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    Emerald Lake State Park

    4.5 (13 reviews)

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    Beautiful foliage colors
    Joshua S.

    Emerald Lake is gorgeous. I went in the fall, and the tree colors were amazing. It was off season, so parking was free and plenty of picnic tables were available for lunch. If going off season, make sure you use the restroom beforehand; they are locked it seems. Looks like a great swimming spot for the summer. Definitely worth the visit!

    Tricia R.

    Loved this place! Great camp sites and super helpful staff. There was actually some space between certain campsites so it was more private then we were used to. There were severe thunderstorms and a couple of campsite spots did get slightly flooded. The path around the lake is gorgeous.

    Marysa N.

    Let me preface my review by saying that we go here to enjoy the lake, but we feel like the campground is too crowded. Emerald Lake State Park is in the Green Mountain National Forest in Dorset, and an easy drive to us from New York to Southern Vermont, just off Route 7. The campground here is pretty big. We have driven through it several times, and each time it is extremely busy. The campsites aren't very spread out, and there is a busy highway just outside the campground, so you get a lot of road noise. The sites aren't very secluded, and some have a lot of gravel as well. We stayed here in September 2018, so there weren't many people there. We rented the "Sycamore" leanto, which was nice, but we woke up to the sound of traffic on the main road. You don't have to camp at Emerald Lake State Park - you can just go for the day to use the day-use area, which is what we have been doing for years. The lake is named after it's emerald green water. We like to swim here, kayak, rent a row boat, etc. If you bring your own kayaks, there is a spot where you can put in near the parking lot so that you don't have to carry your kayak down to the beach. There is only non-motorized boating on the lake, which makes it peaceful for swimming, stand-up-paddleboards, and so on. There is a small beach, which is nice for playing and swimming. We usually find crayfish, fish, snails, newts, etc. The lakefront has bathrooms, and concessions during the summer months (closed in September when we were there). A nice place to enjoy a day at the lake!

    Beautiful hemlock forests
    Matt P.

    This is the most beautiful and scenic location ive been to in Vermont. Pictures are required, lol, its really that beautiful, especially coming here in the fall, where the leaves change and they blend with the green conifers. The water is crystal clear and theres a ton of fish! There is a little beach with sand, a perfect day to spend. There is a beautiful trail all around the lake. There is also a camping ground up in the mountains! Its a memorable experience!

    View of the little island from the beach

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    10 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    7 months ago

    One of the best campgrounds going, this place is well kept. The restrooms are constantly monitored and clean.Really enjoy coming here

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    Ask the Community - Emerald Lake State Park

    Review Highlights - Emerald Lake State Park

    There is a small beach, which is nice for playing and swimming.

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    Camping On the Battenkill - Our spacious seasonal site in this perfect campground!

    Camping On the Battenkill

    4.6(14 reviews)
    15.5 mi

    Me and my boyfriend loved spending our 1 year anniversary here! We stayed 3 nights and had a blast…read moreeveryday. The property manager Janet and the front desk attendant Candace were extremely accommodating. Brenda, who wears many hats, was a pleasure to bump into and does deliveries of firewood and/or yard games. Our dogs loved all the trails and the huge dog park on the property. My boyfriend and I are avid fly fishing enthusiasts, we found great access to the Battenkill on the trails and saw some sites along the water. Additionally this camp ground is a quick 10 minute drive from the Orvis Flagship Store. We met many seasonal campers who only had great things to say about the staff. The property is pretty big but it was nice how there always seemed to be a bathroom a short distance away. Overall, we were just so impressed with not only how beautiful this campground is, but also with the amazing customer service. This is a great place to visit or stay awhile.

    Camping on the Battenkill is truly a gem in the Green Mountains. Excellent location and quiet…read morecampground with Battenkill swimming and world-class trout fishing. It features, wooded, sunny and on the river sites. WES is available at some sites and WE at others (nearest the river) as well as tent sites. All these sites are very roomy/private, with pull-thrus available and back-ins. There are two newly renovated ,immaculate bathrooms. A lovely well-maintained grassy play area and great dog area for play/exercising. The camp office/store has also been all redone and has a great mix of items/supplies. There are washers/dryers on the grounds as well as firewood and ice available to purchase. We are very happy seasonal campers. It is under new ownership and the new manager is just spectacular,Janet will go out of her way to be extra helpful and accommodating and friendly as well as hands on. Our site has S/W/E with cable and wifi, and is nicely shaded-25b. We are here May 1-Oct12, and sad to leave every year and anxious to return every spring! This is truly a lovely and pretty park. We camped at Camping on the Battenkill in a Fifth Wheel.

    Photos
    Camping On the Battenkill - Swimming hole

    Swimming hole

    Camping On the Battenkill - Camp site right off the water

    Camp site right off the water

    Camping On the Battenkill - River in October.

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    River in October.

    Coolidge State Park - Coolidge Center

    Coolidge State Park

    4.7(10 reviews)
    24.1 mi

    The nicest state campground I've ever stayed in. Incredible views carved out if the trees at most…read moresites. The lean to was heaven send for tent camping. Very large shelter with room for tent and all your gear underneath out of weather

    When we go camping, we like to escape from everything. We have been to a lot of campgrounds where…read morethe campsites are packed in and the park is crowded. Coolidge is nice and quiet, and if you reserve a prime leanto, you'll be rewarded with gorgeous views out over the mountain too. This park is located near Ludlow, VT - we always stop at Tacos Tacos and also the Green Mountain Sugar House (for maple creemees). The park is located up a steep road, and you check in at the ranger station. We usually rent a prime leanto (plan on booking far ahead of time), but we have also stayed at a regular campsite too. The prime leantos are nice, because they have nice privacy and a gorgeous view. The leantos are great in case of inclement weather. Bathrooms are about typical for a VT state park. The usual bathrooms, sinks, and showers. Sometimes these are a walk from the campsite, so plan accordingly if you have kids. There isn't a whole lot to do within the park, other than hiking (which is nice). There is a small playground and nature center on site. If you want to go to a beach, you can use Camp Plymouth State Park free with your car hang tag from Coolidge. I believe it takes just over 10 minutes to get to Camp Plymouth, so it isn't far. We love how nice this park is and how quiet it is, plus it is beautiful and you can enjoy nice hiking trails.

    Photos
    Coolidge State Park - Near the Park

    Near the Park

    Coolidge State Park - Coolidge Center

    Coolidge Center

    Coolidge State Park - Stunning view from campsite

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    Stunning view from campsite

    Townshend State Park Campground - Scott Bridge

    Townshend State Park Campground

    4.5(2 reviews)
    23.0 mi

    A wonderful and small campground. Pat and Gary, the park rangers, are extremely friendly and…read morehelpful. Sites are privates and well maintained with a variety of tent sites, platform sites and lean-ons. Clean bathrooms and coin operated showers. Large grassy area for the kids to play. Basketball hoops and a variety of balls available to borrow. Saturday night, Gary pulls out his guitar and invites everyone to join in for an hour of music and signing. The most important reason we go back! Pat and Gary are full of ideas and suggestions about the area. We simply fell in love with it all!

    We really enjoyed a five night stay at this state park campground in late August…read more We had a good sized group and rented three camp sites: one with a lean to shelter, and two adjacent tent sites. The spacious sites were very nice, and the maintenance at this campground is excellent. The park employees take really good care of this place. The facilities are minimal, but there is running water and the toilets flush. The upper bathhouse (where the one shower stall is) is larger and more comfortable to use than the beautiful (but cramped) stone building attached to the Ranger Station. We found plenty to do in the local area, but we enjoy nature and outdoor pursuits. There is one cafe in the vicinity, but we drove around like nitwits in every possible direction to find it. (None of us had any cell phone coverage in the area, except after the hike up to the top of the mountain!)

    Photos
    Townshend State Park Campground
    Townshend State Park Campground - Little newt friend: we named him Zeus

    Little newt friend: we named him Zeus

    Townshend State Park Campground

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    Somerset Reservoir

    Somerset Reservoir

    5.0(2 reviews)
    21.7 mi

    Stumbled upon the Somerset Reservoir while we were out one day driving around the area; a couple of…read moreour friends were headed there to take their dog for a swim, so we decided to meet them. It is VERY much off the beaten path and once you turn on Somerset Rd., it's a good 3 or 4 mile drive to get to the general parking, picnic area near the water. Oh yeah, the road isn't paved either so it's best to have a 4x4 or some sort of vehicle with tires that can handle the trek. The general parking area is a decent size, there are a few picnic tables and a port-a-potty which was surprisingly clean. The reservoir itself is huge and great for kayaking or canoeing, neither of which we did, but I did see quite a few people there enjoying themselves on the water. There is one general walking direction which takes you to several different hiking paths and there is even a cute little bridge overlooking a beautiful stream. It had rained that morning and with leaves falling, the trails were a little slippery at points, but nothing that made me feel unsafe. I'd definitely recommend wearing sneakers or hiking boots of some kind. Between the group of us, we had 3 dogs and none of them were on a leash; people really didn't seem to care and everyone was friendly. The dogs enjoyed swimming in the water and I enjoyed looking at it. I'd most definitely go back to Somerset Reservoir with a camera and a light lunch to kick back and enjoy the beautiful scenery.

    Camped here haha lol at the airfeild, it was just so good. FOOD WAS GREAT. Those burgers and and…read morepattys were out of this world, they were cooked good. Such a good place for my family. I have a good palette so I love good food lol

    Emerald Lake State Park - campgrounds - Updated May 2026

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