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Best Tent Camping near South Royalton, VT

779 Reviews

The Appalachian Trail corridor provides several backcountry tent camping options near South Royalton, Vermont, with multiple shelters and designated tent sites available for hikers. Winturri Backcountry Shelter, Happy Hill Shelter, and Thistle Hill Shelter all offer tent camping areas along the AT, typically accessible only by hiking in. Green Mountain National Forest also provides dispersed tent camping opportunities at locations like Michigan Brook Road, where primitive tent sites can be found along streams and forest roads.

Tent platforms are common at many of the backcountry shelters, offering level surfaces for setting up camp away from wet ground. Most sites lack amenities beyond a basic privy toilet, and water sources may be seasonal or unreliable, particularly during drought conditions. A visitor commented, "The tent camping here was ok, with some slightly slanted spots around the main shelter area." Campers should pack in all necessary supplies and be prepared to filter water from streams when available. Fire regulations vary by location, with some shelters prohibiting fires while others provide established fire rings.

Areas farther from town offer deeper seclusion and less noise, making them ideal for tent campers seeking solitude. The backcountry shelters typically feature multiple tent sites surrounding the main shelter structure, allowing hikers to choose between sharing the shelter or setting up private tent space. According to one visitor, "There were a bunch of level tent camp sites around the shelter." Many sites serve as convenient stopping points for Appalachian Trail section hikers rather than destination campgrounds. Tent campers should be prepared for variable weather conditions and bring appropriate gear for potentially wet or cold nights, even during summer months. Most tent sites are situated within wooded areas, providing shade and some protection from wind.

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Best Tent Sites Near South Royalton, Vermont (38)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near South Royalton, VT

58 Photos of 38 South Royalton Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near South Royalton, VT

779 Reviews of 38 South Royalton Campgrounds

  • Jean C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 31, 2019

    White Mountain National Forest Wildwood Campground

    quiet, large sites

    I reviewed this campground last fall after visiting on the final day of the season, but I just had a chance to sty here during a peak summer weekend and have a few additional insights. Fees are now up to $20/night, still a bargain, but it comes with only the most basic amenities, i.e. vault toilets, running water at faucets, picnic tables and fire rings. Although the campground description indicates that the sites are first-come, first-served, this has changed and many of them are available online in advance. I didn't realize this and when i arrived late Friday afternoon I had 5 or 6 campsites to choose from that could accommodate my small teardrop camper; if I were tent camping, I'd have had a couple more sites available to me. The tent only sites require a short walk from the parking area.

    When you arrive, each site will be labelled either Reserved or _Open. _ If it is Reserved, the dates it is reserved will be listed and they may not be contiguous. All the sites filled up Friday night. 

    I had site 24 which I liked. it was very large and level, with ample space for today's large tents. The water spigot was near the site next door. I could see my neighbors, but they didn't bother me. Every host site always seems to look messy with tarp-covered items and wood piles and site 24 will give you a view of the host site, but it's far enough away that you can ignore it. 

    If I were in a tent, I'd try for site 22. It's a walk-in site that includes 7-8 steps down, but it opens into a large open area and just a bit beyond there is a small brook, too.

    The campground is just a few miles west of I-93 and the town of Woodstock. If you want to hike Mooselauke or the Kinsmans, the Appalachian Trail crosses 112 nearby. Lost River Gorge is nearby as are numerous tourist attractions/activities in Woodstock and Lincoln. Take some time to explore Cascade Park in Woodstock if you want to cool off in the river and lounge on the rocks (park on the street or in the lot that is north of 112 just before the traffic light at Rte 3 in Woodstock). While you're there, pick up ice cream at Coneheads; choose among numerous hard serve ice cream made on site (downstairs) or dozens of soft-serve flavors.

    This side of 112 seems quieter than the stretch east of Lincoln. Noise level was quite low. Cell coverage is non-existent for several miles around here; you'll start to get a signal closer to Lost River Gorge in the direction of Woodstock.

  • Beau B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 14, 2018

    Russell Pond Campground

    Russell Pond Campground (Walk in)

    Walk in sites at Russel Pond are nice. spacious sites with fire pits and a picnic table. Potable water is close by along with a bear box. Bathrooms are clean and the showers are $2.50 for 5 minutes. Genuinely nice staff a close proximity to several nice hikes.

  • Kate K.
    Aug. 22, 2019

    Hancock Campground

    The White Mountains Stole My Heart!

    We had a last minute change of plans to our hiking trip due to a delay. We wouldn’t have the time to hike into our pre planned area before dark, so decided to set up shop here. This place was actually pretty great. Each site was pretty large and most of them had access to the river. Which had nice areas for swimming and wading. Each site had its own bear box and it was only a short hike down from the car. The park connected directly to some beautiful AT trails that we took advantage of the next day. It was also pretty cheap! $12 or $15 if I remember correctly. All self registration.

  • Justin P.The Dyrt PRO User
    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.

  • Justin P.The Dyrt PRO User
    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.

  • Tara S.
    Sep. 7, 2018

    Hancock Campground

    Loved the Walk-In Tent Sites!

    Hancock Campground is one of 6 national forest campgrounds along the Kancamagus Highway. Campsites can't be reserved and the campground does fill up on the weekends. We were lucky to score a walk-in tent site on a Saturday in August, and while it did feel a bit like a tent city, we loved that there were no cars at the campsites. It made the tenting area feel more like a community. This is a busy campground, but lovely all the same.

    We got site #19, which was one of the last sites available. It had a picnic table, fire pit, and bear box. There were awesome waterfront sites nearby, but they were taken, of course. Cost was reasonable - $22 per night. Pit toilets were near the parking area, but there was a real bathroom with a sink and a flush toilet in the car camping area. There is also a fabulous swimming hole. Clear, cold and deep just off the car camping area.

    Hancock Campground is a five-minute drive from Lincoln, NH, and very close to awesome hiking trails in the White Mountain National Forest and Franconia Notch State Park.

  • 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!

  • L
    Aug. 29, 2020

    Hancock Campground

    Nice river location; Lots of bees

    We camped here Wednesday-Friday on one of the riverfront tent sites. We arrived around 11:15 am and got the last site on the river, which had a nice little opening to the water and had a bit more tree coverage to separate us from our neighbors; the only remaining sites otherwise were a bit small and clustered together or tandem so that we’d have lots of foot traffic through and around our site. These sites were carry-in only, which wasn’t convenient, and it was a lot of work to carry all of our gear from the parking lot to the site (the main part of the path was a hill).

    Big negative: Our site was completely swarmed with bees. We checked a few vacant sites to see if maybe it was just our site, but we found them all around, including all over the cars in the lot. They calmed down in the evening once it got chilly, but otherwise, they were constant. They were the worst on our last day; we planned to hang out, make breakfast, enjoy the river, and take our time packing up. But they were unbearable and we had a couple stings, so we rushed to pack up and left early, which was very disappointing and felt like a waste.

    The river access was great, though the water was very low. We appreciated having a bear box on our site, especially since we couldn’t keep anything in our car. It was big enough to fit our grill, cooler, trash, and bag of groceries. The campground also has flush toilets, which was a big plus, since most other campgrounds in the area only have vault toilets. There were vault ones near our site, but I preferred to walk a bit further to the flush ones. They were near the campsites by the main road; the traffic was loud in this area and the sites didn’t have bear boxes, but there were no bees to be found.

    We’d likely stay here again if something was done about the swarms of bees, and would probably bring some sort of cart to get our stuff from the car to the site.

Guide to South Royalton

Primitive tent camping sites are available along several Green Mountain National Forest service roads near South Royalton, Vermont. Michigan Brook Road offers secluded forest camping with multiple sites near water features. The area ranges from 700 to 1,400 feet in elevation with weather conditions varying considerably between seasons. Most dispersed sites require visitors to follow Leave No Trace principles with no facilities available.

What to do

Brook exploration: Michigan Brook offers several natural swimming holes in summer months. A visitor to Michigan Brook noted, "Great stop-over spot but not really a destination," making it suitable for travelers visiting Killington or exploring the White River region.

Hiking access: Some AT shelters serve as bases for day hikes. At Stony Brook Backcountry Shelter, campers can access a swimming hole by hiking "a bit further down the trail when heading northbound" according to a recent visitor who found "plenty of water at Stony Brook/Mink Brook."

River camping: West Hill Road provides tent sites alongside flowing water. According to one camper at Patterson Brookside Camp, "Mountain road lingers along the river. There's quite a few sites along the road. Be sure to camp at spots with established fire rings!"

What campers like

Secluded forest spots: The last camping area on Michigan Brook Road offers exceptional privacy. One camper described Last Light on Michigan Brook as "The very last spot on the right hand side. If you've reached the closed gate you've missed the site!"

Multi-level shelter structures: Some AT shelters feature unique architectural elements. At Happy Hill Backcountry Shelter, "The loft was nice since folks could decide to sleep up there while others were down below, either cooking, arriving, or departing."

Bear boxes: Some shelters provide bear-resistant food storage. A hiker mentioned that Stony Brook Backcountry Shelter had "a bear box here, which I hadn't seen at other shelters along the AT in Vermont."

Natural water features: Many primitive sites include stream access. A Michigan Brook camper mentioned there are "nice little spots to hangout all day. Lots to see, and explore."

What you should know

Road conditions: Forest service roads can deteriorate seasonally. A recent visitor to Michigan Brook Road Camping warned, "Road goes in pretty far. Some parts are muddy and very rough. Higher clearance would be advised!!!"

Seasonal water sources: Water availability at shelters varies by season and weather conditions. A 2022 visitor to Velvet Rocks Shelter noted, "The water source here was dry during my trip which was expected during the drought (August 2022)."

No facilities: Primitive sites lack amenities. At Patterson Brookside Camp, a camper emphasized, "There is no electricity, no cell coverage, not outhouses in this area. Be prepared to pack out everything you bring in."

Winter access limitations: Some areas become inaccessible during winter months. At Michigan Brook Road, a winter camper discovered, "I attempted to bring my car and was stuck overnight but was able to dig myself out the next morning."

Tips for camping with families

Emergency communications: Cell service is spotty throughout the region. One Michigan Brook Road camper offered practical advice: "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 selection for multiple tents: Some AT shelters offer better tent camping options than others. At Winturri Backcountry Shelter, a hiker observed "lots of tent camping spots as you worked up the hill perpendicular to the shelter" and noted the site had "a great amount of tent camping around in spaces with decent privacy."

Water safety: Swimming holes can be inconsistent depending on rainfall. One Stony Brook camper found "a decent swimming hole (could just barely submerge myself) to clean off a bit."

Site impact awareness: Overuse has led to site closures in some areas. A Patterson Brookside visitor cautioned, "This area is being heavily use and some spots are being shut down from abuse, please be aware that you have a lot of impact."

Tips from RVers

Vehicle clearance requirements: Forest roads require appropriate vehicles. For the best tent camping near South Royalton, Vermont, one Michigan Brook Road camper suggested that "higher clearance would be advised" due to muddy and rough road conditions.

Limited turnaround space: Some forest roads have tight quarters. A Patterson Brookside camper noted, "The dirt road along the river is an easy drive, though it is single lane in a few locations, so be aware of oncoming traffic."

Spring road closures: Mud season makes some roads impassable. Regarding Michigan Brook, one visitor shared 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."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near South Royalton, VT?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near South Royalton, VT is Winturri Backcountry Shelter on the AT in Vermont — Appalachian National Scenic Trail with a 4-star rating from 3 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 38 tent camping locations near South Royalton, VT, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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