End-of-Year Camping at the Burlingame Canoe Campsites - December 30-31, 2023

Heading out from Bradford Landing

We’ve been having a relatively warm winter, so I was hoping to get one more camping trip in before the end of the year. Without too much arm-twisting we got a group of 5 together for an overnight trip at the Burlingame Canoe Campsites – me, Bob, Dan, John and Chuck.

The weather forecast was mixed with slight chance showers Saturday afternoon, day-time temperatures in the 40’s, and night-time temperatures dropping into the 20’s. I met the group at the Bradford Landing at 11:30 for the 3-mile trip up to Burlingame. With several inches of rain over the past two-weeks, the river was high and it was a bit of a slog paddling up to the campsites.

Camp set up in the field

We are fortunate to have a several very nice campsites on the Pawcatuck River. There is Stoney Point on Worden Pond, the Carolina Canoe Campsite just upstream from the Richmond Landing, the "bootleg" site at the confluence of the Wood River downstream from Alton Landing, and of course, the Burlingame Canoe Campsites upstream from Bradford Landing in the Burlingame Management Area.

The Burlingame Wildlife Management Area extends north from Watchaug Pond in the Burlingame State Park to include a large woodland along the Pawcatuck River. The land is managed for both wildlife protection and recreation with hunting, trails for hikers and mountain bikers, and the Burlingame Canoe Campsites. These campsites are only accessible from the river or by hiking in from the parking lot on Buckeye Brook Road or from the North South Trailhead on Burdickville Road. 

Baking biscuits in Bob's Camper Kitchen

At the Burlingame Canoe Campsites there is an open field and five wooded sites. We decided to camp in the field. We hauled our gear up from the river and set up camp. The tents went up first, then the rain fly, then the kitchen. We got a short rain shower after everything was set up, but we stayed dry under the tarp while we enjoyed John’s chili for lunch

After lunch we took a walk to check out the other campsites before lighting the campfire. Dan cooked nachos in his reflector oven for an afternoon snack, quesedillas in his Big Daddy Skillet as an appetizer, and Tuscan White Bean Stew with grilled garlic bread for dinner. Desert was Strawberry Shortcake with Bob’s homemade Bakewell Cream biscuits baked in his Camper’s Cook All Camper Kitchen baking pan.

Dan cooking breakfast

The sky eventually cleared, and we got a great view of the night stars as we sat around the fire. After many tall-tales and war-stories we finally turned in for the night at around 10:00. I was snug and warm with my father’s winter camping gear -  a Eureka Expedition tent and Sumberjack Quallofil sleeping bag. Compared to today’s gear, both are big and bulky, but they still work great – no complaints from me.

Before I knew it I heard someone moving around outside. It was Dan getting the morning fire started. It was 6:30 and still dark, but I reluctantly climbed out of my sleeping bag to join him. After warming up by the fire, I got the coffee perking and fired up my Dutch oven to make a batch of my grandmother’s cinnamon rolls. Dan cooked bacon and home fries in his 20” Big Daddy Skillet on the fire, and I cooked omelets on the stove. John said this trip was all about the food, and he was right - we didn't go hungry.

Exploring the marsh along Poquiant Brook

After breakfast we packed up camp for the trip back to Bradford Landing. Dan had his drysuit on, so he did a New Year's Polar Plunge off the rope swing before we left. With the high water, we were able to take a detour to explore the marshland along Poquiant Brook, which flows from Watchaug Pond in the Burlingame State Park to the Pawcatuck River. Great trip and a nice way to end the year. 

Year-end Canoe Camp, Pawcatuck River, RI

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