Campgrounds and RV parks near Putnam, CT

Hiking is the main draw. Mashamoquet Brook State Park has a looping trail system of roughly 6.5 miles that passes signature rock formations including the Wolf Den, Table Rock, and Indian Chair. The park's brook is stocked annually with brook, brown, and rainbow trout, and also holds smallmouth bass, largemouth bass, and bluegill. On the water, Bowdish Lake offers fishing and paddling on a lake bordered by state park hiking trails. Stateline Campresort and Cabins has a swimming pool with a slide, a kids sprayground, and fishing and boating on its private lake, though swimming in the lake itself is not permitted. Off-site, downtown Putnam is walkable, with antique shops, restaurants, and rail-trail access nearby for cycling. Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun casinos and the Providence, Rhode Island waterfront are each within about an hour by car.

The camping season in northeastern Connecticut is short. State-run Mashamoquet Brook State Park operates its Wolf Den and Mashamoquet Brook loops seasonally from around Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day, and drinking water at the Wolf Den loop typically runs only through Labor Day. Private resorts like Stateline Campresort and Bowdish Lake generally open in early May and close in mid-October. Summer is peak. July and August weekends fill quickly at both state and private campgrounds, and sites at Mashamoquet Brook can be booked up to eleven months in advance through the Connecticut State Parks reservation system on ReserveAmerica. Bowdish Lake has been full with seasonal campers in recent seasons and has not been accepting short-term stays, so travelers should confirm availability before planning a trip there. Spring and fall shoulder seasons bring cooler nights, wildflowers or foliage, and lighter crowds. Winter camping is not available at these campgrounds. Travelers planning trips in late fall or early spring should confirm hookups, water service, and dump-station status before booking, since services scale back at the edges of the season.

Sites vary widely. State park loops at Mashamoquet Brook are basic: the Wolf Den loop has 35 mostly open sites with flush toilets, showers, drinking water through Labor Day, and paved pads, while the Mashamoquet Brook loop has 18 wooded sites with portable toilets and no running water or showers. There are no electric or water hookups at either state loop, and pond swimming is no longer available because the pond has been drained. Private resorts are the option for full hookups. Stateline Campresort and Cabins offers full-hookup sites, 50-amp service, cabin rentals, a pool complex, and planned family activities. Bowdish Lake accommodates larger RVs with electric, water, and sewer at many sites. Cell service can be spotty in the surrounding forests. Firewood cannot be brought in from out of state, and quiet hours are enforced at state campgrounds.