Best Tent Camping near Reading, VT

Tent Camping Reviews near Reading, VT

650 Reviews of 36 Reading Campgrounds

• 

  Justin P.

  Legend

  Sep. 28, 2022

  Baker Rocks

  Great location and amazing facilities

  I tent camped here while doing some fishing in the area.

  Baker Rocks had a host of different camping options onsite including tent platforms, yurts, and cabins. I booked one of the tent platforms.

  The site had a large tent platform they could fit multiple tents, a brand new picnic table, a fire ring (with a free bundle of firewood), two chairs by the fire ring, and even a few strings of solar lights around the camp area.

  The tent sites are within the wooded area around the property and felt very secluded. There was a bit of road noise overnight.

  The facilities here were great. There is a full bathhouse with individual rooms for showers and sink/toilets, with running water.

  Around the campground there was a little beach along the Baker river. I only caught a few minnows when fishing but that may have been more to do with the angler. Along another bend of the river were two chairs for taking in the scenery.

  Check-in was super easy with the camp hosts who were very flexible with timing and wanted to make sure I had a great stay. The property and individual sites are deliberately designed with guests in mind.

  I would definitely stay here again if I’m in the area and might try some of the glamping options as well.

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• 

  Justin P.

  Legend

  Aug. 25, 2022

  Velvet Rocks Shelter Backcountry Campground on the AT — Appalachian National Scenic Trail

  Standard AT back country shelter on the limited site of tent camping

  Note this is a back country shelter along the Appalachian Trail, so it is 100% long hike in with no guaranteed water and a basic privvy.

  I tented along here for a night during a section hike of the AT from Lyme into Vermont.

  The shelter was the basic AT 3-sided wood structure and was generally in good shape.

  The water source here was dry during my trip which was expected during the drought (August 2022).

  The tent camping here was ok, with some slightly slanted spots around the main shelter area.

  There was no real view from the shelter.  There was also a basic privvy available.

  This was a decent shelter to stop at along the AT, but I would not consider it a weekend destination.

  There was no bear box onsite.

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• 

  Justin P.

  Legend

  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.

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• 

  Jessica D.

  Legend

  Aug. 21, 2023

  Molly Stark State Park Campground

  Quiet, secluded & nestled in the woods

  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!!

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• J

  Jennifer L.

  Guide

  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

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• 

  Justin P.

  Legend

  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!

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• 

  Lauren S.

  Guide

  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.

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• 

  M.A.D. P.

  Legend

  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.

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• 

  Rae-Ann W.

  Guide

  May. 25, 2024

  Ashuelot River Campground

  Nice quiet weekend

  We took our new to us hybrid camper out for its inaugural trip.

  We chose to stay in the wooded loop of the campground and we were very happy with our site, #66. That section has about 12 sites, some big and some on the smaller side. Our site was easy to back into, even more so since no one was in the site across from us. Our site was very spacious, level and included a picnic table, fire ring, and nicely placed hookups for water and electric. We had easy access to trails that went along the river behind some of the sites with a few paths down to the river.

  Everyone we encountered was friendly and respectful. There are quiet hours from 10pm-8am that are enforced. We were grateful to not have to hear loud partying going on into the night. There was car noise from nearby Rt 10 on the other side of the river, but nothing you can do about that.

  We asked for assistance at the office with our first time using a pumping station at the end of the trip. We were given friendly helpful assistance and some great tips and advice for the future.

  This was a nice enjoyable first visit for us. We will definitely be adding it to our list of places to visit again, but likely later in the year when we can enjoy the river and activities a bit more. We did not explore the options for bike, kayak, and canoe rentals but would like to in the future.

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