maidstone state park

This is one of the most beautiful, relaxing places I have ever been. The lake is so clean and clear, you will not want to stop swimming, fishing, or kayaking! There is a great little trail that runs around the lake for hiking. Moose, loons, and other wildlife can be seen on or around the lake. This is a very clean, family friendly spot to spend your time and reset away from the chaotic world.

Guildhall Vermont takes you back to another time. Take out your camera to enjoy the quaint buildings. Then take a relaxing drive on route 102. If you like to bike this route will be enjoyable and challenging. At the junction of 102 and route 3 put in and kayak the river.

The clearest cleanest water you will find anywhere. True rustic camping with wooded lakeside sites on many levels. Just sit and listen to the Loons, Norman. The Loons!No electricity but who needs it here when there is so much to appreciate unencumbered by "modern" conveniences.A true gem in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont.

Maidstone State Park has some of the most crystal clear water I have ever seen. You can be out in the middle of the lake and still be able to see to the bottom. Not to mention some great fishing and beautiful mountain views. The roads are rustic so slow down and take your time, it is worth it. The beach is nice and sandy a great place to have a family picnic. I almost want to keep it a secret so the park doesn't become overrun. Nothing like listening to the Loons in the evening or the moose calling out. If you want to feel you are away from the stress of city life this is it, no cell reception but at the same time you are only 15 miles from Groveton NH if you want to do some shopping. Hiking in the fall is fantastic.

Beautiful campground! We always bring a canoe and spend lots of time on the lake. I have only ever camped with a tent here, but that isn't a problem since they have a great bath house. Plenty of bathroom facilities and hot showers! Make sure you bring some quarters though! This has always had a great family atmosphere.

Please consider that we have gone here 4 times over a 12 year period. So there is some nostalgia involved here. This is a really beautiful place to camp. The lake is lovely, the campsites are well maintained and the people are super nice. The camping is in 2 areas and both are nice places to stay. The B camping area is far from the main beach and far from the main office where there is firewood, ice & ice cream. But there is a great nature trail through the woods along the water from the B loop that ends at the small beach area or you can walk/drive along the dirt road to get to the main area. The B area has some great sites and it is built into a hill that leads down to the water. Boat rentals (canoe & row boat) are available from the main office - I forget the prices, about $20 for 4 hours I think. The best sites really are the ones that are on the water. This means that you have your own little private spot to jump into the lake. Families with very small children might consider this dangerous but for slightly older children, it is a constant source of entertainment. The bottom of the lake around the edge is mostly sandy so great for kids. The lake used to have very few houses around it but now it is highly populated and there are boats and fisherman and waterskiers, etc. The sites back from the water are still very nice and nicely wooded and well maintained. The bathrooms are decent and please know that the showers are PAY SHOWERS so bring that role of quarters with you! It is $0.50 cents for 10 minutes and you can keep adding money for a longer shower. The water was nice and hot and didn't run out. The showers/bathrooms were reasonably clean. Many of the sites have lean-to's. Be aware that if you want a site that has a lot of room for screen tents or whatever, some of the sites with lean-tos have very little room beyond the lean-to itself. There are some (Beech, Pine, Catalpa for example) but many of the lean-to sites have little room beyond the lean-to - enough room for a tent & hanging out but not a ton more. That's just my opinon from looking at them - never stayed on one. The bugs are what I would say are average. You'll want bug spray but that's enough to keep them away. We had one racoon invasion on our last night when we had left some spices out - oops. But it is really not bad at all compared to other places we have stayed. The loons at night are lovely as they call over the lake. You are permitted alcohol - just be reasonable they ask. Also, a major town with groceries and gas and liquor store and restaurants, etc. is about 20-25 mins. away. Another important point that could be good or bad depending on your perspective - NO CELL RECEPTION. Personally, we like the fact that we had to go into town to get cell reception and have email and internet, etc. It added to our vacation but some might not like this.Here is what is sad for me though - this used to be a place where they had tons of activities for the kids. The rangers got my kids involved in a "Junior Ranger Program" where they got a patch at the end of the week they were there. They learned all kinds of great things and helped the rangers around the park. They had nature talks down in the B area by the water. They had arts and crafts by the water and at night they had fires at the main beach with guitar and banjo players, etc. It was a super special place that we just loved. Oh - and my kids loved it when they drove around selling the ice cream at the sites! One day the rangers had a raffle where the prize was to be taken out on a boat early in the morning to go fishing & we won! The last 2 times that we went, there were none of these things. I don't know why exactly but no fires by the beach or sign of it (grass growing in the fire pit). No arts and crafts, nobody talked about or advertised the Junior Ranger program. It just wasn't the same. So I might have given this 5 stars - but we are sad that these things seem to be gone now. Maybe it is budget cuts but so much of those activities didn't cost much - it was just their enthusiasm. My kids still have the dream catchers they made from sticks they found and string. Heck, if it was about money, I would have paid $5 for my kids to make something. Perhaps they just don't have the staff.So overall, this is a lovely low key place to camp and enjoy nature. Many people bring boats & lots of people fish. There are a few nice hikes around. Island Pond is another lovely little town nearby to visit with concerts on Friday nights by the water. You can enjoy camping here for people who enjoy nature and being low key!

On est allé campé dans ce beau parc du bout du monde avec beaucoup de plaisir! Si aime la nature sauvage et qu'on fait de bonnes provisions avant, c'est la place!