Blydenburgh County Park's pet-friendly campsites accommodate tent and RV camping with designated areas for dogs throughout the year. The park features drinking water stations, picnic tables, and trash receptacles convenient for pet owners. Indian Island County Park and Southaven County Park also welcome pets with spacious sites and fire rings. The campgrounds maintain clean facilities with showers and toilets, though some visitors note bathrooms can be inconsistent in cleanliness during peak season. Dogs must remain leashed at all times within campground boundaries, with a maximum of two pets per site at most locations.
Cathedral Pines County Park offers wooded tent and RV sites with water hookups where dogs can join their owners on hiking trails. Wildwood State Park Campground provides pet-friendly accommodations including cabins from April through October. Several campgrounds feature nearby dog exercise areas or walking paths along shorelines. Smith Point County Park maintains year-round pet access with beach areas where leashed dogs are permitted during off-season months. Local campers recommend bringing extra tick prevention as Suffolk County parks have significant tick populations, especially in wooded areas. Veterinary services are available in Brookhaven and surrounding communities, with the closest emergency animal hospital located approximately 15 minutes from most campgrounds.
$20 - $250 / night
"The beach is in a walking distance. You can swim or fish there. This camp site has a relatively new and clean facility. There are many farms near by where you can get fresh veggies and fruits."
"However there are too many loud families and the sites are too close in proximity for me."
"Literally steps to the beach."
"A short walk from the ocean to the bay, both accessible by walking from your campsite. No shade so be prepared to wake early if you’re in a sweltering tent. Staff has been great, no complaints."
$33 / night
"Recently went camping in our pull behind, met some old friends and had a great time. Rangers have a hardon for people screwing up tho. Think they're all that and then some..."
"Great Location Clean Park."
"Beautiful location steps away from the beach. Listen to the waves crashing as you sleep and stargaze over the clear ocean. Not ready for full on camp-life? No problem!"
"Camping gets you away from the bustle. It is a little less than a half mile walk from the ferry dock and located behind the dunes which offer some protection. Take a quick walk down to the beach."
$20 / night
"* cottages far enough away from each other
- fire ring with Adirondack chairs
- dumpster and recycling within walking distance
- lots of bone dry firewood around for campfire
- walkable beach"
"Overall my experience was positive. Camping Sites
Each camping site has a picnic table and barbeque grill."
"Great park with a nice 7 mile loop around the lake with decent fishing. Lots of horses and dogs on the trail. 30 or so sites around a central public restroom."
"Hiking trails are beautiful. Dog friendly. Clean bathrooms"
"Campsites are located close enough to the beach/marsh. Multiple playgrounds for the kids although they were closed due to Covid."
"There are dog friendly which was very nice. It is a lil tight from each site but you have the beach and a little hiking trails that makes it worth it."
GuideI grew up in Long Beach. If you’re looking for a spot to camp so you can surf, this is perfect! It’s basically a parking lot, but it’s steps away from some of the greatest waves on the east coast. Showers are clean, there’s a dog park nearby, and the island is very bikable to get around.
benefits: allows dogs childrens playground beach programs like movie nights throughout the summer
GuideSmall campground with good electrical, clean water, sewer and a friendly owner. Each site has grass and a picnic table. There is a wonderful little frozen custard shop down the road called roses farm stand. It’s a perfect campground for seeing the local area or even catching the train to New York City.
GuideSears Bellows in New York is a lot of fun. It really does offer a lot of outdoor activities for you and your family. I have stayed at this campsite 1 time, and stayed 2 nights. This campground does offer tent sites as well as RV/trailer sites. When I went with my friends in college, we just stayed in the tent sites and really enjoyed it. The campground is very well kept and clean which I really liked. They do have quite a bit of garbage's to dump your trash in. One thing I really liked about this campground is that there was a river/pond close by (Bellows Pond). The first night I stayed here my friends and I rented some rowboats and went on the water. It was a lot of fun, and the price of the rowboat was pretty cheap. The next morning we got up and did some hiking. The trails were beautiful, and the flowers were in bloom. There were people who were also biking on these trails, which looked like so much fun! We also saw some people fishing in the pond- and it seemed like most people were catching. The people who stayed in the campsite next to us were cooking up some type of fish for their dinner that they caught that day. One thing to note is that there are not any electrical hook-ups, so if that is something you need you might now want to come stay here. I would love to come back here someday, but stay maybe a day or two longer to do more things- I would also bring my bike and fishing pole to do more outdoor activities. I would also advise to rent the rowboats because that was a lot of fun!
GuideThe actual beach isn't too nice; not soft sand, broken shells, and cigarettes. However, the campgrounds have nice facilities like a shop, good showers, a playground, and volleyball courts. Be noted PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED in the summer. We were not aware of this.
ScoutBeautiful campsites! Lots of lean to sites with fireplaces in them. You have to go in person to make a reservation and pay. The camp area is beautiful, especially in the fall. Pet friendly and kid friendly with a playground available. Our favorite site is #25. Up a hill, totally private and has a lean-to.
LegendI had a hankering for East Coast seafood, so I picked Hammonesett Beach State Park for Connecticut. Our 2nd state of 5.
Hammonesett Beach has a huge campground. They divide the loops with names. I unfortunately chose Pequot. This loop has THE WORST bathrooms/showers on the South side of the campground. Looks like they were built in 1950s with rotten wood siding. Dirty. The showers were outside the bathroom- there was a bench & hooks OUTSIDE! We found out all the other loops had modern bathhouses.
My first impression of this campground is it's loud, crazy busy & there's traffic noise from the beach road. I actually liked it! This is a fun campground for families. There were kids on bikes, scooters, skateboards,roller blades. Watch your speed! They don't always watch out for your car.
I found out most people stay through Sunday & leave on Monday. There were still lots of campers left. Lots of tent campers.
I chose site 14 on the Pequot Loop because I thought I would have a view of one of the ponds. There was tall vegetation, so that was out.
The sites on the other side of the loop were right by the main beach road. Noisy during the day, but quiet at night.
There are some sites with shade, but most are sunny.
There's no electricity at most of the sites. Our site was full sun(yay for the solar panel!). On Beach Road in the campground there's 2 rows of full hookup sites, but they go FAST! I tried.
NO PETS! Including dogs.
No WiFi, but there's cell service. At least 5 dump stations.
The beach was popular.
There was a stream running from a pond that kids were playing in.
They have a beautiful Nature Center. A couple of easy hikes through one of the preserves.
This was a good base camp for the area. Gillette Castle & other state parks are within driving distance. Connecticut is a beautiful state!!
RangerMy husband and and I camped one night at this newly reopened park over the weekend in Long Island just to check it out and were pretty disappointed by the tent camping area. There are 69 tent/trailer sites(no hook ups). There is no distinguishing separation between each site nor a designated driveway for your car- you merely pull up on the grass. It's basically like camping in your local city park. People park wildly all over the place, which also makes it more difficult to determine which site is which by the number painted on the roadway. Each"site" has a picnic table and an barbecue grate on a post. There is one bath/shower house in the center of all of these sites with no path provided for folks to walk to and fro, so naturally people will walk right through your site randomly rather than around the road. While the bathroom building itself is in decent shape and has a large amount of toilet stalls and about five showers, the condition of women's room was absolutely ghastly inside.
At some point during the evening, a maintenance worker on a golf cart showed up with a mop and some cleaning supplies and cleaned the men's side of the building. I was so relieved when I saw him, but he seemed to neglect the women's side completely, so I resorted to using the men's facilities all night.
There are no fire pits on any of the sites, although I learned afterwards that they do allow you to bring your own metal fire pit as long as it is elevated off the ground. There are large dumpsters located throughout the camping area and a large trash bag is provided (if needed) at the camp office when you check in.
The highlight of Heckscher State Park is the newly constructed heated cottages located on the shore of Nichol's& Great South Bays.. There are currently 11 cottages--- with more under construction. There are cottages suited for two, four, and six people and range in price from$225-$285 per night during off peak seasons and$250- 320 per night during the peak seasons.
The cottages are fully furnished, with a full kitchen and large bathroom with a walk in shower. The cottages are a short walk from the beach and also include a fire pit with Adirondack chairs and an outdoor shower on the exterior each property. I do not have photos of the inside, but they do have them on the Reserve America website if you are interested.
While the cottages are lovely and their location is fabulous they are quite pricey and no TLC was spent in the$22 tent/rv camping area, other than a new registration office which is not yet completed as of this weekend. I do hope they invest some funding in the primitive area to add fire pits,more water spigots, clearer site markings and for the continued maintenance& upkeep of the bath/shower house.
* I emailed the parks departement about the issues mentioned above about the camping area and received this reply:
I am sorry that you are upset with the conditions in our recently opened campgrounds. We have replaced all of the picnic tables. Although, they may look old because they are weathered since these picnic tables were put together during the Winter, however, they are brand new. All of the barbeques are also new and were installed during the Winter. We have changed and modernized the light fixtures and we will be replacing the rusted doors that you mentioned. There are also plans to install a playground within the campground beginning this Fall and we are looking for other improvements and additions to the campgrounds. As you probably noticed there is a new building under construction, at the entrance to the campgrounds, and it will serve as a check-in area, as well as, additional comfort stations, including family restrooms. Your suggestion of fire pits is a good one and the Park Managers will evaluate the feasibility of installing these. Lastly, I have spoken to the Park Manager who will review the cleaning operation to ensure the restrooms are appropriately maintained. I apologize for our employee not cleaning the women's room. Again, I am sorry for your negative experience but we are continuing to make improvements to the campgrounds.
Sincerely, George Gorman Regional Director New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
I will check back later this year to see if anything was changed and report back.
Rangerthis place seemed okay to begin with, but then you start noticing that the bathrooms are run down and not well kept, the lots are near an expressway that constantly has loud traffic, and there are tons of feral cats wandering and sometimes even begging for food. i probably would like to find a different place to stay during my next visit
GuideWard Pound Ridge is very well known to the locals as a great place for sled-riding in winter (Pell Hill area) and a place for big group gatherings. The many different trails are frequented by the locals as well. In recent years, the county government also allow bow-hunting of deer to control its population during the months of October to December.
As far as camping as a family, it is not too exciting a place for us. The grounds are far too well trimmed, as you can see in one of the videos. There is wide open space and the paths are well paved so kids can have fun riding the bikes or running around. There is also many trails of various difficulty levels to suit everyone, including horseback riders. The Trailside Nature Museum is also fun for the kids.
There are lean-to sites as well as tent sites. A maximum of eight people in two tents are allowed at each site. But if you really do have a party of eight, one picnic table seems to be inadequate. The sites are much farther away from the comfort stations than most campgrounds we have been to. But there are port-a-potties very close to the sites, which is very important when you have young kids.
All in all, it is not a place I would recommend if you want to get close to nature.
Suffolk County parks near Brookhaven provide year-round camping access within the Long Island Pine Barrens ecosystem. Sites vary from heavily wooded tent spaces to oceanfront RV locations with temperatures ranging from 20°F in winter to 85°F in summer. Camping permits require a Suffolk County Green Key card, which costs approximately $30 annually for residents and $200 for non-residents.
Hiking at Indian Island County Park: Trails wind through marshy areas with wildlife viewing opportunities. "There are hiking trails and geocaching on site. Many stores and a golf course near by too!" notes Janelle G., who found the location convenient for weekend trips.
Beach walking at Smith Point: Direct beach access with ocean views. "A short walk from the ocean to the bay, both accessible by walking from your campsite," explains Ali O. The park offers both Atlantic Ocean and Great South Bay shorelines within walking distance of camping areas.
Fishing at Blydenburgh County Park: The 7-mile loop trail circles a lake with decent fishing spots. Erik R. reports: "Great park with a nice 7 mile loop around the lake with decent fishing. Lots of horses and dogs on the trail."
Kayaking in Cupsogue County Park: Launch areas near camping spots with bay access. "You are steps from both the ocean and bay. A 4x4 is required. You must also purchase an outer beach permit for your vehicle," notes Rich L. about this dry camping location.
Wildlife viewing at Watch Hill: Opportunities for deer and bird watching from secluded sites. Igor K. describes it as "Birdsong in the morning and the sound of the waves. For those who want to be at one with nature."
Natural waterfront settings: Multiple parks feature direct water access from camping areas. At Smith Point County Park, Patrick C. describes the experience as "Paradise. Our 36ft motorhome backed up to a raised balcony overlooking the bay. Less than 100 feet from the front of our site was the beach and the Atlantic Ocean view."
Spacious campsites at Southaven: The wooded area provides reasonable separation between sites. Ken P. notes: "Our favorite campground. Been going there for years. Great sites, get there early in the camping season and there is a lot of free firewood, a nice bennie!"
Proximity to attractions: Local campgrounds provide convenient access to regional highlights. At Wildwood State Park Campground, Giselle P. appreciates that "There are lots of stores nearby as well as orchards to pick your own fruits. I stayed there one weekend and went to Splish Splash waterpark that's not far away. There is also a Tanger Outlet nearby."
Modern facilities at Heckscher: Recently renovated facilities enhance the camping experience. W L. reports on the cabins: "Modern facility with full kitchen accessories, coffee maker, plates, wine opener, can opener, silverware, pots, pans, cooking utensils, toaster, oven, sponge/dish liquid. Microwave."
Campsite variation: Site quality and privacy vary significantly between and within parks. At Heckscher State Park Campground, Jessica C. observed: "The campsites are very close together without any defining borders so everybody just walks across each other site's to get to a different one, a path, the bathroom, etc. No solitude, lots of families with kids, lots of music."
Insect preparation essential: Multiple parks report significant insect issues, particularly in warmer months. "Expect to be eaten alive. It was absolutely gorgeous, don't get me wrong. However, it was nearly impossible to enjoy ourselves because we were getting attacked by mosquitoes and horseflies the entire weekend," warns Rosie R. about Watch Hill Fire Island Campground.
Fire ring requirements: Several parks require campers to bring their own fire containers. Maxime T. notes about Indian Island County Park: "The only reason I gave 4 stars is because the campsites don't come with a fire ring. Not sure if this is because of maintenance, but it just wasn't super apparent until we got there."
Beach conditions vary: Coastal parks have different beach characteristics. Amber A. explains Wildwood's beaches: "The North Shore and South Shore are pretty different. This site gives you the North Shore experience with high bluffs, sandy calm beaches along the Long Island Sound, and views of CT across the water."
Playground access: Several campgrounds feature multiple play areas for children. At Blydenburgh County Park, Christopher S. found it "Family friendly. Lots of long haulers it seemed around the sites. Ranger drove around a few times to say hi. Trails were awesome."
Beach activities: Beach-adjacent parks offer swimming and exploration opportunities. Ali O. describes Smith Point: "Kids of all ages are generally running and playing day and night in the loud and unreserved way they do. People are friendly and its a great place to spend your summer nights."
Rental options for beginners: For families new to camping, cabin rentals provide an entry-level experience. At Heckscher, W L. found: "This was a last-minute booking for us and we were delighted with the beachside cottage, with enough amenities that mom and dad did not worry we had their cutie with us for camping. She's too little for backpacking into the woods but finally got to stay overnight and help with the campfire!"
Off-season advantages: Fewer crowds and insects during shoulder seasons. Emily S. shares about Watch Hill Fire Island Campground: "We went the weekend after labor day. It felt like we had the entire beach to ourselves because there was no one else even close to around us."
Hookup availability: Electric and water connections vary significantly between parks. At Southaven County Park, Dominick L. observed: "There seemed to be a disproportionate amount of dilapidated trailers on the side of the campground with no electricity. I'm not sure how some of them even moved. The side with electricity was ok."
Leveling requirements: Site conditions require preparation for RV setup. Michael at Smith Point noted: "Great first experience. Had onsite bathrooms and showers that were clean. 1 minute walk over the dune to the Atlantic ocean. Will definitely be back."
Dump station locations: Plan for waste management if staying at sites without sewer hookups. Janelle G. notes at Indian Island: "No sewers sites that I could tell, and water was off because we were a week shy of the season opening. Needed to move to dump station prior to leaving (2 night visit) and had to drive to fill the fresh water tank once while there."
Pull-through access: Some parks offer easier RV site access. Lori R. from Wildwood State Park reported: "RV pull through sites were fantastic. It was a great campground for maiden voyage in new rig. Plenty of amenities."
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Brookhaven, NY is Wildwood State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 24 reviews.
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