Campground Review: Independence Day Weekend at Lone Oak Campground in East Canaan, CT

Let me start off by saying this was one of the most difficult camping trips I have ever done, and it was little fault of Lone Oak campground. Overall we managed to have a good time, but the trip was one incident after another. On Thursday I packed up the kids (ages 3 and 15) and towed my pop-up camper north to Lone Oak Campground. As I was registering in the office, the rain started. By the time I got to my wooded site it was pouring rain. I set up everything in the rain while trying to keep a precocious 3-year old from getting soaked. After getting set up, it was time to eat. Luckily I had planned ahead and pre-cooked some ribs. All I had to do was heat them on the grill. As I started getting everything set up I noticed that our site had no picnic table. Ugh! We survived with the little table from the pop-up. After dinner the rain stopped. We were able to walk around the grounds and check out the playground. I stopped into the office and they took care of the missing picnic table. That night we were able to enjoy a nice campfire. In my haste to get into our site I somehow inadvertently ran over something that bent the frame to the camper stairs. My wife was joining the next day, so luckily I was able to call her and have her bring the tools I would need to repair the damage. We had a good night's sleep (although it rained hard during the night), but for some unknown reason, upon awaking the next morning the 15-year old decided to jump up in his bed. The impact shook the whole camper. This dislodged our propane stove, a secondary stove I had resting on the main stove, as well as a Coleman lantern I also had on the stove. All 3 pieces of equipment were broken. I was able to repair the lantern, but the damage to the two cooking devices left us only with a grill for cooking the rest of the weekend. Aaargh! There went our plans for a big breakfast on Saturday morning! Later that day the misfortune continued when I got my keys locked in my car. Needless to say, this trip was quickly turning into something out of a Chevy Chase Vacation movie. On Saturday we awoke to more rain. By this time our site had a significant patch of mud, but it was far enough out of the way that we could mostly avoid it. We took a trip to the movies to see Wall-e while it was raining. Fortunately, when the movie ended, so did the rain. We returned to Lone Oak and had a good time playing in their swimming pools and playground. The day's activities concluded with a ride in the Lone Oak fire truck. My 3-year old loved it.

So, the trip was a little rough. But what about the campground? Lone Oak was well run, clean, and well managed. With all that being said, it was not really the campground for me. Typically when I go camping I look for some natural resources like a lake or hiking trails or a river, etc. Lone Oak does not have any of those features. Therefore, they must make up for it in activities. To their credit, they do a good job organizing softball games, DJs, water balloons, volleyball, etc. All that stuff is great for the kids. It's just not the kind of stuff I look to do on a camping trip. Generally I like to explore and enjoy the outdoors. Maybe do some hiking, or bike riding, or fishing. If that's what you're looking for, Lone Oak is definitely not the place for you. However, if you want a place that can keep the kids busy, definitely check out Lone Oak.

On the plus side, Lone Oak offered all the services any camper could want. They had a full deli, store, ice cream shop, rec hall, 2 pools, a large playground, a small outdoor movie screen, and a full bar. My son especially enjoyed the pool and the playground.

On the negative side, the sites themselves leave a little to be desired. They are close together with many seasonal campers. I was especially unhappy with my site since it featured several roots, and more mud than most sites. Also, since it is so geared towards kids, you can expect a lot of teenagers to be prowling around. I had forgotten how moronic a group of hormonal teenagers get when in groups, but I was quickly reminded. Although sometimes annoying, they were generally harmless. One final negative I need to mention is the price. I paid $236 for a electricity and water site (no sewer) on a holiday weekend (3 nights). I understand those are holiday rates, but I could almost have stayed in a hotel for that price.

I stayed at Lone Oak because I had to attend a birthday party at a home very close to the campground. However, I don't think I will be going back. It's not due really to anything Lone Oak did or did not do. It's just not my kind of campground. If you are looking for an activity-based campground that caters to the children, I would recommend considering Lone Oak due to how well it is managed. However, be sure to consider the high price in your decision. If you are looking for a true experience in nature, look elsewhere.