Happy Campers

Great Places To Camp In R.I.
If you haven't been camping for a while, you're in for a pleasant surprise.

Happy Campers

Published in Rhode Island Monthly, June 2004.

By MARY GRADY

You might have misty childhood memories like these of camping back in the dark ages: An ancient Army-surplus tent of green canvas, a bit moldy and leaky, steamy on a scorching summer day. Hot dogs on sticks roasting over a roaring fire, and marshmallows charring and dripping on the coals. Mosquitoes buzzing at your ears, ants in your peanut butter, smoke in your eyes. An ashy dirt in all the crevices of your skin. It was miserable, but memorable, and how long is it now since you've slept in a tent and invited the stars and the forest into your dreams?

Today's tents are clean and light and easy to erect, built from space-age materials that keep you cool and dry. High-tech air-mats cushion your tender bones from the bumpy earth beneath your draft-free sleeping bag. Gear from propane stoves to juice boxes to bug sprays that actually work make it easy and comfortable to live in the woods. When it comes to precious vacation time, that cozy B&B, the seen-one-seen-'em-all hotel room, the luxury resort have their charms, but they all share one flaw: four walls and a roof between you and your world. Go paddle a canoe, build a fire, fall asleep to the sound of wind in the pines, and wake up under your own slice of the sky.

In little Rhode Island, it's surprisingly easy to find deep woods, seaside retreats, and even family-camp-theme-parks. Here's a bunch of great places to get you started.

Burlingame State Park
Great for something of everything

Burlingame is the sprawling Manhattan of Rhode Island campgrounds. With 762 sites, the place is so big that boroughs have evolved, each with its own personality. You can bring your Boston whaler to the trout pond at Fishermen's Camp, or gather the whole extended family at Legiontown, where kids play volleyball on the town common and dance to a juke box at night. Or pack a small library and hide away amid the tall pines at secluded Mills Camp.

"Everyone has their favorite spot," says ranger David Gordon, who has worked at Burlingame for over 30 years. "They come back to the same place, year after year. A lot of them stay for two whole weeks, and never even leave the park." And why would they? Every amenity campers crave can be found here, from a stocked-to-the-rafters camp store (forgot to bring your turkey fryer? you can pick one up here), to swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, and just plain laying around. Hammocks are as common as cobwebs here. Canoes can be rented at the sandy beach. The woods are deep and cool and very inviting. And the plentiful bathrooms are justifiably famous for their spotlessness.

Burlingame also offers five tiny log cabins tucked into the trees near the lake at Fish Camp, and a yurt -- a circular tent with a wood frame, perched on a wooden platform -- hidden in the woods at Mills Camp. These cost $35 a night and they can be reserved ahead, which is not possible for other sites in the park. Lines form as early as 6:30 a.m. on weekends, so try to arrive midweek, or have a Plan B in place in case it fills up.

Info: Route 1, Charlestown. 322-7994. Open April 15 - October 31. 762 sites. $14 residents, $20 non-residents. Reservations by mail for cabins and yurt only, the rest is first-come-first-served. www.riparks.com/burlgmcamp.htm

Fishermen's Memorial State Park
Great for seaside ambiance

The sweet smell of summer is abundant here -- beach roses, honeysuckle, wild grapes and salt air. Swings attract kids on the loose, tiny kites in a wide blue sky tug at their strings, bikes lie abandoned in the marsh grass while their riders sink to their ankles in soft salty mud, searching for quahogs and crabs. Sites are grassy and shady, especially the secluded tent-only alcoves, where bold rabbits hop amid the wild green. Each tidy site has a picnic table and a campfire ring, and a share of that salty breeze. On Sunday mornings, a Farmers Market sets up shop in front of the park office, offering fresh fruits, vegetables, and flowers from local growers.

To satisfy any work-up-a-sweat urges, the park has tennis and basketball courts and a baseball field. And to indulge in a fix of pure summer bliss, Galilee is just a one-mile bike ride away. In a few minutes you can be there, tossing clamcake crumbs to the seagulls by the docks, swimming in the Atlantic at Salty Brine Beach, catching the ferry to Block Island, or just lounging on the rocks watching the boats go by.

Info: 1011 Point Judith Road, Narragansett. 789-8374. Open April 15-October 31 (limited services in November, weather permitting). 182 sites, 35 for tents only. Cost $14-20 for residents, $20-35 non-residents. Reservations by mail on official form only. www.riparks.com/fisherma.htm

Fort Getty Recreation Area
Great for soaking up spectacular scenery

For those whose daily dose of Rhode Island tends to consist of freeways, traffic jams, and strip malls, a few days at Fort Getty will remind even the most jaded urbanite that our little state has its share of world-class natural beauty. Nestled among rocky shores and stone walls, crumbling bunkers from the World Wars, and a fishing pier piled high with lobster pots, this hidden corner of Jamestown overlooks the West Passage of Narragansett Bay, a scenic mix of rugged shoreline, lighthouses, sailboats, and bridges. The tent sites are mostly in the open and fairly close together, but Site 1 is the beauty spot, on a hill overlooking the bay and a bit more secluded than most. A boat ramp here awaits your sailboat or kayak. A short drive takes you to Jamestown's cozy cafes and upscale restaurants, or over the bridge into all the summer madness of downtown Newport.

Fort Getty is administered by the town of Jamestown, and differs from the state campgrounds in that you can bring your dog along. The rules say pets must be leashed and with their owners at all times, and nuisance barking will not be tolerated.

Info: Fort Getty Rd., Jamestown. 423-7211. Open May 18-Oct 1. 118 sites. $20 for tents. Call for reservations, pay by mail. www.jamestownri.net/parks/ftgetty.html

Surfside Getaways
Great for RV camping in the dunes

If you own a self-contained camping unit, also known as an RV, or can beg, borrow, or rent one, you'll gain awesome access to a few of the state's most wild and scenic beaches. At the Breachway and East Beach in Charlestown and at Second Beach in Middletown, RVs can park within steps of grassy dunes, uncrowded stretches of sand, and rocky shorelines. At the Breachway, the site is a big open parking lot with no hookups or amenities, but the ocean is right there, rough and pounding, along with three miles of undeveloped sandy beach. The breachway itself offers sheltered access for fishing and kayaking. The sites at nearby East Beach are secluded, tucked into the sand dunes with Ninigret Pond on one side and the ocean on the other, but it's a mile drive down a sandy road, and four-wheel-drive is recommended.

At Second Beach, in Middletown, the RV-only campground is easy to reach off a narrow, paved road, and it provides hookups, but not much else other than a parking spot. But kick off your shoes and step across the road into the sand dunes and discover one of the state's finest beaches, a summer sampler stretching from the pristine Sachuest Point Wildlife Refuge at one end to crowds of suntanned volleyballers and surfers at the other. The breakers here tend to be fairly gentle, so it's an excellent spot for swimming.

Info: Charlestown Breachway Campground, Charlestown Beach Rd., Charlestown. 322-8910. Open April 15 - October 31. 75 trailer sites. East Beach/Ninigret Conservation Area, East Beach Rd., Charlestown. 322-0450. Open Memorial Day - Labor Day. 20 trailer sites. Both cost $14 residents, $20 nonresidents, no reservations, register at Burlingame State Park. www.riparks.com/charlesbreach.htm, www.riparks.com/eastbeach.htm
Second Beach Campground, 474 Sachuest Point Rd., Middletown. 508-880-2066. Open May 17-September 21. 44 trailer sites, no pets. Daily rates $38-$45.

Stepping Stone Ranch and Legrand Reynolds Horsemen's Camping Area
Great for horsing around

Something about a big brawny horse appeals to our summer fantasies of adventure, of ditching civilized life to run away and join the cowboys or the circus. At Stepping Stone Ranch, dreamers can climb aboard a real live charger and lope off into the woods for a hearty weekend of trotting along shady trails, fording streams, telling stories by the campfire, and sleeping under the stars. The pace is rigorous, though, with five hours in the saddle, and not for beginners, warns Heidi Waldron, proprietor of the ranch. "If you're not used to this, you'll be so sore the next morning you won't want to get back on the horse," she said. But for those up to the challenge, she says, "It's wicked fun!" The ranch can take up to nine riders at a time, and schedules about eight of the overnight rides each year.

For riders with horses of their own, the state offers a bucolic and beautiful campground where you can bring them along. The Legrand Reynolds Camping Area in Arcadia Management Area is leafy and quiet, with a fenced riding ring paved with neatly trimmed lush green grass, crumbling stone walls, spacious sites with plenty of room for a horse trailer and a tent, and easy access to riding trails. The campground is reserved for horses only (and their human and canine companions), and amenities are limited to an outhouse and water.

Info: Stepping Stone Ranch, 201 Escoheag Hill Road, West Greenwich. 397-3725. Horseback overnight outings on selected weekends, May to October. Cost includes five hours of riding, dinner and breakfast. $125 - $135 per person. www.steppingstoneranch.com/outing.htm Legrand G. Reynolds Horsemen's Camping Area, Escoheag Hill Road, West Greenwich. Permits at Arcadia Management Area Headquarters, 260 Arcadia Rd., Exeter. 539-2356. No reservations.

George Washington Management Area
Great for kayaking, hiking, and freshwater swimming

Far from the coastline, in Rhode Island's remote northwest upland region, George Washington Management Area sprawls across 3,500 wooded acres in Glocester and Burrillville. If Burlingame is the Manhattan of the state campgrounds, this place is the Idaho. With only 45 sites and minimal services, it's never crowded, and weekdays are quiet even in midsummer. The sandy beach on Bowdish Lake is perfect for launching a kayak, taking a relaxing swim, or soaking up the sun. Facilities are sparse, with water and outhouses convenient to most sites, but no showers or bath house. The eight-mile Walkabout Trail, built by visiting Australian Navy sailors in 1965, is well-marked and shady, leading adventurous wanderers into deep, quiet woods that feel ancient and untouched. Shelter One is an especially nice site, set off the road in a private clearing with its own water and outhouse, trails that lead straight from your tent into the forest, and a short hike to the pond.

Info: 2185 Putnam Pike, Glocester. 568-2248. Open April 11-October 15. 45 campsites, two shelters. $8 for residents, $12 for non-residents, $20 for shelters. No reservations.

Arcadia Management Area
Great for feeding your repressed Daniel Boone fantasy

If your idea of camping is getting far away from your car and having the woods to yourself, Arcadia Management Area in Exeter is the place for you. Two sites are available for backpackers who are willing to carry in all their gear from the road (less than a mile), and who don't mind a total lack of luxuries (other than a pit toilet). The reward is having the place to yourself, including a sturdy log shelter with huge stone fireplaces, and at your doorstep, 14,000 acres of woods and rivers to play in -- the biggest natural area in the state. The Management Area has over 60 miles of trails, perfect for hiking and great for mountain bikers of all levels (a few trails are marked for "hikers only" but otherwise bicycles are welcome), with miles of shaded dirt roads for real beginners. A long stretch of the North-South Trail, which runs the length of Rhode Island, cuts through these woods. Everyone has a favorite spot in Arcadia: dreamy Stepstone Falls with its mesmerizing rush of water over wide shelves of ancient rock; the grassy banks at Breakheart Pond, where red squirrels hide high in the trees and scold trespassers; tiny Frosty Hollow Pond, perfect for a kid's first fishing expedition; the rocky ridges at the Mount Tom and Hemlock Ledges overlooks. Not all the trails are well-marked, and it's easy to get lost in the maze, so be sure to take a good map -- a new one published last year by Great Swamp Press brought joy to the hearts of Arcadia hikers -- and know how to use it before you head out.

Info: Arcadia Management Area Headquarters, 260 Arcadia Rd., Exeter. 539-2356. Shelter Trail campsite is $15 a night, the backpack site in Escoheag is free, but permits are required. No water at either site.

Whispering Pines Campground
Great for theme-park-style family memories

Visitors who turn off the narrow country lane into Whispering Pines are likely to experience a strange tingly feeling -- this is not Rhode Island anymore, but a Disneyesque fantasy of a family camping vacation. It starts with a trout-stocked babbling brook, groves of tall fragrant pines, wooded hills and valleys, and swarms of children, moms, dads, grandparents, dogs big and small (all on leashes), and the nonstop aroma of barbecue. The place is drenched in family fun, starting with a bright wide swimming pool, swings and volleyball, miniature golf, paddleboat and canoe rentals on the spring-fed pond, horseshoes, basketball, snack bar, game room .... the list goes on. Oh, and did we mention two big friendly draft horses who pull a haywagon full of campers round and round on the narrow dirt roads, the old-fashioned pancake breakfasts, Captain Jack's famous clam cakes and chowder at the pavilion every Friday? And don't forget, ice-cream socials and karaoke, too.

The place is well-tended and neat, with clean, roomy bath houses and a diverse mix of tents, RVs, and trailers. When not otherwise occupied with the manifold activities, you can rent a bike, do your laundry, and buy groceries, ice and firewood at the camp store.

Info: 41 Saw Mill Road, Hope Valley. 539-7011. Open April to October. Daily rates $25 to $33, reserve by phone or online. www.whisperingpinescamping.com

Peeper Pond Campground
Great for communing with nature

Fields of wild grass, cedar trees, tumbled stonewalls edged with moss, scruffy oak and maple forest -- that's the quintessential landscape of natural Rhode Island, and Peeper Pond, in Exeter, has 70 acres of it. "It's the nicest, the quietest, the most private place," says camper Craig Ross, a native of Pawtucket who has explored many of the state's wild destinations. "I kind of hate to even tell you about it." The campground's owners, Phil and Gerry Quish, describe it as "the alternative camping experience," a low-key out-of-the-way spot that's small-scale and serene, where nothing much happens other than beavers busily expanding the little pond, birds fledging their offspring, and those tiny eponymous peeping frogs filling the sound track at dusk.

For a true Walden-esque escape, reserve both Primitive Sites 1 and 2, and relax in your private hilltop clearing in the woods. Site 6 is a shady spot surrounded by old stone walls, with the tempting amenities of a big wooden tent deck and a short walk to the bathhouse. Site 1A sits on the edge of the little lily-covered pond, which is reserved for wildlife -- no fishing or swimming, but it's a great spot to birdwatch and maybe catch a glimpse of that industrious beaver family. Their work is easy to spot -- a bulky lodge, gnawed trunks, and drowned trees that testify to the pond's rising water level. "We used to have cranberries growing there," Gerry Quish recalled with a sigh, "but they're underwater now."

Info: 159 Liberty Church Road, Exeter. 294-5540. Open May 1-September 30. 31 sites, $20 to $24 a day. www.peeperpondcampground.com

Sidebars

Gear: Start simple. Take a roomy tent, a lightweight summer sleeping bag, extra pillows. Air mats are inexpensive and well worth it in comfort. Hiking boots, bug repellent, swimsuits, sunscreen. A light raincoat just in case, books, games for the kids, flashlights. Stock up on food that's easy to prepare and won't spoil -- crackers and peanut butter, granola bars, fresh fruit and vegetables, pasta, beans and hot dogs, bread and rolls and muffins, ramen noodle soup, trail mix, instant coffee and tea, juice boxes. Don't forget the s'mores. That should get you through a weekend. You can add the gourmet cooking gear and hand-cranked radios later.

To build a fire: Two tricks will help you get that fire going: allow for airflow, and build from small to big. Start out with a clear campfire pit. Build a loose pile of dry tinder in the center -- dry leaves or grass, dried bark or pine needles -- then stack small dry twigs (about pencil size) around that for kindling, in a teepee shape. Lean a few small dry logs (about two to four inches across) against the kindling, and light the tinder with a match. Once the fire gets going, add bigger logs, criss-crossing them to keep the air flowing. But first thing, check the rules at your campground.

Icky bugs: One thing about the outdoors: You have to share it with the critters that live there. Wildlife in Rhode Island is benign -- no man-eating beasts or poisonous snakes -- but watch out for the little bugs that can spread disease. The Rhode Island Department of Health recommends these precautions to avoid mosquito and tick bites: Use insect repellent (20 to 30 percent DEET for adults, 10 percent for kids), avoid walking in long grass, wear long sleeves, and tuck your pants into your socks. Don't use repellent on infants, instead spread mosquito nets over carriages and playpens. Check for ticks daily, and if you find one, remove it with tweezers. Don't panic -- only 1 to 3 percent of deer ticks carry Lyme disease, and it takes roughly 24 to 48 hours for the tick to transmit the Lyme bacteria to you. But if you develop a rash or other symptoms, contact your physician. For more details, check at www.health.ri.gov.

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Thanks for visiting. Updated March 2005.