Best Glamping near Putney, VT

This small state forest campground in north/central Massachusetts is just up the hill from Damon Pond. I suggest downloading maps before you head out because cell service is iffy in the area.  

Sites are largely level, around a small, bisected loop with towering pines. Most of the sites are best suited to tents and small trailers (think teardrops and pop-ups), but a couple of sites can accommodate slightly larger units. They are level and there's not a lot of brush between sites, so not much privacy either. I liked site 3 for a bit more privacy ; it's also one of the 3 sites designated for an RV. Site 11 is larger and can accommodate a larger unit.

There is a large yurt suitable for 10 people. The yurt does offer electricity, but there are no hookups nor a dump station at the campground. There are flush toilets, but no showers. The small bathroom was under renovation autumn 2020. There is a dishwashing sink. 

There are hiking trails in the area and, of course, swimming at the small pond. A nearby roadside waterfall offers another picnic area opportunity. For a longer hike, you can hike to and from Pearl Lake State Park. Fishing, mountain biking, and geocaching are other activities available. There's a parking lot closer to the beach or it's an easy walk from the campground.

If you are from out of state, check fees carefully. In 2020 MA increased fees significantly in light of the pandemic. Prices are steep for what you get if you are out of state.

Beautiful campground in south central Vermont.  On a lovely emerald green small lake with nice beach. Good for fishing and kayaking.  Well kept. Was very quiet when we visited though I suspect it's much busier in mid summer.  Near Manchester, which has numerous great restaurants and a fabulous bookstore.

I have stayed here a couple times and loved it. they sites are nice and private. The views on some of the sites to the lake are beautiful. the grounds and facilities are well kept. and you are close to both Bennington and Wilmington. a great spot to camp at in Southern Vermont!

We just finished six nights at Emerald Lake State Park.  Camping at Vermont State parks is always top notch.  We had a lean-to site and good privacy from the sites around us.  There was plenty of room for our tent and screen tent.  Everyone was respectful and quiet, even on the weekend when it was busier.  Bathrooms were cleaned daily, showers were fine.  50 cents for 5 minutes and then extra time for each additional quarter.  Two bars of AT&T.  Manchester was an easy 10 minute drive away for provisioning, and we enjoyed a great hike to Lye Brook Falls (the trailhead was around a 20 minute drive).  We would definitely come here again.

We have camped at Woodford State Park in the summer and fall. It's a small park, but it never feels crowded. Most park activities are based around a small, 25-acre lake. You can rent canoes or kayaks, fish for trout, or hike the loop trail around the lake. Here's what we love most about camping here:

1)It's the highest elevation campground in Vermont, which means that when the temperatures soar in the valleys, you can come here for a noticeable temperature difference.

2. It's one of the most dog-friendly state parks. Dogs are allowed everywhere except three of the camping cabins.

3. The fall foliage is unreal!

There are great waterfront sites, cabins if it's too cold to tent, and the bathrooms are modern and clean.

This park is close to my house in southern Vermont. We usually visit during the day to hike to the top of the Mt. Olga firetower. It’s always clean and very quiet, so this summer we decided to give camping a shot. We stayed in one of the lean-tos because it was threatening rain. I wish I could remember the name of it. We love the site. The only thing we didn’t like is that is was facing the neighbor’s campsite, and we felt like we were always staring at them. They were friendly, though, so it all worked out.

The hike up Mt. Olga is 1.7 miles (round trip). There’s a fire tower at the top, which provides awesome views of the Green Mountains. It’s also fun to explore the relics of the old Hogback Ski Resort. They are rested remnants of the ski lifts and warming huts, and they are slowing crumbling back to the earth. The trails from the park connect to the Hogback Mountain Conservation area trails, so there are actually many miles of trails you can explore without having to drive anywhere. If you do want to embark on a little road trip, check out the little town of Wilmington, which has an awesome lake for swimming, or the bustling town of Brattleboro, which is perfect for shopping and nightlife.

We stayed here as a stopover on our way home to NJ from Maine. It's 5 min down the road from Wilmington, one of our favorite towns to visit. There are no hookups at any Vermont state parks (Molly Stark included). We stayed at site T16. It's a pull through RV site with a fire ring & picnic table. T16 is right next to bathrooms- unfortunately the map shows showers there too (there are not). We boondocked- there's a spot up top near the other bathrooms where you can fill your fresh water tank. We had a slight issue with our fresh tank overflow valve & the park worker was INCREDIBLE, helpful and so kind. I think his name was Jerry?. He came right over and even rigged up a fix for it in his workshop. We got him a 12pack as a thanks before we left :). Campground is quiet & nestled in the woods. We didn't see any bear, but it is an active bear area. Some tent sites have lean to structures as well. There's a large pavilion at the top of the campground for eating etc. If we stayed longer we would have definitely done the Mt Olga Fire-tower trail. This is no frills, primitive & refreshing camping. And yes- we would stay again!!

This is a nice state park located near the Quechee Gorge, a lovely place to explore and play. Vermont State parks often offer lean-to options and Quechee is no exception. If you don't have a tent, you still have a dry structure; if you do have a smaller tent, you can even pitch it in the lean-to. It give you some security for those wet camping trips that inevitably hit at some point in the summer!

The sites are broken up into several smaller loops; sites are large and private. A few of them are Y sites that make a nice setting for families and friends camping together. Sites are back-in, generally level with lots of space to pitch a tent. No hookups, but a dump station is available. There's a large field that a few of the sites back up to. Bathrooms were clean, showers are coin-operated, so bring your quarters. Firewood available for sale. Groceries are available nearby.

Take time to walk down into the gorge and explore the river. It's a great place to cool off. You'll need to walk back toward the visitor's center (there's a trail that will take you over to the parking lot) for the descent. At the top, check out the visitors' center. Farther afield you can visit the Billings Farm and Museum, explore trails at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP, enjoy scenic Woodstock. There's an annual balloon festival and even if the balloons don't fly due to weather, there's music and other entertainment. Lots of small shops and markets in the area. In Quechee, VINS has a canopy walk and raptors; check out their calendar for events. Traffic can be a beast during

True story. We stopped at Molly Stark state park in Vermont on the way home after vacationing in Maine. The sign coming into the park said no vacancy. When we got to the parking area I went up to the office counter and said, “We’re just stopping through. My husband is going to ride his bike for a bit and we’ll eat lunch, but we’re not staying.” The guy working said, “You still need to pay something.” I said, “Of course. No problem.” He said $4, I paid & started to walk away. The woman working said, “We have very nice clean bathrooms if you need them.” Which I thought was nice. My husband rode for about 45 minutes and then we walked to the bathhouse for him to take a quick shower. He says, “Do you have 50 cents? It’s 10 minutes for fifty cents.” While he’s showering I’m walking around with our dog. She poos and now my husband is walking towards me with a bag to pick it up because his 50 cent shower is finished. Before we can pick up after our dog the office worker comes towards me quickly and says, “Here’s a poo bag. Now you’ve at least gotten your 4 dollars worth.” I said, “Excuse me?” And he says, “You tried to get out of paying in the first place and now you’re using our showers. You said you were just eating lunch and your husband riding his bike.” My husband says, “I paid fifty cents for that shower. I didn’t steal it.” The guy says, “You said you were just stopping in.” I say, “Do you want more money?” And he says he wants another 4 bucks. I walk up to the counter to pay and say, “I try to assume the best of people. I want you to know that I wasn’t trying to get out of paying. I saw the no vacancy sign and didn’t want you to think we were trying to stay the night.” He said that he’s tired of people with the nicest stuff … a multi thousand dollar bike and a nice RV trying to get something for nothing.” I reminded him that he said admission was 4 dollars and his coworker offered the bathrooms. He said, “So you don’t think you got 8 dollars worth of time in the park?” I told him, no, that we’d been there for an hour and 20 minutes and he’d told me admission was $4, but if the extra money would make things right for him then he could have it. I just didn’t appreciate him thinking I was trying to talk my way out of paying park entry, and I didn’t appreciate him assuming I had a character flaw. He told me again that it was rich people who tried to get out of paying, he was jaded & to keep my 4 dollars. What an odd experience.

Nice sites, clean restroom and friendly staff. You can pick up the Ashuelot Rail Trail at the campground. They have canoes and kayaks on site, plus a shuttle service for water sports or biking.