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KC8QVO 
Group: Members
Posts: 588
Joined: Mar. 2008
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Posted on: Feb. 13 2013, 10:24 pm |
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Can anyone point me in the right direction for some open camping areas around Killington, VT - preferably in the Green Mountain National Forest, or close?
It looks like the regular campgrounds are closed for the season.
We're not wanting to backpack much this round, just dry camper camping with a camp fire hopefully.
We're snowboarding at a few resorts around there and would like to find a place to camp other than a parking lot or hotel/lodge. The first night will be a parking lot camp as we'll get in very early in the morning, catch a few hours shut eye, and hit the slopes. Afterwards we will make our run to camp and hit the next resort the next day.
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Steve
KC8QVO.com
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| Post Number: 2
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vinovampire
Winter is Coming
Group: Members
Posts: 637
Joined: Dec. 2007
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Posted on: Feb. 13 2013, 11:03 pm |
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It sounds like your best bet would be Coolidge State Park, which is located in Plymouth, VT. It's about as close as you can get to Killington Resort. I've never stayed there, but for a quick check of their website, it seems that primitive winter camping if you get an OK in advance.
Let us know what you find and what works out. Good luck!
http://www.vtstateparks.com/pdfs/coolidge_winter_trails.pdf
"Off-season camping is available by pre-approval from
mid November to mid April at Coolidge and Gifford Woods
State Parks. Please visit http://www.vtstateparks.com/htm/
off_season_daycamp.htm for more information."
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| Post Number: 3
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Fox
proudly deviating from the norm
Group: Members
Posts: 5146
Joined: Jul. 2003
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Posted on: Feb. 14 2013, 7:16 am |
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Couple of things -
Coolidge has a helluva a climb in to it if you are pulling a trailer or attempting to get in the camping area when it is dry it's a bitch
the state parks in VT offer off season camping on a walk in basis
From their web page -
Here are some important things you need to know about off season camping in the parks:
Most campground access roads are either gated or not plowed, so you will likely have to walk to your site.
Please park only in a manner that allows access by others and please drive only on established roadways or parking areas.
There are no water supply, restroom or refuse removal services or facilities. Please carry in and carry out your own supplies, including all trash, garbage and human waste. Do your best to leave the area in as good or better condition than you found it .
Snow plowing arrangements vary by location. Be prepared to dig yourselves out in the event of inclement weather.
Have a plan. Public phones in parks are few and often out of service during the off season. Cell phone coverage is sporadic at best and absent entirely in some locations.
Campsite selection is on a first come-first served basis. You may have to select an alternate campsite if you find the one you’d hoped for already occupied.
Groups may need to obtain a special use permit from the state park regional office, and fees may be charged. Please allow 2-4 weeks for groups requests to be processed.
Park staff are only present sporadically during the off season. We invite you to be our “eyes and ears” by please reporting to us (parks@state.vt.us) after your visit if you notice or discover anything amiss or out of the ordinary (examples: vandalism, break-ins, inappropriate facility use, etc.)
Parks that permit off season camping:
Allis, Ascutney, Big Deer, Bomoseen, Branbury, Brighton, Burton Island, Button Bay, Camp Plymouth, Coolidge, DAR, Elmore, Emerald Lake, Fort Dummer, Gifford Woods, Grand Isle, Green River Reservoir, Half Moon, Jamaica, Kettle Pond, Knight Island, Lake Carmi, Lake Shaftsbury, Lake St. Catherine, Little River, Maidstone, Molly Stark, Mt. Philo, New Discovery, North Hero, Quechee, Ricker Pond, Silver Lake, Smugglers' Notch, Stillwater, Townshend, Underhill, Wilgus, Woodford, Woods Island
You might want to look at this site - http://www.campvermont.com/html/cgs/central/cg_central.htm
I see they list private campgrounds.
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| Post Number: 4
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KC8QVO
Group: Members
Posts: 588
Joined: Mar. 2008
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Posted on: Feb. 15 2013, 12:14 am |
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Thanks for the reply, Fox. No camper in tow - 4x4 truck with a camper top (not a camper, just the shell topper - just higher than the roof line of the cab). I have shovels, a full set of tire chains, wood to jam under the tires, and a come-along. We've buried a truck in 4' of snow on a similar adventure so I think I have this one covered. As for communications - I have that covered as well. A couple of us are Ham radio operators and I have a shortwave (HF) radio with me.
I talked to the reservation office for the cabins and cottages around and those are all closed, but they also did say that the parks are gated so we'd have to park outside and carry stuff in to the site. I don't know the area so they may not have been referring to all of the parks. In any event, I'm not liking that idea much. I'd rather just find a forest road and head out to a trail head and call it good for the night  The truck is doing the walking this trip.
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Steve
KC8QVO.com
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