Program Facilities at Common Ground Center

We are located in Starksboro, Vermont which is 30 minutes from Burlington and Lake Champlain. We are 6 hours from NYC, 4 hours from Boston and 2.5 hours from Montreal. Our camp is located on an old farm, nestled in the valley between the Hogback and Green Mountains with 700 acres for our campers to explore and play.

Our program spaces are located in renovated barns and farm buildings. The Kid Barn is the starting point for our children’s programs and hosts an indoor basketball court in addition to an art and teen space. Our Dining Hall features a game room, library, and a large screened in porch for drumming, arts & crafts, and other activities. The Hay Barn is a cathedral like space for dance and yoga and the Old Workshop is great for making glass and woodwork. We even have a giant sandbox in the foundation of a silo and a Play Structure made from recycled playgrounds! Last, but not least, our Wrap-Around Porch on the dining hall is a great space for reading, singing and relaxing.

In addition to the indoor basketball court in our Kid Barn and our ping-pong table in the Dining Hall, there are plenty of outdoor recreational activities for campers to enjoy. Our two Har-Tru tennis courts dry off after rain in just 30 minutes and are so soft you can play with bare feet!  Next to the tennis courts is an outdoor basketball court that can also be used for shuffle board. Our playing fields are enjoyed by adults and kids alike and our two acre swimming pond has become a camp favorite! The pond is a ten minute walk from the main campus and is privately nestled under the Hogback Mountains offering a stunning view of the Green Mountains to the west. The pond has a shallow end with a sandy beach for our less experienced swimmers, as well as a floating dock for deep end swimmers.

Our 700 acre property offers endless opportunities for outdoor fun and nature exploration. Whether you are a hardcore hiker or at camp with your small children, there is always something to do. There are miles of hiking trails that vary in length and difficulty, meandering peacefully through the woods as well as leading you up a mountainside. We even have a hike to a beaver pond at the top of our mountain! There are 17 different natural habitats on site for campers to explore and spot wildlife, including a protected wetland.  Lewis Creek, which runs for a mile along our border, is full of nooks and crannies for people of all ages to explore and also has a deep hole for swimming. Because of our rural, but not remote, countryside location your family can listen to birds call on quiet mornings, star-gaze on clear nights, and enjoy the evening peepers, crickets, and fireflies after dinner from our dining hall porch.

Careful consideration has been taken to minimize the human impact in our use of the land. We are committed to energy conservation, recycling, composting, and to using environmentally friendly products and materials. We have kept our site rustic, but comfortable, to minimize our impact on the environment. To read more about how we tread lightly, click here.