Cairo, NY is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Cairo is an adventure-filled destination for those who love the outdoorsy camper lifestyle. But it's also great for those who prefer to spend time near the city, exploring and sightseeing. Find the best campgrounds near Cairo, NY. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
$79 - $119 / night
"We're so excited to have this gorgeous property on our platform. It's clear that the hosts take great pride in their location."
"This campground was my first backpacking trip and it was perfect! "
"Lake is surrounded by hills and there is a small lean two with a few campfire spots."
"Get tracking poles if you don't already have some. Very helpful here.
This was one of my favorite weekend backpacking trips."
"However the descriptions of this place in reviews here and elsewhere provided very little info and once I got out to the trail realized how different it was to what I expected."
$50 - $315 / night
"After driving unpaved dirt road for a while, we arrived a surprisingly well maintained beautiful campsites. The pond is small so the mosquitos were not too bad."
"Intermittent cell service which was frightening while driving on these rough roads"
$150 - $400 / night
GuideThis 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.
ScoutAbsolutely love this spot and highly recommend if you’re looking for a super private, true primitive camping experience. You have to park at the entrance and hike in about 1.5-2 miles with everything on your back to get to the spots. Once you get there, theres quite a few sites to choose from and each offer quite a bit or privacy. It’s completely free and it usually isn’t too busy since most people don’t like having to carry all their stuff in that far. You will be in the heart of the forest/woods so definitely make sure to be prepared. We had some scares with coyotes and bears in the past but never anything crazy. They give you a semi-flat area for a tent, a fire pit and grill rack, one picnic table, and a bear box you would be sharing with other campers nearby
ScoutShawangunk was SUCH a nice place to stay. So many good things - though a few things to keep in mind when you're booking, too.
I definitely recommend trying to get the walk-in (meaning you can't drive to them) sites (8-15) because they're just a little bit more set back and kind of wonderfully wooded all around. 8 & 9 seemed like the star sites, because they're up and away a little bit more than 10-15.
Here goes:
The Good:
The just okay:
Overall we really did love staying here. It was pretty empty and we were able to have two cars in the parking spots (usually you can only have one in the assigned spot) without putting anyone out. It was full of friendly people and my dog had an awesome time romping through the leaves and people watching. Definitely recommend this site if you're hiking or climbing in the area!
GuideWe stayed here in August 2020.
This is a really interesting campground that's situated on a hill overlooking Rudd Pond in Taconic State Park. Almost all of the sites have platforms to pitch your tent on, although there are a couple of flatter spots without platforms (although they still have a slope.)
There's space near the platform that is flat-ish with a picnic and a fire pit. Some of these are better than others, ours was not that flat, but we made it work. You get a pretty decent view of Rudd Pond, and the sunsets are pretty. There is also a trailhead at the end of the campground that connects to the other trails in Taconic State Park. There's a swimming beach and during non-covid times, boat rentals.
The campsites are pretty close together, so if the campground is full, you are rather close to your neighbors. It was close to half full when we were there, and it still felt like a fairly noisy campground, even after quiet hours.
My one complaint in these covid times is that compared to the NY-DEC campground we stayed at, I felt that the safety measures were less adhered to here. They had signs asking people to wear masks in the bathroom building, but far fewer people were. I also didn't see the staff do any cleaning of the restrooms while we were there - the paper towels ran out at one point and I had to flag the staff down to get them to go take care of that.
Still, I thought it was a really cute place to stay, and I think we would stay here again.
TravelerThe camp is set up in a “blank slate, parking lot” type style, with a big field, center for tent camping or to be used for sports or other activities. There’s a “lazy river” at one side and a small RV village on the other, and tent sites with water or dry tent camping. Restrooms are available with hot and cold running water, showers and toilets.
GuideThis 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
RangerHad a great summer camping weekend at Little Pond.
Pros:
- Near wonderful, little-used hiking trails - challenging ones, too!
- Close to Catskill town options to explore, e.g. Livingston Manor
- picnic table and room to park at your site
- there is a dump station and recycling center.
- Clean bathrooms and shower facilities
- Nice tent sites with well-maintained fire pits (have rack for grilling over coals, very large fire pits, sturdy)
- payphone near entrance/park ranger's office
- firewood for sale at ranger's office
-wildlife: hummingbirds on the path around Little Pond, frogs, deer, birds
- foraging: plaintain, raspberries near camp, blueberries and huckleberries on hike
- views on hike
- ruins on hike
Cons
- no cell service, however, if you hike to a mountain top can have fun joking with those you call about that's what it took to be able to get a signal and be in touch with them :-)
- weekend around the lake is more like a park with day-trippers, as opposed to serene wilderness/lakeside camping.
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There was a high school group (on Satuday?) there that made it feel more like a family/public place than a wilderness getaway. The hiking, however, more than made up for it. The trail we took to get to the top and, at last, have cell phone service and AWESOME views more than made up for that.
The Park Rangers were helpful and unobtrusive. They drove their carts around periodically but not like they were hovering in any one spot or making trouble for anyone.
We like visiting the nearby towns and breweries. It was a wondrful weekend. They have some tent sites right on the lake for hike-ins. If you drive, you have to carry all your stuff for awhile before you get to yourcamp site. However, these are right on the lake in supreme spots, even with "old school" outhouses a stone's throw away.
I recommend Little Pond for a weekend. If you stay longer, be sure to check out the surrounding area. We stayed at campsite 2, which was ok, but not on the lake. Go for a site on the lake, even if you have to carry your stuff to set up, it was breathtaking in the morning to see the mist rising off the lake.
From the park:
Campground Phone:(845) 439-5480 Regional Office Phone:(607) 652-2032 Make Your Camping Reservation: ReserveAmerica
Little Pond is a quiet picturesque campground located in the Catskill Forest Preserve which offers a leisurely hiking trail around a 13-acre pond, and the opportunity to venture along trails leading to the ruins of an old farm or enjoy breathtaking views atop the Touchmenot Mountains.
The campgrounds, beach, boat rental, and Junior Naturalist Program offers fun for all ages; and for the primitive camper, we offer remote sites on the back side of the pond. Little Pond is located minutes from Beaverkill, a world renowned fly fishing stream. Amenities = 67 tent and trailer sites; 8"remote" tent sites; picnic area with tables, grills, or fireplaces; pavilion rental; playground; volleyball; horseshoes; soccer; basketball; ice sales; firewood sales; flush toilets; hot showers; trailer dump station; recycling center; sand beach; boat launch; rowboat, paddle boat, kayak and canoe rentals.
The campground offers accessible campsites with a mile long trail around the pond. A newly constructed ADA fishing platform is at the end of the trail near the day use area. There is also a new ADA path to the beach. Full listing of DEC's Accessible Recreation Destinations. Campsite Restoration Project This campground has sites that have been selected for restoration. While undergoing restoration the chosen sites will be closed. For the list of sites and more information on the project visit the Campsite Restoration Project page. People using the accessible trail at Little Pond Featured Activities boating Boating No motor boats allowed. Rowboats and canoes allowed. Rowboat, paddle boat, kayak and canoe rentals available. fishing Fishing A variety of pan fish.
The Beaverkill, renowned fly fishing stream, is with minutes from the campground. The Pepacton Reservoir is also close by. A special permit is needed to fish in this reservoir and can be obtained from the city of New York Board of Water Supply. Record sized brown trout and smallmouth bass have been caught in the reservoir. Fishing licenses are no longer being sold at any of our campground facilities, but can be conveniently purchased on-line or by phone.
Hiking Trailheads for both the campground trail and Little Pond trail are located within the campground. These trails connect the campground to the 33 miles of foot trails located on the 27,000+ acre Delaware Wild Forest, which boarders the campground to the north. swimming
Wildlife to Watch: White-tailed deer Wild turkeys Bald eagles Bears Coyotes Foxes
Historic Interest: The campground was constructed between 1965 and 1968. It opened for camping in 1968 with 67 sites; the picnic area and the beach in 1968. The 8 remote sites were added at a later date. The shower house was constructed in 1984. In celebration of the 100th year anniversary of the Forest Preserve in July 1985, a time capsule was buried in the campground. This capsule, containing the names of the persons camping in the campground at that time, was entombed in the base of a stone monument located in front of the facility supervisor's office. The capsule is scheduled to be opened on the 200th anniversary of the Forest Preserve.
TravelerMe 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!
GuideThis is a very nice modern campground with great access to amazing hiking and climbing in the area! About half the sites are walk-in and half the sites are drive-up.
Pros:
Very minor cons:
Tent camping near Cairo, New York, offers a blend of natural beauty and well-equipped sites, perfect for outdoor enthusiasts looking to escape into the wilderness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Cairo, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Cairo, NY is Getaway Catskill Campground - New York with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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