Best Cabin Camping near Union Village Dam

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.

Can’t say enough good things about this place.  It is a private landowners land, and she has various camping options including a cabin, hives, or open locations for rv or tent camping.  We stayed for a long weekend with friends in a separate rv, and then a friend who rented a hive.  The land is 8 acres, and you feel a sense of privacy and serenity. You hear roosters in the morning from a local farm.  The views are vast, and it’s relaxing.

Logistically, there is a good place for rv parking below the garden hoop house.  It is a flat long gravel area, which can access power, but you’ll need an extension chord or two to reach it.  The hives are set back from this area and behind other gardens, near a water source.   There is a cabin in the middle of the property, and then additional rv or tent camping in another area above the main house, which also has an electric hookup.  Each area is far enough away from the others that you feel a sense of privacy and serenity.  

There is a common area building on the property with Wi-Fi, a bathroom and a kitchen area, which seemed to be used mostly for making tea or accessing the kitchen sink for water.  I am not sure if you could use it for cooking - you would need to ask the landowner.  It has a small sitting area with tourism/hiking/sightseeing guides and maps.  We used it to check email and make phone calls, as cell access is spotty in this general area of Vermont and we didn’t have a cell signal by our rv.  You can shower and use the toilet.  I would recommend bringing your own soap and shampoo.

There are a few fire pit areas on the property, and the land owner will show you where you can find wood in the surrounding woods.  The gardens are full of flowers and vegetables.    There is also a sauna and a yoga room, neither of which we used. 

It truly is a magical environment.  You are a few minutes away from Cabot, which is very small.  The area is a hiking and gravel biking hot bed.  The “Ride the Ridges” gravel ride passes the property, so you can do the course from there.  There are numerous hikes of all distances and difficulty in this area of Vermont.

This KOA is what you expect from a KOA– lots of amenities, sites of all sizes and levels of cost, tons of activities, and in a vacation destination area. We spent five nights at the campground and found lots to do in the area and that we had an enjoyable and pleasant stay. 

The park is a large park that is terraced since it is in a pretty hilly area. There is the range of sites from pull-thrus, pull-ins and back-in sites and can accommodate RVs of any size. Some sites are full hookup while others are not and that is reflected in the cost. We paid $57/nigh for our full hookup site which is pretty costly especially since we did not use any of the amenities. Most sites are gravel with gravel patios but there are deluxe sites with paved patios, patio furniture, umbrella, and gas bbq grill. There are also camping cabins, some of which have kitchenettes and bathrooms that sleep six people. 

Our site, was located in the back of the park in a quieter section because it was away from most of the activities and park entrance. The site was a pull-in which was kind of nice because the view out of our front windshield was of a wooded area. Our fire pit was in the front of our site so there was a nice amount of privacy when we sat outside by a campfire and didn’t feel like we were on the side of the road. Despite the hilliness of the park and all the trees, we did not have any trouble navigating our 45’ RV to our site. The trees at our site would prevent satellite television reception but our site had cable and we got about 20 or so channels. The staff was very friendly and helpful. Like many KOAs there are tons of amenities and things for kids to do – swimming pool, fishing ponds, bike rental, scheduled activities, propane sales, camp store, fire wood delivery, and more. There is a fenced dog park which was a fairly good size and our lab was happy to chase a ball. 

As a whole, the park was very clean and manicured. No trash laying around and the gravel roads were free of potholes. The campground is located near the Queechee Gorge, covered bridges, hiking trails (including sections of the Appalachian Trail), good dining, maple syrup/cheese farm, the Marsh Billings- Rockefeller National Historic Park.

Lonesome Lake hut is one of three AMC huts open year-round. During peak season, your rate includes dinner, breakfast, a bunk with 3 wool blankets. Meals are served family style; if you have food restrictions, let them know when you make your reservation. There's running water in the sinks (peak season) and composting toilets. Bunkrooms are smaller here than at other huts; you'll be sharing a room with 3-6 others and most of the bunks are only two high rather than the triple deckers you'll see elsewhere. During the off-season, a caretaker may start a fire, but you're on your own for meals and bedding. Sit on the deck or down by the lake and enjoy the views, maybe some wildlike. If you're not an AMC member, join and you'll get a discount on the rate while also supporting their work.

It's about 1.6 miles and 1000' elevation gain from Lafayette Place trailhead, making it a family-friendly destination. NOTE: parking at the trailhead is at a premium and you may need to park at the hiker shuttle at Cannon Mountain. If that's the case, drop off the majority of your crew so that only 1 person has to pay the shuttle fee.

In winter the trail is so frequently travelled that you may not need snowshoes, but I would definitely recommend spikes to minimize the risk of sliding on ice.  Your reward is a beautiful view (on a clear day) across the notch to Franconia Ridge. The Kinsman Ridge towers over you to the west. If you're bagging 4000-footers, it's great to hike up here in the evening one day and then head up to the ridge for the Kinsmans and Cannon the next, to make it just a little easier.

Campground Review: Beech Hill Cabins and Campground

I’ve camped at many of the campgrounds in the Twin Mountain, NH area and wanted to try a new spot. Beech Hill Campground did not disappoint with its large wooded campsite and numerous campground amenities at a fair price. You have to call to make reservations and can’t see the sites, but there aren’t many sites I wouldn’t want (3& 4 are small sites just across from a street light; a few others had slopes or a lot of roots). I was along Blueberry Lane, one of the roads on either side of the power line and all the sports areas(basketball, volleyball, horseshoes, shuffleboard) with some park benches and a view of Mt Washington). You may borrow equipment at the store. 

The sites are often narrower at the road (but still wide enough to make backing a trailerRV in easy) and then open up to a spacious site. There’s enough low growth under the trees that although you are aware of your neighbors, you’re not on top of each other. I was there on an early August weekend and the campground was not close to full. It was quiet and folks were friendly. There are a large number of seasonal sites in areas separate from the rest of the campers that are generally well maintained and neat. They also have some cabins and a park unit (see their photos on the website as I didn’t get to see the insides). Full hookups including cable will run $50/night. 

Laundry, bathrooms with showers, and a dishwashing sink are in a building near the entrance. Bathrooms are clean, if worn. They’ve been recently painted; the caulking/edges show their age more. Other amenities include an indoor heated pool, outdoor chess and checkers, a game room with air hockey, pool, and arcade games, and an outdoor playground. Saturday evenings there may be ice cream sundaes for a small fee; check their calendar for special events. 

The store is well stocked with everything from camping supplies, ice, and firewood to knick knacks, snacks, and maps. They also sell some campfire grills, which could be helpful if you’re cooking over a fire; the fire rings do not have grills. There’s a gated entrance, so you need to check in before the camp store closes on your first night. There will be a $20 cash deposit for the access card, refundable when you return the card. My cell phone had 2-3 bars 4G on Verizon. 

Product Review: Banner& Oak  Freedom Hoodie in Heathered Black 

As a Ranger for The Dyrt I sometimes get to review equipment. Just before I headed out on this camping trip I received a Banner& Oak Freedom Hoodie in heathered black. I was grateful for the cool evenings and mornings so I could try this out. I usually wear a women’s large, so I ordered this in a medium and the fit was perfect, coming down over my waist and wrists. I like the length, but if you’re shortwaisted, you may find it is too long. The fabric is super soft and lightweight, not bulky. 

When I put my hands in the pockets I discovered the left pocket had an~1 1/2” hole where the stitching didn’t join the front and back of the pockets. It was high enough that I wasn’t too worried about losing something through the hole, but I did make a point not to put my keys in that pocket; I’ll be running it through the sewing machine. The graphics are simple light gray lettering. It’s 60% cotton/40% poly, so you won’t want to rely on it for a hiking trip, but for hanging around a campsite, it's perfect!

This is the only campground in the area I will stay at. It has so many benefits, I may not be able to do it justice in this review. The sites are huge. We fit two camper vans, two tents and put up a 20x20 rain tarp on Site 5. The site was freshly raked when we got there, and the leftover wood was stacked next to the fire pit. Picnic table easily seats 8. Lots of bathrooms around the park, each with showers. Firewood and Ice, along with some necessities are available at the office. Cell phone service is touchy depending on where you are in the park. There is fresh water available. Lots of activities to do here, from the Nature Center and hiking trails to seriously wicked mountain biking trails designed by Mr. Knight overlooking the reservoir where boating of all kinds is allowed. And the fishing in the river below is quite stellar. There's even an abandoned town up on top of the mountain for younto check out.