Half Moon State Park
Half Moon State Park
4.5

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.


4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles44 reviews
Excellent
31
Very good
11
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
1

KampingKitteh
Amherst, Massachusetts, United States16 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2020 • Couples
My partner and I had a wonderful trip here. The park is clean, well maintained, and peaceful/quiet. The bathrooms were also very clean. My partner had to pay for his showers with quarters, but I never had to pay for the one in the women’s room (not sure why!). The staff was really friendly and helpful, and you can purchase affordable wood at the front station that burns really well. The pond is on the smaller side but beautiful, and there’s a nice path to walk around parts of the pond. On a clear night, we paddled out to see the milky way stretching out directly above us; It was incredible. There’s a lot to do in the area, and I would definitely return here.
Written September 14, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CottageSpirit
NY107 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Family
Like other reviewers, we really loved our stay at this park. Lots of wildlife, extremely clean bathrooms, nice private sites, lovely pond, and family atmosphere. We stayed at the Ilex lean-to and it was perfect - right on the pond, surrounded by lots of trees and brush, and no neighboring sites on either side.

Some info that might be helpful in making a reservation:
1. The left (beach) side of the park seemed to be noticeably noisier than the right side. It's good for being close to the beach, but if you're looking for more quiet and space, you'll probably prefer the right side (the side that has the lean-tos, cabins, and boats).
2. The sites next to the beach area are nice in that they are right on the water, but they are LOUD. The sound just carries through those nearby sites.
3. My favorite sites on the beach side were 4, 6, and 28 (with 28 being the very favorite). Sites 9 and 12 would be nice if reserved together, as would be 16 and 17. Site 29 is beautiful and huge and on the water but is kind-of connected to 30. Would be good if reserved in conjunction with 30 or if the connection between the two isn't a concern for you. 15 isn't on the water but is roomy and private. 35 isn't on the water but is roomy and pretty private.
4. On the beach side, I would suggest avoiding sites 32, 33, 34, and 24 in particular.
5. On the other side, the first group of lean-tos (Aspen, Birch, Cherry, and Elm) have some views of the water but are up high away from it on a pretty steep bank.
6. Ginkgo doesn't have a view of the water but might be appealing for some families as there is a (short) trail from it up to the recreation area (playground, basketball hoop, horseshoes, volleyball net).
7. Hazel is nice but has no view of the water and you probably wouldn't even be aware the water was there.
8. Again, we were at Ilex, and it was fabulous.
9. The campsites 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, and 44 look on the map like they might well be terrible and right next to each other in some sort of cleared area, but they're not. The area is totally filled with trees and brush, and I don't think you can see any of the sites from each other. Across the road, 40 has a little trail to the water; the people staying there kept their kayaks right there on the water's edge.
10. 48 and 50 are great pond-side sites and are nice and big. Not necessarily as private as one might hope, but probably my top tenting sites on this side.
11. 47 is set up on a little hill, large, and quite private. There are 4 big steps leading from the road up to the actual site, so you may want to consider that.
12. My favorite cabins were Butterfly and Caterpillar; can't decide which is my top choice. Butterfly's "yard" is smaller but it has an open woodsy area next door to play in. Caterpillar has a larger area right around it.

The campground sells ice, firewood, and some ice cream snacks and beverages. They rent kayaks, canoes, paddle boats, and a row boat. Almost unbelievably, they also have balls, horseshoes, and a couple of lawn games you can check out to use for free.

The short hikes around the pond and up to High Pond are both lovely. High Pond is totally serene and beautiful with lots of birds. Mosquitoes and deer flies were terrible on the trail, though, so make sure you have your insect repellent.

We also traveled less than an hour to Wallingford to hike to the White Rocks Cliff and the Ice Beds. Both trails start from the same trailhead and are delightful hikes with some pretty awesome views. I guess the combination of the two is ~5 miles and ~1,600 ft elevation change, but there's nothing difficult about either trail.

One slight downside is that because the body of water isn't particularly large and there are sites on both sides of it, the sound travels across it. Also, while the weekday nights were very quiet, on Friday night people were being quite loud after quiet hours. They have signs posted encouraging people to call at night if there are any issues and to not wait until the morning. From my sleeping bag, I tried calling to ask them to do a drive-around, but the office was closed for the evening and no other number to call was provided, so I'm not sure how useful it is to advise people to call when they won't be able to get a hold of anyone.
Written July 28, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

countrytravelers15
Lenox, MA92 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2014 • Couples
We decided to stay here based off of the reviews we had read. We were not disappointed. We ended up arriving right at 6pm when the office should close, but the gentleman there showed us which sites were available (since we did not have a reservation) and told us to drive around and see which one we liked. He was very helpful and he stayed late just for us. We ended up taking site 11 which was not waterfront but we still had a great view of the water. The site was raised up from the waterfront sites. Our site was huge, we could have easily fit 3-4 tents and 3 cars there and still had room. Most sites were not this big but most of them were still very roomy. They even rake every site after people leave so the sites are very clean and fresh when you arrive. Some of the waterfront sites are more private than others. Sites 6, 13, 14, 25, 29 were the most private. 25 is next to the beach though. Aspen was a great lean-to site.
There are 3 sets of bathrooms at this park. Two of them are updated and very nice. They have a laminate floor not the concrete you usually see in state park bathrooms. They were also very clean. The bathroom between the Elm and Hazel lean-to is the one that is not updated. The bathrooms by the cottages have 2 showers that are next the the bathrooms but not in the bathrooms. We found this is very nice if you have kids because they are more private then the ones in the bathrooms.
They sell ice here which is always a plus ($2 for 5 pounds, $3 for 10 pound block) and the firewood was $5 a bundle (it was a little green but you can find enough sticks around the park to get a fire going and then put the greener stuff on). There were a few trails around the park which are nice and easy to walk. The campground itself is a nice place just to walk around every day. You can also rent canoes and kayaks ($20 half day, $35 full day) If you have a waterfront site you can kayak right from your sites which is very nice. The beach area is small but nice. There is a decent size swimming area that is weed free. There are Lilly's growing in the pond, they are scattered around which makes for a very pretty pond.
We drove down the road to Glen Lake one day and walked park of the trail there. The lake is beautiful! There was hardly anyone on the lake and there are only a few houses on the lake. We found a very nice little beach area off part of the trail and could not help but take a little dip in the very clean clear lake. We just sat there and enjoyed the views of the mountains around the lake and the peace and quiet.
The campground is a very nice place. It is a family campground so expect to see kids riding their bikes around. When we were there most people were in bed by 9:30pm which we thought was early. By 10pm it is completely quiet. There also were not many early risers. Usually it did not get noisy until 8:30 or 9am, even then it was not that bad compared to many campgrounds. Our only negative thing here was we had some campers down a few sites from us with 4 older teens and one of the girls was crying so loud one night. We thought it was weird being 16ish and crying that loud when it was quiet. We found out that the teens really did not want to be on vacation with their parents, ha!! We will be back to this campground soon. You can't beat the kindness of the staff and the quality of this campground. There is also no day use so it is just the campers at this park so it never gets crowded.
Written August 21, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mary T
23 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
We love to tent in Vermont State Parks. Half Moon pond is a beautiful small lake perfect for kayaks. The campground surrounds the pond. Our site was flat and secluded, we put up 2 tents and a screen room. The bathroom near our site had recently been redone and was very clean. We were only a short drive to Lake Bomoseen, a much bigger lake and larger swimming area. Btw free admission to other VT State parks when you are staying at a different park. We loved it.
Written September 12, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Maus10Wardsboro
Wardsboro82 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2011
We stayed at 'Half Moon Pond" over the weekend. It was our familys first camping experience and it was a success. The campground was in the middle of nowhere but that is what made it a true camping experience. The staff was so helpfull and recommended some family friendly hiking trails which led to a georgous lake. The firewood was very dry and very reasonably priced. The sites were clean and not so close together that you feel your on top of the next site. The bathrooms and showers were a ten! They have lots of bathroom areas, we never found ourselves waiting for a bathroom or shower. They have lots of water areas so you never have to walk far for water.
We had a very relaxing family time and cannot wait to go again, BUT if you want a prime campsite on the water you have to make your reservations very early!
Written June 22, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

zalovestrips
Pennsylvania93 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2010 • Friends
We stayed at this park last year for several days for July 4th and we were extremely surprised at how beautiful this park is! The sites/bathroom/roads are very well maintained and the park staff are incredibly friendly! The sites are all large and several are waterfront. Sites surround the small lake, with a cottage for rent and a few cabins. Definitely bring canoe or kyak for fishing. We have booked to stay for an entire week this August. The location of the park makes you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere. so nice and quiet at night. Small swimming beach on the pond; and a playground for the kids. Roads are paved throughout the campgrounds, so bring your bycycles.
Camp office sells small bundles of firewood and bags of ice. The closest large supermarket is about 30 mins away, so make sure you have all the necesssities. There is a small general store within 15 minutes of campgrounds, but they only stock basics such as milk; eggs; bacon; coffee; sandwiches; ice cream limited camping supplies. 10 minutes drive from campground gets you to the gigantic Bomoseen Lake, for those motorboaters!
We cannot wait for our next visit in two months!
Written June 13, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tammy W
Wisconsin21 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2015 • Family
This was our first visit to Vermont. The state itself is so beautiful! My oldest son has been coming here for the last three years with his family and this year they invited us along He lives in New York and my Husband, me and younger son live in Wisconsin. There is no electricity at this campground and about 52 tent/RV sites. We were on site 28 right on the water. The kids would fish everyday and caught huge bluegill. We didn't have any night crawlers so we were fishing with corn and lunch meat, but the fish seemed to like it. They have Canoe's, kayak's, row boats and pedal boats for rent. The campground is deep in the woods and the road that leads to the campground is very long. This is camping at its best. We will definitely camp here again. I should also mention the staff teats you like family.
Written August 23, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Salimando
Glastonbury, CT55 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2015 • Family
I hesitate to write this review and tell the world about this wonderful little gem....But you deserve to enjoy it too! We also decided to stay here based off the reviews online. What a wonderful weekend. The ranger was so friendly and helpful upon arrival. Our site, #10, was right across from the pond. The sites are lightly wooded. You can see your neighbors, so don't expect complete privacy, but it is still quite private. The sites were good sized. We had an 8 person tent plus a canopy over the picnic table, and we were not bumping into each other. You are able to rent canoes and kayaks or pedalboats, for a reasonable fee. To get around the pond/grounds, you can easily walk, but we were happy we had our bikes with us. It's about a mile around (you can't quite get all the way around the pond by bike). The speed limit is 15mph and very strictly enforced,making it a very safe place for kids to ride bikes. Quiet hours started around 10 or 11, and it was great for our family. The ranger's office has everything you could need in a pinch- wood, fire starters, ice and even games, ice cream and soda for an afternoon treat. The beach area is pretty rocky, but the water is clear and the beach well kept. It was a nice place for a swim. This park was very dog friendly and the owners were good about leashes and cleaning up. The bathrooms were very well maintained and super clean- thank goodness. I have seen some pretty gross camp bathrooms. We can't wait to go back and we wished we could have stayed longer. Nice job Vermont!!
Written June 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Richard J
Cambridge, MA2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2012 • Family
Pros
1) Very scenic. Lake, fog etc.
2) Ground condition is excellent and well groomed. Firewood available to buy on-site
3) Hot shower available at 10c/min
4) Clean bathroom
5) Boat rental available and cheap (<$10/hr or $20+ all day)
6) Beach for swimming. Not cold at the end of August.
7) Few mosquitoes or flies. Still plenty of fireflies at night.
8) Dumpster available
9) There are many ponds and lakes around for swimming.

Cons
1) Water is not very clear, but OK for swimming. A lot of lotus.
2) Lack a longer trail. The pond is quite small for serious hiking, but trails are well maintained.

Overall, highly recommended. Ideal for staying with kids.
Written September 4, 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

sheriberi511
Manahawkin, NJ91 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2011
Great secluded campground. Well maintained, bathrooms extremely clean! Staff very friendly and helpful. sites were great, and very level.
We rented peddle boats and kayaks, (you can also rent canoes). had a great time with them on the lake. Not much cell phone service there, but camping is supposed to take you away from all of that anyway!
Written August 31, 2011
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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