GrandView CampResort & Cottages

In the beginning...

                                                     

    In 1946, the Pivnick family was inspired by the beautiful view from a hillside on their dairy farm in Moodus, Connecticut.  They envisioned a vacation place where families could get away from their everyday life in the city and enjoy the fresh air and relaxing atmosphere of the country. Their vision then became The Grand View Resort and Day Camp.

       The family built a hotel, a playhouse, cottages and a swimming pool. For the next 30 years, city folks flocked to the Moodus countryside. It was just like the movie "Dirty Dancing".  By 1975 air travel, cruising and RV camping became more affordable and the resorts in Moodus became a thing of the past.

                                     The Grand View  Pool about 1946 - 1974

    Soon after the resort closed it became a basketball camp, the home of The Torah Institute, a Jewish heritage learning center and retreat.They enjoyed summers here for about 20 years.

    Then, after a period of abandonment, things soon turned into a sad state of disrepair.  Vandals and trespassers were stealing and destroying the property and buildings.

    I have lived across the street from Grand View for 60 years and have seen it at it's best and it's worst. Remembering Grand View at it's best, my late husband and I worked diligently to bring new life to GrandView. Since he passed away, I remain committed to carry our dream forward.

    Although we had to take down the old hotel in October of 2014, due to  deterioration and vandalism, we restored what we could and developed camp sites, and modern facilities for our guests.

    What makes GrandView unique, is that you will not find a playground, arcade, or planned activities. We aim to be a quiet place, where folks can come to relax, rest, and renew. Here, you will find large sites, and beautiful surroundings. There are many tourist and historic places of interest in the area to explore during the day. In the evening, you can put your feet up by the campfire and enjoy our big, starry sky. 

     We welcome people of all ages, including children, but recommend  they bring something to entertain themselves, as we see ourselves as more of a campground than a camp. Even kids need down time to read, do a puzzle, play games with their family, and enjoy fresh air and sunshine. Do you remember the joy of cloud gazing, looking for dragons or aliens? I do. If you're looking for a place full of kids activities, playgrounds and arcades, you can find many wonderful campgrounds in our area that will meet your needs. And when you want to get away from it all, GrandView is your place!  We do welcome camping clubs, retreats, reunions and groups of friends. Come for a relaxing getaway that is affordable, clean, safe and fun!

Have some carefree time together, and take advantage of our horseshoe pits, basketball court, and pickleball courts.

We know you will enjoy easy-going days and peaceful nights in the Connecticut countryside. In fact many groups of friends return several times during the season, telling us it's their special place. 

We work tirelessly at GrandView to assure a positive experience!

Click here to see us at work. 

                   The Grand View!

  Photo Gallery

 Activities

During your stay at GrandView please be sure to watch our video tour of the old GrandView Hotel.

Enjoy the 38 minute 'tour,' and you can also see the hotel being taken down in the video following it.

    About Your Host

   In the 1950's vacation time meant camping at the beach for the summer. We have fond memories of our old trailer, water fetched with a bucket, no electricity, and an outhouse. We had it all!

   Since then we camped in tents, trailers and our favorite, great big RVs. Don and I traveled across the country staying at some of the best and some of the worst campgrounds.

   Little did we know at that time, one day we would be picking and choosing the things that would make our own campground special: a clean, safe and affordable place where folks can enjoy being together.

   As I continue to welcome guests, I keep the vision Don and I shared, knowing it is his dream. Our hope is that your camping experience at GrandView  will be the first of many!

               The Bergerons 2013