Kristen B.

Portland, OR

Joined September 2016

Great Views

Great campground overlooking the confluence. Nice place to watch the sunset and plenty of hiking opportunities. Sites on the ridge 152,153,154, and 155 are really nice. Showers, play areas, and an observatory. We were at site 155 and it was lovely and nice amount of privacy.

Site 127

If you can get site 127, it will be worth it, corner and facing the pier and the lighthouse. It is very busy and mostly full of RV's and trailers. If you are in a tent, just know that you aren't going to have any privacy. Everyone is very friendly and a nice sense of community. The State park sits less than a mile from the main strip of Grand Haven, which is a very cute town with great restaurants, shops and candy stores. It also is a 10 min walk to the town dog beach where dogs can run wild and play in the water. The lake is beautiful with a great walk down the pier to the lighthouse. They have great facilities as well with large individual showers.

Beautiful Lake

With most campsites sitting a few feet from the lake itself, it is perfect for those with a kayak, stand up paddle board or canoe. However, do not go here if you are looking for privacy. Campsites are very close together and there are limited trees or plants to create any barriers. Thankfully, everyone I encountered was very kind and welcoming. There are many lakes in this area so lots of opportunity for water activities. The bathrooms were adequate and they had recycling available as well.

Away From It All

Driving the back roads of Maine you will run into Mt. Blue. There are two different areas, the campground is on the lake and the hiking around Mt. Blue is about 20 minutes away. The campground is very large with varying size campsites and plenty to choose from. The beach area is a short walk by trail from any of the three loops and includes a large grass area, a playground and a beach on the lake. You can also rent kayaks for a nice ride around the peaceful lake. The shower facility, located in the middle loop are very nice and clean. The camp hosts, Bruce and Jackie are very friendly and love to share their stories of traveling with their tear drop trailer and Chris and his wife will check you in and make sure you have everything you need. The campground closes for the season on Columbus Day and after Labor day, it's pretty empty.

Everything You Need

Tucked away in what feels like the middle of nowhere New Hampshire is it's largest state park. Bear Brook is full of trails, ponds and a fairly large campground. This extremely family-friendly campground comes equip with trails, play structures, camp store, beach, and even a small baseball diamond. The sites are fairly large and if you need some privacy, reserve site 12. There is a great trail that is around Beaver Pond, roughly 2-3 miles with plenty of opportunities for dogs to swim, yeah for dog friendly! This campground is beautiful, quiet in places and has everything you need for a great weekend away!

Great Location

The campground at Shawme Crowell is fairly large with a lot of sites to choose from as well as plenty for bigger groups. Most of the sites themselves are also on the larger size. The showers are strategically placed in the middle so could be a longer walk depending on what site you are at. The campground is located in the adorable town of Sandwich, full of beautiful colonial houses and cute shops and restaurants. It's also in Cape Cod so getting to Provincetown, only takes about an hour. Location is great however, I found the traffic from nearby roads, highways and maybe even an airport to be surprisingly loud. If that doesn't bother you than should be a fine place to stay and dog friendly!

Close to Narragansett

About a little over a mile walk to Narragansett, an adorable beach community with lots of shops and places to eat as well as close to the ferry to Block Island. The campground itself is broken into section depending on water/electric/sewer. My campsite was located in the water only loop and although didn't have to much privacy, there weren't too many other campers present. On a crowded summer weekend, don't come here for a quiet, private weekend. The park is dog friendly but don't forget your rabies certificates much like other east coast campgrounds.

Surrounded by Ponds

Conveniently located near Cape Code and close to Boston, Myles Standish State Forest is a beautiful spot surrounded by ponds. The campground is split into different areas depending on your needs (electric, equestrian, tent-only). My campsite was on Barrett's Pond and was a large site with easy access to near by trails. This is great place for hiking, riding horses and bikes with lots of trails for both. The staff is great and helpful ensuring you have everything you need for full enjoyment. Although dogs can't swim in Barrett pond, they are welcome in the campground and can swim at the nearby East Pond that also has a nice 3 miles trail around the circumference. Showers are available as well as filtered drinking water.

Nestled in The Catskills

This campground is nestled in the Catskills, New York, with easy access to New Jersey and Connecticut. With large campsites and most surrounded by trees, you will find just the right mix of privacy and community depending upon what you are looking for. Although the showers aren't top notch, they do have them and a great recycling center for all of your garbage. If hiking is what you enjoy, they have nearly 4 miles of trails within the campground and surrounding areas that circle two nearby ponds and their day use area. If you are looking for something offsite, don't miss the Giant Ledge hike, a 30 min drive and about a 3 mile out and back hike to Giant Ledge for amazing views overlooking the entire area. Head out to watch the sunrise one morning with awesome views looking east. When you need a break from cooking, don't miss the nearby Phoenicia Diner for some great breakfast and coffee! All of the Park Rangers are very helpful and will provide recommendations and maps, just ask!