Jamaica State Park Campground

A great wooded location. On the river. Lots of great hiking trails.

A great place for families and friends. 

The campsites were beautiful with the river behind us. Not to many people there so we're got the best spot. The bathrooms are sanitary and are not port-a-potties. For us, they also had a playground to play at, and a boat dock to kayak. The bugs were not fun in the summer. At night, we all had a great sleeping night with no crazy neighbors or dogs. I would recommend it to anyone with children or who love to move. And a few miles from there was the ski resort, Bromli Mnt. With fun activities to do in the summer or winter!

Best campsite

Jamaica is a nice little state park nestled in the woods and by a nice River. Very family friendly and close to Manchester and Stratton and Bromley Mountains. We have returned many years and find it buggy every time but otherwise a great experience.

Nice Getaway

I've visited this park and campground numerous times! The sites are great and well cared for with friendly staff and clean amenities. Book your site early to get a lean-to or a site near the river...it's stunning in the morning with the mountain mist rolling through!! If you're into kayaking book early for the annual dam release event (September)...the river becomes a great spot for some rapids! Hike the scenic trail and take a right upward to Hamilton Falls, a gorgeous waterfall!! But heed the warning sign, people really have died at this waterfall, as recently as summer of 2016. There's also another waterfall (Pikes Falls) - a short drive away and Stratton Mountain/Resort is not too far either. Also dog friendly 🐶

Little slice of VT paradise

Clean well kept level areas! Staff was friendly! Great hiking or biking along the West River!

Great weekend in Jamaica !

Very clean and enjoyable. We have gone here a couple times exceeding our expectations.

Awesome 

Nice little weekend getaway. Clean bathrooms, roomy tent sites, nice staff. Fun playground and nature area for kids. Very family friendly place with beautiful hikes to Hamilton falls.

Beautiful waterfall hikes

The sites were nice and well spread out. Our stay was very quiet. Beach area was ok. I thought the river was kind of yucky but it didn't stop my kids from swimming. Good hiking nearby.

Large clean sites

This tops our list for camping in Vermont. There is so much to do here, and yet the campground feels very private and quiet. There are 41 tent/RV sites to choose from and 18 lean-tos. Some of the lean-tos are situated right on the West River, but they are well-loved and coveted so we've never actually stayed in one.

  

For our July trip, we stayed in the Juniper lean-to, which is incredibly quiet and near the overlook hiking trail. The park is small enough to walk to the swimming area from your campsite, as well as into town. Note that you will not get cell service here, but if you walk into the village of Jamaica, you will find Wi-Fi hotspots at the library or the grocery store. 

  

Here are all the awesome things to do in Jamaica State Park:

  

1. **Learn about the first peoples who lived here:** The area along the West River was an important trade route for the Abenaki tribe. Throughout the park, there are interpretive signs with lots of information about the Abenaki, as well as the archaeological dig that was conducted here in 2010.

  

2\. **Cool off in the West River:** The main swimming area is at Salmon Hole, right in the campground, but you can swim anywhere in the West River. It's awesome!

  

3. **Ride your bike to the Ball Mountain Dam:** There's a bike trail that leads from the campground all the way to the federally-owned Ball Mountain Dam, which provides great views of Ball Mountain Lake and the surrounding mountains. It's a 5-mile ride from the campground, round-trip.

  

4. **Learn about Jamaica's railroad history:** It's crazy that the rail trail was really a railroad at the turn of the century. It's a narrow, mountainous route. As you ride along the trail, stop and read the signs. No wonder it was called 36 miles of trouble!

  

5\. **Hike the Overlook Trail:** It's a 2.5-mile loop that brings you up on a ridge with great views.

  

6. **Hike to Hamilton Falls:** It's actually easier to bike part of the way on the rail trail and then hike the 1.1 miles to the falls. Otherwise, it's a 6-mile hike round-trip. Hamilton falls is 125 feet tall, and one of the loveliest waterfalls in Vermont.

  

7. **Walk into the village of Jamaica for donuts:** Seriously! Head to D&amp;K Grocery for the best donuts ever, or stock up on camping provisions.

Best Camping in Vermont - hiking, biking, swimming, and a waterfall

Drove in on a whim and were pleasantly surprised by how well the staff accommodated us. We managed to get a prime leanto site right on the river. We were only there for an overnight but we will be back. In the Spring the water is released behind Ball Dam, creating a white water adventure. The prime lean-to sites on the water are beautiful and spacious.

small and friendly State Park with plenty of things to do

This is a cute little campground with walking/biking/hiking trails. A river to dip in and good amenities like showers, bathrooms and firewood/ice. Little park for kids and a hoop. Make sure you stock up before your get there, stuff is expensive at the corner stores. I had no phone service (Verizon) anywhere in the park. Went to the front office to suck off their WiFi.