Let us preface this review by stating that we do not understand nor agree with some negative…read morecomments we have read on a couple of web sites about this magnificent place. This is a 5+ on a scale of 1 to 5 or a 10+ on a scale of 1 to 10 Campground.
We are full-timers traveling in a Class-A motorhome and have stayed at a number of campgrounds, resorts, state parks, and other locations over the last few years. We have seen it all. Champlain Adult Campground is the best campground where we have had the pleasure to stay. The campground makes you feel as though you are in the middle of a garden, rather than your standard (or even "luxury") campground.
We came to Champlain Lake following the recommendation of our son who was enjoying the summer in Burlington with some friends; while looking for a place where we could stay for over two weeks, we found this gem.
It was easy to make a reservation over the phone, and we were fortunate that someone had cancelled, leaving the site we were assigned available for booking. JC (Jean Claude) asked for my name and to send him a $200 deposit and we were all set for our arrival on July 18th with an August 3rd departure.
When we arrived, we went straight to the office. I met JC who came from elsewhere in the compound to greet us. When JC was in the process of verifying our reservation he found out that his record showed we would be arriving on August 19th (a day after our scheduled arrival in my itinerary).
We were worried about the misunderstanding, but JC offered us a site next to the one we were initially assigned, emphasizing we could move the next day.
JC had promised me it was the best site and he was right! Funnily, after few days of walking around the campground with our dog, we realized every site was the best site; all were well kept, private, and with great views of the lake.
There are a good number of seasonal campers and--contrary to many other places we have stayed--they don't treat you like an outsider because you are not "one of them". On the contrary, the seasonal campers are friendly, respectful of everyone's privacy, and more than willing to give you tips and advice regarding the surrounding area, including interesting stops across the US-Canadian border on your way to Montreal.
There are many options for campers once they are settled. You could visit Canada, drive around the little local towns and beaches, bike, swim, or kayak at the lake. Other perks include nice walks, hikes, and trips to Burlington. The campground could not be in a better location when it comes to exploring and a variety of attractions.
Sunsets are something most campers--ourselves included--enjoy at the campground's beachfront. Just about everyone comes at the end of the day and enjoys the view, including JC, his wife Emma, and their children.
This place is a paradise, which we told the owners several times. They maintain an immaculate space and everything is simple--as it should be. One morning, I saw few campers leaving and within minutes JC was watering their sites and soon the sites looked like no one had even camped there. JC and Emma work tirelessly, all day long, and their children help them keep the campground in shipshape condition. Seeing them work (really work) the grounds makes it obvious that there is no time left in the day to update their web site or promote this great find. Their priorities are clear: keep existing customers happy with clean, scenic, facilities that operate well.
Just a couple of tips for other campers:
* Bring your own internet if you need it. The same goes for satellite antennas. We had little time to plug into either since we found ourselves spending so much time outside enjoying the campground, but it is just a suggestion.
* The campground has clean bathrooms with showers and coin operated laundry if you need them. Water is clean and pressure is great. We had a 50 amp site but could have been on a 30 amp. The weather, even on hot summer days, felt good given the breeze coming from the lake and the inexistent dust on the grounds.
* We didn't feel the need to lock anything when we left the campsite for the day because it felt so safe, and nothing bad every came of it.
The owners are friendly; they made us laugh and we had multiple stimulating conversations during our stay.
I cannot recall one campsite place with better value or aesthetics (both natural and built-in) than Champlain Adult Campground. If anything, I would suggest JC and Emma to change the name, this place is just superb. Something like ¨Garden¨, ¨Peaceful¨, ¨Tranquility¨ would make justice to this place.
We thoroughly enjoyed our stay and cannot wait to visit again (probably for an even longer period!). We left two days ago and already miss it.
