Jonelle M.doesn't recommendAugust 31, 2024
Camp Balmoral @ Burke
Not a fan!
I’m not afraid to camp and definitely don’t mind a pit toilet but this place was a dump!
No one had cleaned up spider webs or anything at all for a LONG time! The kitchen area was a complete mess as well as the shower. Again I don’t mind a little clean up prior to using something in the woods but for $45 or whatever a night you would thinks someone could clean the place up a bit before you arrive. Not a fan!
Robert D.recommendsAugust 25, 2024
Camp Balmoral @ Burke
Best spot around
This place was awesome. Super bike friendly, the shower gets real hot, the outhouse when you leave the door open, was one of the most scenic commodes I've had the pleasure of using and Wendy was super helpful even when we got the Subaru stuck after going back up from the bottom campsite (don't even think about driving down the dirt trail to the lower campsite, just don't). It was a stones throw from the best trail (in my opinion) Kingdom has to offer (Black Bear) and is still super secluded which makes you feel like you are all in your own out there. Will definitely be looking to come back in the future.
Joseph P.recommendsAugust 7, 2024
Camp Balmoral @ Burke
Great second stay
Our second stay at this camp, another great one. We enjoyed a couple of camp fires with the plentiful firewood provided. Note the tent & platform pictured is now a level/graded area, great for setting up your own tents.
Emmanuel H.recommendsJuly 14, 2024
Camp Balmoral @ Burke
Great little site in the middle of the woods. We were really excited about the hot shower set up after a day of mountain biking: felt like luxury. Also enjoyed the diskgolf game, the fire pit that came with a grill, the clean outhouse (with a nice view), and the proximity to the mountain bike trails!
We did have to bring our own wood because what was at the site was too wet to burn and some of the facilities were in minor disrepair.
Also, 4x4 is a must to drive down to the site.
Overall satisfied and will return.
Joseph P.recommendsSeptember 19, 2023
Camp Balmoral @ Burke
Our camp spot for Kingdom Trails
2 years since the last review, but there's still a lot to like about this campsite! This was my first Hipcamp site, but I've stayed at State Parks and dispersed sites in the Mid-Atlantic in the past. My buddy and I came up for our annual trip to Kingdom Trails - this is a great spot to access the East Haven trails and if you're up for some mileage, riding from camp to town & Darling Hill is certainly possible. The site itself is relatively quiet and has nearly the privacy of a dispersed site (you can see 1 camp/home across the road) but has a hot shower for after your ride or day of exploring. And the privy is downright pleasant! Drinking water was provided but we brought our own too. Plenty of firewood. The driveway is super steep at the road, as described, but the crushed stone surface didn't give the 4x4 any issue getting out even in the rain. Oh, and our host was SUPER gracious after I screwed up which weekend I booked.
What could be improved? This is a sloping site so maybe another tent platform or two for campers' own tents. We did find a flat enough spot for our own tent and also brought a hammock. The provided tent has been out in the elements and has seen better days, I'd prefer to use my own tent on the platform, but I'm picky.
Roseanne D.September 30, 2021
Camp Balmoral @ Burke
Bohemian Campsite close to trails
If you are looking for a quiet campsite where you can access the Kingdom trails from the site, this is a good option. The East Haven trail network is a very close bike ride from the site and you can access the Moose Alley trails, but with a long uphill road spin back to camp. I wish there were more level campsites, maybe some tent platforms since the land is hilly. We used the canvas tent that sleeps two. This is a walk in site; short, but very steep. I would have loved to have more drinking water available, since we started riding from the site and used up all the water on the first day. However, knowing that ahead of time, I would supply some of our own water to fill our water bottles for riding. Would've like to have the kitchen area cleaned before we arrived; the previous campers left unwashed items on the table. A quick check on the site prior to new arrivals would fix that issue. To recap: the idea of dispersed camping is nice, but the reality is, the land is hilly aside from the common area (easy up with kitchen, dish washing station, outhouse) which doesn't allow for a lot of privacy with this shared campsite.