Way up in Vermont’s “Northeast Kingdom” is one of the state’s newest campgrounds, Sugar Ridge RV Village and Campground. We had the opportunity to stay here for a few days last summer just to check it out. Several of our friends had stayed there and recommended Sugar Ridge to us.
We packed up on a Friday night to head up early Saturday morning. The ride up I-91 along the Connecticut River is absolutely beautiful. I-91 runs along the Vermont’s side on the Connecticut River with views of both Vermont’s Green and New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Once we got to St. Johnsbury, the campground was about 5 miles west on US Route 2.
Sugar Ridge RV Village is just off US Route 2 in an incredibly scenic area. The campground itself is on a hilly 68 acre parcel of White Pines and Sugar Maple trees. When you first enter you’ll see the main building, a large log cabin office and craft shop. Spend some time here after you set up camp. The shop features Vermont crafts at reasonable prices. There’s also a limited selection of groceries and camping supplies.
The campground has 111 sites, some with full hook-up (30/50 amps) including cable TV and telephone. As I mentioned, the property is quite hilly and many of the sites are along fairly steep grades, but still easily navigable with our 36′ Class A motorhome. It’s not unusual for your site to look over to top of the next site’s RV roof. But it also makes for some great views of the campground or the surrounding countryside.
Interior roads and individual sites are gravel but well maintained. Campsites are comfortably large and semi-private. Each site has a picnic table and campfire pit. The entire property is very well maintained and nicely landscaped. The restroom buildings (there are two) are very clean and the hot showers are FREE!
For the kids (and adults) there’s a large heated pool, excellent playground (complete swings, slides, a fort, pirate ship and bigfoot truck) with plenty of room. There is a great little 18 hole mini-golf course on site with lush landscaping, mountain streams, foot bridges and mill wheels throughout.
Sugar Ridge has a schedule of organized events during the summer months… even wagon rides pulled by award-winning Belgian horses!
A small fishing pond is located on the property and paddleboats are available too. Tennis, basketball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, vollyball, a game room and a fairly extensive network of hiking and biking trails round out the amenities.
The area has several attractions, if you care to venture away from the park. Highlights include Maple Grove Farms (one of the world’s largest producers of pure maple syrup and candy), Cabot Creamery (famous cheese and dairy products), The Fairbanks Museum and various attractions in New Hampshire’s White Mountains.
Sugar Ridge RV Village and Campground has Woodall’s 5 diamond rating and Trailer Life’s 9/9.5/10. Excellent marks and well deserved!
Hi do you allow tents there to? I believe I’ve been here once before. You have to pools one is heated and the other not right? Please get back to me thanks from Lori
I absolutely concur with this review. We stayed a week at Sugar Ridge last fall and found the facility and the owners to be great.
If one has the time this is a great place to venture further on day trips. If you have not enjoyed the spectacular scenery of Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom you are missing one of New England’s gems. A drive north to Newport where you can picnic at the lakeside city park looking into Canada is worth the trip. A little further northeast takes you to Derby Line where you can see the only library and opera house that straddles the Canadian border.
If you are lucky enough to be around when there is a performance in the upstairs theater the audience sits in the United States and the stage is in Canada.