A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Forest Service campground

Silver Lake Campground

Forest Service campground in Green Mountain & Finger Lakes National Forests, Addison County, Vermont. 1,248 feet. 20.2 miles from Rutland.

Managed by
Forest Service Green Mountain & Finger Lakes National Forests
Elevation
1,248 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
15 15 standard non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Silver Lake Campground is a small, primitive hike or bike-in only campground located on Silver Lake in Leicester, VT. There are 15 campsites, seven of which are available for advanced reservations along with eight first-come, first-served sites. It is a 0.6 mile hike in or a 1.5 mile bike ride in to access the campground.

Please note: This Silver Lake Campground is located in Vermont.

Recreation

The Moosalamoo National Recreation Area consists of 16,000 acres abounding with recreation opportunities. With over 70 miles of well-maintained trails, mountain vistas, waterfalls, lakes and streams, it offers opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, swimming, fishing, hunting and more. From Silver Lake Campground, several hiking and mountain biking trails begin, including the Leicester Hollow / Chandler Ridge loop (open to hiking and biking) and the Rattlesnake Cliff / Aunt Jenny hiking loop (closed March 15 - August 1 for Peregrine Falcon nesting). Fishing and swimming are both popular activities accessible from the campground.

Facilities

There are two vault toilets and a spring (treat or boil water) within the campground. To access each campsite you must hike or bike-in, including all your gear . Each campsite has a fire ring, picnic table and a bear-proof food storage locker.

There is no garbage service available; please carry out what you carry in.

Natural Features

Silver Lake is a gorgeous 100-acre lake surrounded by National Forest on all sides. It has attracted people for many generations and, along with its natural beauty, holds a strong sense of history. Long before the famous Silver Lake Hotel and religious retreat located on the site of today's picnic area, ancestors of today's Abenaki people were here enjoying the peace and beauty.

Nearby Attractions

The nearest available shopping and dining is in Brandon, located nine miles from the campground. Also nearby is Middlebury (17 miles from the campground), which offers many additional options.

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

The land around Silver Lake Campground

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.