Looking for the best tent campgrounds near Ballston Spa? Finding a place to camp in New York with your tent has never been easier. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Ballston Spa's most popular destinations.
Hearthstone Campground rests at the end of picturesque Lake George just 2 miles north of the Village of Lake George; this has become a very popular vacation location in New York. Lake George region offers some of the most diverse recreation opportunities in NYS. A Junior Naturalist Program is also offered at Hearthstone, and the successful camper can earn a naturalist patch for their efforts.
$28 / night
Turtle Island is in the Mother Bunch and is a favorite among locals. It does not take long to discover that Turtle Island is the best kept secret of Lake George with jumping rocks, beautiful islands, and quieter waters.
Scout
The staff was friendly. The sites are spaced out enough and have greenery in between so it feels a little more private than some places. Bathrooms and showers were very clean.
Legend
What a beautiful and well maintained CG! Great owners, facilities, and amenities. Gravel roads and relatively level gravel sites. There are W/E sites, dry sites, and many secluded tent sites. There are two lakes and another nearby. It is close to many hiking trails. We arrived an hour after the water was turned off due to freezing temps. We were allowed to fill the fresh tank from the lodge. We woke the next day to heavy fog. We would definitely stay here again - for longer than an overnight stay!
Scout
I thought I read someplace that there is new ownership, at any rate the folks there were very nice. And the place lives up to its name. We’re not fond of RV parking lots and the sites were well spaced which gets it many extra points. We had a popup in a drive-through site at the bottom of the hill which was fine, though pretty muddy after a day of rain. With that hill there’s no place for larger RVs here unless they were to decide to use the field at the bottom. As far as infrastructure a lot of what is here is very old and dated, sometimes to the point of being comical, but it does appear some updates are happening. Bathroom building is decent and kept very clean (though it would be nice if any of the door latches on the women’s toilets worked.) It appears they have built or rebuilt some cabins. Hiking up and down the hill to the bathroom does get old and there is really no place to park there like most places have without blocking the road. Can squeeze in one car near the (ancient and yucky cold water) dishwashing station. There is a tiny campsite with cabin on the road below it, with a firepit and table like a foot away from the road. Maybe they should eliminate that site to make parking for a couple cars at least, as its a terrible campsite probably the only bad one there. (One night that site had 2 cars, with one blocking the road when we tried to drive past - they should have made the extra car stay down in the lot.) People moved their car a bit, but still had to drive very close to their bonfire. Like much of the area, there is essentially no cell coverage here. An area with wifi would be an excellent upgrade. I know, you’re camping, but sometimes you just need to do something, make a restaurant reservation, or check the weather.
Update- I just found and read an article about the change of ownership. Showed a picture of a recreation room. Where the heck was that? In the building labeled “the Barn?” Which I thought was an actual barn and off limits. The dyrt says there is wifi, maybe it was there? Would have been nice to know about.
Scout
There are a lot of camping sites for tents at this location. Quite a few lean-tos to rest . Restrooms with coin operated showers. Every site has a picnic table.
Guide
One night stay. Great sight. Friendly helpful staff. Only drawback is steady stream of trains going by around the clock. I didn’t mind by my wife didn’t sleep well.
Traveler
Absolutely loved this campground, sites are well spaced and the surrounding area is gorgeous! We had a tent site right on the river and couldn’t have been happier with our stay. Each site has a fire pit and a picnic table. Facilities were exceptionally clean and the camp store was stunning!
Scout
I just got here. Road was quite good. I believe I have the last of 4 sites. Nice camp fire area.
ScoutNo camping signs. Private property
RangerBeautiful state park campground with all the amenities you expect, located on the Hudson River.
The state did an excellent job designing sites with dense foliage as sound and site barriers creating good privacy for campers.
Sites are all within 200 feet of the bathrooms. The bathrooms have good showers and were very clean during our stay. There is also a dishwasher sink and even bookshelves with books available to borrow.
Our favorite feature was the day use and boat ramp on the Hudson River. We saw many larger boats (maybe smaĺl yachts?) during the day. The view from the boat ramp area was amazing. However, stay away if you see boat going by. The boat ramp dock turns into a death trap when a big wake from a boat hits the river bank!
Scout
I came up here with my dog for a solo camping trip for a couple of days to get away! Rich the host is super nice and answered any questions I had about staying/getting there. I had the whole camp ground to myself so that was even better. It is definitely off the beaten path but we'll worth it if your just trying to escape a little bit. But Verizon does get service. There are some nearby trails that are within 15 minutes of the camp ground which is also a plus. No need to bring Fire wood as there is a ton all around you. You can also buy from the host as well. There was a decent portapotty on the camp ground which is very nice to have. This was just what we needed. We really loved our stay and cant wait to go back! Thank you Rich!
RangerWide spaces near the Hudson River are beautiful. Campgrounds are under renovation to clear some trees and improve facilities in what might be the best state park we’ve camped at. Lots of well marked trails with great views of the river (cannot be seen from campsites).
Electric only on site but lots of spots to fill fresh water in campgrounds. Bathrooms are big and very clean.
At&t one bar. Site was open enough that Starlink was great.
ScoutGreat spot for quiet desolate camping. Several spots to choose from.
Ranger
Only the first section of the campground was open due to flooding. As a result, there were puddles everywhere.
Campsites are listed as disbursed but there are only 7 trees to separate 9 camp sites. The campsites are all next to the road and have fire circles.
There is a single pit toilet at the end of the camping area. No garbage service, no water, no cell service. Basically a camp site where you can share a fire with the neighbors.
ScoutThis is a small campground but very quiet and nice. The people that run it are very nice and accommodating. Would highly recommend it.
Scout
Despite only having 3 stars on dyrt, lees park is pretty cool to come to. Close to SPAC, lots of area to set up tents, dog friendly, campfire friendly, and there’s a lake minutes away. Some of the crowd seemed a little rowdy but overall nothing that was obnoxious. DONT GO IN THE WOODLINE you’ll get mobbed by mosquitoes.
Scout
Had a pleasant stay at Woodford State Park. Sites near T38 have a great elevated view of the reservoir. Also a nice loop trail for those looking to do a little bit of hiking.
GuideLarge, well organized camping spots along the road. The spot I chose had a beautifully built fire pit. It was a little muddy from rain.
Guide
Highlights of the trip included a somewhat secluded site by the river, pavilion tater tots and the pool. This campground was once thriving with activities and events and a real sense of community. Now, it seems hollow and unkept. Bathrooms and Showers were filthy.
Traveler
Decent site right off of the “main” road. “Main” because it was quiet. Easy to access via a short dirt road, but also easy to miss. We only saw sites 3 and 6 marked and took #6. There was a fire ring and access to the river down a semi-steep bank. Beautiful to listen to at night. Site was big enough to pull our mid-size SUV down and unfold rooftop-tent, but we did have to back out in the morning; not enough room to turn around. Felt private despite the road.
Guide
Family oriented. The kids loved love water attractions. Our site was large and shaded. The draw back is where you need to park the camper is about 7 inches out of level. If we stay in the same site again we would come better prepared.
Legend
The good: large, spacious, private sites that are all fairly level and all about the same size. Beautiful pool with 2 water slides, arcade, and cafe that wasn’t opened during the week but will be starting July 1. Clean facilities.
Store was fairly well stocked with things you might’ve forgot to pack. Staff was nice.
The not so good: lots of rules and charges for every little thing, our walkie talkies picked up on staff conversations and we heard they wanted to charge a family a guest fee for a delivery driver if he was on site more than 15 minutes, Showers cost money at $0.25 per 4 minutes, no wifi at all and poor cell reception, pool is NOT heated as they state all over their website, trash is not picked up, no activities or anything to do other than swim. Far from downtown Lake George and no trolley service, charges for early arrival regardless of whether sites is available or not and you can’t sit in their parking arrival area and wait.
I would not choose this campground again. It wasn’t horrible. There is so much more they could offer for their resort prices that they charge. Drove through Lake George RV resort on Rt. 149 and I think I’d choose that campground next time.
Check out the boats you ride on Lake George! The Adirondack is dog friendly! Get the coupon at the arcade for $3 off the $25 cost. Frontier Town gift shop on Rt 9 with the big teepee out front had great selection of stuff for good prices. Northway Brewing was fun with good beer!
Traveler
Busy road going thru the camp (it’s split in half). You can hear the car noise almost always until late evening. Some sites looked not cared for. Brach is nice.
Scout
This place means a lot to me and I’m reluctant to review because it’s such a well kept secret. Nothing fancy but great secluded spot with lots of great spots.
Guide
Our first time in Vermont and we picked an awesome campground. This place has a great layout with lots of great sites to choose from.
There are several sites right on the river!
Clean bath houses. A big playground for kids. Even free WiFi if that is desired.
We will definitely be back!
ScoutThis place is great! $10 for a tent site right on the canal and the staff is super friendly
Scout
I've stayed at Clarksburg State Park with my young son for a few years in a row and have always been consistently impressed with how clean and peaceful it is. Maybe we've just gotten lucky, but each time we've stayed, no matter how busy the campground is, it's quiet, especially at night. The park and the campground feel quite secluded for the location - very close to North Adams and other towns in that part of the Berkshires. The pond and the hiking trail around it are beautiful. We'll definitely return! My only complaint is that Massachusetts charges out-of-state residents 3x as much to camp.
Guide
Peacefully placed along the bends of the river is a large open grassy area with a sizable fire pit! The left side of the drive in is swampy so be sure to not drift to that side. The beginning of the little driveway is quite rough with some bigger rocks we have substantial ground clearance so no issues there but smaller ground clearances may feel a bump or two! Live by the motto leave nicer than you found it so we all can continue to enjoy the beauty!
Discover the beauty of tent camping near Ballston Spa, New York, where nature meets adventure in a variety of scenic campgrounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Ballston Spa, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Ballston Spa, NY is Hearthstone Point Campground with a 3.9-star rating from 16 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Ballston Spa, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 21 tent camping locations near Ballston Spa, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
