Free camping near Manchester, VT
Within 25 straight-line miles of Manchester, VT there are 27 camps: 24 free, 3 fee. The closest is Spruce Peak Shelter, 3.8 miles east of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Spruce Peak Shelter, 3.8 miles out. 5 of them are camps Dave has slept at.
Who manages them: 22 on the Forest Service; 5 on an agency our record does not name.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spruce Peak Shelter | 3.8 | Free | Bromley Brook (river) | 1.5 mi to Barnumville | — |
| Douglas Trail Shelter | 4.0 | Free | Little Mud Pond (water) | 3.0 mi to Manchester Depot | — |
| Bennington CountyDave slept here | 4.1 | Free | Stony Brook (stream) | 1.0 mi to Barnumville | — |
| Bennington CountyDave slept here | 4.1 | Free | — | 1.6 mi to Manchester Center | — |
| Bourn Pond | 5.0 | Free | Winhall River (river) | 4.3 mi to Richville | — |
| Stratton View Shelter & Tent Area | 6.1 | Free | — | 3.4 mi to Stratton Mountain | — |
| Stratton Pond Shelter & Tent Area | 6.6 | Free | Stratton Pond (water) | 3.1 mi to Stratton Mountain | — |
| Bennington CountyDave slept here | 6.6 | Free | Beebe Pond (water) | 3.5 mi to MacIntyre | — |
| Bennington CountyDave slept here | 7.1 | Free | Otter Creek (river) | 0.9 mi to Freedleyville | — |
| Bromley Shelter | 7.3 | Free | — | 3.2 mi to East Dorset | — |
| Story Spring Shelter | 8.1 | Free | South Alder Brook (stream) | 3.5 mi to MacIntyre | — |
| Windham CountyDave slept here | 9.7 | Free | Grout Pond (water) | 1.5 mi to town | — |
| Kid Gore Shelter | 10 | Free | Glastenbury River (stream) | 1.6 mi to MacIntyre | — |
| Hapgood Pond Campground | 11 | Fee | — | 4.5 mi to Londonderry | — |
| Griffith Lake Tent Area | 11 | Free | Griffith Lake (water) | 2.0 mi to South End | — |
| Peru Peak Shelter | 11 | Free | — | — | — |
| Goddard Shelter | 13 | Free | — | 6.6 mi to South Shaftsbury | — |
| Lost Pond Shelter | 14 | Free | Big Branch (stream) | 1.5 mi to Mount Tabor | — |
| Somerset Airfield | 15 | Fee | — | 6.0 mi to Chimney Hill | — |
| Old Job Shelter | 15 | Free | Three Shanties Brook (stream) | 2.7 mi to Mount Tabor | — |
| Big Branch Shelter | 15 | Free | Big Black Branch (stream) | 2.0 mi to Mount Tabor | — |
| Little Rock Pond Shelter & Tent Area | 17 | Free | — | 4.3 mi to Danby | — |
| Greendale | 18 | Fee | — | 4.4 mi to Weston | — |
| Melville Nauheim Shelter | 19 | Free | City Stream (stream) | 1.0 mi to Woodford | — |
| Greenwall Shelter | 21 | Free | Bully Brook (stream) | 2.7 mi to East Wallingford | — |
| Congdon Shelter | 22 | Free | Stamford Stream (stream) | 2.7 mi to Woodford | — |
| Minerva Hinchey Shelter | 24 | Free | Mill River (river) | 2.2 mi to Cuttingsville | — |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Manchester, 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.