Matt T.
Guide
GuideNew Discovery State Park Campground
Great state park
Most sites are secluded. There is a creepy old cemetery in walking distance. Nice showers on site !!
Equestrian Camping near Sutton, VT
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New Discovery State Park Campground provides specialized equestrian facilities with dedicated horse stalls for campers traveling with horses. The campground features both standard campsites and equestrian-specific sites designed to accommodate riders and their mounts. Sites with horse stalls allow for convenient overnight stays while exploring the surrounding Groton State Forest trail system. The campground offers drinking water, fire pits, picnic tables, and toilets for all campers. Tent and RV camping options are available, with some sites situated in wooded areas and others in open fields, providing varied experiences for equestrian campers. The sites are well-separated with good privacy between camping areas, making them suitable for horse owners who need additional space.
Groton Forest Road Campground, located nearby, connects to an extensive network of trails suitable for horseback riding throughout the region. The campground provides access to multiple ponds and lakes within Groton State Forest, including Osmore Pond, where riders can enjoy scenic water views. Electric hookups, water connections, and a dump station make this location particularly convenient for those traveling with horse trailers and RVs. The surrounding rail trail system allows riders to put in many miles without even noticing the distance covered. Seasonal considerations affect trail access, with the park typically operating from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend. The area features multiple water access points for horses, with several ponds within riding distance of the campgrounds. Riders appreciate the variety of terrain available, from wooded paths to open meadows.
Best Equestrian Campgrounds near Sutton (4)
1. New Discovery State Park Campground
"There are even sites with stalls if you're into horses. The bathhouse looks typical and clean.
Not much cell service, but some in places.
Easy access to a lake and a picnic pavilion."
"There is a creepy old cemetery in walking distance. Nice showers on site !!"
Check Availabilityfrom $20 - $38 / night
2. Groton Forest Road Campground
"The lake was gorgeous to swim in and had different rafts and stuff in the water for public use. The bathrooms were well maintained along with the showers."
from $35 / night
3. Hancock Campground
"This would be one of few places I find acceptable to camp, that are near other people. I usually don't like camping with 20+ other people in one looped area."
"Used the tent sides a quick hill walk down from the parking lot. River great for splashing around and nearby path to Lincoln Woods trail."
Check AvailabilityCampground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $30 / night
4. Haystack Road
"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."
"They have a fire pit, plenty of woods around, and are free."
Drive Time
- 1 hr 42 min from Burlington, VT
- 2 hrs 7 min from Manchester, NH
- 2 hrs 52 min from Lewiston, ME
- 3 hrs 16 min from Portland, ME
Equestrian Camping Reviews near Sutton, VT
44 Reviews of 4 Sutton Campgrounds
SkywaystoHighways.com Y.
LegendHancock Campground
Fall Camping
This is our go to spot for late Fall and Winter camping. Just a few hard core cold weather lovers. Close to the slopes and snow shoe/snow mobile trails. Bathrooms are closed during this time. The porta potties are clean.
- TTaylor C.
TravelerHaystack Road
Site 11
Amazing spot, great area! Plentyyy of room. Between sites 10 & 11 is the longest distance out the bunch and enjoyed that because it was easy to run a generator at any hour of the day with no one able to be disturbed by it. Loved Haystack Road overall. Had strong AT&T reception even with 1 - 2 bars.
Miccal M.LegendNew Discovery State Park Campground
Drove through on my way past
This easy-to-access campground has made it on my list of places to stay.
There are two loops of sites, some deep in the woods with great-looking trees, others in a field, and some in between. There are even sites with stalls if you're into horses.
The bathhouse looks typical and clean.
Not much cell service, but some in places.
Easy access to a lake and a picnic pavilion.
Noticed more than a few sites that I could hang at.
- SSean F.Guide
Hancock Campground
A little cramped, great location though
Open year round. Most sites are close together with very little privacy
A few sites are pretty much right on the river which is awesome. There's a nearby swimming hole. Campground is only short drive away from an endless amount of hiking options
- Miccal M.Legend
Hancock Campground
Small but nice
I just spent a cold rainy, snowy weekend camping here in January, and had a blast. The campground is plowed, sites have their access plowed with various widths depending on the site. The sites are a little close together, and for winter there was a number of them being used.
The campground is close to Lincoln, NH so if you need supplies you can easily run into town for food and drink. It's even closer to Loon Mtn and the Pemigewasset wilderness allowing for some amazing outdoor activities.
There are many dumpsters and bear boxes throughout the campground, the walk-in sites all have bear boxes. Every site has a fire pit. The campground is easily accessible by pavement.
Laura M.LegendNew Discovery State Park Campground
Lovely, friendly campground.
There are hiking trails right from the campground, which we always appreciate. You can also go down to the water and rent a kayak or canoe from the rangers. Camp fees are $28/night, plus $5/day per adult for state park fees.
There is a dump station and drinking water on site, but the spigots for the water are not threaded. We tried our water bandit, with messy wet results. (Apparently you can’t use those if the other end of the hose is pressurized.) Luckily, we found we could unscrew the head of the hose at the dump station and had no problem filling our tank with potable water.
Each site is so different and may or may not fit an RV. Some sites are so sloped I don’t even know how a car would camp there. Some sites are out in the open grass where you just find a spot within the site that works for you. We saw fresh moose poop on a hike but sadly no moose or other wildlife. There are bears around the area though so please be bear smart when camping here.
Showers are something like $1 for 8 minutes, quarters only. The lean-to sites are really cool, and if I was tent camping I think they’d be so fun to sleep in. They have food compost bins here, but the rangers keep forgetting to unlock the bin, so you just have to ask them. There’s also a book exchange library and adorable little gnome habitats set up in the campground. We had a pleasant stay here.
Ann P.
RangerHancock Campground
Pretty but not clean
Some pros and lots of cons. We stayed at a walk-in site by the river.
I never fully appreciated just how much camp hosts do. There was no ranger and no host. We arrived early on a Thursday, hopeful we could get a spot by the water. There are only two spots that are truly private in any way. They were both taken- fine. However, one of the groups had not registered and stayed until 4 or 5pm until everyone else had already set up for the day…then they left! So uncool. The site went unused because at that point, no one was going to move all their stuff. Maybe a camp host would’ve noticed that?
The sites were FILTHY with trash, dog poop and food waste. Pretty crazy considering this was supposed to be a bear area. There was also a bad smell wafting around, hmm…maybe because of the trash and dog poop? Stepping in dog poop and trying to clean off your boots is a significant bummer. The site we were stuck at also had ashes and chunks of wood all over the picnic table. Cleaning up this much in order to feel comfortable really sucked.
There was no running water at any of the pumps and the pit toilets were quite full.
There is a bridge nearby but the river covered any vehicle noise very well. It was also nice to be right off the highway and five minutes from town, yet it felt like a proper national forest experience.
There’s an upper loop with drive in sites. They didn’t seem very private and you could see the road. I wouldn’t stay up there.
Being by the river was beautiful. I would stay here again, but with more preparation for the campground’s limitations.
- DDrew
ScoutHaystack 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.
Guide to Sutton
New Discovery State Park Campground offers designated equestrian camping facilities near Sutton, Vermont. The campground sits within the 26,000-acre Groton State Forest, which features terrain ranging from 900 to 2,300 feet in elevation. Winter temperatures in the region often drop below freezing from November through March, with summer highs typically reaching the mid-70s.
What to do
Trail riding network access: Equestrian campers at New Discovery State Park Campground can access multiple interconnected trails. "The bathhouse looks typical and clean. Not much cell service, but some in places. Easy access to a lake and a picnic pavilion," notes Miccal M.
Wildlife viewing opportunities: While exploring the trails around the campground, watch for local wildlife. "We saw fresh moose poop on a hike but sadly no moose or other wildlife. There are bears around the area though so please be bear smart when camping here," advises Laura M.
Water activities on multiple ponds: The Groton State Forest area contains several ponds within riding distance. "Swimming and boating is a short ride in a couple different directions, Osmore pond, Kettle pond, or Ricker pond," reports Rick S. from his stay at New Discovery.
What campers like
Site privacy and separation: Groton Forest Road Campground offers spacious sites with good separation between camping areas. "The spots were spacious with enough privacy between sites. The lake was gorgeous to swim in and had different rafts and stuff in the water for public use," writes Reid B.
Variety of site settings: Campsites at New Discovery vary significantly in layout and environment. "Some sites are in the middle of a grassy field while others are tucked in the trees. Site size various pretty vastly as you travel through the campground," explains Sarah C.
Seasonal considerations: The region offers distinct experiences across different seasons. "Open year round!! I have stayed here many times, three times in the winter (it is so nice to have an open bathroom in the winter!) and a few times in the summer. Quiet, clean sites," notes Kim O. about Hancock Campground.
What you should know
Bathroom and shower facilities: The shower facilities at New Discovery require quarters for operation. "Showers are something like $1 for 8 minutes, quarters only. The lean-to sites are really cool, and if I was tent camping I think they'd be so fun to sleep in," mentions Laura M.
Water access for horses: Multiple water access points exist for horses throughout the forest trail system. "The lake was gorgeous to swim in and had different rafts and stuff in the water for public use. The bathrooms were well maintained along with the showers," Reid B. explains about the Groton Forest Road area.
Wildlife precautions: Bears are present in the area, requiring proper food storage. "They have food compost bins here, but the rangers keep forgetting to unlock the bin, so you just have to ask them. There's also a book exchange library and adorable little gnome habitats set up in the campground," shares Laura M.
Tips for camping with families
Remote shelter options: For families seeking a more secluded experience, consider the remote shelters. "There are more remote walk-in shelters on the Osmore Pond, located within New Discovery State Park. The shelters are rustic, have shared outhouses between a few sites, fire pits and small picnic tables," describes Sarah C.
Bear box availability: Families will appreciate the bear-proof storage containers at some sites. "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," reports Lindsey M. about her stay at Hancock.
Campground activities: Beyond equestrian activities, the campgrounds offer additional recreation options. "There are hiking trails right from the campground, which we always appreciate. You can also go down to the water and rent a kayak or canoe from the rangers," mentions Laura M.
Tips from RVers
Water fill considerations: RVers should note the water access points may require adaptors. "The spigots for the water are not threaded. We tried our water bandit, with messy wet results. Luckily, we found we could unscrew the head of the hose at the dump station and had no problem filling our tank with potable water," advises Laura M. about New Discovery.
Dump station and hookup availability: Facilities for RVs vary between campgrounds in the area. "Electric hookups, water connections, and a dump station make this location particularly convenient for those traveling with horse trailers and RVs," notes camp host information about Groton Forest Road Campground.
Site selection for larger vehicles: Not all sites accommodate larger RVs or horse trailers. "Each site is so different and may or may not fit an RV. Some sites are so sloped I don't even know how a car would camp there," Laura M. observes about the terrain at New Discovery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular equestrian
campsite near Sutton, VT?
Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Sutton, VT?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Sutton, VT is New Discovery State Park Campground with a 4.1-star rating from 7 reviews.
What is the best site to find
equestrian camping near
Sutton, VT?
What is the best site to find equestrian camping near Sutton, VT?
TheDyrt.com has all 4 equestrian camping locations near Sutton, VT, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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