Adirondacks and Vermont in late June

[ekirkland]

My wife and I are planning a trip to New England and New York in June/July. All of our arrangements have been made except for the beginning of the trip which will include the Adirondack/Lake Champlain region of NY and then Vermont. We've allocated 6 days for these areas. I'm trying to decide on what general area to camp and for what duration. We definitely want to take in the Lake Placid/Saranac areas, Lake Champlain and islands, northern Vermont (probably Stowe area). I tentatively want to camp 2 days each at Lake Placid area, Lake Champlain (either NY or VT side), and Stowe area; but may be too much changing campsites and loss of time moving. Or spend 3 days in each of two locations. Please help me decide. A lot will depend on travel times; and I have no idea as to local traffic/road conditions. You may also give me "must-see" sites. We like sight-seeing, light hiking, flatwater kayaking (we will bring our kayaks). Thanks in advance.

[Trixie47]

We will be going to upstate New York in July...We intend to go to Ausable Chasm...the Grand Canyon of the east !! Beautiful waterfalls and walking trails around it....We also will be going to Wild Walk in Tupper Lake, NY...they have elevated walkways at the top of the trees !! Look em up..you might enjoy some of them. We stayed at Sugar Ridge RV Resort in St. Johnsbury, VT, which not far from the New Hampshire state line. Then in New Hampshire we plan on the Cog Railway to the top of Mt. Washington..Just some things to think about !! Have fun, enjoy and stay safe !!

[GeoBoy]

Eddie, we stayed at Mountain View campgrounds in Morrisville, VT., it is close to Stowe, VT. If you like to bicycle, Stowe has a nice bike path. If you like to paddle Green River reservoir is a great place to paddle, it is a loon sanctuary, no motor boats allowed.

[All_I_could_aff]

I know you said most camping arrangements are already made, but I highly recommend Kampersville on Lake Dunmore in Vermont. Lots of activities including adult bingo, pot luck dinners,etc. also blueberry farms nearby that let you keep half of what you pick off their bushes free.

[ekirkland]

Ok, we have reservations at North Pole 100-acre Wood CG in Wilmington, NY for 3 nights. Now I need to fill in 3 nights in Vermont; thinking now maybe along Lake Champlain or east or south of Stowe; not much around Stowe in the way of CG's. This will be a 32 day trip through eastern NY, VT, NH, ME, MA, RI, CT and back home to Alabama.

[Adiabatman]

Beware the black flies that abound in the mountains until the 4th of July.

[mbopp]

I'll second the comments from twins89 & GeoBoy. For a full hookup campground we like North Pole Resorts and the 100 Acre Woods side. You can launch at the beach in Wilmington & paddle the Ausable river for a short distance, or travel & do part of the St Regis Canoe Area. There are numerous other places to paddle but you will have to drive to the put-ins.
Oh, it'll be black fly season. Depending on how bad they are I recommend bug repellent & maybe headnets.

[GeoBoy]

Eddie, when in the Lake Placid/Saranac Lake area stay at the North Pole Resort in the Hundred Acre sites. Just ask Jim or Kathy, owners of the campgrounds, for their recommendation. North Pole is clean, quiet and well run. There is a good ice cream stand, A&W restaurant and town park that has free concerts within walking distance.
The KOA nearby is in the woods and very dusty, don’t stay there.

[mdcamping]

ekirkland wrote:
We like sight-seeing, light hiking, flatwater kayaking (we will bring our kayaks). Thanks in advance.

In Grand Isle, VT check out Champlain Adult Campground

We took our Kayaks to this campground, owner gave us directions to scenic connecting rivers to lake Champlain that the locals use for kayaking. (was all flat water) Campground has a landscaped rock pier that overlooks the lake, take your lounge chairs and your favorite beverage and relax and enjoy the lake sunsets! campground is well maintained and landscaped.

Mike

[msb1766]

Stayed here:https://koa.com/campgrounds/lake-placid/
A few years ago nice campground.

[jplante4]

Near Apple Island but nicer - FHU, right at the Cumberland Head Ferry

Champlain Resort

View from our site.



If you like history, visit Ft. Ticonderoga, and a trip up Grand Is. to Ft Blunder.

[DrewE]

For the Lake Champlain and Islands area, Apple Island Resort in South Hero is a decently nice campground (with hookups etc). It has easy access to the lake for Kayaking etc.; whether that's flat water or not depends on the weather and on how far out you go. Lake Champlain can get pretty gnarly if you're out at the right (wrong) time. Another option might be the City of Burlington's North Beach campground, somewhat more removed from the islands but closer to more cultural sorts of things.

Lake Placid to South Hero is probably about two or two and a half hours if you take the ferry (take your pick of ferry), and maybe closer to three hours if you take a bridge, assuming you aren't rushing things.

A couple of things to see and do in the Lake Champlain area are the Shelburne Museum (a full day in itself), which has a rather eclectic collection of folk art sorts of things; and hiking or driving up and enjoying the views from Mt Philo (leave the trailer behind when driving up).

Do not take your trailer over VT 108 between Cambridge and Stowe (i.e. through Smuggler's Notch). It's a lovely road to drive, but not with a trailer or motorhome or other unusually large vehicle.

I might suggest considering camping in one of the state parks around Groton State Forest rather than in the Stowe area, as there is quite a network of fairly moderate hiking trails through the forest and it's generally a pretty area. As with all the Vermont state park campgrounds, there are no hookups, just dump stations and water fill stations and showerhouses. The state park campgrounds are nice but rustic, not carefully manicured.

[ekirkland]

We would prefer either FHU or W/E; although having neither is not a deal breaker if the CG is nice enough.

[CarryOn]

Lake Meacham Campground in the northern ADK is a great spot
to kayak and a beautiful lake.

https://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/24481.html

I don't think it has hookups if you need them.

Mike

[twins89]

Here is a link to some of the DEC campgrounds with pictures.

http://www.campadk.com/campsitephotos/selectcampground