Free camping near Bristol, VT
Within 25 straight-line miles of Bristol, VT there are 27 camps: 19 free, 7 fee, 1 unpriced. The closest is Battell Shelter, 7.9 miles east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Battell Shelter, 7.9 miles out. 2 of them are camps Dave has slept at. Today's season read covers 4 of them: 4 open, 0 closed, 0 worth a call. The circle crosses a state line: NY and VT.
Who manages them: 14 on the Forest Service; 4 on Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation (shelters supervised by the Green Mountain Club May-October); 4 on New York DEC; 5 spread across 2 other managers.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battell Shelter | 7.9 | Free | Cota Brook (stream) | 2.7 mi to Downingville | — |
| Addison CountyDave slept here | 9.6 | Free | Blue Bank Brook (stream) | 2.3 mi to South Lincoln | — |
| Birch Glen Camp | 11 | Fee | — | 1.9 mi to Hanksville | — |
| Cooley Glen Shelter | 11 | Free | Austin Brook (stream) | 3.3 mi to South Lincoln | — |
| Sparks Landing Primitive Campsite | 11 | Free | — | — | — |
| Cowie's Cove Shelter | 12 | Fee | Deer Brook (stream) | 2.8 mi to Hanksville | — |
| Emily Proctor Shelter & Tent Area | 12 | Free | Skylight Pond (water) | 4.4 mi to Granville | — |
| Skyline Lodge & Tent Area | 13 | Free | Skylight Pond (water) | 3.6 mi to Bread Loaf | — |
| Boyce Shelter | 14 | Free | Brandy Brook (stream) | 2.4 mi to Bread Loaf | — |
| Addison CountyDave slept here | 14 | Free | Alder Meadow Brook (stream) | 1.8 mi to Granville | — |
| Pallisades Campsite [DEC #4468] (Split Rock Wild Forest) | 15 | Free | — | 4.4 mi to Westport | Open |
| Barn Rock Campsite [DEC #4466] (Split Rock Wild Forest) | 15 | Free | — | 2.9 mi to Rock Landing | Open |
| Snake Den Harbor Campsite [DEC #4469] (Split Rock Wild Forest) | 15 | Free | — | 3.0 mi to Rock Landing | Open |
| Barn Rock Bay Campsite [DEC #4467] (Split Rock Wild Forest) | 15 | Free | — | 3.0 mi to Rock Landing | Open |
| Montclair Glen Lodge | 15 | Fee | Brush Brook (stream) | 3.5 mi to Dowsville | — |
| Moosalamoo | 15 | Fee | — | 5.4 mi to East Middlebury | — |
| Roxbury State Forest primitive camping area 4 | 16 | Free | — | 2.3 mi to Alpine Village | — |
| Falls of Lana picnic area | 16 | Unpriced | Sucker Brook Reservoir (water) | 1.3 mi to Lake Dunmore | — |
| Silver Lake Campground | 17 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to East Middlebury | — |
| Sucker Brook Shelter | 18 | Free | Gould Brook (stream) | 4.0 mi to Goshen | — |
| Roxbury State Forest primitive camping area 2 | 18 | Free | Third Branch White River (river) | 1.7 mi to Roxbury | — |
| Bamforth Ridge Shelter | 19 | Fee | Gleason Brook (stream) | 1.7 mi to North Duxbury | — |
| Bingo Brook | 20 | Free | Bingo Brook (stream) | 2.3 mi to Robinson | — |
| Roxbury State Forest primitive camping area 3 | 20 | Free | Bull Run (stream) | 2.5 mi to East Roxbury | — |
| Roxbury State Forest primitive camping area 1 | 20 | Free | Bull Run (stream) | 2.3 mi to West Brookfield | — |
| Sunrise Shelter | 23 | Free | Bear Brook (stream) | 4.2 mi to Goshen | — |
| Chittenden Brook | 23 | Fee | — | 6.2 mi to Rochester | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Bristol, VT, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.