Campgrounds and RV parks near Fairfax, VT

The Lamoille River corridor is the main draw for paddling and fishing, and Lake Champlain beaches and boat launches are within a short drive west. In town, the Maple Street Covered Bridge carries traffic across Mill Brook off Vermont Route 104. Built in 1865, it is Fairfax's only historic covered bridge, a rare two-lane covered span in the state, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. East of Fairfax, the trail network around Mount Mansfield delivers serious hiking. The Long Trail is accessible from multiple nearby locations, including routes leading to the summit of Mount Mansfield, Vermont's highest peak. Horseback riding, fishing, cycling, and canoeing or kayaking on the Lamoille River are also available within the region. Burlington's waterfront, breweries, and the Church Street Marketplace make an easy day trip.

The camping season in northern Vermont runs roughly from mid-May through mid-October, tracking the operating windows of both private parks and the state park system. Underhill State Park, run by Vermont State Parks, opens Memorial Day weekend and closes the second Monday in October, and nearby private parks follow a similar spring-to-fall calendar. Summer is the peak window. July and August bring warm days, reliable swimming at rivers and Lake Champlain beaches, and the highest demand for hookup sites near Smugglers' Notch. Book well ahead for holiday weekends, when both private campgrounds and state parks fill quickly. Early fall is the strongest shoulder season. Foliage typically peaks from late September into the first half of October in this part of Vermont, and campgrounds around Jeffersonville and Underhill see heavy demand during that stretch. Winter camping is limited: most private parks close, roads into Underhill State Park are gated, and RV renters generally plan trips outside the snow season.

Sites near Fairfax range from full-hookup RV parks to primitive state park lean-tos. Maple Grove Campground on Route 104 offers a mix of RV and tent sites with gravel pads and some sloped loops where sites are not perfectly level. The campground provides wifi, hot showers, a camp store, and a dump station, and fires are allowed subject to current state restrictions. Riverside parks near Smugglers' Notch trade hookups for setting. Brewster River Campground does not offer RV hookups, and the entrance from Route 108 is steep and narrow with small sites best suited to tents and compact rigs. Underhill State Park is walk-in tent and lean-to only, with no showers on site. Cell service is inconsistent in the Notch, so download maps before leaving Fairfax.