This is just for the beach access. Easy. Breezy. Nice sandy beach. City takes care of it pretty well, as I visited it during high traffic time/ summer. There are restrooms and changing rooms, also a refreshment stand. There's a set-up for kayak rentals. A short little boardwalk like structure enables you to be near the water but not get sand in your shoes. There are covered picnic areas and benches to stay out of the sun. There's a good amount of parking. They have several lifeguard chairs set up, but not sure if they actually have lifeguards? Really nice view of the scenery associated with Lake Champlain, right on the shore of it. I got more than I expected! Also, really like the access to the Island Rail Trail for more recreational fun! read more

North Beach Campground and Park - Nice serene view - Campgrounds Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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A shark proposed to me..... I said no he almost BIT ME I ALMOST DIED Horrible Beach read more

Perfect place to lounge, paddle, and catch up with friends. The sandbar keeps the boats a little further out so they are never too close to shore/the swimming area. You can paddle-board/kayak a good distance in the bay without the fear of in the way of boats. And amazing views of the Adirondack Mountains, of course! read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay at North Beach Campground. We spent 4 days in a full hookup site. The site was spacious, tree covered, and hard packed grass/dirt. Overall the site was very level with good water pressure. The water/electric sites in the middle of the campground were a bit snug. The campground is a city operated campground and we were impressed with the upkeep, maintenance and friendly service during our stay. The camp office is small, but has information on area attractions, Ice, and fire wood. The bathhouse/restrooms were well kept during our stay even with the volume of campers at the site. Location, Location, Location is the main reason to stay at North Beach. The campground is literally along the Island Line bike/walking trail and had direct access to the beach on Lake Champlain (life guards, snack bar, and patio bar). The city center of Burlington is only 1.5 miles along the bike path from the campground. Most days we either walked or biked into town (which has ample bike racks to park your bike). While we stayed in our camper, as a former die-hard tent camper, I was impressed with the number of tent friendly sites, because most campgrounds see tenters as "second class". The tent sites were spacious, level, and not located in some obscure location. We loved North Beach and plan to camp here in the future! read more

North Beach Campground and Park - Campgrounds Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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I was hesitant to stay here because of the mixed reviews but I am so happy I did! The campground is small, and like others mentioned, there isn't much privacy.... but if you're looking to relax with easy access to the lake AND city, then this campsite is for you! We drove up from North Shore MA and were so happy to arrive and see the amazing view at the water front. The campers on each side of us were extremely friendly and respectful, even offering us help at a few times (we aren't avid campers). The bathrooms were cleaned daily and the water pressure in the showers is STRONG. The lake was closed down half way through day 2 due to E.Coli but it's nice to know they take our health and safety seriously. The campsite was clean and quiet and we really enjoyed our time! read more

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With certain reservations about the water quality of Lake Champlain at this site, North Beach Campground remains one of my very favorite places to be in Vermont. I love this area. I brought my children and grandchildren here to go swimming every summer and we enjoyed birthday celebrations annually. If the Vermont government would crack down on industrial effluence dumping in our beautiful Lake Champlain , more of us could be enjoying swimming and boating. The beauty here is magnificent. We all want to go swimming here again . Vermont people want North Beach back ! read more

North Beach was fun to visit, especially during the week when it was so quiet! We came back on Saturday and it was very busy, and it was almost impossible to get a table and benches for a picnic although there are heaps of shaded grounds as well. The sand on the beach is fine, the water is clean and shallow for even children to enjoy, and the lifeguards are on hand nearby. The snack stand served a nice creemee with vanilla, chocolate, and "twist" -vanilla + chocolate- flavours on a cone. Admission and parking for us party of four was free during the week, and $8.00 on Saturday. There seems to be plenty of parking and there were beach staff directing and assisting with visitor parking on Saturday. On Saturday, there were events at the pavilion as well - one a private BBQ picnic and the other a birthday party with catered food set up on one side of the pavilion. There is a number listed on a post inside the pavilion that you're supposed to call to "book" the pavilion for events, although I'm not sure about the fee. There are children's playground and plenty of trees, and boats on the shore on Saturday crowded beach. There's bike rental available at the entrance to the parking lot, campground just past the take office, and a bike path up above the narrow tunnels between the campground and the beach. We'd gladly come back! read more

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Disclaimer: I have not camped here, but I have visited on a couple of separate occasions. This is a cute little park/beach for taking a dip on a warm Burlington day. I enjoy spending about a hour sitting on the sand and enjoying the scenic views of the mountains and lake. We opted to park back by the school and take a walk to the beach. Be cautious to read the signs at the school so you don't get towed if you opt to go that route. This would be a nice beach to take young kids to, the water is pretty mellow and not rough. read more

One of the best tent/RV campgrounds we've stayed in due to the proximity to the greenway (bike trail) and great beach right on Lake Champlain. The facilities were nice as well, although a bit infested with bugs in one restroom. We live 20 hours away, but definitely plan to return again in a future trip. Burlington and their parks department are worthy of an A+! read more

I should have listened to other reviews! I can only speak for the campground during peak season, but I will NEVER come back in summer. Yes, it's a campsite near the beach, the pros end there. If you've ever wondered what it's like to live in San Francisco, just come here! $37 for a campsite practically on top of the people next door, rather disgusting showers/bathrooms, and noisy neighbors! Not to mention the children I just witnessed peering into my neighbors tent while they were out to dinner... What the heck?! read more

Only came for the beach. Nice place to sit and read. Plenty of shade. Picnic tables and grills. Sandy beach. Pavilion with clean bathrooms. We enjoyed the beautiful view. read more

We reserved a site months ahead of time and coordinated with other family members to camp next to each other. We were assigned adjoining sites (across the dirt camp road which was fine) but upon our arrival, we were switched to a different site with no clear explanation, something about shuffling sites due to the season ending soon...what???. I had even called that morning to confirm our site number. The site, #63, we were relocated to had a TREE STUMP right in the middle and campers on both sides of this small site were right up to and encroaching onto this site. It was physically impossible for us to pull our 17' RV up to the hook-ups. We were told that there were no options. (This was a very upsetting way to start our 3 night stay in Burlington to attend a family wedding.) Eventually we were offered a site in the overflow area which was far from our family members site and in a lineup of large RVs right next to the high school sports stadium with stadium lights and loud music blasting Friday evening and Saturday morning. The site was littered with trash and the picnic table was burnt. The very nearby bathrooms were a muddy, stinky mess out back, facing our site. All in all, pretty outrageous. The positives are, of course, the location of the campground, next to the lake and bike path, easily walkable to downtown Burlington. But that is it, the location. The campground layout and management is really a shame and we will never camp there again. read more

This campground is super convenient: relatively close to downtown Burlington, situated on Lake Champlain and adjacent to an excellent bike path. Beach access is a short walk from most sites.. Staff was friendly and flexible. Free WiFi too. Bonus: Restrooms were nearly spotless and a hot shower is only a quarter. We'll be back, for sure. read more

We tent camped at this campground for one night in September. The check in process was seamless (pick up some popcorn in the office!) and the campsites were clearly marked. Our campsite had a fire pit, water spout, electric hookup, and picnic table. The bathrooms were clean (did not look at shower facilities). There is a beach onsite with a beautiful view of the lake. read more

North Beach Campground and Park - Campgrounds Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

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Beautiful big beach and sandy bottom lake. Beautiful view. Snack bar food was very poor. Campground was so-so. Very small and close together sites. Bathrooms were Inadequate and dirty. No water spigot in the whole campground for tenters. Have to hope you can find an unoccupied RV site and use the hookup from there. Very close to high school sports fields and was very loud for a few hours each night we were there. read more

The location of this place is really all it has. Gorgeous lake beach very close by. But the campsites are ON TOP of each other. No privacy. It's laughable. read more

Packed in a little close but truly worth it. A picnic table and fire ring for each site, $5 decent sized bundles of wood for sale. Perfectly shaded (IMO). A super quick walk down to the beach, which is glorious and quiet. Picturesque Adirondacks and Greens off in the distance across the lake. Right on the bike path (lots of poison ivy! Beware). Bathrooms were decent, 3 showers and 3-4 toilets and 3 sinks. Easy ride to town (or walk) with close by grocery and an amazing package store. Beer lovers delight in this town. Lots of opportunities for exercise and peace. read more

Ya take the good with the bad, here. But it's mostly good! We arrived at North Beach Campground on a Friday in mid September, around dinnertime. We'd called around 2:00 pm that day, had NO problems getting a person to answer the phone, and no problems making a reservation. Funny thing, though: the lady who took my call seemed genuinely concerned that we could get to Burlington from Concord, VT before the office closes for the night at 9 pm. She said security would probably have to wait for us. Made us a little worried that our AAA map calculations were off but, turns out, she just had no idea how small her home state was. Go figure. Anyway, we purchased wood & ice at registration, and a nice man loaded these into his golf cart & escorted us to our site. I'm glad he did, cause otherwise I'd have thought I was reading the signs wrong or something cause these sites are SO SMALL!!! It's quite literally like a parking lot, like you're tailgating at a big game or something. It's amazing how everyone squeezes in, though. Trailers of all sizes, other pop ups, even big rigs can somehow make these teeny spots work. There's a sign in the camp office that says North Beach has won awards for Best Urban Campground -- key word is "urban," there. It's like a camping city! I've camped similarly at Knoebels in PA and Wading Pines in NJ but this was definitely the tightest camping quarters I've ever experienced. However, the place is very clean (including the bathrooms) and plus, it's super quiet. Can't believe how peaceful this place was, even at full capacity as it was when we first arrived. So we stayed the weekend, and then on Sunday watched in delight as almost everyone cleared out, leaving us with a lovely wide open grassy campground all to ourselves. Oh, before I forget -- don't even think about late checkout here. They've got stern guys on golf carts zipping around while everyone loads up their gear, and if you look like you're slacking they'll remind you in no uncertain terms they need you O-U-T by noon. One poor family was having a hard time loading their stuff up and the Golf Cart Police pretty much circled their campsite, hurrying them on, chirping that signs in the bathroom clearly stated 12:00 pm checkout in both English and French... Seems a little much, frankly. It's not like they had anyone waiting on the campsite or anything. But I guess a campground this busy needs some "rule enforcers" to be so clean & quiet... It's a shame they can't be a little more relaxed but then again I can see the need to run a tight ship here. The campground's location is AMAZING. Seriously amazing. You can hear the waves of the beach from inside the park, and then it's just a very short walk down to the beach. No way is it a mile and a half as one reviewer claimed. The beach is right there, right outta the campground. You don't have to cross a road or anything... but there IS a super awesome bike path along the beach that you'll have to walk across on your way to the water. I suggest, though, that you get a bike and ride it cause Oh My Gawd the scenery is ridiculous. Mountains! Water! Sunsets! We saw a huge bald eagle catch a fish on the beach one morning, even. Too cold to swim when we went but lovely place to pull off your shoes and walk in the sand. The water wasn't too brutal on the feet but I didn't go in past my ankles. Let's see... what else... Oh! The bathrooms were fine but there were only three showers in the lady's room so you have to plan your time to avoid the pre-dinner rush that seems to be the popular time for campers to wash up these days. Fifty cents (in quarters only) for 6 minutes of warm water was plenty -- especially if you're like me and enjoy hot showers. These showers were not hot... they weren't lukewarm, exactly, they were kinda "mid warm," I guess. Meh. A final word on tent sites: these looked great. Much more spacious than the ones with water/electric hookups where we stayed with our pop up. If we go back, we will opt for one of the grassy level tent sites and use our battery/holding tank. I have attached before/after photos of the campground that show exactly how close other campers on during weekends when they're filled to capacity. read more

I LOVE CAMPING! This is not a camp ground. This is a parking lot with trees. They call it city camping to justify the proximity of the sites. The "camp site" I stayed in was surrounded in all directions by other people (I expect trees to surround me when I camp not drunken, loud obnoxious people who are up til 3 am). The bathrooms were never clean and there was excrement in the majority of the stalls. Wasn't even worth the view or how close the beach was. read more

North Beach Campground and Park - Parking lot w/trees - Campgrounds Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Beautiful beach less than a 5-10 minute from anywhere in the campground. The sites are definitely pretty darn small and very on top of one another, as many people have said. The fire ring with grill, picnic table, and copious trees made it hard for us to fit our rather large tent and park an SUV. Also, staff at check-in were very friendly but forgot to mention the quarter for the shower thing, so I had to go back to the site to change into back into clothes and then go up to the main office for change. Ugh. Dirty facilities with spotty hot water too. To top it all off, security seemed to be non-existent. Saving grace is definitely the beach atmosphere and plenty of trees for shade in the campground. read more

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This is somewhat of a hidden jewel. It is located not far from Burlington and has direct access to the bike path. There is also a nice beach area that you can walk to from any campsite. Of course I am stating this from a viewpoint of someone that is physically active and don't know what parking situation would be during peak periods if you chose to drive to beach. This was our first time here and were pleasantly surprised and commented "why didn't we camp here sooner?" The beach area is nice with a snack bar (seasonal), I had no problems having a can of an adult beverage on beach, the restrooms were clean. Of course temper this with I am here on an off season type week Campground is scarce as well as beach area My only 2 cons would be the Friday night football game as you are in close vicinity to HS football field and occasional military jet flyover read more

It's not the best and it's not the worst. Quarter shower and laundry. Tight spots but everything you need is close. This isn't "camping" since you really are inside the city and people come here to party and socialize. The upside is its on the lake and it's a easy walk to Burlington! read more

North Beach is a great, quaint park on Lake Champlain. They have camping accommodations, a beach, hiking and cliff jumping (bring a local). Not far from Church Street and downtown Burlington, and fairly close to the Magic Hat Brewery (important). Be careful expecting to go to the beach and in the water in the summertime as sometimes the algae count in the lake is too high and swimming is prohibited. Great place to take your pups and your kiddies, too. read more

Location, location, location. Right on the bike path, close to lots of fun stuff.... recreation, entertainment, dining the view, etc. super friendly staff. Negatives include: it gets crowded, bathrooms are in need of updating, sites are close together. All in all it's about the balance of it all. Looking forward to returning next season. read more

I've stayed at North Beach Campground twice and while I admit it's hardly the greatest campground in the world, it's extremely convenient location and the lovely beach at Lake Champlain make up for its deficits and provide a pretty decent time in Burlington. The campsites go for about $26.00 a night, though they charge you extra if you setup additional tents or need water/electric hookups. They also sell ice/wood at somewhat reasonable prices. The bathrooms are pretty gross, but eh, I'm camping. I don't really care. The bike path is an incredibly convenient way to get in and out of downtown Burlington and it seems to be open all night. More than once I came back pretty late and had no problem riding back to my site. All of the campsites have picnic tables and fire pits, which is nice, especially considering you are pretty likely to be devoured by mosquitos. In fact, that was half the reason I went out every night -- just to avoid death by blood loss. The beach itself is gorgeous and the water is perfect in the summer. Definitely one of my favorite fresh water lakes. They also have grills and a picnic area near the beach. Overall, I am fairly satisfied with my experience. Sure, the campsites are too close together and this is hardly roughing it. And the bathrooms are decently disgusting. But for the convenience of being a bike ride away from downtown, you really can't beat it. read more

Nice place to camp for no longer than 2 nights. Its very busy and cramp closely together campsite. I like the fact that's theirs security personnel at the gate at all times. Close to the beach and a bike path to town. Hot showers and toilets were clean. read more

North Beach Campground and Park - The beach - Campgrounds Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

3 stars for reasonable urban camping, but I'd have said one or two stars for the camping experience specifically. This campground walks the line between affordable urban lodging and a somewhat fun outdoor experience. As a campground it is fair at best--the sites are crowded together and somewhat poorly laid out (hookups, fire rings and picnic tables poorly located for site orientation and proximity to neighbors), the bathrooms are very busy and not very clean, and the place is a zoo. We stayed two summer weeknights and it was very crowded and loud. After 10pm or so it quiets down but it's bustling again by 7 am. The place really shows signs of heavy usage. That said, if you want to be near Burlington with easy biking/walking access to town and want to camp, this is actually a pretty good place to do it. It's just not a particularly pleasant camping experience. The Champlain bike trail goes right past the campground and takes you the short one mile into town, or many miles around the lake. For that alone we chose this campground and it was good for that. The employees were actually pretty pleasant to deal with, contrary to some other reviews. I think their challenge is that they are very busy, in an urban setting, and bombarded by people who want to party or don't really live by the typical campground etiquette, and the staff really tries to keep the place hospitable and that takes some rigid rules. The campground is fairly park-like, which is a pleasant surprise given how urban a setting it is in--but it's more like a city park than a state park. So, if you strongly prefer the more secluded style of state park camping then I suggest you try Grand Isle state park. It's a short drive north of Burlington--easy commuting distance by car or fair distance by bike, plus it's absolutely beautiful and serene. read more

This place is pretty sweet. I spent an entire day at the beach with friends, playing guitar, lying in the sun, and swimming. Its a great way to spend a lazy day. Also, their beach is pristine. Soft sand and ice cream nearby. Pretty awesome. You can't see the sunset though, you have to go somewhere else for that. Overall, I love this place. I'm most definitely coming back. $5 Entrance fee. Not sure why anyone would want to camp here...you're literally in the middle of the city. Its probably really loud at night. Go outside the city to camp... read more

(This is review is purely for the beach. I've never stayed at the campground.) North Beach is and always will be one of my utmost "happy places". The view coming down the hill from Burlington High School of the lake, the beach, and the Adirondacks is something spectacular. Don't get me wrong, I love ocean swimming, but the mountains behind the lake make for a uniquely beautiful scene. The sand is somewhat coarser than what you would find at an ocean beach. The water ranges from frigid (May and June) to somewhat cold (July and early August) to quite pleasant (mid August through early September). The bottom line: summer is short in Vermont, so if you want to enjoy full beach season, you're going to have to suck it up and take a couple minutes to adjust to the water. But it will be worth it. From time to time the beach is closed due to high E.coli levels, but this is a natural phenomenon that only happens a few times a season at most-- believe me, this is a safe beach to swim in. There's also the occasional season like 2011 when huge rains caused the whole lake to flood, closing off North and other beaches until the 4th of July. Again, though, that's rare. The snack bar is only open Memorial through Labor Day and has a good selection of (pricey) snack options. The bathrooms, also only open during the summer, are functional. There are also BBQs right near the beach for your grilling pleasure. One of the main selling points of this beach is its proximity to the bike path. It's right along the Island Line trail, making it a gorgeous and easy 10 minute ride from Waterfront Park. There's plenty of bike parking on the beach. True beach bums can also easily bike to Oakledge (20 minute ride south) or Leddy (10 minute ride north) Beaches if they so desire. If you drive, you can pay to park at the beach ($8 as of a couple of years ago) or risk it at the BHS lot and park for free. read more

For just $8 a night, you can camp out at North Beach. Each lot has a picnic table and a fire pit, and some of the larger spots have water points (meant for RVs). The beach is just a couple minutes walk from the campsites. The water is fantastic. Within the designated swim zone, the water is shallow, not deeper than 6 feet. And most of the footing is sand, only a few spots have rocks or seaweeds. There is a kids playground, a volleyball net, and a small grassy area for soccer/frisbee/etc. For those needing camping supplies, Hannafords is just a mile up the road, but be sure to stop there before you come in for the night. There is no re-entry with each night's payment. As such, Church Street is a mile plus away, but certainly walkable if you have the time. You could always call for the short cab ride too. This was a great find and a cheap, fun way to spend a night in Burlington. Just remember to bring bug spray! read more

Traveling in a 38 foot coach we stayed 4 nights in a site for big rigs. Sites are grass (mostly sand). Fortunately it didn't rain so we avoided being stuck in what would have been a mud pit. Our site was spacious and backed-up to a nice wooded area which provided shade in the afternoon. The downside of that being spiders...lots of spiders. Wifi here was good. There's plenty of space to walk the dog. This park has great beach access and access to a bike trail. All in all...a pleasant place to stay. This park is located in a quiet area. read more

My experience with North Beach Campground was bitter sweet. The campgrounds themselves weren't bad. They were clean, but really close together. Luckily there were many tent campsites available the two nights I stayed there with my new bride on our honeymoon vacation. We only booked two nights initially, because we wanted to make sure we liked the location. After the first night and putting in work making our site like home, we decided we would find it acceptable to stay for two more nights. We went to the office to ask if there were any spots available for Wednesday and Thursday night. The older woman working the counter took one look at my wife and I and said nope, we have no more spots available. All booked up. She did not even look at anything to see if there were sites free. Later, after we booked sites at Camp Skyland (which was great, go there) we stopped back at the office for wood. A younger lady was working the desk this time, and we asked out of curiosity if there were any spots available for Wednesday and Thursday. She said yes, there were plenty of spots available. I don't know why the other woman told us no, but we got the feeling it had to do with us being lesbians. We are clean and quiet campers, so what other reason could there be? Recommendation: go somewhere else if you are gay. Also, the one shower bathroom cost 50 cents for 6 minutes. There are only two stalls so the line for the many camp sites can get long. read more

North Beach Campground and Park - Campgrounds Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

Every year for the 4th of July fireworks we spend a week at North Beach. Some people say why would you camp 30 miles from your home. I tell them the combination of being on the lake, on the bike path and having full hook ups is not something you can find at ANY other camp ground in the state. I agree with all of the other reviewers about the staff enforcing all of the rules, and there are a lot of rules. BUT I know the rules going in and I agree to them. There needs to be rules with so many people in a confined space. The problems only happen when the rules are followed. Being able to walk to the waterfront restaurants is a huge benefit. We were year there was flooding at the beach and it was not fun, but you can't blame the park. If you can't live by someone else's guidelines, dont come ruin it for everyone else. If you want amazing biking, great sunsets, access to a local food in a conveniënt location, you need to stay at this place. read more

My wife and I love camping. I have to preface this review by saying that. We hated this campground. There was absolutely no space between our site and the next. There was literally ten feet between our tent and the next site's. I barely slept the one night we stayed there, due to crying babies, and drunk Canadian girls giggling throughout the night. We had intended on a 5 night stay in Burlington, and ended up staying 2. The second night was in a hotel. The restrooms, from what my wife has told me, were revolting. Feces everywhere, including the shower. The men's room was relatively clean, so your mileage may vary. If you are looking for a quiet evening or any semblance of privacy, look elsewhere. I have never had a worse experience camping. The best thing I can say is that they refunded our money for the remaining nights without incident. read more

This place should be called Little Montreal because it gets invaded by Québécois in the summer. The spots are on top of each other and you have no privacy at all. If your neighbor rips one in the middle of the night or talks in his sleep, you will definitely hear it. The environment here is in no way camping at all. It's really just a bunch of tourists who bought their first tent who wreak of bad cologne and wear a lot of gold chains drinking all night in a tiny urban parking lot with trees. On the plus side, the price is right and it's close to the bike path and downtown Burlington. read more

North Beach Park is outstanding. The swimming was clean and had majestical views of the surrounding islands and mountains. We had read that North Beach Camping was considered "urban camping" and this is dead on. sites packed tightly on top of each other accommodates the high volume of campers . Great bike bath to Burlington. We would return for swimming but prefer a more secluded camp. read more

Very disappointing place. Unprofessional staff, sites shabby and small. If you like camping in truck stop lots, give this place a try. One security guard was so rude, we had to call the police on him. Also, sketchy element on the bike path after dark. Very unsafe. read more

North Beach Campground and Park - Campgrounds Near Me - Burlington, Vermont

I camped here twice in summer 2014. There was a major upheaval of the staff. The front desk workers were more than friend. The security wasn't on patrol all night and rude. While they made us put our campfire out at midnight (silly city ordinance), at least the brought a jug of water to help. Camp sites are still tiny, but you can't beat the view or the access to the lake. read more

First the good: Access to the bike path is great, and the bike path is fantastic. Having a wonderful beach adjacent to the camp ground is also great. And being a short drive to downtown Burlington is also very nice. But They advertise Internet access, not exactly true. You can access their wireless network, but you have to be by the laundromat to do so, even then connection speed is very slow. Be careful selecting a site as many are very close to each other, especially if you want a full hook up ( power and water). Sites in the middle of the park are too close to one another. read more

Great place for families and RVs. Biking distance to Burlingtons downtown distict. Has showers laundry and beach access. It is not. 8 dollars and in fact 25. Most expensive camping I've paid for. Employes are great read more