Campgrounds and RV parks near Middletown, CT

Middletown sits on the Connecticut River in the center of the state, with Hartford about 25 minutes north and the Long Island Sound roughly 45 minutes south. RV travelers use it as a base for exploring central Connecticut because most regional campgrounds are within a 20 to 30 minute drive, and Routes 9, 66, and 17 connect the city to I-91 and I-84. Private RV parks dominate the immediate area. Portland Riverside Campground sits directly across the river from downtown Middletown at a working marina and offers RV sites with electric and water. East of the city in East Hampton, Nelson's Family Campground operates a large, big-rig friendly property with electric, water, and either sewer or gray-water hookups, while Markham Meadows Campground runs a family-owned park on roughly 100 acres of farmland nearby. Grandview Camp Resort serves travelers looking for a resort-style stay. For paddlers, Hurd State Park offers primitive boat-in tent sites on the Connecticut River, accessible only by canoe or kayak.

Private campgrounds in the area handle their own reservations. Nelson's Family Campground, Markham Meadows Campground, Portland Riverside Campground, and Grandview Camp Resort take bookings directly by phone or through their websites, and several also list inventory on third-party platforms like RoverPass and Hipcamp. Themed weekends at Nelson's run from Memorial Day weekend through the end of the season and book up first. Hurd State Park's river-camping sites are reserved through the Connecticut state-park system on ReserveAmerica. Reservations are required, walk-ins are not accepted, stays are limited to a single night, and bookings can be made up to 11 months ahead with a minimum of two days' notice. Campers must arrive by canoe or kayak, and pets are not permitted in the camping area. For summer weekends and foliage season, book private sites four to eight weeks ahead.