Best Glamping near Alfred, NY

Definitely one of the top places to camp and visit in New York, Watkins Glen State Park never disappoints. Each time I come back, I find something new to discover and have a great time doing that. Pair awesome trails and camping space with world class wineries up the lake, you cannot go wrong.

Watkins Glen boasts one of New York’s most beautiful state parks! I last camped here in 2012 and absolutely loved hiking along the gorges. Also- the camping was next to perfect. Sites are decently sized and well secluded from one another.

in addition, the park is so well situated within the Finger Lakes and all the various wine trails! Made for a perfect girls weekend! Definitely recommend!

Not technically in the Finger Lakes but still one of the most beautiful parts of Western New York State. Splurge and eat at the Glen Iris Inn! Great for cycling and hiking but no swimming. I love taking visitors here in all seasons but in autumn it is exceptional. I’ve stayed in a few tent sites and all are wooded and pretty private with your standard basic amenities. This is a popular park so make reservations.

I went to college right near Letchworth State Park so I spent many wonderful weekends there! There is a reason why they call it the Grand Canyon of the East. Not only can you check out the beautiful waterfalls, but there are also many awesome trails, rivers, and caves to check out. When I would camp, we would rent a camp site with our tent but, you could camp with your RV or even rent a cabin. Ive gone every month of the year, but these pictures were from my birthday in January. Letchworth is one of the best parks in New York state and a definite must see!

Letchworth State Park is known as the Grand Canyon of the East and is located in Mt. Morris New York. My husband and I visited regularly when we lived near Rochester, NY. The park is stunning and is fit for camping whether you’re in a tent, RV or choosing to rent a gorgeous cabin. There are many walking and hiking trails for adventurers of all types. Make sure you bring your camera as the views are all photo worthy. The camping price is right due to the fact that the park is run by the state. A great place to stay especially in the Summer!!

Okay, we all get that there is awesome hiking, scenery, wineries, racing, and more in the Watkins Glen area. So let’s just chat about the campground.

The bathhouses were A+. Clean, well maintained, newer…just overall impressive!

There were water fill up stations EVERYWHERE! We camped in the dry camping loop - it was the only one available to us in our 35’ class A. We didn’t miss anything!

The playground was OUTSTANDING! All adults in our party and we couldn’t help but jump on some of the swings. It’s a newer type playground and is hands down the best I’ve ever seen!

Last, and certainly not least…personnel.

We had the opportunity to speak with the campground ranger, facilities engineer, and gate attendants. Everyone was accommodating, friendly, warm, helpful, and more. :).

One of the BEST campgrounds out there! Thank you New York State, the NYState park system and all the folks at Watkins Glen State Park Campground who make the magic happen!!!

One mention: our site was rated for a 25’ RV, we were 35’ long and fit nicely. Other sites rated for 35’ RV were NOT long enough. (We had to switch sites).

This is one of the main attractions for the area. Locals come here when the weather is nice.

We stayed in yurts, which are round tents ($38 per night). We had a cozy wooden deck and slept four people in two bunk beds. We also had a cooking stove, refrigerator, heat and electricity.

There is plenty of fishing and hiking to go around.

Really recommend this campsite if you have a little extra money to spend and are looking for a light getaway with friends.

If you're looking for a secluded place for yourself or with a loved one, I would look around the area for a less-popular campsite.

In most states, those without falls like Niagara, this state park would be the pride of the land. With three serious drops in as many miles, the Genesse River winds it’s way through what locals call the “Grand Canyon of the East.” Many states try to make such claims, but this might be the closest any come to actually living up to such. It is stunning! 

Along the river this park gives the motorist the distinct feel that she is on a parkway, not unlike Shenendoah, or Blue Ridge. Every few miles the winding pavement breaks out onto a few of the ridges and valley below, before ducking back into the forest of Western New York.

The campground, which is about 15 miles from the major falls area, offers what many come to expect from state parks. There are a wide variety of campsites, all reservable online, which can accommodate lots of different types of camping, large RV’s, small tents, and everything in between. Most, if not all, campsites offer electrical and water is available close by.

The bathrooms are practically luxurious by most camping standards, with single-use restroom/ showers available at all hours. The camp store offered a few grocery items, along with cold drinks, firewood and ice in addition to laundry facilities. Within a short walk were many hiking trails, an old-school fitness path, and a stellar playground where anyone under 9 years of age should get a great workout. 

But let’s be honest, we’re not coming here for the campground, it’s the rest of the park that makes the drive worth it. So, check it out and get to know this stunning place first hand and be sure to bring a picnic basket.

I absolutely love coming to Watkins Glen Campground, especially when I went to get away from the busy city. This park has gorgeous waterfalls, and great paths to walk and hike on. It's located in Upstate New York, so it's close enough to the city but you feel like you are far away from the city. The campsites are great, clean and well kept. This park does get pretty busy though, because it is open to campers and people who just want to visit for the day to walk the trails. I love that they have trails that lead very close to the waterfalls..lots of rim trails that literally overlook the waterfalls and gorges. In the campground they do offer a pool, which again, does get busy because it's open to everyone regardless if you are camping or not. There also is tours you can take in the summer that will take you along the waterfalls and gorge, they have a playground for kids and an area with picnic tables. I went mid July and it was extremely busy, not sure when a good time to go during the summer when it's not as busy. That was the only downside I would say, is how crowded it was. There is also Seneca Lake nearby that many people go to fish in, however I didn't go on this trip but plan to next time. There are restrooms on site, however I didn't think they were that clean. Toilet paper and seat covers were out in most stalls, so I would advise to bring your own when you go. There is also some gift shops and food stands set up...one food stand has some pretty good hot dogs! The hikes to the gorge and waterfalls is pretty well maintained, however there are quite a bit of stairs. There were some people with kids in strollers that had to turn around because the stairs made it difficult. Not handicap friendly. I would advise to wear a good pair of walking shoes, and not sandals because it is slippery in some spots and again, a lot of stairs! I would highly recommend coming here, even if you don't decide to stay the night!

**Ranger Review: Men’s Rebel Stretch Shell Jacket at Letchworth State Park **

CampgroundReview: 

I’ve visited Letchworth State Park, known as the Grand Canyon of the East, in the winter and the summer, but this is the first time in autumn and the first time camping. Although this very large state park is starkly beautiful, the campground is not as nice as other New York state parks we have recently been to. We were in the 600 loop, the farthest from the camp office and closest to the Genesee River (although we could not see it from our site). The sites on the outside of the 600 loop were larger and more private; most of them were pie-shaped and had many trees that provided ample separation. The sites on the inside of the loop were much smaller and less private. The bathrooms were reasonable but dated. The showers did not look very inviting and although I did not use them, I overheard someone comment they were the worst showers they had ever experienced! 

I highly recommend the free tour of the Mt. Morris Dam on the other side of the river from the campground. The tour is interesting and lasts approximately one hour. Offered at 2 pm in the offseason and twice per day during the summer.

It rained almost the entire time we were there, so we didn’t take any long hikes. We did a short hike to the Lower Falls. The footbridge was closed for repairs when we were there. The Middle Falls and Upper Falls can be seen with very short walks. There is also a restaurant in the park which was ok but not fantastic

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Product Review: 

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get to test products. At this campground, we tested the Men’s Rebel Stretch Shell Jacket by Red Ledge. The price of this jacket is much less than many other available brands, so we were interested in checking it out and ordered one for my husband. 

Positives: 

• Affordable price 

• Workmanship appears to be solid and of good quality. 

• Seams are all sealed. Feels comfortable, although the material has a slightly rubbery feel 

• Water beads up very well 

• The waist is adjustable. 

Negatives: 

• The hood adjustment is a bit awkward 
• There are no zippered air vents at the armpits 
• The front Rapid entry zip pockets are designed to protect your cell phone from rain, but it makes it slightly awkward for slipping your hands in. 
• Ordered size large because the sleeve length on the XL would have been too long, but this did not leave a lot of room for layering. 

Bottom line: 

Although it is well made and a good value for the price, it is not as functional as my husband would have liked.

We were looking to spend a couple of nights near Watkins Glen to hit the wineries, waterfalls, and nearby museums around the finger lakes of New York and this park seemed to be in a good location for us to do all that. There were other options closer to downtown Watkins Glen but they were closed for the season when we visited. This park is quite large and can accommodate any size RV with plenty of activities to keep the entire family busy without even leaving the park (but we wouldn’t recommend that because there is so much to do in the surrounding area). 

Typical KOA with a wide range of RV sites and lodging options and tons of activities and amenities. We booked online and got our KOA discount, so check-in was easy and we were greeted by friendly people. There is a mix of site types which you can pick out online. If you don’t see the type you want online, give them a call because sometimes they can move people around to accommodate you. The roads in the park and campsites are gravel but the park is easy to navigate. They do have short fences at the front and back of sites which can make maneuvering into your site a little tricky. Not sure why they have these unless it is to keep people from driving or parking on the grass. Deluxe sites with fancy paved patios are available for a bit more$$$ than standard sites. All sites have a picnic table and fire pit.

Our site was level and long enough to fit our tow car. The pad was gravel but the patio was paved. Our fire pit stuck out pretty close to the road which was a bit awkward. Sites are definitely close so upon check-in we noticed that the park was not very crowded and asked that they not put us right next to people if at all possible. The women in the office told us that our neighbors were leaving the next morning and that was the only site option. Turns out they didn’t leave and there did appear to be other sites available. Oh well! 

The park advertises free wifi and we were skeptical as to how good it would be but it turned out that it worked well at our site for surfing the internet. Our 4G Verizon phone reception was good and the open pull-thru sites work well for those wanting to use satellite. There is cable which broadcasts 70 channels. 

What we liked about this campground was: the pastoral setting yet it was close to many attractions and things we wanted to do. The hiking trail was a big plus and really appreciated by our Labrador retriever. Wifi worked great and there were lots of cable channels. Our patio was paved which is nice but it is more expensive than standard sites with grass (so we ended up paying for that). 

By far the worst thing about this park is the price. If you come here in the summer and use all the amenities then maybe we could see paying $100/night. But we really just wanted a place to park and hook-up the RV since we spent very little time there during the day. The only amenity we were even slightly interested in was the heated indoor swimming pool. 

The surrounding area boasts lots of activities from exploring the natural wonders to wineries and museums. The region is known for its waterfalls including the popular Watkins Glen Gorge that has 19 waterfalls and many more in the surrounding area. Watkins Glen sits at the southern end of Seneca Lake and offers many opportunities to get out on the water for sight-seeing and a diner cruise. Close by are 40 some wineries and breweries that draw many visitors. A 30-minute drive south will put you in the town of Corning home to the spectacular Corning Museum of Glass and the Rockwell Art Museum. Watkins Glen Speedway hosts major motor racing events including the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Click here for a link to our blog post about what we did

Very good location, however there isn’t much shade and the main road is close to our camp site so it’s not very quiet during the day. Geese poop liters the ground and people have left their trash where ever they please,decent for fishing if you have a boat they require it to have no gas powered motor it’s electric or manual only .

Waterfalls and gorges typical of Finger Lakes area, reminiscent of Watkins Glen in a lot of ways but less crowded. There are some areas to swim in the natural water here. Some of the sites are along the creek, all are lovely and wooded. As is frequently true at state parks, the day use restrooms can get a little messy so don't be put off--the campground ones are always very clean. Just fyi, the town of Stony Brook, NY is on Long Island, 6+ hours from this State Park.

I have been here multiple times and it is a great day trip spot. We figured this time we can stay at the campsites and give it a try. Most of the camp areas washed out from rain with water running through them. Rats and mice all over. As we were walking back from a trail rats were jumping in to the underside of the car. The mice were all around the campsites. The bathrooms are clean and the park service people do all they can here. Only complaint with the restroom areas is the graffiti on the walls. There is some stuff not suitable for children and have been there dated back to 2011. We will definitely be back for day trips to the park but not again to the campsites

I'm picky when it comes to campsites, but I loved my time at Stony Brook. The hike through the gorge to see all the waterfalls is stunning and can't be passed up. The actual campsite set up is always what gets me, because I prefer to be secluded and remote, which you never get in a state park! However, we were happy with our campsite choice because we did not stay in the typical loop, instead staying at a campsite by the restrooms. Since it's sort on a undesirable location since it's not right on the water, we got to be by ourselves. Overall it was an amazing trip. Only stayed one night due to time constraints, but it was just the right amount of time.

Planned this campout about a month ahead and hoped for good weather. Turned out to be a rainy week and weekend, a few dry spells in between. We had plenty of shelter with us to keep dry. My 2nd trip to this park, first time we hiked the trails, beautiful waterfalls and scenery. Campsites are close, fortunately we were alone, probably due to the weather! We were creekside in a nice spot.

The park is perfect for day hikes and swimming in picturesque waterfalls. The bridges and the fall leaves are especially memorable. The campground is basic and wooded, nice. Some of the sites are right along the creek, but you have to reserve well in advance to get them. The rest are just a short walk to the creek, so no worries if you can’t get a creekside site. They have cabins but we have never stayed in them.

This park is beautiful and has a unique swimming area- a ‘pool’ carved from the mountain! There are lots of paths and picnic areas, as well as beautiful hiking trails and creeks to cool off in.

It can be a little crowded but honestly it’s worth the see. Make sure you wear good shoes and water friendly attire!

Affordable, Family friendly, loved the waterfalls. There is natural clay which my children used to make clay pots which air dried on the grass by our playground. We picked blueberries off a bush near our campsite to have with our breakfast every morning. I love this place because it is a short drive from our home and we feel we are far away from the city.

We didn’t overnight here. But did go hiking for the day. The gorge trail is very busy but you still can enjoy the beautiful waterfalls along with the gorge formation. We also did the east trail that goes up to the top of the gorge and is also a little further into the woods. It was much quieter up there and the views looking down from there were breathtaking. Be prepared for a lot of steps. It also felt like the hike was “up hill both ways”. Good workout though. The trails were clean and well established. The picnic area is nice. There’s a ton of picnic tables and the area is spread out. Even though it was busy, you didn’t feel on top of anyone. A great park for bird watching. Particularly if you like Blue Jays. I couldn’t get over how many there were!! Next time we want to stay overnight at a site. The camp sites were just off of the different trails and easily accessible.