Vermont Outdoor Guide: Campgrounds, Trails, Beaches & RV Spots
Key Takeaways
- Vermont ranked #1 in a 2025 “most outdoorsy states” study based on per-capita outdoor activity searches — this isn’t a sleeper pick, it’s a genuine destination
- Nearly all Vermont state park campgrounds are dry camping — no hookups — so RV families should plan around private parks or come self-contained
- Camel’s Hump has a trail for every skill level, from a universally accessible viewpoint to a real summit scramble, which makes it the single best hike to build a trip around
- Check cyanobacteria advisories before swimming in Lake Champlain’s developed bays in late summer — it’s a real, recurring issue
An Underrated Outdoor State, Officially
Vermont doesn’t always get mentioned alongside New Hampshire and Maine, but the data backs it up — Vermont topped a 2025 outdoorsy-states ranking based on per-capita searches for outdoor activities. The state parks here are genuinely well run, even if most of them skip the hookups.
Campgrounds
Little River State Park — Waterbury
One of the most popular parks in central Vermont, on an 850-acre reservoir with two shady beaches, boat rentals, and a genuinely well-loved nature center. Close to Stowe and Ben & Jerry’s, which makes it an easy sell to kids.
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Grand Isle State Park — Grand Isle (Lake Champlain)
117 tent/RV sites plus lean-tos on Lake Champlain, with hot showers and a sanitary station. A great island base if you want to explore the Champlain Islands rather than just pass through.
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Jamaica State Park — Jamaica
Very family-friendly — easy river access, a great playground, and a walkable village nearby for ice cream. Hike to Hamilton Falls or bike the West River Rail Trail from camp.
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Branbury State Park — Salisbury (Lake Dunmore)
An eastern-shore beach at the base of Mount Moosalamoo, with real swimming and open grassy space for kids to run around.
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Underhill State Park — Underhill
The springboard for hiking Mount Mansfield’s Sunset Ridge Trail. No drive-in RV sites — this one’s tent-focused, but a strong pick if hiking is the priority.
Learn moreHiking Trails
Camel’s Hump — Duxbury/Huntington
Vermont’s iconic double-humped peak, and genuinely the best hike to build a trip around because it has options for every skill level. The Burrows Trail is the classic, most popular route; the View Trail is a short, universally accessible 0.8-mile walk with three summit viewpoints — genuinely doable with small kids or grandparents.
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Stowe Pinnacle — Stowe
A roughly 3-mile intermediate hike to a rock summit with views of Mansfield, Camel’s Hump, and the Worcester Range.
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Sterling Pond — Smugglers’ Notch
A moderate 2.3-mile round trip to Vermont’s highest-elevation trout pond — a solid half-day hike that doesn’t demand too much from younger legs.
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Mount Philo — Charlotte
Short, easy, and family-friendly — you can even drive to the top if you’d rather skip the climb. A great first hike for a family new to Vermont’s trails.
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Texas Falls Nature Trail — Hancock
An easy loop past dramatic cascades — good for a shorter add-on to a bigger day.
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Quechee Gorge — Quechee
An easy walk to what locals call Vermont’s “Little Grand Canyon.” Big payoff for very little effort.
Learn moreLakes & Swimming Areas
Lake Champlain — Burlington region
The “sixth Great Lake” and the top family lake in the state for swimming, boating, and paddleboarding. North Beach in Burlington is the easiest sandy access point right in the city.
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Sand Bar State Park — Milton
Warm, shallow, sandy-bottom swimming at the south end of the Champlain Islands — genuinely one of the best spots for young children specifically.
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Waterbury Center State Park — Waterbury Center
Calm reservoir water, a wide beach, and lifeguards — a reliable family day-use park.
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Lake Elmore — Elmore State Park
A large sandy beach with pedal boats, kayaks, and canoes for rent, about 20 minutes from Stowe.
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Silver Lake State Park — Barnard
Clean water and lifeguards, consistently ranked among the state’s best swimming lakes.
Learn moreA real caveat: check Vermont’s current cyanobacteria reports before swimming in late summer, especially in the developed bays of Lake Champlain. It’s a recurring seasonal issue, not a rare one-off.
RV Spots
North Beach Campground — Burlington
One of the few public Vermont campgrounds with actual electric and water hookups, right on Lake Champlain. The standout exception to the state’s dry-camping norm.
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Grand Isle State Park — Grand Isle
No hookups, but a sanitary station and hot showers make it workable for a self-contained rig on Lake Champlain.
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Horseshoe Acres Campground — Andover
A private, family- and pet-friendly park with real hookups, mini golf, and a playground near Green Mountain National Forest.
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Little River State Park — Waterbury
Accommodates trailers and RVs with a dump station and hot showers, though no hookups — plan accordingly.
Learn moreNote: most Vermont state parks have narrow access roads and shorter site lengths. Verify your rig size before booking, and expect dry camping almost everywhere outside the private parks.
Planning Your Trip
Camel’s Hump should anchor your hiking plans no matter your family’s fitness level — the View Trail and the Burrows Trail cover completely different ability ranges without leaving the same mountain. For camping, Little River gets you swimming, hiking, and Stowe’s attractions all within a short drive. And if you need real RV hookups, don’t assume the state parks will have them — head to North Beach or a private park like Horseshoe Acres instead.