Connecticut State Parks · Connecticut
American Legion State Forest
Connecticut State Parks · Connecticut, United States
- Sites
- 29
- Hookups
- 29 no hookups
- Season
- May 22 to October 11
- Group sites
- Yes
- Drinking water
- Yes
- Restrooms
- Yes
- Showers
- Yes
- Dump station
- Yes
- Laundry
- No
- Pets
- Yes
- Elevation
- 522 ft
- Dark sky
- Bortle class 4
- Cell coverage
- T-Mobile none · AT&T none · Verizon none (carriers' 4G LTE filings to the FCC, 2025-12; not measured here)
- Nearest town
- Barkhamsted
- Address
- West River Road (P.O. Box 1)
- Phone
- (860)379-0922
About
American Legion State Forest is a Connecticut State Forest campground with 29 sites near Barkhamsted. A seasonally-operated museum, picnic shelters, and youth group camping are also available; American Legion sits directly across the river from Peoples State Forest, which offers youth-group camping only (no general individual camping). No electric or water hookups at individual sites. Reservable through Connecticut State Parks' own ReserveAmerica contract (connecticutstateparks.reserveamerica.com), up to 11 months in advance. Connecticut's camping system is uniformly reservation-based - no first-come-first-served-only campground was found in this state's system.
Fees
$17/night for CT residents, $27/night for non-CT residents (portal.ct.gov DEEP fee schedule); $50/$60 rustic cabin rate also available. Plus a ReserveAmerica reservation processing fee. Pets ARE allowed here (this is a State Forest campground, not a State Park campground) - Connecticut DEEP's own policy: "Pets are prohibited in State Park camping areas, but permitted at State Forests," limited to 2 per campsite on a leash no longer than 7 feet, with proof of rabies vaccination; not allowed in cabins. (ctparks.com/camping, confirmed live.)
Weather, month by month
| Month | Typical high | Typical low | Coldest night | Hottest day | Years with a night below 32°F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 35° | 20° | -8° | 54° | 11 of 11 |
| February | 36° | 22° | -16° | 60° | 11 of 11 |
| March | 46° | 31° | 10° | 70° | 10 of 11 |
| April | 60° | 39° | 26° | 88° | 7 of 11 |
| May | 68° | 51° | 34° | 88° | 0 of 11 |
| June | 74° | 57° | 48° | 92° | 0 of 11 |
| July | 83° | 67° | 59° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| August | 81° | 66° | 57° | 93° | 0 of 11 |
| September | 74° | 58° | 48° | 89° | 0 of 11 |
| October | 61° | 45° | 35° | 79° | 0 of 10 |
| November | 46° | 32° | 18° | 69° | 10 of 10 |
| December | 36° | 27° | 8° | 59° | 10 of 10 |
Mid-month figures from 2016–2026 of daily weather at this spot (ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0), in °F. Typical is the median; coldest and hottest are the extremes seen.
Nearby campgrounds
- Granville State Forest · Massachusetts State Parks · 9 mi · 21 sites
- Tolland State Forest · Massachusetts State Parks · 15 mi · 89 sites
- Housatonic Meadows State Park · Connecticut State Parks · 19 mi · 55 sites
- Black Rock State Park · Connecticut State Parks · 20 mi · 64 sites
- Beartown State Forest · Massachusetts State Parks · 24 mi · 12 sites
All public campgrounds in Connecticut · Every state and province · Facts read from the operator 2026-08-25. Confirm fees, rules and current status with the operator before you go.