I’m busy getting all my camping gear together for a short trip (link to the trip map) to Camp Skyland, a day or two. We will also stop at one of my favorite places, any of the camp sites in the North section of the Green Mountains, probably Chittenden Brook.
If your going, see you there!
Here is a little known fact about FREE camping in the Green Mountain National Forest:
General Forest Camping:
There are many general forest areas available on the Green Mountain National Forest for rustic or dispersed camping. Visitors can camp anywhere on the forest unless the area is posted closed to camping, while staying the recommended 200 feet from roads, trails, and bodies of water to disperse impact. These areas provide a place to camp and enjoy nature’s solitude at no charge. There is a camping limit of 14-days in a 30-day period on the Forest. Camp in existing sites, and do not cut any vegetation. Please leave the campsites clean by using Leave No Trace Principles, such as carry out what you carry in.
North Half of the Green Mountain National Forest:
Austin Brook Road: There are three easily accessible campsites by Austin Brook on Forest Road 25 in Warren. They are all within 0.25 mile of State Route 100.
Bingo: Forest Road 42 in Rochester runs alongside a mountain stream; camping is allowed at designated sites only. These 10 campsites are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a limit of 10 people per site. Check the Bingo Brook bulletin board for designated site locations and other site limitations.
Downingville: There is one secluded site in a small clearing near a mountain stream on Forest Road 291 in Lincoln.
Fay’s Meadow: There are a few sites in an open meadow in Forest Dale. Please do not drive on the meadow because a farmer mows the hay from it. There is a stream for wading and fishing at the north end of the meadow.
Goshen Brook Road: There are a few campsites in and around an open area just beyond the turnaround at the very end of Forest Road 67 in Ripton.
Kettle Brook: A small meadow site at the end of Furnace Brook Road in Pittsford.
Michigan Brook Road: Forest Road 35 in Pittsfield provides many camping opportunities in the woods and along Michigan Brook. The road is not recommended for low clearance vehicles.
New Haven River: There are a few campsites next to the New Haven River at Emily Proctor and Cooley Glen trailhead, on Forest Road 201 in Lincoln.
Romance Header: A large meadow campsite at the end of Forest Road 224 in Forest Dale. A stream lies to the southeast of the meadow.
Sparks Landing: There is one site in a small meadow on Forest Road 233 in Lincoln. There is good fishing in Sparks Brook, which lies just south of the meadow.
Steam Mill Clearing: There is a large open field on both sides of Forest Road 59 at the Skylight Pond Trailhead in Ripton.
Texas Gap: These old fields and side roads on Forest Road 39 in Hancock offer many camping opportunities.
White River & Gulf Brook Roads: Secluded camping, open fields, and beautiful views are offered from the abundance of primitive campsites found along Forest Roads 55 & 101 in Granville.
South Half of the Green Mountain National Forest:
Forest Road 71: This forest road stretches from the old Somerset airfield to the Kelley Stand Road. Campsites can be found in various spots along the way, and along some of the forest roads leading off of Forest Road 71.
Forest Road 74: This forest road is a little less remote than other roadside camping opportunities. Off Route 9, it dead-ends a couple miles in. Campsites are found unevenly spaced along the way.
Kelley Stand Road: Connects the towns of Arlington to West Wardsboro, traveling along an unpaved forest road. Numerous camping opportunities exist along the roadside near Roaring Branch River.
Old Job: Off Forest Road 30 there are a few camping opportunities; an open area along FR 30, and both an open field area and a site near Lake Brook at the end of FR 30.
Other Resources:
. Backpacking-Recreation Opportunity Guide
. Outdoor Safety-Recreation Opportunity Guide
. Leave No Trace-Recreation Opportunity Guide
Forest Road 71 is near Stratton Mountain and the Long Trail, along the Stratton-Arlington Road where Grout Pond is, and a very beautiful place on Earth!