From the banks of the majestic Hudson River in New York City to the lovely peaks of the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains in the state’s upstate region, New York State is home to stunning natural wonders. State Park campgrounds, which provide easy access to natural treasures, are a great option for those wishing to rough it in rustic accommodations. Rivers, forests, mountains, and lakes offer as much variety and interest as any urban area.
Every now and then, a break from the city’s rush and bustle is necessary. For those interested in an outdoor experience, New York State features some of the most beautiful camping places in the country where you can reconnect with Mother Nature. We don’t have to travel too far. Everything is accessible in New York, including camping places. You also don’t need to be a wilderness survival to perform it. There are sites for every type of camper all across the city. Without further ado, here are the top ten spots to camp near NYC.
Ausable Point Campground
Ausable Point Campground is located on beautiful Garden Island, just a short drive from Plattsburgh, and is known as “Battleship Island ” because of its connection to the first maritime fight of the American Revolutionary War. Throughout the year, sailors, boaters, windsurfers, and swimmers flock to the beautiful island park’s spectacular shoreline regions surrounding breathtaking Lake Champlain. Throughout the year, anglers can catch northern pike, lake and brown trout, and salmon, while hikers can explore the magnificent Wickham Marsh Wildlife Management Area and Valcor Island Bird Conservation Area nearby. Modern bath houses with bathrooms, trash stations, day-use picnic shelters, and boat launch sites are available at 123 basic campsites.
New Jersey State Parks
New Jersey State Parks are following in the footsteps of New York State Parks by mandating all visitors to wear a mask in shared locations and to maintain a social distance from other campers. The variety of terrain you’ll meet at Cheesequake is the draw: farmland, a hardwood forest, saltwater and freshwater marshes, Pine Barrens, and a swamp studded with white cedars. Reservations are necessary and can be made on the website of NJ Outdoors. At this time, only tent and RV family campsites are available for reservation. Other campgrounds around the state have begun reopening cabins, shelters, group campsites, and lean-tos, so keep an eye on the New Jersey Outdoors website for updates. There are 53 tent and RV sites available at this campsite, all with fire rings and picnic tables. Showers and restrooms are also within walking distance of the campgrounds. Limited supply is still to be expected due to social distancing efforts.
Harriman State Park
Inside Harriman State Park, there are many fantastic places to camp overnight, but the Tom Jones lean-to and Bald Rocks are your best chances. Within 300 feet of the park shelters, campers can still pitch their own tents with their own belongings. Just stay a safe distance from the other visitors! Tentrr has a few canvas-walled tent sites available to rent if you want to keep things as simple as possible. When it comes to activities, plan a hike around Island Pond and Lake Skenonto on a clear day. Grills, cabins for rent, picnic tables, playing fields, biking, showers, a beach, hiking, fishing, and boat rentals are just a few of the amenities available at the park. While some of these recreational activities and venues may remain available as long as we all exercise correct social distance etiquette, don’t expect to be able to access them all call ahead before getting your hopes up.
Hither Hills State Park
Head to Hither Hills State Park with your beach towel. This Park, which is located in Montauk, Long Island, about 122 miles from New York City, is ideal for combining a beach vacation with a camping adventure. Sport fishing, hunting, horseback riding, boating, biking, and windsurfing are all available at the ocean-side campground, which also has lovely picnic sites and fireplaces. Hiking the “walking dunes” trail on Napeague Harbor, which moves southeast a few feet each year owing to heavy winds, is a must-do activity. The sound of waves crashing on the shore is the perfect wake-up call from your tent at Hither Hills State Park, which is directly on the beach. The cost of a nightly campground rental starts at $35.
Rap Van Winkle Campgrounds
Rap Van Winkle Campgrounds, located between the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River, is the ideal getaway for families. The River’s Edge, Lover’s Lane and the Ledges are all viable locations for camping. Every campsite includes a fire ring, a picnic table, and access to the campground’s general store, firewood, public phone, and other amenities. Guests of various camping levels can find tent sites, cabin rentals, and RV parking at this campsite. With attractions like bocce ball, a swimming hole and pool, two playgrounds, fishing, horseshoes, pedal boats, and more, you’ll be able to keep occupied throughout your visit.
Beaver Pond Campground
Beaver Pond Campground is a wonderful campground within Harriman State Park, close to the shores of beautiful Lake Welch. The beautiful Lower Hudson Valley campsite location is close to several adjacent swimming beaches and hiking trail networks, making it a fantastic alternative for nature lovers experiencing the Stony Point region’s natural beauties. The campsite has tent and trailer sites that can accommodate up to six people per site and trailers up to 30 feet long. Each campsite has day-use picnic areas with tables, fire rings, and flip-top grills, as well as access to full-service restrooms nearby. Guests of the campground have access to a safe swimming beach with limited lifeguard coverage.
Wildwood State Park
Wildwood State Park includes 600 acres of forest and two miles of beach to explore if you’re looking for a decent hike. You’ll be able to explore 600 acres of untouched hardwood forest, including a high bluff with a view of Long Island Sound. There are newly built cottages tucked amid the trees for 2-6 people, or you may put up your temporary home in your trailer or tent. Other Park activities include stand-up paddleboarding, swimming, biking, fishing, and cooking the ideal campfire s’mores—although some of these may be unavailable owing to COVID-19 safety measures. Nightly costs start at $22, and it’s advisable to reserve a campground ahead of time on Reserve America. Please be aware that dogs are not permitted at this campground.
North-South Lake Campground
North-South Lake Campground, the largest campground in the Catskill Forest Preserve, offers stunning views of the surrounding mountains as well as multiple lakes. Hikers can take a short stroll on the popular Escarpment Trail or more arduous paths to sights like Alligator Rock, Newman’s Ledge, Boulder Rock, and Artist’s Rock. On a clear day, several of these locations provide vistas of five states. This popular place has over 200 campsites, two swimming beaches, and picnic spaces with charcoal grills, making it the largest campground in the Catskill Forest Preserve. Hiking is also excellent: on a clear day, certain vantage spots provide vistas of five states at once.
Caroga Lake State Campground
Caroga Lake State Campground near Gloversville is a lovely rustic campground that welcomes tent and RV campers in sites that can accommodate trailers up to 40 feet long. The Civilian Conservation Corps built the lovely campground, which takes its name from a former indigenous hamlet of the same name in the vicinity, in the 1930s. It now has 105 overnight campsites, including a number of ADA-accessible sites for people with special needs. Modern showers and facilities, as well as trash stations, a recycling centre, and a small-craft boat launch, are available. The campground’s diversified fitness course, which has 18 independent workout stations, and its private lifeguarded swimming beach, which is open from mid-June to Labor Day, are also available to visitors. Nearby, the Ferris Lake and Shaker Mountain Wild Forests offer hiking and wildlife viewing options.
Cranberry Lake Campground
Cranberry Lake Campground is one of New York’s most remote wilderness regions, with thousands of acres of uninterrupted woodlands surrounding the pristine lake of the same name. Cranberry Lake State Park, which features spectacular Adirondack Mountain scenery and some of upstate New York’s greatest chances to see brilliant fall foliage, is home to the lake, which was dammed in 1916 to double its size. The lake and its accompanying 150,000-acre forest preserve are crisscrossed by miles of defined hiking routes, providing access to the Adirondack High Peaks near Lake Placid. Swimming, hiking, and picnics are all available in developed locations throughout the year, including the park’s remote rustic campgrounds, which have sporting courts, dump stations, and ADA-accessible restrooms.