreation: During snow season, areas like Michigan Brook Road transform into snowshoeing and cross-country skiing destinations. One winter camper advises: "The main road to the parking lot is plowed and sanded. However if you would like to continue down the service road during winter months I would highly recommend snowshoes or a snowmobile."

What campers like

Secluded sites: The Last Light on Michigan Brook provides isolation at the forest boundary. Thomas and James S. explain its location: "Love this site! The very last spot on the right hand side. If you've reached the closed gate you've missed the site! Keep it clean!"

Streamside camping: The area along Michigan Brook features multiple sites along water. "I found most of the spots to be on the road before the GPS marker. Few nice ones near the creek. I stayed at one on top of a hill, lots of space at mine," reports one camper.

Island camping: Narrow Island Group on Lake George provides boat-accessible camping with complete isolation. "I love this place so much I almost feel like I shouldn't say it's amazing... but. That's not what we do here! So- it's amazing!" shares Sam B.

What you should know

Road conditions: Michigan Brook access requires appropriate vehicles during spring thaw. "Beware that in Spring the road gets muddy and quite rutted, I would not recommend driving down there with a car that is low to the ground," cautions Maggie F.

Communication limitations: Cell service disappears in most forest areas. A Michigan Brook Road camper warns: "THIS LOCATION DOES NOT PROVIDE CELL PHONE SERVICE OR WIFI CONNECTION. However, if you walk to the end of upper Michigan Brook road you will have cell phone service and a gas station along with a United States Post Office as well as a general store."

Site availability: The best tent camping near Orwell, Vermont follows seasonal patterns. Many sites fill quickly during summer and fall foliage seasons. For island sites on Lake George, Rebecca E. advises: "Book 9 months in advance & good luck. Last minute cancellations are a common occurrence though."

Tips for camping with families

Supply planning: No potable water exists at most forest sites around Orwell. Families should carry sufficient drinking water plus emergency filtration. On Narrow Island, Rebecca E. reminds campers to "TAKE EVERYTHING you need including extra ice. Once there, settle in & relax, you aren't going anywhere."

Bathroom options: Most dispersed camping areas lack toilet facilities. Families should bring portable options and understand proper waste disposal procedures for wilderness areas.

Weather awareness: Exposure can create challenging conditions in the mountains. A Lake George islands camper suggests: "Check the weather before your stay- you may be able to swap for a site on the opposite side of the island if you get an idea of where the winds will be coming from. Don't under estimate this tip."

Tips from RVers

Size restrictions: RV access exists but with limitations. For tent camping near Orwell, Vermont at Michigan Brook, one reviewer notes it "is big enough to bring an RV if you can get it down the dirt road" but cautions about clearance requirements.

Site selection: RVers should scout locations before committing to a spot. For Michigan Road camping, campers recommend exploring multiple options since "there's 3 camping spots. 1 before the bridge and 2 after the bridge! The one before the bridge that's right next to the river is the best one!"

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Orwell, VT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Orwell, VT is Narrow Island Group — Lake George Islands with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Orwell, VT?

TheDyrt.com has all 45 tent camping locations near Orwell, VT, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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