Best Glamping near Stowe, VT

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!

My family loves this camp ground right on the CT River. It has RV sights and cabins they keep the campers busy with fun activities for kids and grown ups. This is what I would call a Glamping campground then a roughing it campground but it’s still amazing.

I would highly recommend this campground to anyone looking to visit the Stowe/Waterbury area. We had easy access to hikes in Stowe, plus the Ben and Jerry’s shop is about 20 minutes down the road!

We stayed on the B side. The bathrooms were clean, the site was well maintained, and the reservoir was a great place to relax after a day of hiking! We will be coming back!

This campground just outside of Stowe on the way to the drive up and through Smugglers Notch. It’s only a campground with no access to trails unless you hike down a pretty steep road to Glen Falls parking area. They do have nice bathrooms and showers and it’s probably the cheapest place to sleep while visiting Stowe. We stayed at lean to Spruce. The spot was level and fit our van. Not much privacy between the other lean to’s next to us though.

This was a great place to stay at. It was fairly priced and in a great location for visiting both Stowe and Burlington. The river was beautiful to walk by and our group had a great stay!

good flat sites. a little small but comfortable. rangers are very helpful. wood is a little hard to gather, but rangers have plenty for sale. shower area is nice and both restrooms were clean. all in all a very nice place with easy access to the whole mt. Mansfield and Stowe area.

Very nice campground, great location! The reservoir was beautiful. Took the kayak, only issue I had was getting to the lake. Most sites up on hill looking over lake, not easily assessable from camp site, but still had a great time. Left kayak down at beach. Definitely recommend this campground, very remote, but Stowe and Waterbury close by!

If you want a place to nomadic camp that is near Stowe, but away from the hustle and bustle, then this place is for you.  It is a private landowners land, and she has up to  5-6 campers at any point in time.  Sites are set up with picnic or other small tables, and randomly spread out across the field.  There is good distance between sites, but all other sites are within view.  There is a porta potty at the entrance to the field.  Dogs are allowed.  The landowner is very responsive and helpful with questions.   Across the street from the camping field is another field with access to water via a hose, and a very large flower garden.  There is also a small store that sells honey

The sites in the field are generally un-level, and we had to really work to level our trailer.  While we were there, there were car campers, tent campers, and a class C rv, in addition to us in our travel trailer.  Dogs are allowed on the property.

In addition to being 20 minutes to downtown Stowe, you can gravel bike right from the field.  We built a number or rides with Ride with GPS, leaving from there site.  There are never ending hiking options, from easy to advanced, in the general area.  

We would gladly return to this camp, even though we had challenges leveling.

Pristine facilities, private camp sites and a beautiful area. Smuggler's Notch is close enough to Stowe to not be a hassle to drive to, but far enough away that it's quiet and remote. The staff was helpful and very good about controlling excessive noise from other sites. You are minutes from some amazing hiking, which is great when you don't feel like driving long distances after a day hike. Excellent showers (coin operated) and bathroom facility. Reserve early, as this place doesn't have a ton of sites and it folds up quickly!

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.

It's exactly what you look for in a vacation, peace and tranquility, breath taking views of Vermont with a perfect lake at your feet! We will definitely stay here again our family loved it!

Our first time in Vermont, we were coming from Montreal, Quebec. And while there are many nice campsites to visit in Quebec... we've done them all, within a 2-hour radius. Well, guess what? Lake Carmi in Franklin (Enosburg?) Vermont, is less than 1 1/2 hours from Montreal! I think it must be the closest campsite to Quebec, in Vermont. The drive there was really pleasant too. It wasn't all highway. It took us mostly through very scenic routes in both Quebec, and Vermont.

After booking, I had read some bad reviews about the place - which gave me second thoughts. About the staff being very unpleasant, etc. Well I'm happy to say, that turned out to be absolutely untrue! To say that Kathy, Daniel and really, the entire staff that we met, was very friendly to us, is an understatement. They literally saved our bacon!

It's a long story, but in short... our car broke down at one point, and we had to get it towed. Our phone wouldn't work, and it was by the good graces of the Lake Carmi rangers and staff, and the use of their wireless, that we were eventually able to return back home to Canada.  I don't know what we would have done, if they weren't there to help us! So - big thanks to the amazing staffers at Lake Carmi.

We had reserved a site by the lake, and saw that the campground itself was quite nice. Just acres and acres of lush green forestation. Clean grounds and washrooms. A beautiful sunset over the lake. No electrical 'pollution'. No noise pollution - except for crickets, in the field. Other than the car trouble - quite a pleasant stay! We'll be returning next year.

They don't have all the usual amenities its more of a primitive set up. has great clean sites with multiple ways to access mount mansfields trail system which is the highest mountain in the state of Vermont. Staff are friendly and respectful of privacy. Great deal on wood.

We just spent 5 days at this wonderful campground. They have paid attention to all of the finer details. Beautiful landscaping, well leveled sites, very clean and neat. The staff is wonderful. My only disappointment with the camp is that there are only a few sites with sewer hookup. However, the dumping station is conveniently located, so if you have a small tank, daily trips are not a problem. There is plenty to do in the area - Littleton is a beautiful little town. The old houses in are incredible. New Hampshire is not a dog friendly state, but a short Drive into Vermont gets you access to many fine restaurants where you can bring your dog. Be sure to visit Dog Mountain in Vermont- a truly touching memorial to departed pets.

Little River State Park is located just outside of Waterbury Vermont so it’s an ideal location for jumping off on other adventures! There are so many great stores and restaurants nearby if you want something else do to! The park is on the shoreline of Waterbury reservoir so there is boating (rentals available) and plenty of fishing. There is also ALOT OF HIKING!

The Green Mountains of Vermont are amazing all year. Check with the local ski resorts for summer activities like gondola rides. The ranger programming was exceptional, as are the views and the nearby areas for hiking and backpacking. Relatively modern campsite but still a simple state park setup with one exception: true to northeast tradition many of the camp sites are lean-to style.

This is a pretty small State Park, so it fills up quickly. The sites on the pond are beautiful if you can get one! The campground has a small beach, boat launch and it's right on the Cross Vermont Trail. I stayed in October and it was really quiet and relaxing. There is absolutely no cell service for miles, so plan accordingly.

What a great little park! apparently this is the first state park in Vermont. Only 8 campsites so try to book early. Nice trails that lead to scenic views of Lake Champlain. Bathrooms and showers were clean. Showers were quarter operated, 50 cents for 5 minutes. Firewood sold on site. Sites are well groomed and have a fire pit and picnic table.

I only got to stay two nights here but it was veey nice. only seven tent sites and three Leanto so pretty secluded. the best part is every night its only a ten minute hike to the summit from where the sites are and you get to watch the sunset over Vermont and lake champlain as the sun falls behind the adirondack mountains, its quite an amazing site. very highly recommended if y oi u want piece and quiet and that mountain feel with a stunning view.

We stayed in Lot 1 of Smugglers Notch ski resort. It's a big gravel parking lot used during the ski season and left virtually abandoned during the summer. Not sure it's technically a campground, but Vermont has liberal dispersed camping rules. No facilities or anything, but we just slept in our car, cooked on our stove, and drove somewhere else in the morning for bathrooms. Met a local who told us about a lake at the top of the slopes. Other than that, never saw anyone else. Apparently bears are nearby but we saw no signs. Second picture is looking up a ski slope a few paces from the lot

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!

I've been exploring Vermont State Parks since before I could walk, and Burton Island State Park is my all time favorite! There's a million reasons to love camping here, and if you are visiting Vermont in the summer, I think it's one of those must-visit destinations. Here's why it's my favorite place to camp in the whole state.

1. It's like going to to a tropical island without leaving Vermont.
2. There are no cars on the island. You have to paddle yourself out or take the VT State Park passenger ferry from St. Albans.
3. It's super family friendly - maybe it's because there aren't cars all over the place, but the island is full of free range kids, and they're having a blast.
4. There's a camping bistro where you can buy pancakes, coffee, local beer, and fine wines
5. Sunsets are magical - if you can, get a lean-to right on the water. If not, hike to the western shore for the main event.
6. You can bring your dog - there's even an off-leash dog beach!
7. You can stay in a cabin! If you don't want to rough it, you don't have to.
8. There are lots of trails to explore, and almost all of them lead to the water where you can cool off in Lake Champlain.
9. There are kayaks and canoes to rent.
10. There's a marina (with WiFi), and you can rent slips for the night.

Waterfront sites book very quickly (like 11 months in advance), but if you don't mind being farther from the main campground and running water, you can almost always rent one of the four primitive sites, which are secluded and waterfront. You can paddle out to Burton Island on your own from Kamp Killcare State Park, where you'll leave your car. It's a very short paddle and shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. The passenger ferry runs throughout the day, if you don't have a boat of your own.

Once you're on the island, you can borrow a cart to bring your gear to your site, or you can pay one of the park rangers to haul it in one of their golf carts. We have stayed in a few different sites over the years -- we aren't picky, because we usually get one of the last sites available. We've never been disappointed a site. They're all great, and within easy walking distance of the beach.

When we first heard of the North East Kingdom of Vermont, we had no idea where people were talking about, but something idyllic and natural came to mind. Ricker Pond State Park fits beautifully into this landscape. Getting here isn’t direct or easy, but the reward is worth it. Leave your mobile devices off, because cell towers haven’t quite made it to this quiet corner of the woods. 

The pace here is slow, even by campground standards, but this adds to the charm. A wide array of rustic cabins, lean-to shelters, and traditional tent campsites scattered throughout the park along the shores of Ricker Pond.  No electrical hookups to be found, so bring your solar panels if you want power.  There is a ton of space between sites -- we could barely see our neighbors or hear them.

The staff have gone the extra mile and planted flowers along many of the choicest camping areas. Campsite amenities include a toilet block with pay showers and flush toilets, but no electrical or water hook ups. The water is delicious by the way, so don’t bother with any bottled variety– this is the good stuff. 

Paddling out on the lake has to be the best way to enjoy this wonderful area. With boats available for rent, you don’t even need to bring your own. Check out this quiet corner of Vermont and simply forget about it all. The nearby town of Groton, has a gas station with a small grocery store for all the most important staples (marshmallows, chocolate, bread, beer) at least one small restaurant, and the library offers free wifi 24/7 if you really must connect for a few minutes.