Camping on the Battenkill

August 1-2, 2021                                                            Most Recent Posts:
Camping on the Battenkill                     Hunting for the Connecticut & Owls Head
Arlington, Vermont                            Unexpected Surprise-Lakes,Ponds & Erratics

On August 1, I pulled out of Moose River Campground headed south.  I have been in the north eastern area of Vermont and I am moving to the south western.  I would have liked to do it the other way around since  moving south in August is always sketchy but Moose River had no spots in August.

My site at Camping on the Battenkill  was a pull through but proved difficult to get in to because of the angles.

The problem was the location of the unmovable fire ring and unmovable electric box.

But with the helpful spotting of a kind neighbor, I managed.

My patio for a month.

Some of my neighbors are little and cute.

The month of July has been even more rainy here than in Northern Vermont where I just came from.   Yesterday the Battenkill river flooded and some RVsin the park  had to move off of their river front sites or be pulled off by the campground owner if they were not around.

When I took my first walk around the campground this is what I found though the river had receded a great deal apparently by then.

This is the beach area where kids build rock dams. 

Here’s what this area looks like normally

As this shot taken later in my stay shows, usually at some points there isn’t even enough water to come up to the walls the kids build.  I thought I would be able to launch my kayak from the park but apparently not unless it floods.  Still, the kids have a great time in the shallow river.

By the time I got here, the big debris had been cleaned up but someone took some smaller things and made a bit of art in the sand.

One of the abandoned river front sites after clean up.

Here’s that same campsite beside the “beach” area a week later.

Back at my high and dry campsite,  there was no standing water to be seen.

Over the days of my stay, I developed a regular walk that took me down the road from my site and past my neighbors.  On one walk I took these picture and hope it will give you a sense of this 35 acre ‘state park-esque” campground.

From walking down the road from my site,  I went through the carded gate, past the check in area, past the barn and out to the main road VT route 7a.

I like to walk across the bridge and view the river straight on.  If I kept walking, I would come to a business called Sugar Shack on the other side of the river.  More on my visit there in a future post.  These pictures were taken some time after the flooding and show the Battenkill River at its usual shallow depth as it flows by the campground.

From there I go back inside the campground and wander up and down the roads.

There are quite a few “seasonals” in the campground and clearly many of them are here to stay given how they have decorated their campsites.

The “yard art”, planters and signs were interesting but I saw almost no people around.  In fact, other than the owners and one work camper I met no one.  Totally unlike my stay at the smaller Moose River where there were activities designed to bring people together.

The stop sign tells cars they must turn but walking straight ahead will bring me to two picnic tables on the river.

This is one of my favorite of the campground’s river front spots.  I only wish I could launch my kayak from the park but sadly I cannot.

From there it is through a section of woods along the river  to the “beach” area which also has picnic tables

This is the beach.

A rocky beach.

Apparently quite a few people come here for fly fishing.

From there I walk along the river until I come to the field where they set up for rallies if they have them and just family games for those who want to bring them.
There is a playground for kids and a volleyball net.  The field has one side facing the river with river front sites and the other 3 sides have sites facing the field.

When the river floods this road must be impassible.

Field straight ahead.  First river front site on the right.

This picture of the playground and volley ball net shows that during the week there are not too many people parked around the field.  I do wish I could be here for their Scamp rally this September.  They have bagpipers who play while walking through the campground to this spot.  And oh how I wish I had stayed for reasons to be explained in a future post.

Here are some sites on the river edge of the field.  You can’t rent these for a month and they are not full hook ups but I think you can rent them for 2 weeks.  The park has a dump station and a honey wagon if you’d rather they do it for you.  $20 for the wagon.

Parking parallel to the river would allow Winnona to be in one of these sites.  Wish they’d let me stay for a month here.  I love them.

On the week-end, the river side looks like this.

At the far end of the river side is a sign that leads to a path over to a municipal park where there is a Farmer’s Market every Friday beginning at 5:00.

The campground has been here and this path to the park used for over 30 years.

At this point the path leaves the RV park, crosses over a short strip of private grassy land and back into the woods on Municipal park land.

For two Fridays I merrily took the path over as had people for years and years.  I listened to the live bluegrass music, bought some fresh produce and one Friday had dinner at the food carts. 

But on the 3rd Friday, the path was blocked.  It seems the week before the house and private land had been purchased by a new owner who did not want people walking 150 or so steps across his property.

So now everyone from the campground must drive over to the park for both the Farmer’s Market and the very nice golf course they have there.

Here’s the path as it moves back onto the municipal park property.  Clearly not THAT many people use it that it should upset the owners of the little space in between the two parks.

Just up ahead the path opens into the mowed area of the municipal park so you can go golfing or marketing.   A future post will show the market.

As you can see it’s a lovely walk which I can do any time I like.  Camping on the Battenkill is a large and varied campground.  It is located between Manchester and Bennington Vermont.   The owners are a wonderful couple from South Africa.