Riverdale Farm Campground in Clinton, CT

In Connecticut there is not a lot of RV camping for big rigs near the coastline while also being close to New York City.

We found a great place with all of the above in the Clinton/ Madison, CT area.

Name Riverdale Farm Campsites
Location: 111 River Road, Clinton, CT 06413
Type: RV Park
Website: http://www.riverdalefarmcampsite.com/

Overview:

Riverdale Farm is a 5 minute drive off of interstate 95 and a 15 minute drive from the New Haven train station in New Haven, CT. MTA runs local and express trains to Manhattan almost hourly so this is an excellent place to park if you want to check out the city but miss the hustle and bustle of an RV near NYC.

The grounds are right next to a river and many of the sites surround a small lake for swimming. The campground also has and a big pavilion for grilling and hanging out outside.

Their office and shop sell a variety of items ranging from food, cleaning products and toys.

There is also a playground, tennis court and basketball court for you and the kids.

Additional Features:

• Good Sam Rated
• Clean Restrooms (verified)
• Adult Lounge
• Strong Wifi
• Game room
• Onsite store
• Laundry
• Wood Shed
• Propane filling (portable tanks)

What we liked

• Location
  • As mentioned above, there are very few RV campgrounds near New Haven and New York City. Especially ones that accommodate big rigs like us. Check out our area highlights post.
• Website
  • It is very organized and informative. The campground map was easy to find and the website navigation was user friendly.
• Connectivity
  • Strong wifi signal, giving us the ability to work and stay connected. There are multiple wifi access points that appeared to be fully independent meaning if one had issues you could switch to another.
• Grounds
  • The overall grounds were clean with a variety of site hook ups – 30 & 50amps. Some with electric and water, some with electric, water and grey water and some with electric, water and sewer.
• Staff
  • Fairly attentive: We found if we asked for information or help they were always willing to assist.
• Local Attractions
  • Town of Madison, CT was really cute and had a bunch of great restaurants. We went to Moxie – they have a fun atmosphere and a tasty beer selection. We also went to Donahue’s if you are looking for a good burger and some live music.
  • Hammonasset Beach State Park is a 2 mile drive away with 3 large beaches and several picnic areas to choose from.
  • Clinton Crossing Outlet stores are a 10 minute drive as well. With stores like Ralph Lauren, Gap and Kenneth Cole. Just to name a few.

What we didn’t like

• Staff and campground inconsistencies
  • It is a family run business. We believe the owner’s children are occasionally running the front desk. We love family run businesses but we found the service you receive isn’t always consistent.
• Caters to long-term residents and frequent guests rather than the published rules
  • 12 out of our 14 days we stayed at the campground was quiet and uneventful but two of them we felt like we were on spring break.  Those days included residents having a large party with loud music and a massive light show after quiet hours (video).  There were also people speeding around on golf carts above the posted speed limit.

Overall Opinion

Overall the campground was a good experience for us. We enjoy a little excitement from time to time and we sleep like the dead so a little noise was no bother. That said our site was located on the other side of the lake from the noise which may have been intentionally which we definitely appreciated.

We suggest double-checking everything that was promised to you. Also let them know exactly what you want and when.

A few other good to knows:

1. Their max RV length is 45 feet. They placed us in one of their largest spots and we just barely fit and were close to power lines.
2. They only take cash or check. No credit cards. Be prepared when you arrive.
3. Arrive during office hours if you can help it. We arrived after hours and were promised a map to our site location but nothing was provided. If we had not called ahead to get our spot number we would have been stuck guessing in the dark.

It can be a great experience for those who don’t expect resort level treatment and appreciate the great location and unique atmosphere.

Would we stay again?

We would definitely stay here again.

LivinLite.net Ratings

• Accessibility – 8
• Connectivity – 9
• Cleanliness – 7.5
• Staff – 7
• Surroundings (local attractions) – 8.5