burton island

My family and some friends visited Burton Island on a weekday in August and we had a very nice time. We arrived by boat and had no problem docking in the marina. We had a picnic lunch at one of the picnic tables on the beach and the kids had a great time playing on the beach, splashing in the water and watching the ferry and other boats come in. The beach is more rock than sand and there are some plants in the water, but this didn't bother the kids one bit. There are nice and clean bathroom facilities close to the beach. We just stayed for the day, but it looked like a nice place to spend the night camping. Overall we had a very nice time, we will definitely go back.

This was our first trip to Vermont and I am so glad we decided to camp at Burton Island. It was a relaxing four days of living outside and cooking by the campfire. The park and surrounding area is absolutely beautiful. Everyone was friendly including the park staff. We had no troubles at all and only had a little rain on our last night there. We will definitely be back for a future stay.

Loved the uniqueness of no cars on the island... arrived on Friday at 1ish at Kill Kare park to ride the short 5 minute ferry ride to Burton (crosses 7 times a day, depending on weather/lake level, $4 per person each way, 3 yr & under free & additional $2 fee each way for a bicycle, canoe/kayak not allowed on ferry, pets with leash, & ferry fee doesn't include day use/camping fees)And the main reason why no excellent rating, one word - carts.We were lucky to arrive at Kill Kare park early, as only 3 small (2.5' by 2') Gardenway carts were near the loading dock area, 2 quite beaten up & 1 in good condition (2 others found after some search in nearby parking lot) - for loading our gear from car to ferry... my husband and I needed two carts to move our 2 person gear for 2 days, & note - staff will not let you roll cart into ferry for easier unload.Arrived at Burton island to grab carts to load gear, and found they were plastic dumping wheelbarrows, but much more plentiful in quantity than Kill Kare.Or, if you do not want to mess with hauling/carts, you can have the staff deliver gear from dock to campsite entrance for $10.Hot showers are available at quarter pricing, starting 5 minutes at $.50, 10 minutes at $1.00, & up.The swimming area is sandy & shallow, and has a small 5' by 5' dock to hangout on or jump off of... but rocky & a little grassy in the water - no sandy beaches on island & lots of mussel shells everywhere, so BE SURE to bring water shoes to swim/wade, otherwise your feet may be cut or hurt by shells or rocks - if you have sensitive feet.There are 5 official walking trails that are connected, so you can survey the island perimeter, but bikes only allowed on the Southern Tip trail (trail has a worm composting toilet near the southern tip end but no sink/hand sanitizer, so be sure to bring some with you) and also had a story walk from campground to southern tip - laminated pages of Dr Seuss' The Lorax, to help pass time in the longest, no view, mostly sunny path - picture attached.The return trip on Sunday morning's ferry was packed with families & lots of gear, so keep in mind for the return unloading trip - Kill Kare's cart amount was 2 small carts for 5-6 families... a bit stressful, to the point a group near us suggested pushing past us to get a cart to move their gear.But for those who are light packers and or are of the paddling type, there are 4 isolated campsites with rocky beach access near the southern tip off the trail. No showers/sinks/water faucet nearby, just worm composting toilet, but nice rustic private & spaced apart spots overlooking the lake.All in all, a unique place to camp, but be sure your items either have wheels or are easily portable if using ferry to transport gear.

Note that this is NOT based on last year. Last year, the campground was flooded & my reservation was canceled. I was very disappointed, but it wasn't their fault.I have gone to Burton Island every year (except 2011) to go camping. First thing, since it's an island, there are very few if any skunks, raccoons, etc to wake you up at night. All you have is the wind & the sound of the waves crashing on the shore. The only car allowed on the island is the park ranger's truck, and that is used for hauling big stuff. You'll see the staff cruise by occassionally on golf carts. Folks will walk by or ride their bikes by. Otherwise it's a quiet place.Hot showers are available for some amount of quarters, I forget how much. The store has a limited selection of beverages (including beer), fishing equipment, and camping supplies - all overpriced, but what did you expect? There is wifi at the check-in station and electricity there too. The playground has swings & a vollyball court. The swimming area is sandy & shallow. Swimming at your campsite is usually rocky and also shallow. There are some walking trails but they're not long since it's a small island.It does get buggy. Lean-tos are solid, try to get one that can see the water. Firewood is something like $4/armfull. Many lean-tos have charcoal grills as well.You must take a ferry to reach the island. It runs on a limited schedule so make sure you plan ahead.It is a small slice of paradise for me.

This is far and away my Family's Favorite camping spot. Only Assateague Island in MD comes close.My always stay at the Alder Lean-to. The site provides private lake access and a large grassy campsite. It easily accommodates a large screen room, a few tents and still has room for Bocce.We make an annual trip every summer and always enjoy the solitude and beauty. We bring the large load over on the Ferry and take full advantage of the equipment delivery service. Afterwards we go back main land to get the Kayaks and Fishing gear. We don’t care much for the beach near the marina so we hike out to the Southern point and eagle bay. It’s always a nice trip circumnavigating the island. We take the nature trail to Eagle Bay and continue to walk the shore line to the Southern point.

Burton Island is one of the best camping spots we have ever visited. One thing that makes it really unique is NO CARS. You must take a ferry, or bring your own boat to the island. Taking the ferry is convenient and simple. There is plenty of staff to help you load your supplies onto the boat. The Island has a small cafe and general store, in case you forget anything. Great little hiking trails on the Island. It's a great little adventure!