Best Dispersed Camping near Sutton, VT

Recent Dispersed Reviews in Sutton

33 Reviews of 10 Sutton Campgrounds

• 

  Kevin C.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 19, 2024

  Cherry Mountain Road Dispersed

  Super quiet and lots of privacy

  Came into the area after 7 PM on a Tuesday and found several open sites. We stayed one night in campsite 9. This site is about 90 yards from the fire tower trailhead.

  Site #9 goes back about 70 to 80 feet back off the road. There appears to have been a longer site, but the Forest Service placed boulders blacking vehicles from going further. Just past the boulders is a large fire circle with room for 6 to 8 campers to sit around the fire.

  We were able to collect sunlight onto our solar panel from the site.

  The camp site are all disbursed enough that we did not hear any other camping sounds at all. It was so quiet I could hear the sound of crow wings flapping as they flew by.

  We enjoyed a spectacular view of the Blood Super Moon from the campsite. Overall the site was open to the sky nea3 the road yet protected from the wind.

  The only downside was the lack of any other amenities. As far as disbursed camping in the national forest, this place is not a decent unpaved road and our campsite was only about 3 miles from the highway.

• 

  Kevin C.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 12, 2024

  Elbow Pond Road Dispersed Site

  Small campsites/No amenities

  Drove in on a Wednesday afternoon and drove past 4 or 5 sites, which were all occupied.

  Then saw a car ahead that was backing up. Long story short, they were afraid to drive across a dry wash in their new Jeep. No place to get by. Had to back my trailer about a quarter mile, so they could get out.

  Camped in a very small spot, just barely enough room for our SUV and small teardrop to get off the road.

  There was only a 20 foot by 12 foot space to camp jn with no water, no dumpster, no toilet, no view of anything and lots of other campers that appear to be long term residents.

  OK for an overnight stay but not a desirable camping location overall.

• 

  Alexandre R.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 8, 2024

  Guyot Shelter - Dispersed Camping

  Awesome campsite

  Great campsite!

  Bear box, food area, water source, cabin, Privy, and platforms.

• 

  Lisa

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 8, 2024

  Tripoli Road

  Love Tripoli

  Love everything about Tripoli. 1st come 1st serve. We have out favorite sites but have had to venture out and take other sites often times. No electricity, no showers. Portta potties every so often. Always close enough to walk to. Love the sites on the water. Have been going here for over 10 years. My kids now love it too

• S

  Sean F.

  Guide

  

  May. 7, 2024

  Guyot Shelter - Dispersed Camping

  Has all you need, but busy

  Despite being so remote, one of the busiest back country camps in the Whites.

  Has a nice shelter, spring, privy, platforms, some sites have somewhat of a view of far away mountain tops.

  No space for non-free standing tents. Quite a hike dropping down from the main trail to the campsite, 15-20 min straight up to hike out in the morning

• D

  Drew

  Scout

  

  Oct. 28, 2023

  Haystack Road

  Quiet, small, flat spots

  There are 11 options, each completely separated from the others. We were in spot #1 which is nothing at all like the others. It is next to the Highway on a paved fire road. So you can hear traffic. And it is paved (which is good if it’s wet and muddy elsewhere). The other spots looked amazing.

• D

  Dom L.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 29, 2023

  Elbow Pond Road Dispersed Site

  Car camping at elbow pond

  This is an awesome spot for camping. They have a couple different spots where you can park and walk up to your site or they have sites you can pull right up next to them. Some of the camping spots have fire pits but not all. Theres a nice pond with great views and good fishing. Some of the sites are close together but there are some that are a good distance apart. The road in is pretty rough and is not recommended for sedans or lower riding cars. Overall this is a great place to camp if you’re looking for free camping spots. Also it is first come first serve

• 

  Sarah C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 6, 2023

  Scott C. Devlin Memorial

  Secluded and Quiet

  This is another beautiful site along the CT River Paddler's Trail. It is well maintained and tucked on a knoll in a pine forest. There is a picnic table, fire ring and composting toilet box seat. The takeout is easy to miss if you aren't looking as it sits right in the bend of the river. There is a set of wooden steps that go down into the water at a relatively steep angle. Be sure you tie your boat up while unloading as there is a fair amount of current sweeping around the bend. Use caution moving up and down the steps.

  There is a flat area at the top of the steps where you can tie up your boat for the evening. Follow the path along an electric fence (be careful if you have dogs with you) up into the campsite. There you will find a nice shady spot with plenty of flat space for tents. Beware the ticks! They weren't the worse I've seen, but they are definitely around.

  Aside from the tricky loading and unloading on the water, this site is pretty dang perfect!

• 

  Sarah C.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 6, 2023

  Maine Railroad Trestle

  Nice site along the CT River Paddlers Trail

  While reservations are not required, there is a registration page on the CT River Paddler's Trail Website that they ask folx to complete just so spots don't get overcrowded. 

  There are several sites available here and a really nice rocky beach with easy access fo loading and unloading. It's also a nice spot to fish from. There is a site perched high on the hill where there is a picnic table and fire ring. There is also a spot lower down that is nice and flat and probably better spots for tents. We did have an ATV almost run over us at 1:00 a.m. that scared the dickens out of us. They were clearly unaware and intoxicated, it was a scary moment. But aside from that, it's a wonderful site. If you walk through the campsite, there is a massive cornfield, just beware that the ticks in the field are insane! They weren't bad in the campsite but in the grass, they were epic. There's nice shade available as well.

• N

  Nels M.

  Scout

  

  Oct. 23, 2022

  Elbow Pond Road Dispersed Site

  Really nice quiet spot

  Really nice spot, I wouldn’t recommend trying to take a normal sedan or something down there and the sites are a little less spread out than I wanted

• S

  Sean L.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 18, 2022

  Haystack Road

  Nice Spot, but Camp at Your Own Risk

  Quiet area not far from the main road and a bunch of trailheads, but beware of people stealing camping gear. I left out gear to claim a spot while out hiking and came back to people having stolen some of it as well as setting up in that spot. Cut my trip short because of that experience

• 

  Justin P.

  Legend

  

  Nov. 16, 2021

  Cherry Mountain Road Dispersed

  Smaller car and tent sites

  Stopped by on the Cohos Trail. Great location with access to the Cherry Mountain trail, and back down to Ammonoosuc Falls back down near Rt. 302.

  There are a string of tent sites on either side of the road with some right up to the intersection with Cherry Mountain trail.

  A few were small and could just fit a tent and a car, where some offered more space. Some offered a bit of privacy into the woods while most were right along the road.

  There are no facilities here, and most sites showed some significant signs of use. 

  There were plenty of sites available on the weekend in October.

• J

  Jerome S.

  Traveler

  

  Aug. 6, 2021

  Guyot Shelter - Dispersed Camping

  Great Campsite on the Pemi loop

  Spent a great night here.

  This is a very large campground. With a large shelter renovated in 2019. Approx 10 platform sites. Some are very isolated and some with great views.

  Privy is a bit of a walk. And the eating area is very small. X3 bear boxes.

  Great Water source right near the eating area.

  Loved this site!

• 

  Raj T.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 28, 2021

  Guyot Shelter - Dispersed Camping

  Gayut Tentsite

  Sufficient amount of platform, water source, bear proof Joe box, pivy and springs all at one spot

• 

  Danielle B.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 28, 2021

  Tripoli Road

  Real hiking experience

  hiked down a trail and found the most relaxing spot right by the river!

• J

  Joseph A.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 13, 2021

  Tripoli Road

  Awesome

  This is a great spot to start getting into camping with less amenities and more outdoors. I have been going there for 20 years and I still recommend it. Drive up the dirt road and find a nice riverside camp site. 3 miles of seclusion if you want. Great hiking trails directly off Tripoli . Hiking the loop trail is amazing.

• 

  Harry

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 27, 2020

  Guyot Shelter - Dispersed Camping

  A fantastic campsite that is worth the tough trails to get to

  Amazing views from some of the platforms, easy access to water, friendly park managers. Used this as our midway point for a 2-day pemi loop before our friends wedding. Did not disappoint!

• 

  Ali B.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 28, 2020

  Tripoli Road

  Primitive Car camping

  Great spot for the weekdays, hardly anyone around and got a great site right by the river (mid-sept.). We left on a Friday morning and a lot more people were coming in so I imagine it could get really loud during busy summer weekends/holidays. A lot of sites were right next to each other so if it's crowded, you might not get a lot of privacy. However, there are little camp spots all over this road, too many to count so it's a good bet of getting one, especially on the weekdays. Definitely watch out for bears though, didn't see any but saw plenty of evidence.

• 

  Kat B.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 26, 2020

  Tripoli Road

  My always camp spot

  Fantastic secluded options, highly recommend getting a good spot by the river. Park staff are great and spots are well maintained. Downsides are there are few bathrooms (and they are Portojohns), and the road can be irritating/cars kick up dust as they drive by. It's also first come first serve, so be sure to get up early on Friday for a weekend campout. But this is by far one of my favorite spots!

• 

  Kris Z.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 8, 2020

  Tripoli Road

  Came through in the 24th hr...

  Awesome adult spot, pretty much free reign, no quiet time, and, watch out for bears... #kudos

• G

  Greg L.

  Scout

  

  Apr. 14, 2020

  Haystack Road

  Secluded, yet centrally located.

  These are my go to sites when I am in the Franconia Notch area. They have a fire pit, plenty of woods around, and are free. The North Twin Trailhead is at the end of Haystack Rd., these trails connect to the Twin Mountain peaks and the Pemigewasset Wilderness area. Its is a great staging ground for weeks worth of adventures, and you're allowed to stay for two weeks. They do get crowded during the season, so you'll have better luck showing up mid-week. Leave your tent set up, or your site could be taken when you get back. There is cell reception at most of the sites. Do not rely on cell phone trail maps, there is little to no reception trail on the trails. Use a downloadable GPS map like a Gaia GPS, or a Garmin type device. Also, wildlife like bear and moose will visit you at night. it's almost a certainty, keep your food locked in a bear tight container. *** The first few sites on the left have a small stream behind them, it'll make your stay a little easier. Bathing, dishes, etc.***

• 

  Jean C.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 17, 2019

  Tripoli Road

  Dispersed camping, be bear aware!

  Tripoli Road is a seasonal road, opening in late May most years and closing in autumn. Check the White Mountain National Forest Facebook page for up to date road closures/status. The section before Russell Pond often opens before the rest of it, which is graded, not paved. The road runs between the Waterville Valley area and I-93 exit 31. This is roadside camping, no frills, first come, first served. You must stay at a site with a fire ring, but sites are not numbered. Road signs demarcate no camping zones; some areas look like they could be campsites, but will also be marked with no camping signs. 

  You must register at the ranger station on the western end of the road, shortly past the entrance to the Russell Pond campground. Rates are a flat rate set per car and per weekends or weekday period. In other words, you pay one rate for 1-5 weekdays ($20 in 2019) and another fee for a weekend($25-30 - holidays). It’s self service most of the time, with the ranger available Friday and Saturday evenings. 

  The sites vary from sites near and level with the road to ones set above or well below the road. Some are near a river, most are wooded. Some are isolated, others are close together. There are no reservations, so you'll be choosing your own when you arrive. Downhill sites closest to the Russell Pond area seem to be most popular. Most of these were occupied on a late June weekend, while those farther down the road remained empty.

  There are port-a-potties near the western entrance, but otherwise you’re on your own with cat holes or portable toilet solutions. Nearest showers are at Russell Pond. Please keep it clean and protect the area. I’ve passed through several times while hiking My Osceola and have observed that these sites are often filled with groups or families with multiple tents. On a late June weekend there are numerous empty sites, so they seem to be more available than the dispersed sites along Gale River Rd and Haystack Rd (farther north in Twin Mountain). Excessive drinking and noise can be an issue. 

  You need to be aware that bears are in the area. Following the July 4, 2019 holiday, the camping area was closed after bears visited campsites and got into food that was left in the open and not secured in vehicles or bear canisters. The camping area re-opened July 19, but check the White Mountain National Forest FB page before heading up there. If the issue recurs, I wouldn't be surprised if they close it again.

  Hiking in the region include the Osceolas (moderate hike with beautiful views, exceedingly popular and crowded on autumn weekends - get there early!), Tripyramid, and Tecumseh. Shorter treks include Welch-Dickey (great open ledges) and Snow's Mountain (along a river with falls). Nearby Russell Pond offers ranger programs, fishing, and you can put a kayak or canoe in. The Pemigewassett offers tubing and kayaking put ins. Outfitters one exit south can provide you with transportation and rentals. Exit 32 for Lincoln, Woodstock, and the Kanc is less than 5 miles north.

  Cell service is decent at nearby Russell Pond (Verizon seemed to offer better service than AT&T).

• 

  Jean C.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 11, 2019

  Haystack Road

  Dispersed roadside camping near Twin Mountain Trailhead & Franconia Notch

  If you can't snag a site along Gale River Rd or you are looking to hike the Twin Mountains, then continue a little farther north on US 3 near Twin Mountain (a little north of the Beaver Brook Picnic Area) and try your luck on Haystack Rd. This road is closed in winter and will open in late spring after the road has dried out and any repairs have been made. In 2019, it opened in mid-June. Check the the White Mountain National Forest FB page or website (FB is usually more up-to-date) for road status, including closures in the autumn.

  When open, you can drive in to one of 11 numbered, wooded sites and camp up to 14 nights for free. You may have up to 3 vehicles and 15 people on a site. The only amenity is a fire pit, but the road ends at the Little River, offering fishing and swimming options. The parking lot at the end of Haystack Rd serves as the Twin Mountain trail head. You may see moose or bears in the area.

  Franconia Notch State Park is just south of here, with its hikes, recreation trail, echo lake, and the Flume. Head east on 302 and you'll find yourself in Crawford Notch State Park with waterfalls and hikes.

  Forgot something? Fosters Corners just a few miles north has an eclectic selection of essentials as well as gas. Or take I-93 north to Littleton to a wider variety of shops.

• 

  Ryan M.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 2, 2019

  Tripoli Road

  Road side camping has never felt so off the grid

  Can be pretty remote. Choose your own site. Some are better than others, some have streams going thru them. Lots of local hiking

• L

  Lexi R.

  Guide

  

  May. 30, 2019

  Guyot Shelter - Dispersed Camping

  Amazing Views

  Step walk in and out though most of the tent plat forms have amazing views. I have stayed here twice and had great experiences. A outhouse is located at this tent site as well as pump-able water, bear boxes and a shelter. Great place to stay on the Pemi Loop. It is a carry in carry out campsite.

• 

  Hollie G.

  Guide

  

  May. 15, 2019

  Guyot Shelter - Dispersed Camping

  White Mountain Favorite

  Bond cliff trail wooden platforms and a three sided cabin (fills up quickly) at 4360 ft. Getting to the sites is pretty strenuous, but totally worth it!

  We got to the site, claimed our platform and hiked over to West Bond to catch a beautiful sunset. Bear box located at a communal “cooking area” and cold spring water located at the site. Composting outhouse was surprisingly very clean!

  There are some overflow sites that are more private, which I wish we knew about!

  Small fee of $10 to stay, caretakers are awesome and knowledgeable! Would go back again in a heartbeat!

• 

  Jen O.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 30, 2018

  Guyot Shelter - Dispersed Camping

  She is Beauty She is Grace

  An amazing spot. Pretty remote and all the better for it. Similar to other AMC sites... check out their for current info.