We came for a one night camping trip and had a wonderful time! We arrived at 7:40, thinking there would be staff around until 10 and we timed it just right because the staff member was leaving at 7:45! I believe you can check in without a staff member present but it was helpful to ask a few questions since it was our first time there. It would be helpful if our pre reservation details told us when the check in station would be staffed so you don't miss the window if you can avoid it! Check in was easy and navigating the camp sites is very easy, even in the dark. We stayed at one of the hike in sites and it was a great time. We were able to find plenty of sticks to make a fire without bringing any of our own wood in. I love that the sites are pet friendly! One group came in after us and was at the site next to us, which was a little louder than we'd hoped. Some sites are nicely placed with a hill obscuring the adjacent sites but this one we could clearly see each other - perhaps due to the leaves falling off the trees. Highly recommend doing the rest of the loop back to the car along the lake, it is so beautiful and mossy! We will be back! read more

George Washington Memorial Camping Area - Path along the lake to parking - Campgrounds Near Me - Chepachet, Rhode Island

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Where are the people running this place??? I normally come here once a year and it's gradually gotten worse each time. This weekend was the final straw for me. You're not allowed to bring a single beer in but the entire place is Cheech&Chong movie. I literally gagged on weed smoke the entire weekend. People walking around the beach, around kids, smoking. Aggressive dogs barking at everyone. The site across from me had 4 vehicles and six tents. They didn't even fit in the site, they were literally back in the woods. It was beyond loud. No one around and no one said anything. Some idiot was flying a drone with a camera over my site. I'm done with this place. It's gone downhill and no one cares what goes on. No enforcement for noise after quiet hours. read more

Camped out here for two nights after reading about this place in the "Best Tent Camping: New England" book. It's better than the other campgrounds in Rhode Island that I looked at (Burlingame, Fort Getty) but isn't my favorite campground. If you're not a Rhode Island resident the fee for most sites is $36/night. Is it worth it? Eh, probably not unless you're really jonesing to camp for a weekend in the Ocean State. It does have some great things going for it, namely the hiking trails and views of the lake. There are some tent-only sites which are numbered T1-T5. I stayed in T5 and it was the best of the bunch because it had the most privacy and space, including a grassy area. The other sites were fairly small and if you go to any other sites you run the risk of having an RV next to you. The A1-A7 sites are remote and hike in, but you're going to have to hike either 0.4 or 0.6 miles through some rugged terrain. The next best group of sites would be 19-24 which are on their own small loop near the lake. The things I didn't like were the streetlights over the port-a-potties that shine all night. There is a manned gate where you check in and you have to get let into the campground during the day, but at night the gates are wide open and it seems like some people know this because there are a few oddballs around in the early morning. There is swimming at the lake but it looked way too dirty. Overall the place was managed very well, the sites were cleanish and the grounds were taken care of. The employees drove by at least once an hour, I thought they were collecting trash from dumpsters but the only place with a dumpster is near the entrance. I couldn't figure out why they kept driving by so often. I had a good time, it was relaxing and scratched the camping itch. read more

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As always, we give G Wash a try at least once a year. As always, the grounds are clean and nicely kept, but if the RV next site over wants to run their generator after hours until 2 am, although it's against the rules, you'll just have to deal with it because there's nobody available to enforce the policy. read more

Favorite state park for camping, hiking, kayaking & just being in nature. There's a new loop with a new shelter & more sites. New bathhouse with showers, awesome! There's a cabin near the boat launch that can be rented. Campsites are nice size with lots of vegetation between sites, some privacy. Can't beat the price for camping, too. There's no camp store, stores in Chepachet. Along 44 you'll see firewood stands. Can't buy wood in the park. Campground is usually pretty quiet & people are pretty respectful of noise curfews. Always gave a good time camping here. The rangers are college kids and patrol pretty frequently. Campground is open until Halloween & reservations go through Reserve America. Don't forget your kayak! read more

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Been staying here for 8 years and have always recommended this place over private campgrounds in the area but after my most recent stay I don't think I'll be back. Not sure if the campground has changed ownership or what but I've never been told at the booth that I had to wait till exactly 1pm to check in. I'm talking on the dot 1pm. I was turned away because I was 10 minutes early and the people that continued to show up were told the same, one customer being told "you still got 5 mins". Not to mention the park was empty, 90% of the sites were vacant. The two ladies in the office would rather create a line to check in, have cars backed up the road, just because they have the smallest amount of power that they want to use. Next was the condition of the site, old food, raw sausages half a dozen egg shells all just at the woods edge. Like the crew just used a blower to blow everything off the site and into the woods. There was even half an onion at the top of the site. That was the first thing you saw before parking. The bathrooms were atrocious, I mean the worst I've ever seen and that includes pit toilets in other parks. None of the toilets in the ladies flushed, and no one did anything about that our entire stay. Filled with shit, bloody tissues and toilet paper. They were UNUSABLE. The mens had busted soap dispensers and a couple having sex in the shower while smoking cigarettes. The staff is young, which explains the condition of the bathrooms and porta potties around the park. I don't care who smokes weed but having the staff standing infront of the bathrooms at 8am passing a joint around doesn't look great when the bathrooms looked the way they did. All this on top of the multiple dirt bikes that were allowed to blast through the sites, the park trucks that just speed aimlessly back and forth and the people who clearly live here shining their cars head lights at 4am to do whatever they were doing... probably my last trip here. You guys charge up the ass for dogs and "reservation fees" that my 3 nights at $18 a night turned into $116 really quick and just doesn't offer anything for that price. Maybe it's true what I've heard for 40 years of camping, that RI just doesn't have anything to offer and that's why people go to NH or CT. read more

The Walkabout Trail is awesome! I love that it's rocky and the terrain differs all way through. You can also do the blue 2 mile hike with kids- EASY. They give you 3 different options- orange, red or blue. I think it's 2, 6 or 8 miles. They have cute bridges and awesome rock formations. If you're bringing a child- bug spray, sun screen, water & snacks are a must. My son is a trooper and he had zero issues. Toward the end of the two miles he started getting tired but that's to be expected. If you're not camping here it costs $4 to hike the trails for the day. You're also welcome to jump in the lake after your hike! Definitely one of the best trails to hike with a kid! Loved the scenery too! read more

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We have camped at George Washington a few times - once in a torrential downpour that gave me complete and utter faith in all tent products made by Big Agnes (but I digress)... The sites are all primitive, but sometimes it is really GREAT to be off the grid and in the woods. If you want to be in touch with nature, and not have loud and rowdy nights - this is the perfect place for you [and your family]. The park rangers do enforce noise - and it's fires out and no music after 11 pm. Responding to other people's reviews: 1. Personally, we liked the lake - we swam in it a lot. Maybe it depends upon which time of year you go. We were there Labor Day weekend, and the lifeguards or RIDEM folks cleared the lake of muck and debris in the swim area. Must like frogs, though. 2. Fire pits: as part of my camping gear, I own a portable, folding, light weight grill rack to put open fire pits. I am surprised that folks are so surprised that the park has no grill racks built in. For less than $16 you can own this: http://coleman.com/product/deluxe-camp-grill/2000007836 there are other sturdier and more expensive kinds - I just like this one because it folds up and can get stored in any of my gear bags easily. 3. Bathrooms: The portajohns are serviced by United, and the RIDEM staff checks on them to make sure they are not horrific. They are not awesome, but they don't completely suck. I don't know why guys miss the urinal - which makes a mess on the floor - which makes me think that folks are not following the no alcohol rule... but, it is what it is.... If you stay near the RIDEM offices / gate on a holiday weekend - that first portajohn gets a LOT of use - so book farther into the park if you can. Bathrooms are the only reason why this park gets four and not five stars. 4. Rocks. Okay - it's a primitve campsite near a glacial lake. If you understand geology at all, you are going to have rocks at any park near these types of lakes. I'm getting older, and while I can't completely give in to camping with a huge air mattress (I'm talking about the deluxe 2' air mattress, not a 1" air mattress), I DO sleep on a cot now. I find that if I'm in a tent - the cot is the only way to go. Nowdays, cots don't have a cross beam in the center killing your back. What I like about GW park is that folks who come here all like the idea of being in the woods. If you are looking for the party atmosphere that happens at Burlingame - look elsewhere - this is not the place for you. read more

George Washington Park is a hidden gem in RI. The camping is primitive, which means no electric, water or sewer hookups. However, there are water spigots throughout the campground and plenty of outhouses (kept clean by staff). We loved camping there in our popup and plan to take our larger trailer there soon! The sites range from huge to standard size, some are fine for RV's and others are better for tenters (more difficult access). Advance reservations can be made through the website (gives you a map to help). If you're local, it would be ideal to go check it out so you have an idea of which site will work for you. The park sits on the shore of Bowdish Reservoir and there is a small beach to cool off. Not a beach that rates a special trip, but picturesque and adequate. Also a boat ramp. One small star off for not having a dump station. That is a basic service that should be available, especially when no sewer hookups are provided. read more

I love the 8 mile hiking loop at George Washington. But my first time camping there didn't leave me aching for more. We reserved a tent site - a 10-15 minute walk packing everything, including water, in. We chose this site because we wanted to "get away" and not have the noise and crowds of the drive in sites. On our way, we passed a gigantic humming cell phone tower. As soon we we got over a little hill, we brilliantly heard the traffic of the nearest large road. For me these distractions defeated the purpose of hiking in all our our gear for a relaxing weekend getaway. Other gripes: No recycling. No trash bins anywhere on the beach/public areas. Whistle happy life guards. Crowds. Likes: Great value. Small lake was nice for kayaking and swimming. Good for kids. read more

Overall we had a decent time but the hike to the Angel Loop campsites is not described well on the website or by the rangers at check in. The hike to the site is uphill and pretty difficult. We were not given the proper information prior to coming. If we had we would have packed much differently. read more

One of my favorite places to hike in Rhody. The trail mileage is a little less that'll what is on the sign but with a few detours along the way it will added up. $2 a day to hike and well worth it! read more

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Small and rural but I pove it for a night or two! Site 25 is very wooded and secluded (awesome site) the girls at check in have always been friendly. Construction going on and the place will be better than ever read more

George Washington Memorial Camping Area - Campgrounds Near Me - Chepachet, Rhode Island

This is a really cool area to go and hang out for a while. We decided to take the kids on a hike. We had our little one, couple months old that we carried in the woven wrap, our older boys, and other family members with us. We had wanted to go on the 6 mile trail, but accidentally took a wrong turn goofing around and ended up going the entire way. All of it was fairly easy until the last bit, which got a little challenging for the boys, having to navigate the water, rocks, logs, etc. If you have younger kids you are better off sticking with the 6 mile. As soon as the sun started to go down, the bugs were insane but that's a given for being in the woods. We did not do any camping but we did pass by some of the little camping houses and they look awesome! We are definitely planning a camping trip here soon. read more

We chose to camp on Angel loop which is a rugged, very hilly, 3/4 mile hike-in site. The sites here are semi private (visible from the hiking trail but there is very little 'traffic' other than nearby campers)you do hear some noise from the highway.Angel loop has very clean compost toliets.. Lake is great for canoes and kayaks. Beach is small and not very deep but very refreshing after a long hike. There are four hiking trails: 1, 2, 6 and 8 miles. Numerous outhouses in other camping areas. Lots of kids and families around the drive in site read more

Beautiful sites. Low prices, friendly staff(: would recommend. Their were only outhouses, but construction was underway on showers and bathrooms while we were there. read more

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Good place to camp. Been going there for years but what bothers me and why I give it a 3 stars it's because this year they don't fly the AMERICAN FLAG..just saying... read more

First off, I need to say that most of the area is really beautiful. We reserved a spot on Angel Loop, in which you have to hike about a 1/2 mile to your site. The entire reasoning behind this was to be in the woods, quiet from other campers, etc. Honestly, it was kind of the opposite. I wish we had just camped in the main camping area. The campsite we were at was small, but nice (had a wood platform for the tent, which I know it said online but I didn't realize how hard it would be...bring a sleeping pad!!!!). The traffic sounds were so loud that they kept us awake..I mean, we might as well have been sleeping next to the light. I have actually camped under the Triboro Bridge in NYC and this was louder than that!!! We couldn't believe it. I woke up at 1:30 and there was a party going on with loud music. Not sure if it was another camp. For all I know, it may have been a bar or something right next to the camp. There was definitely a main road right next to it. We woke up at around 4:50a.m. and left immediately. I will definitely come back to the site to hike soon and would even consider camping in the general camping area, but do not waste your time with the Angel Loop. If seclusion is what you are looking for, you are wasting your time! On a positive note, the bathrooms are lovely. I do wish that there was firewood for sale somewhere. Maybe there was, but I couldn't find it. We ended up foraging for wood around the site. read more

Sites are huge. Price is excellent but I can't get over the fact that the lake is SOO gross. I mean u can't fish bc all u get is weeds and the swimming area only goes up to your waist & is full of weeds. The reason I go camping is to fish and swim. Until they do something about the water I won't go back. Hope they use some of that grant $$ for the lake. read more

Awesome retreat from the real world, and SO affordable. Easy to book online, unlike a lot of private campgrounds we were looking at. Very quiet, beautiful, and low-key. No electric or sewer (no showers, and only porta-jons), but it's great to be able to get away without having to drive to NH or Maine. We will be back. read more

George Washington Park is an awesome place to camp. I ended up finding this camp ground on Trails.com and was intersted in going. We stayed on the campsite over night and found out that we will be returning again this summer. All the camp sites are well spaced so your not bordering anyone. Each site is fairly big. They all have the fire pit but only thing it doesnt come with is the fire grate. you make early reservations on line pretty cheap to. The outhouses were surprisininly clean and the water spigots work well. along with this campground there is a lake and 3 hiking trails. The lake water was a little dissapointing. There was duck poo everywere along with green moss along the water line. We didnt go swimming here. The hiking trails were pretty good. They have a choice between 2 miles, 6 miles and 8 miles all makred with spary paint along the trail. We did the 8 mile hike and it took us about 4 1/2 hours. The trails was moderate, lots of woods and rocks to step over and through. Theres lots of streams and a marsh you have to get through. Enough hills within the trail to wear you out. Overall this is great place to camp and we cant wait to come back. read more

The best thing I can say about this campsite is that it's not too far from home. The camping areas were full of rocks (hard on bare feet), the fire pit offered no way to cook food over the fire (you have to get creative or eat cold cuts). The Outhouse and I do mean OUThouse was disgusting, rarely emptied and poorly managed, I'd rather use the nearest bush. The rules and guidlines that the park has are WAY over the top. You go to have fun with friends and family not to be lectured by the rangers for parking or noise or whatever else "they" felt was an issue at the time. Horrible experience overall. Would not offer this site to my worst enemy. read more

Decided last minute to drive up from Jersey to go to WaterFire in Providence and was looking for a campground to stay at nearby for the night instead of paying insane prices for a hotel. This park popped up on the map and I decided to reserve online. I called the park office first to ask about the campsites and the girl informed me that I could not book for one night and the minimum was three and that ReserveAmerica was not updated with their new policy. She also said that if I booked one and showed up I would be charged for an additional two nights. I sat there stunned. This was absolutely absurd, mind you it's not even peak season yet. I hung up after hearing this and started to look elsewhere. Not satisfied with this, my boyfriend decided to call again since it was now too late to book online and this time they said just walk in anytime before 11:30pm and you can reserve a site for the night. I was quite irritated that I was told no and he was told yes but happy we were able to get a spot in the end. Here's where they managed to salvage some stars: great customer service upon arrival (they let us drive around before choosing a site), quiet area for the most part, and decent sites that aren't on top of each other. We wound up choosing a site on the new loop but didn't realize that you are right next to the road so that's what you hear all night long. Next time I'd go with one of the newer tent sites T1-T5. They are back further from the road and have platforms. The new bathroom was not open and only porta pottys were available. They also don't sell firewood but some locals do down the street if you need it. Overall decent place to camp within 1/2 hour from Providence but beware during peak season that it's a 3 night minimum! read more

I love affordable camping and the state camps usually fit the bill. This place is a great close get away spot with decent primitive sites. It offers some great hiking and pond activities ( fishing canoeing yakin swimming ) They only offer porta-potties for rest rooms but they were very well maintained and clean. It's a shame that is place doesn't have a basic playground or shower house. read more

I love this camping area. The staff here is so nice, and it is very clean and a safe place for the kids. The bathrooms are a little dirty but for a regular portapottey it is good. The only thing that bothered me is this one girl that works there. She was always just sitting around doing nothing while her other staffmates were working. But overall it is a nice place to stay. Recommend it highly. read more

I had originally reserved a tent site on the Angell Trail, but after reading the reviews that the sites butted directly up against Rt. 44, I decided to drive in and stay in the main campsite. I was able to change my reservation without any hassle and the ranger I spoke with recommended a site on the New Loop and I ended up in site #46. Almost all of the sites in the campground are well spaced, though there are a few that would be better suited to a group that wants to be next to each other. All the sites had a picnic table and fire ring. The site I stayed in was graded flat with a thin layer of gravel - definitely bring at least a sleeping pad! The main shower & flush toilet building is brand new and a welcome addition after a few rainy days. There are porta potties throughout the grounds and they are lit by solar powered streetlights at night (my site was right next to the latrines and the light was a little annoying, but not terrible). There were lots of families staying, but it was a very quiet place. I've stayed at Burlingame before and sometimes it can be an all-night party. This is definitely a quiet, woodland campground. Overall, I enjoyed my stay and would go back. read more

I love this camp ground i have so many fond memories of going there as a child and as a adult i cant wait to have kids and take them there also. there are alot of amazing trails a beautiful lake and lots of memories to be made read more

Not real camping- more like a DIY hotel. For the price you pay, not worth it. Camping spots are too close together. Noise is an issue. Selective enforcement of the rules. No trash service, so you must bring everything in and out with you... restroom was appalling. Would go right down the street to CT, much better... read more

Been living in RI 56 years and this my firt time camping at GW. I have hiked, biked and swam here plenty but never camped. It's really a nice compact camp ground that is easy to get around and safe for the kids to ride bikesetc. Only reason for only 4 stars is no showers. Been all over new england paying about the same fees and as usual little rhody is behind the times. Other than that i have already signed up for a weekend in Sept. One of the best parts of being local is you pay for three days show up early Friday and hang out till late afternoon w plenty of time to get back home for supper:) read more

I have not stepped foot on a Rhode Island State Park, but have been trying to plan a camping trip for August since May. After we were booked at the wrong campground which we were told is near the beach and wasn't and without showers or flush toilets as we were assured were there, we were told we would be charged $40 to transfer our reservation to the proper campground. After multiple calls back and lots of frustration we had to pay the fee even though being booked at the wrong campground was not our fault. My camping trip in August will be my first and last trip to RI State Parks read more