Tag Archives: Winhall Brook Campground

Winhall Brook Campground

On our first night at Winhall Brook Campground, a crisp fall temperature taxed our puny electric heater so we cranked up the radiant heater in the early morning to take off the chill. Penny loves it; she curls up right in front of the heater, toasting herself.

After a morning walk ( Broadwing Hawk and Winter Wren best birds), I sat in the sun outside the welcome center checking emails and blogs.

This is the water/electric loop. We are at S19 which is nice. The units are closer together than many of the no-hookup sites.

There was a lot of turnover in the loop today with three big rigs showing up. Foliage season is starting to attract many visitors. The colors are improving each day.

We took a mid-day drive a few miles up to the local cemetery where my Dad and Mom, and both my Pearson grandparents are buried. It is a beautiful site with a view of Glebe Mountain and a number of maples starting to show brilliant orange and red. Mary and I weeded and cleaned up around the gravestone – it was a good visit. Many of my aunts and uncles are buried there as well.

After fueling the truck in Londonderry, we bought a Vermont Apple pie and some local ice cream for supper.

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This place has been in business for 20 years and while a tourist attraction, makes a mean apple pie.

Last night, we had a delightful young couple from North Carolina over for dinner. It was simple: salad, spaghetti with meat sauce, bread, apple pie and ice cream. We never socialize but this was fun: they are tent-camping for three weeks around the Northeast and in the midst of car problems so this was a nice break for them.

I checked out the north loop this morning (Red-eyed Vireo, Gray Catbirds) which was empty. There are some excellent lean-to sites along the brook and the West River. I wasn’t impressed by any of the RV sites although some looked fine. There are no hookups on the North loop but a clean restroom, nice playground, and an attractive pavilion.

The West River looking south. Winhall Brook enters from the right. Water levels are low.

We have showers in the forecast today and serious weather system hitting later on. At first, we planned to  just hunker down and read – and be glad that we are not tent-camping in the wet. Been there, done that.

Taking a closer look at the forecast once we found 4G coverage, we decided to hook up and headed home early rather than slog home tomorrow in heavy rain. We’ll definitely be back.

An Early Fall Road Trip

After several weeks of repairing a rotted area of the front entry to our house, with the wonderful help and guidance of my brother Barry, I decided that a change of scenery might be nice. I had been wanting to check out a campground in southern Vermont so when Mary said that she was all for a getaway, and I checked availability, we were reserved for three nights at Winhall Brook Campground in South Londonderry.

This is our first experience with Corps of Engineers sites so it was great, if unusual for federal areas, to find that they had a section with water and electric hookups, which given the nighttime temperatures in the forties, were important to us.

The Airstream had been sitting down under the pines for a month so I moved it up to the house, removed some road dust outside and cobwebs inside, and then began the process of restocking it for the trip.

The trip down Sunday was easy – a beautiful Vermont day with light traffic. We picked up Route 100, Vermont’s ski highway which runs through the heart of the state, and saw dozens of motorcyclists and many a cyclist out for a Sunday ride. The meandering road and scenery is fun, even while hauling a trailer.

No one was at the campground’s welcome center so we headed out to our site, having pre-registered. I was concerned about the narrow bridge we’d have to cross (limited to vehicle 42′ or shorter – our truck and trailer is 45′) but it we had no problems. It was tight and I tucked in my mirrors.

We met the host, found our level spot in amongst the trees, and set up with ease. The power is strong, the water tastes, great, and the neighbors our quiet.

There is no cell coverage but the office has a good wifi signal. After a good night, we have warmed up the trailer and Penny and I are heading out for a chilly bird walk.

Put this campground on your “to-do” list. Did I mention that with the interagency pass that it’s only $13 per night? Best deal we’ve seen in years – for one of the best campgrounds we’ve visited. What’s not to like?