Free camping near Chelsea, VT
Within 25 straight-line miles of Chelsea, VT there are 25 camps: 25 free. The closest is Washington State Forest primitive camping area, 4.9 miles north-east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Washington State Forest primitive camping area, 4.9 miles out. 2 of them are camps Dave has slept at. The circle crosses a state line: NH and VT.
Who manages them: 15 on the Forest Service; 10 on Vermont Dept. of Forests, Parks and Recreation.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington State Forest primitive camping area | 4.9 | Free | Cookeville Brook (stream) | 1.9 mi to South Washington | — |
| Roxbury State Forest primitive camping area 1 | 13 | Free | Bull Run (stream) | 2.3 mi to West Brookfield | — |
| Roxbury State Forest primitive camping area 3 | 13 | Free | Bull Run (stream) | 2.5 mi to East Roxbury | — |
| Groton State Forest primitive camping area | 14 | Free | Waits River (stream) | 4.2 mi to West Topsham | — |
| Roxbury State Forest primitive camping area 2 | 15 | Free | Third Branch White River (river) | 1.7 mi to Roxbury | — |
| L.R. Jones State Forest primitive camping area | 17 | Free | Great Brook (river) | 1.5 mi to Perkinsville | — |
| Roxbury State Forest primitive camping area 4 | 18 | Free | — | 2.3 mi to Alpine Village | — |
| Pine Mountain WMA primitive camping area 1 | 18 | Free | Keenan Brook (stream) | 2.0 mi to Groton | — |
| Pine Mountain WMA primitive camping area 2 | 19 | Free | — | 3.1 mi to Groton | — |
| Happy Hill Shelter | 19 | Free | Charles Brown Brook (stream) | 1.3 mi to Bragg | — |
| Thistle Hill Shelter | 21 | Free | Dimick Brook (stream) | 1.8 mi to North Pomfret | — |
| C.C. Putnam State Forest primitive camping area 1 | 21 | Free | Winooski River (river) | 1.0 mi to Montpelier Junction | — |
| Addison CountyDave slept here | 21 | Free | Alder Meadow Brook (stream) | 1.8 mi to Granville | — |
| Velvet Rocks Shelter | 22 | Free | — | 0.7 mi to Hanover | — |
| Trapper John Shelter | 22 | Free | Grant Brook (stream) | 1.2 mi to Lyme Center | — |
| Hexacuba Shelter | 23 | Free | North Branch Jacobs Brook (stream) | 1.6 mi to Quinttown | — |
| Cooley Glen Shelter | 23 | Free | Austin Brook (stream) | 3.3 mi to South Lincoln | — |
| Moose Mountain Shelter | 24 | Free | Tunis Brook (stream) | 2.2 mi to Hanover Center | — |
| Emily Proctor Shelter & Tent Area | 24 | Free | Skylight Pond (water) | 4.4 mi to Granville | — |
| Skyline Lodge & Tent Area | 24 | Free | Skylight Pond (water) | 3.6 mi to Bread Loaf | — |
| Wintturi Shelter | 24 | Free | Atwood Brook (river) | 3.3 mi to Prosper | — |
| Bingo Brook | 24 | Free | Bingo Brook (stream) | 2.3 mi to Robinson | — |
| Boyce Shelter | 25 | Free | Brandy Brook (stream) | 2.4 mi to Bread Loaf | — |
| Green Mountain National ForestDave slept here | 25 | Free | West Branch Tweed River (stream) | 2.1 mi to Pittsfield | — |
| Stony Brook Shelter | 25 | Free | — | 0.7 mi to Notown | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Chelsea, 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.