Reviews of Kettletown State Park (Park)

Jessica Knapp

Stayed for a week (including fourth of July weekend) and we really liked it. Beautiful campsites with easy to access hiking trails. A short walk down the road takes you to the creek which has some very nice little waterfalls. The park sets rules and enforces them pretty well as a family was kicked out after having a few noisy arguments. The park staff is friendly. Swimming was closed at the lake but we saw a few people swimming anyways. The bathrooms were pretty clean and had hot showers. Nice park, we would stay here again.

Abe Deshotel

This is a great park for hiking. There's a nice short boardwalk through the woods as well. There's a great swimming area and you can hike along a stream with a few small pools. There aren't a lot of picnic tables available, but even on the busiest holidays we've been able to secure seating. One of the biggest upsides to this park is it's proximity to Rich Farm Ice Cream.

Ismael Vargas

Excellent camping place nice trails and the lake is fun for the kids

Ethan Cizauskas

Beatiful

Fubar Garage

Awesome chill spot!!! Bring the fam and pets with a leash and grandma,is gonna be a good day

Adarsh Guler

A great place for a family weekend getaway

Nicole Marion-Harding

Great scenery quiet with a God swimming area. Dog friendly and free in the week.

linda cray

Water was full of algae! No lifeguard!! I grew up in Southbury and we had the occasional motor oil from the boaters come to shore, but now it is unswimmable. What happened to Lake Zoar???

Jon Buonincontra

Basic accommodations unless you want the cabins, then your really not camping are you?

Fred astaire

Nice park. Was not crowded. Small swimming area. Lots of picnic spots and shade

Chris H

Spent 4 nights here with with my wife's family. We rented 3 of the 4 cabins down near the river. We took walks, rode bikes, and really just sat around talking. Staff was on the ball and very knowledgeable about the park and the wild life. I would recommend this place to friends.

rockshell pires

Great trails, great waterfalls

Nicholas Salmeri

Great fishing here caught so many

Julion P

Great place for a hike or trail running. Or just sitting by the water front.

Anthony Rocks

Huge park thats never crowded, plenty of parking including handicapped spaces and restrooms. Located in the beautiful, safe, quintessential New England town of southbury. Exit 15 off interstate 84 ; about five miles from the exit, just follow the signs. Boating, fishing, swimming or hiking is permitted here, great for picking as well.

Gabrielle Williams

Very pretty

Lee Gibbs

It's beautiful there we had the camp area to our selves for must of the day. the lake/ river was huge sadly fishing were not allowed when we got there but they let us know ahead of time bacteria levels were too high. If we had a boat it would have been amazing to explore the river. The hiking was intense the small trail is best lol.

Artur Kozlowski

Really nice park. Have not camped here yet. But i enjoyed the visit

Steward Cedillo

You cant swim in the "beach" be uase of how dirty it is. I didnt go fishing, but those who did didnt catch much. The camping was nice, and there are bathrooms and showers nearby. If you do want to swim, you can always walk along the river and find a good spot, but there are pointy rocks so be careful

Tiana Ocasio

Amazing trails. We did Miller Trail Great park!

Antione Dennis

Went geocaching here. Going back camping I my backyard

REM Anon

The lovely forest scenery and lake seemed very promising driving into this state park, however, the camping experience was disappointing. We might as well have pitched our tent in a suburban backyard. The "campground" was just an open mowed lawn - no shrubs or trees to separate spaces. The camp sites - if you could even call them that - were so tightly packed they could only seem spacious to a Manhattanite.

Younes Akrouch

Very nice park. Good river for kayaking , cabins are clean and new

M Z

Great place to walk

S S

Hiking trails, small lake (pond) with limited swimming (wading), tables and some grills. Parking is quite a distance from the water and trails. This is not a great park if you have mobility issues because you wont see much of anything without walking a good deal, up a nd down hills. I'm not why the state charges visitors as it offers very little in sights, facilities and activities.

Irving Pena

Totally overpriced. No amenities. No shops. Unfriendly staff. Too far for that.

David Pickering

Great park. If like tent camping. This is the place. Fishing boating camp fire peaceful. Trails lake beach. Have fun.

John Masse

There are a couple of nice trails that run into the woods we explored. Very easy, safe hiking and camping.

Lew Hale

Great family campground alcohol free

JOYCE CLEMONS

Nice campsites. GOOD PRICE. Beautiful Woodlands. Water quality in beach poor so they shut down swimming. Fishing is allowed with proper Connecticut license. Friendly staff.

Tina Leeney

Had a great time camping with my family. Nice well marked trails, clean bathrooms, campsites are spacious and the whole park is well kept. Definitely going back!

Morgan Chapin

Great hiking trails but don't forget your bug spray. We took our Labrador with us and she just loved it even found a flowing stream to play in.

Steve

Kettletown has a good mix of easy to moderate trails ranging from 30 minutes to 1.5 hours to do. Impressive views of the lake from high points. Trails are relatively short but the pomperaug trail is rigorous despite its two mile length.

Clasate McDonald

Amazing camping grounds and awesome weekend!!!

Edward Murphy

Great 2.5 mile loop trail for a quick hike. Go clockwise to get your heart rate up quickly. Ridge trail connects to Jackson Cove Park in Oxford. Check for trail run events.

pavlo guleychuk

Very nice.love this place.

Irene Soto

Love that place

Anthony Tucciarone

Great views and great for camping as long as you don't have any loud groups nearby. The Rangers will talk to them during quiet hours though, so all in all terrific place

TrapCoffee Coldbrew

great place to hike or bring the kids to swim

Rebecca Shank

Rustic camping, spacious sites, and a true experience with nature. Perfect for families!

Carlos Gomez

Haven't been there

Kira Peg

:( Heavily patrolled. You might as well camp out in a wooded police station parking lot. It's fine to say certain things are not permitted but there are literally patrols from both park rangers and police every 10-20 minutes, staring you down as you try to cook some burgers. Very strange experience. We camp all over CT and surrounding states. Have never experienced anything like that. We followed all the rules and were very quiet. Just a young couple trying to enjoy the great outdoors.

Rosanne Cross

Spent five days camping here love it but have to say the bathrooms need an up dating very gross I know there are bugs but they can clean it a hundred percent better than they do shower is gross but the camp grounds r very nice just bring your own portable shower and bathroom lol

Bo Zhang

Quiet and good lake

Sharron Yafai

Been camping here for years. It used to be beautiful. The beach has been unswimable for a while now due to algae and high bacteria levels. We booked two nights but sadly we only stayed one. Very hot and boring. I have to mention the hot water in the bathroom was working great and the grounds were clean and beautiful.

Tinderbox Circus Sideshow

We camped for one night with two tents in one site. $30 for the night. The showers don't really get hot, so prepare for a brisk shower! Otherwise, the land is beautiful and we viewed a lot of wildlife around the campsite! :D

Andrew Morrison

Tent camped for 2 nights In July 2016. Campground is in a very nice setting, however, nearest public restroom to our site for men /boys had only one shower and was disgustingly clogged full of hair and overflowing. The public beach had a major algae problem that year.

troy leo

It is nice and peaceful

Tom Keaney

It's a nice looking place, but there's nothing on their website saying they don't allow camping after labor day, so I was very disappointed.

Dima Habenko

Great park for waking dogs in the winter months. No visitors due to location outside of any urban areas. Lots of paved roads that are routinely plowed. Easy access to the water for boating or just for fun. Plenty of parking space too.

Lawrence A

Mostly a campground. No much for forest trails. Some trails are closed. Lots of space for camping though.

OhSnap ItsMeL

This is a review for campgrounds as well as state park. I enjoy Kettletown as there is swimming, boating, hiking and fishing, and it is well kept. Unfortunately the water is too yucky for me- skeevy to say the least but the kids enjoy. The moment is gave up was when there was a dead fish floating in the swim area and it was rather large. Yuck. But it's a lake. The campground is small but nice, and there isn't much for tree coverage and privacy so it doesn't really feel like camping. There is a $50 cash or check refundable deposit on cabin. The cabins are cute as hec! I loved staying in cabin. Very hot so bring a fan or 2, and there is electricity. The drinking water is not refreshing looking at all....

Jack B

One of the better accessible campgrounds in western CT. I chose to camp Friday of memorial day weekend and most of the people who stayed here were great. There was only one louder group of younger guys who were playing loud music too late but I'm sure if I had chosen another weekend it wouldn't have been an issue. The trails into Mattatuck state forest were very nice and the scenery beautiful. The showers also had hot water :-)

EVB Danbury

Great place to spend a day or spend the night.

Michael Colon

Good place to walk.

Robert Adams

Pretty good sized park with a few miles of hiking trails. There are some spots over looking the water with some nice views. My favorite was the brook trail near the middle of the Park which followed the brook and allowed you to get relatively close to the water in some areas allowing for some fantastic sites along the way.

Christopher Fernandes

Small park but nice place to chilax

Jeff O'Connor

Good trails, nice camp sites. We'll be getting back very soon. Get a good hiking app with trail maps and you're golden!

Dr. David Powers

Love this place. Take mosquito spray!

Joseph Varghese

Nice little package. Hiking grilling and a small lake beach all in one place

Sharon Bodine

This is where God told me to embrace my pain. So I returned to the place that has created more pain within my heart n soul than any other place I've encountered. Now I'm ready for the comedy stage

Lil Momma

Beautiful the leaves were at peak colour.

Robert LaPierre

Primitive camping for solid campers...bring your lanterns and batteries..get ready to unplug and reset! Lovely place and access to the river, showers and freshwater available..

Ahmed Elomari

A great place to visit

J Parker

This park is a gem! Lots of space and features because of the proximity to Lake Zoar/The Housatonic River, creeks, and even a “beach.” The hiking trails are not all the easiest but that makes for the appeal of this park. You can really feel like you’re out away from the nearby towns and cities very quickly. There’s even trout in the creek and smallmouth bass out in the Lake.

Michael Keech

Fun place love the waterfalls don't go in the winter my wife fell and almost killed herself

Yu Zhang

Great place for family camping. The visitor center staffs were very helpful.

Geoffrey Jacobs

Decent hike. Beautiful water. Would like to learn more about the cabins that look like can be rented out.

peter scherer

Wonderful state park. Little disappointed in the presence of wake boats blasting music across the water like it's a concert.... Maybe I'm getting old but when I'm out on the water I want to hear nature around me, not the BeeGees at top volume followed by a wake that threatens to swamp anything smaller than a cruise ship.

jay a

Terrible beach !! The beach area was small and the water had a large black oil slick along the beach water line and smelled terrible. I am sure that the water quality would not have passed the health standards if tested. Not Recommended at all !

Anthony Jan

Nice place to camp and hike, stayed here for a Geocaching event.

Michael Jelacic

I went fishing here with my family when I was a youngster and I remember it being just awesome. I will save and visit here again finally and hopefully some good trout fishing.

Diego Murcia

Great park for hiking. Moderate difficulty with a few nice overlooks.

Elizabeth Borkowski

Had a great family camping trip!

Lisa Michele

Beautiful, quiet park makes you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere.

Nestor Rivera

So nice and relaxing.another world..how life is so good when in kettletown

FRANCE76__ _

Family Favourite since the 1970's. Always had a fun time here as a kid. Camping is fun with unisex facilities. Highly recommended

Hector Lopez

Almost got eating by a beard twice best experience ever 10/10

Alan Commendatore

Camping

Ken Condon

Is a beautiful place that unfortunately has grown in popularity and thus become a magnet for litter especially broken glass. Would not recommend you go swimming.

Mykhailo Ivanchuk

Lots of firewood. Campsites are properly spaced so you feel private.

Scott Hennessey

Beautiful site on the water, but alcohol not allowed :(

Ryan Munden

Beautiful state park. Right on Lake Zoar. Peaceful. Love the walk along the river. Good marked trails. Large Group and small campsites.

Russell Magidson

Beautiful, clean bathroom and shower. Great condition park.

Zach Burkhart

I go camping here all the time and it's beautiful. Lot #8 is the best, 4 and 5 are good as well

Anthony Jospeh Bucherati Buch

Great place

Cassady Clark

Nice park, clean.

Nike Williams

I love the hike although dogs will run off ALOT they love it and so will you I hope

Hawley Smith

Nice little Park that is convenient to my hometown quiet and peaceful

Liz Van Duyne

Beautiful water and hiking trails. Restrooms, beach and camping. Lots of wildlife to observe!

Deborah Samilenko

The State of CT DEEP did a great job cleaning up from the tornadic devastation from May 2018 to make the trails safe to hike again!

Michael Thompson

I am writing this review in reference to the camping site/experience only. First: You can only make reservations for State Parks through a website now. The website isn't bad, but there are so many restrictions that make the camping experience less enjoyable/confusing. I was trying to make a reservation for a large church group, but could only reserve one plot of land at a time. Each plot's capacity is six people with three tents. We had an estimate of twelve people coming. I had to make another separate reservation with another name to make it work. Second: The Campsite is not in the woods, the plots are too close to other camp sites, and some of the camp sites are on an extremely awkward slope. Third: This camp site is very popular, and there was a lot of activity late into the night prohibiting our campers from sleeping. Around 12:30am we made a noise complaint to the State Park, but there was no one available to come due to budget cuts from the State. The noisy campers finally stopped their activity around 3:00am. The bathrooms were in working order which is nice, and there is one shower on the male and female side. There is also two large dumpsters for camper's use, so all the trash can be nicely consolidated.

Michael Autero

Finally had the chance to visit Kettletown, after many years of wanting to. It is a beautiful park with scenic views of the Housatonic and Pomperaug Valley. The hiking was adventurous & scenic, especially when you arrive to the outcropping overlooking Lake Zoar.

Naomi Purnell

Nice little campground. Trails were decent but seemed like people don't use them that much. Would have liked a trail that goes closer to the lake.

The Merciless Sun God

I went camping here it is amazing! Even though you can't swim in the lake, there is a cold but clear pond in the creek.

Erin Sward

Camped here as a kid, LOVED IT

chris jack

The hike was intense, will return

Kevin Doyle

I used the trail that runs along the falls.Just the right amount of falling water hopefully to capture nice images. Surprised to see how much damage last springs macroburst did. The park is a nice quiet place to get away from the monotony of daily life.

Calvin M

Simple park, has a few good spots to have a picnic; with fire pit, grills and picnic tables. The lake was very low so it didn't look the greatest...

Jeremy Law

Great family campground. Good facilities and hiking nearby. Only complaint is that there isn't much privacy between campsites.

Dan Bolduc

Boyscout Troop 258 enjoying a perfect day on the lake

Teresa

Great place to take a hike

stratos175 Escape

I stayed here for 3 nights and had most of the place to myself. First Connecticut certainly does not want out of state people staying at their campgrounds non resident pays 60% more then resident and all you get here is a patch of grass with picnic table and fire pit. No water or electric at site. You want any privacy you will not get it here nothing really separates one site from the next plus have to say they don't seem to clean up sites after someone leaves. I saw many fire pits filled with cans and trash and again I was the only one there and the park has only been opened two weeks for camping. The rangers on staff were very nice and the park itself had some great hiking trail and was a really pretty area. The bathrooms again clean but not, the one in upper loop is way nicer but they don't bother to clean out old soap left behind by others. Location is good if you want a inexpensive way to be somewhat close to NY but as a destination this place would not be on my list.

Ronald Zimmerman

This is a great place to go fishing and hiking they have cabins that you can rent for I stay that are absolutely beautiful the staff is amazing they're extremely friendly and helpful

Zachary Mankowitz

Very nice place for biking, walking, camping (with permission). Nice and scenic

John Iannotta

Good time

Seth

Kettletown State Park was a fun experience. The park has a few trails, and this review is of the brook trail. The trail was a medium difficulty, especially since this day the ground was wet and the trail is covered in rocks. The trail runs right next to a brook, and the drop off is quite steep so watch your footing. The brook trail brings you to a fork, and you can either walk to the beachhead area or go down the boardwalk to follow the water out a bit. Overall I really enjoyed this park.

Tom Johnson-Medland

Nice multi use campground and park. Renting, cabins, picnicking, group camping, hiking, boat entrance (canoes, kayaks, rowboats), fishing and swimming. Day use area and overnight area. Beautiful knolls and hollers.

P. ROJAS

This is a very nice place to visit for weekend camping with family and friends. The staff is friendly, but very strict with camping rules. Bathrooms need some ungrading. Children enjoy very much fishing and hiking (short easy trails).

Jonathan Daly

Too many drunk idiots on boats and the beach is still closed after last year's algae bloom (?). The fishing was very lackluster. If DEEP steps up their game with Ol' Kettletown park then this review becomes a 5 star. But until then I remain fishless and disappointed.

Paul Harris

Great hiking trails. Running water for campsites. Shower facilities for the light camper. Lake Zoar for canoes and kayaks. Much more!

Josh Bleggi

I love hiking

STEPHEN HENSHAW

Great State Park. In season there is swimming and during the week excluding the weekend parking is free!

Gloria Ramirez

Love this place

Petro Dovbak

Rude personal. Will kick you out if it's time to leave and you are still packing . Will never come back here.

Kristie Ying

Nice trails

LOU OJEDA

Beautiful Park!! Loved the Ride up

Sakthivel Sadhasivam

Peaceful and good place...

Zachary Terbeek

No pets allowed at campground.

Avinash Singh

Excellent place for a family. You can enjoy the trails and have quiet time away from hustle and bustle.

Gabe Secula

Pretty quality place, one of the best priced camping grounds in that area of Ct and they accept walk-in campers. Not super spacious unfortunately. Would give a yeehaw to college kids or spur of the moment campers looking for a nice place.

TESOL Training International Cebu

Perfect place for family to have picnic. So quiet. Love the place.

Harrison Saunders

Ran trail run here. Good time.

Angelina Durazzo

Love this place!

Daniela Belli

It is a beautiful State Park. Restrooms and showers are clean and close by every camp site. We raccomended to everyone love Nature and quiet place.

Rose Baker

A very pretty place to hike during the winter months...a must see!

Paul Moore

a beautiful park lots of room for camping and a place to go for the day very clean and lots of shady spots