Campground Review: This is one of my absolute favorite camping areas I have ever been. Namanock Island is only accessible by water and is roughly 4 miles down the Delaware River if you leave from Milford Beach in Milford, PA. There is a ten dollar fee per day to park your car so bring cash as the parking area is not always manned and you’ll have to leave the fee in an envelope that is available just past the entrance. These sites are canoe, kayak, or(in my case) packraft accessible. The sites are maintained by the NPS and are available on a first come first served basis. Also there is no cost to camp on the river save the parking fees you paid in Milford! This was my first time making the trip with a friend and it was awesome to have some company. We stayed at site 13 (marked by a small square sign). Once at the tip of the island you will want to stay to the right on the river and close to the shore of the island(on your left hand side) as the site comes up relatively quickly and you won’t want to shoot past it. It’s a steep climb up the shore so be prepared for that. You have a small piece of shoreline that is mostly rocks. It’s a great spot to sit and enjoy the sun, sounds of nature, and have yourself a cold beer. You are limited to one night on the island. They are primitive campsites which include a fire ring and a primitive toilet. The sites are in excellent shape! This was my first time venturing to the island on a weekend(Friday) night but we had the place to ourselves so that was awesome. I’ve read that if you are going on a weekend that it’s advisable to go earlier in the day. We were on the island by 3 and had no problem securing our site, granted it was early June so your mileage may vary if you are going during the peak of the summer. It's a rare thing to camp on an island and Namanock is so serene and peaceful, you’ll hear the water flowing gently all night, perfection! We had ourselves a nice fire and made hot dogs and s’mores. The next morning we packed up and set off for another site about 8 miles down the river. After camping at the next site we packed up and hiked back along the McDade Recreation Trail to Dingmans Ferry access where we caught the River Runner Shuttle(a free shuttle that runs along the river on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer free of charge) back to the car in Milford. We were pressed for time otherwise we would have made the full 12 mile hike, instead we hiked slightly more than 4 miles. I’ll keep going back to this site as often as I can and can’t recommend it enough. In order to be prepared for the river camping experience
I would recommend purchasing the National Geographic map of the Delaware Water Gap and/or the DWG map set sold by the NYNJ Trail Conference as they have all of the sites outlined.
Product Review
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. At Namanock Island, I got to test out the Gregory Zulu 55 pack. This pack comes loaded with features. It fit all of my gear (sleeping bag, tent, food sleeping pad, backpacking chair, packraft, paddle, clothes, etc with absolutely no problem. I am 5’7’’ and weigh about 145 lbs, the small/medium pack fit me perfectly. I really loaded this thing up with my rafting gear for our 4 mile hike back to the parking area and never once felt like I had a hot spot or any discomfort whatsoever. The Zulu features Gregory’s FreeFloat suspension technology designed to move with your body and I’d say mission accomplished, it really felt like it responded well to my movements and never once did it feel uncomfortable! The Zulu comes loaded with pockets both external and internal as well as multiple lashing points which perfectly suited my needs for my packrafting trip as I was able to secure it easily to my raft and lash extra gear externally. The fact that they include a rain cover is a nice bonus! The only issue I had was with my water bladder. I use a platypus big zip 3L which perfectly fit in the sleeve provided for a water bladder however it did not clip in well to the clip provided as it is designed for Gregory’s hydro reservoir. This is far from a deal breaker but worth mentioning. I have a few packs and the Gregory Zulu 55 is 100% going to be my go to for overnights and multi-day efforts!
For more information and to purchase one for yourself check out the pack at Gregory’s site here: https://www.gregorypacks.com/packs-bags/backpacking-packs/zulu-55-1115ZUL55.html
It's a good park/camp for groups. They have cabins and RV sites and now that the Tapan Zee bridge work is done most of them are now open again as the bridge workers have moved out.
There is a model airplane air field and a decent playground for young kids.
Only down side is there is a train depot right outside and you can hear them shunting trains all night.
If you're looking for peace and quiet this place has it… but not much else. Out in the middle of nowhere NY, you pull into the campground on a one-lane road (no mirrors or anything else so if someone is going the opposite direction as you, you're stuck). Nothing is paved or even covered in stones for a roadway. The only way you know the path is by the flattened overgrown grass. The grounds haven't been weed-whacked in what appears to be months. The grounds have plenty of amenities but none of which are usable. The playgrounds are for children only because if an adult was on anything it would fall apart. Plus I don't think any adult would want children on the playground equipment which is either built with decrepit and probably molding wood or taken back by the land. The pool is not filled, nor cleaned, no covered in the middle of June. The basketball court has no path to it. You'll have to hike through more tall grass and weeds to get there. On top of that, there are no nets on the rims and the whole basketball poles have been taken over by weeds and the court is cracked up. The pavilion is atrocious as well being held up by ply board. Most of the picnic tables are broken and disgusting. Our sewer pipe is broken, we are not able to screw our hose in. No problem for them. They don't think it's broken, just stick the hose in there and keep it in place with a rock.
This place needs so much TLC it's insane. They let it go so far it's going to take so much work to get it back to nice standards.
Had a great experience here, only one night at tent site. Site was a bit small, but overall place was very clean & taken care of. Booking online can be a bit confusing, I had to call for explanation. Overall I would recommend this place & would definitely go again.
Very high prices, they cater to large groups who occupy most of the campground. Try to contact via phone, no answer, no call backs. Shame used to camp here for almost 20 years when it was a privately owned campground. Pool is old, mostly all the sites are in a field, not separated by trees or shrubs.
Came in on MetroNorth from NYC then took a pre-arranged taxi ($25 flat rate) to the campground. Check-in was fast at the registration desk, and they sold bundles of wood for$6. The campsite (#040) was private, but was located next to the Nature Center and a water spigot, so it was not a super quiet place. The site was littered with small pieces of trash and there was a folding chair someone left open beside the firepit when we arrived… not ideal.
However, the site itself was solid- it is surrounded by forest, and is at the top of a small ridge above Pelton Pond, so there was a pretty consistent breeze (few bugs!) and the soft sounds of bullfrogs at night. A tree with a couple medium-size dead limbs was above the ideal place to pitch the tent. The site comes with a picnic table (it was in OK shape) and a fire ring with removable grate, as well as a standing-level charcoal BBQ grill. This site and several others on the opposite (west) side of Pelton Pond had easy access to the 1.5 mile Pelton Pond hike loop. There was plenty of dry kindling around the site, which was a huge help because the wood bought from the Park hissed and didn't really get burning (damp wood? fresh cut?).
The park rangers told us the plumbing had been re-done in the past year, so the water fountains and water spigots were in great shape and provided cold, clear water. The bathrooms were clean and well-kept (saw toilet bowl cleaner in the morning), no stalls ran out of toilet paper, and there was soap most of the time at the sinks. We did not use the showers, so can't speak to those. There are even dish washing sinks available with hot running water.
We walked 20 min from our site to the beach across the 2-lane highway. The lake is clear and sandy (some rocks in sand on shore, but standard for imported sand), and many families seemed to have traveled up for a day trip. There are facilities and a small grill (burgers, popsicles, etc.) at the beach.
Overall, the campsite was pleasant and it was peaceful during quiet hours (10pm-7am) on both Friday and Saturday nights. Removing one star for the lack of care at the site itself (litter, trash around when we arrived) and the poor firewood quality. I would recommend this campground to those looking for a quick trip out of the city, to people new to camping, or to use as a base to explore the Hudson River Valley if you have a personal vehicle.
I love the property and the family that operates it. My son had his first camping trip there when he was ten days old. It is great family camp ground with amenities that are helpful to parents and new campers such as restrooms, showers, camp shop, canoe/kayak/tube rentals and designated drive in sites with fire ring and table. As well as sites with water/ electric hookup. Yet, it still manages to maintain a more remote and rustic feel by preserving the trees, stream and riverfront property in a mutual state without concrete pads or driveways. There is no commercial aspect that I find when at most “family” parks with pools, arcades and cabins. The sites are larger than most campgrounds and well spaced out. I have been there on busy holiday weekends where it was full but still peaceful and private with a great community of campers and on weekdays and off weekends when it felt as if I had the river to myself. I have never had a bad experience in at least 20 trips.
Very easy to level and setup on #7. Full connections. Pay showers and laundry onsite. Loved having gated security. My husband went on a work trip (Albany airport isn’t too terribly far away) and left me alone for a few days and we left our rig to take the train (about 1 hr away in Poukeepsie) into the city for the weekend and we had no problems. Great launch pad to explore the area from. We don’t have kids, but they seemed to offer a lot of programming for them. We enjoyed taking long walks through the campground. Cell coverage was good for us to work (att & Verizon). Stayed 8 nights.
Drive-in tent campgrounds. Adequate restroom facilities sprinkled amongst tent sites. Some campsites have raised platforms. All sites have picnic tables and fire ring with flip-top grill. If looking for privacy, back end of campgrounds (#’s 1, 13, 15, 21, 23, etc) provide adequate quietness, a bit hidden and tucked away from the rest. Very near many trailheads and the expansive Lake Welsh. Alcohol prohibited… Uploaded photo/vid from off-season 2019.
I go here every year it's such a great campground
Campground is big and staff are very friendly and helpful, I have stayed a various sites and they where all spacious slate floor so having something soft if sleep in a tent is recommended. The park offers plenty of hiking trails with great views, Overlook mountain hotel site, you can also hike to katterskills falls it’s a long hike but worth it when you get to the falls if not you can drive down and park at the trail head parking mid way down the road to get to the katterskill falls trail. Make sure to stop at the general store on the corner they have everything you need and souvenirs to bring home..
My husband and I are seasonal campers and we have been there every weekend since last fall. So far we have nothing to complain.
Don’t let first impressions lead you on. The staff is very friendly if you give them a chance. My husband loves to talk with Mr. Risdon. They are nice, decent people.
Our campsite has water and electric hook ups. We chose a nice spot and made it our weekend home.
The resort itself offers pool during winter, a store with some essentials (ask them about the bacon they sell, is great!), bathrooms with showers open year round, dump station. You know. The basics.
Tent sites also have water and electric hook ups.
We stayed here in 2014 with a seven friends and family. We had four sites - 26, 27, 28, 29. It was the first time in my life I was handed a bear waiver that needed my signature upon check in, but we weren't deterred.
Although, we did not encounter any wild animals during our four day stay, I did see bear scat in several locations. We followed the rules, and kept all food and scented items in the car when not in use and utilized the very convenient wash sink behind the recycle/trash building.
The sites were beautiful and spacious, the others around us seemed a too close for comfort but these four sites were spaced out very well.
The fire pits were amazing, the temperatures dropped on our last night and the heat radiated off the concrete encasement wonderfully.
I camped on one of the platforms, which was very nice and did not feel crowded even with other people on neighboring platforms. One highlight was having meals cooked by the stellar chef. The lake is very peaceful, and home to beavers we watched from the dining hall patio. This campsite is accessible by public transportation. There is a shuttle run by the campsite to and from Tuxedo Park Train Station (reservations on shuttle required).
This campground has many different size sites big enough for groups and small for just single. Great place to camp. The view from the town to the campground was amazing!!! Will be back!!
Good place. They weren't completely ready for Memorial Day. Extreme cancelation policy.
This isn't a fancy campsite and has no amenities. There is a small(10 car) parking lot and a trail that runs thru 80 acres of forest. Camping is allowed anywhere 150ft from the trail. Normal LNT rules apply. Bugs are relentless. Many climbers stay there for access to the gunks.
Great state campground near Woodstock,NY. Pull in sites for car camping. Clean bathroom facilities with showers and outdoor cleaning stations for dishes and stuff. Been here twice would go back if in the area.
I stayed at group site 4 which was a very nice campsite. Not very much completely level terrain but nothing you can't sleep on (that is it is a dirt/grass ground however not too level). It is off the beaten path without any running water or showers within walking distance. There is a lake at this campground that does have showers so I would recommend using those but if camping in the off season they may not be open.
Beautiful hiking trails around the area with a cool, shaded stream that runs close by the sites and is fun to walk along (does have paths).
It was the wildest weekend I ever had, I'm not being sarcastic. The hiking areas are great, the weather is perfect and the bear was very nice for a bear. Pictured below is my partner with A Friend.
Rode out here for an all women biker rally. Was worth the 12 hours in the saddle. Friendly staff, clean facilities and gorgeous views!
Disclaimer- it's not actually in Newburgh or NYC. Its located in Ulster County. It's a convenient place to de-winterize and ensure all systems are working as it's actually in my town. Some sites are hard to get into and others are in more of a large parking lot, but I think that is for workers for local pipeline companies. They have been working on upgrades and adding more patio sites which does improve the place. They have lots of things to do for the kids and a fishing pond as well. Trips are organized to NYC and it's about a half hours drive to a metro north station if you wanted to take a train South. Not far from SUNY New Paltz, local wineries and apple orchards and it's a reasonable drive to Walkway over the Hudson and the bike baths that connect to it. It is located on a quiet road, however the property backs up to the NYS Thruway.
The campgrounds are nice. But that all. They have loads of events over the weekend but the weekend hasn't happened yet to check them out. Originally I thought it was the gloom of the weather that made this place seem pretty plain and run down. But now that its a beautiful day, the grounds are about the same. It just seems like it hasn't been kept up all that well. This place can be grand if they want it to be. Just needs some TLC
Clean bathrooms and showers. People working there were more then helpful. Guided us to our site. Helped us set up. All and all a very pleasant stay.
We are camp newbies and I guess we didn’t do enough research because this place was a RVs and Cabin mecca. Our goal was to find a tent based camp site and then were eventually surrounded by RVs every where. There was one other tent customer. The facilities were awesome, staff great, River was perfect for fishing, and close to town. Last, don’t buy their wood - it didn’t burn and was a waste of $ and time.
It’s got good access to Lake Minnewaska (driving), staff was nice and polite. But I thought the sites were on the smaller side and no fire is allowed.
This campground had easy access to excellent hiking trails. Woodstock, NY was about 30 min away and we enjoyed exploring the area on our non-hiking day. Very dog friendly.