Best Tent Camping near Altamont, NY

Tent campers near Altamont, New York can find several primitive and established camping options within driving distance. Ushers Road State Forest offers dispersed tent camping with fire rings about 20 miles northeast of Altamont, while Duck Pond Campsite provides a more secluded experience approximately 40 miles west. Echo Lake in the Catskills region features tent sites surrounding the water with multiple established fire pits and a lean-to.

Access roads to several primitive tent sites can present challenges depending on vehicle type and recent weather. Duck Pond Campsite requires navigation via unpaved dirt roads that may be difficult for standard passenger vehicles, particularly after rain. Most dispersed camping areas lack amenities such as drinking water, toilets, or trash service, requiring campers to pack in all necessary supplies and pack out all waste. Fire regulations vary by location, with most sites permitting campfires in established rings, though seasonal fire bans may apply during dry periods. Sites at Ushers Road State Forest require campers to set up at least 150 feet from trails.

The primitive tent experience near Altamont provides varied terrain and solitude options. Echo Lake offers tent sites on hillsides with lake views and protection from insects, as the higher elevation and breezes help reduce mosquito activity. Giant Ledge Primitive Camp, though requiring a challenging uphill hike, rewards tent campers with panoramic mountain views and stargazing opportunities from established sites along the trail. At Duck Pond, tent campers find a well-maintained site despite its remote location. According to a review on The Dyrt, "The pond is small so the mosquitos were not too bad. So few people passed by and very unknown quite and we just loved the experience."

Best Tent Sites Near Altamont, New York (27)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Altamont, NY

562 Reviews of 27 Altamont Campgrounds


  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 9, 2021

    Echo Lake

    Lovely Camping in the Catskills

    This campground was my first backpacking trip and it was perfect!  There are tent sites around the whole lake with fire pits and 1 lean-to site at the end of the trail when you first arrive at the lake.  The sites are relatively flat and well shaded with trees.  Note, it can get swampy near the edge of the lake so you may want to bring bug spray.  Make sure you practice leave no trace principles and pack out what you bring in!  It does get a little crowded later in the day so you may have to share space with others and it can be a little noisy at night.

  • Erin B.
    Sep. 11, 2019

    Clarksburg State Park Campground

    low key and beautiful fall getaway

    Keep in mind that this review is written after camping sept 8th (the week that school started for many) so it might not be relevant to peak camping season. We were pleasantly surprised with our weekend getaway to Clarksburg State Park. Nestled in the Berkshires and basically walking distance to Vermont, Clarksburg State Park provides a comfortable and semi-private tent site. Several spots (including ours 6) were very close to the rather large pond. While the trees obstruct the views, the site was waterfront and we were able to walk a few yards downhill to the waters edge where we launched our kayaks (there is a designated launching spot elsewhere). No electric and water hookups are provided but we were totally okay with that. Bear boxes were provided on each site so that you don’t have to keep stinky food or garbage in your car! Each site also had a fire pit with a grate so that you can cook right there on the fire. The bathrooms were some of the cleanest campground bathrooms and showers i’ve experienced (no bugs or webs also) and there was a dishwashing station on the side. The sites were large and well spaced but they had trees in between so that you felt privacy. The campground itself had plenty of sites, firewood for sale in the front and a pavilion and beach area on the day use side. There are plenty of trails you can hop on right outside your tent site and very little light pollution for optimal star gazing. We really enjoyed our time here and will definitely be back!

  • Amanda S.
    Jul. 17, 2018

    Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park

    Great price

    This is basic dry camping it is fun but there is no electric or water at the sites o LU in the bathhouse. So if you get a site close the the bathhouse you will have water close by and electricity close. Otherwise it’s dry camping.. the platform sites are great it makes it real easy to set up a tent because of the platform that the tent goes on and the lake is ok. The kids don’t like swimming with fish so we didn’t spend much time at the lake

  • Christina W.
    May. 28, 2019

    Sperry Road Campground — Mount Greylock State Reservation

    I go every year!

    Me and my friends get a group site at least once a year. It's an amazing place with really great staff that care about the safety of everyone and keeping the areas clean. We always have an amazing time here. The views are great and we have never had any issues. 

    First time I went it was intimidating because I had never camped in an all tent camping site with no running water or public restroom areas. However, as soon as I got acclimated, I loved it. There are outhouses stationed at different areas all around, and bear boxes for every group. There are bears around so use the boxes seriously. 

    There are a number of rivers and little waterfalls that are always nice to visit. I plan to go there again very soon!

  • Heidi R.
    Jun. 1, 2018

    Sperry Road Campground — Mount Greylock State Reservation

    Awesome backpacking with amenities!

    The hike in was a fairly easy 1.3 to the csmpground. The sites were huge and spread out. Although we could kind of see our neighbors if we tried, we were far enough away that we weren't looking at them all weekend. SO PEACEFUL! Uou will hear the bard owls call at night and not much else. Sites 11, 8, and 9 are pretty set back and private.

    Amenities include:

    1. The rangers deliver wood to your site
    2. The bear lockers are roomy and clean and could double as storage to keep items out of the rain (highly recommend reviewing being "bear aware" as we had a sighting in our neighboring site and not all other campers are bear smart and left food/trash out even though rangers gave reminders).
    3. The composting toilets were so spacious and clean you could sleep on the floor in an emergency!
    4. Each site has a fire ring and a picnic table.

    There are plenty of options for hiking including two nearby falls, a section of the AT, and of course the summit. The summit lodge offers breakfast & lunch. Although abut pricey, the large fire place, friendly hiker conversations, and a warm cup of coffee brightened our rainy day. They also do dinner by reservation. The summit is accessible by hiking or car. They have educational and entertainment programs scheduled throughout the weekend.

  • B
    Aug. 30, 2022

    Woodland Valley Campground — DEC

    Catskill Camping

    Wonderful campsite 11 right next to the stream. unfortunately no hot water for my 3 days there.. mens bathroom sink near entrance was not working.. closet spigot working was near campsite 27. No firewood sold at campground at this time. NO cell phone service.. most campsite are very close together so not much privacy. Dead end road so virtually no road traffic at all. Most campsites are rocks and dirt. No fire ban 8/2022 at this time. Its about a 30 min ride to Phoenicia. Bathrooms clean. Very close to hiking trails- Slide mountain trail and giant ledge right next door

  • Justin P.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 4, 2022

    October Mountain State Forest Campground

    Peaceful and clean campground

    I tent camped here in night while exploring the fishing in Western Massachusetts.

    The campsite was peaceful and quiet and mostly tucked into the hillside.

    I did see the electrical station at the entrance but the sound didn’t reach where I was staying at site 33. To avoid that sound, I would suggest sites further up the road.

    The sites offered medium privacy. Site 33 was built into a slope in the hill, so it required walking up a short set of stairs, but the tent site was level.

    I didn’t explore the hiking trails but it seems very convenient that you could leave into the trails right from the campground.

    For any fly fishing folks, this campground is very close to the Housatonic (catch and release only!)

  • Cynthia K.
    Jun. 26, 2023

    Clarksburg State Park Campground

    Choose your site carefully

    We took the family up here for a long weekend. The weather wuickly made this an overnight stay instead, as the rain was relentless. Our site (#6) was on a slope, and there was the telltale sign of stormwater runoff tracks running through the middle. We pitched our tents to the left and the right, which worked out well because the next day we had a stream running through our site. The hiking trails were extremely wet and muddy (even before the rain) so we didn't get too explore very much.

    They have great firewood here - kiiln dried cedar for $7 a bundle! And the restrooms were fairly clean. The boat launch area looked great, but we didn't get our kayaks in due to the weather.

    Before we packed up, we took advantage of a break in the rain to get photos of as many sites as we could. Hopefully they'll come in handy for future campers.  These were all taken after several hours of heavy rain, so the photos should give you a good idea of what sites have drainage issues.

  • Christina  M.
    Jul. 28, 2017

    Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park

    Great Place for First Timers

    I went here with two of my coworkers for a relaxing weekend getaway. I'm use to the rough and tough it of backpacking the AT Trail so this place had quite a few amenities I am not use to! Haha. We stayed at a platform tent site and were able to park two vehicles on site but the grounds had plenty of parking not too far from the sites. Each of the sites had a large platform (enough room for one very large tent or 2-3 smaller tents), a fire pit, and picnic table. You are very close to your neighbor in this area but when we were there everyone was very respectful. There was potable water a short walking distance away as well as flushing toilets. There was a very large open grassy field for play/sports, a playground and life guarded portion of the lake for swimming. This location was very accesible to the Bish Bash Falls trail and even had a few side trails to explore. This place is very good for easing on first timers and there were quite a few children so those who are parents should consider this a great place to get kids involved in the outdoors as well. There were other accommodations such as RV hook ups, events, and rentals but we weren't there long enough to take adavatage of those. Overall a great experience and relatively cheap for what you get. I believe it was around $30 for two nights which was the minimum.


Guide to Altamont

Primitive camping opportunities surround Altamont, New York, with sites ranging from 900 to 3,500 feet in elevation across the Catskill Mountains and nearby forests. Most tent camping areas receive moderate to heavy use during summer weekends and fall foliage season, particularly at higher elevations where temperatures average 5-10 degrees cooler than in Altamont proper. Winter accessibility varies significantly depending on snowfall and road maintenance schedules.

What to do

Hiking with panoramic views: Giant Ledge Primitive Camp offers tent sites along a challenging trail with several viewpoints. According to Emily S., "There's a couple marked campsites scattered along the trail, we camped at the first one on the way up. Good hike with a bit of a challenge climbing rocks at the end towards the ledge but nothing crazy."

Fishing in secluded waters: Duck Pond Campsite provides access to a small pond suitable for casual fishing. The site's remote location ensures minimal disruption from other visitors. "After driving unpaved dirt road for a while, we arrived at a surprisingly well maintained beautiful campsite. The pond is small so the mosquitos were not too bad," reports Yae U.

Wildlife observation: Forest camping at Ushers Road State Forest includes access to bicycle-friendly nature trails with wetland habitats. A camper noted, "This trailhead provides access to bicycle-friendly nature trails. I explored both directions on my bike, riding approximately half a mile down each side. The terrain eventually transitions into a low-lying, swampy area."

Stargazing from mountain sites: Clear night skies reward campers at higher elevations. Ryan, who camped at Giant Ledge, confirms: "Yes you can camp on top of the mountain. Yes you can make a camp fire. Yes you can star gaze by the views near the camp."

What campers like

Natural swimming spots: Echo Lake offers tent sites surrounding a mountain lake suitable for swimming. Kate mentions, "There are tent sites around the whole lake with fire pits and 1 lean-to site at the end of the trail when you first arrive at the lake. The sites are relatively flat and well shaded with trees."

Elevated camping with breezes: Hillside camping reduces insect encounters at Echo Lake. James A. reports, "We camped on the hill with a beautiful view of the whole lake and breeze." This strategic location helps minimize mosquito exposure during summer months.

Spring water access: Some primitive sites offer natural water sources nearby. John S. from Giant Ledge Primitive Camp notes, "The spring water source is a short hike back from the campsite, relatively convenient to restock from camp."

Campfire-friendly locations: Most dispersed sites permit fires in established rings. As one camper at Giant Ledge Primitive Camp describes, "It has rock benches and a fire pit. Primitive."

What you should know

Vehicle limitations: Access roads to primitive sites can damage standard vehicles. A Duck Pond Campsite reviewer cautions: "The road in on old cemetery rd was pretty rough, so we decided to go out the other way, which was way worse. The site itself, was pretty nice, Fire pit, trickling stream, but the years taken off the life of my truck was not worth it."

Wildlife precautions: Bear activity occurs in the Catskills region. John S. advises, "Thought I heard bears come through overnight, but may have been a lucid dream. Bear can was undisturbed in the morning."

Time restrictions: E16 Canal Lock limits tent camping stays to 48 hours maximum. Mona M. explains, "The Canal Corporation provides designated spots for tent and van camping along the canal. Stays are limited to a maximum of 48 hours. Upon arrival, campers must scan the QR code at the entrance and complete a brief survey."

Trail difficulty ratings: Some sites require strenuous hiking. Caleb J. warns about Giant Ledge: "It is a near vertical hike the first mile with 90% or more being over rock gardens. Not some rocks littering the trail. I think the trail used to be a stream or creek. It doesn't wind its way up the mountain, someone picked a side and said 'we go up from here, straight up'."

Tips for camping with families

Accessible primitive options: Family-friendly camping exists at sites with minimal hiking required. A reviewer at Ushers Road State Forest discovered: "About 500 feet down the right-hand trail, there is a smaller path branching off to the left. This leads to a previously used campsite, approximately 200 feet from the main trail."

Site privacy considerations: Some locations become crowded during peak periods. Kate warns about Echo Lake: "It does get a little crowded later in the day so you may have to share space with others and it can be a little noisy at night."

Terrain assessment: Scout campsite terrain before setting up with children. James A. notes about Echo Lake: "Other campsites are scattered and require navigating through small overgrown trails (wear pants)."

Tips from RVers

Designated tent camping only: Most primitive areas near Altamont prohibit larger recreational vehicles. At Getaway Catskill Campground, sites accommodate tents with modern amenities. Ashley F. explains, "Each site has a private bathroom and hot shower, as well as a kitchenette."

Cell service variability: Mobile reception varies significantly across camping areas. A Duck Pond Campsite visitor reports: "Intermittent cell service which was frightening while driving on these rough roads." At E16 Canal Lock, Mona M. notes "The Verizon signal is good in the area."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Altamont, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Altamont, NY is Ushers Road State Forest with a 5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Altamont, NY?

TheDyrt.com has all 27 tent camping locations near Altamont, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.