Best Cabin Camping near Waitsfield, VT

We've been camping at Button Bay for years, and while it can be hot and buggy in the summer months, there is no place we'd rather be in September! There are two campground loops to choose from. The first is where you'll find the lean-tos and the dog trail/beach. This area is super quiet, offers a bit of shade, and plenty of privacy. We almost always get the Catalpa or Willow lean-to because we bring dogs and it's easy for them to run to the lake and cool off.

The second camping loop has a few waterfront camping cabins, which we are dying to check out, but haven't yet. The main camping area is essentially a huge field, so not much shade or privacy. The benefit of this area is that it's closer to everything - the playground, pool, nature center, kayak and canoe rentals, and the trail out to the point. There are also amazing views of the lake and the mountains right from the camping area.

I think this is one of the best state parks in Vermont for families with kids, and for dogs. There isn't a great place to swim in the lake here, although plenty of people swim off the point. There is a nice pool, but it closes after Labor Day weekend. If you want to swim in Lake Champlain, I highly recommend Kingsland Bay State Park, just a few miles north.

Definitely hike the short nature trail out to Button Bay Point. It's especially lovely in the evening as the sun is setting. Enjoy!

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.

When we first pulled into this campground and saw how close our site was to our neighbors, we were a little dismayed. But it turned out we had a really pleasant stay at the campground and came to like all the amenities and people and thought it was a nice campground. The campground is located right on the Lamoille River so you can wade, tube, fish, admire the view, or let your dog cool off.  While the sites are pretty close keep in mind there is a big weekend crowd and we found that a number of people seemed to clear out on Sunday. 

Our site (#103) was long enough to fit our rig but we had to squeeze the car in front. The site was level and all the hookups were well-placed and worked fine. Despite the really hot weather and need to run three air conditioners, we did not have any power issues. We tended not to sit outside because of the heat which was fine because your patio is really close to your neighbors RV. There was no room for our firepit in our patio so it was at the back of our site and was not very appealing to sit around because it looked at tall grass and a rental house on the property. 

Amenities in the campground include a new bathhouse, laundry, playground, two swimming pools, hot tub, outdoor picnic pavilion, horseshoe pits, propane fill, well-stocked camp store with a great selection of local beer/cider, free 9-hole mini golf course, and 2 shuffleboard courts. One of the most popular amenities is the river access. You can rent kayaks and tubes from the store or bring your own and float down the river. There are multiple spots where you can put in and float down a little ways before reaching the other access point. The roads are gravel and despite it being very dry were not very dusty. Our gravel pad had a slight slope to it but we were able to get level. The pad was long enough to fit our RV with just enough room to fit the car in front. The patio was nice thick grass. 

The campground is located near the interstate for easy in and out but there are no pull-thrus so you will have to unhook no matter how long you are staying. You are also close to the popular tourist towns of Stowe, VT and Littleton, NH. The nearby town of Morrisville has three craft breweries, one of which (Lost Nation) is located on the Lamoille River Trail which is a 90-mile rails-to-trails path great for walking/biking.

I’ve been visiting Ricker Pond for nearly 20 years (except for the years that I don’t book enough in advance and aren’t able to secure a spot for my desired length of stay). My favorite lean to site is directly on the water, private, and fills up fast. My favorite cabin site, is set back from the water, is private, and also fills fast for the season. I LOVE venturing to Vermont every summer & staying at Ricker. There is an electrical outlet in the basic cabins, quarter-run showers, and an excellent country store/restaurant a few miles away that has anything you may need and might have forgotten. Tents/RV sites are also available. Book in advance for the best availability!