Best Campgrounds near Cazenovia, NY

Camping areas within a 25-mile radius of Cazenovia, New York range from developed state parks to primitive forest sites. Green Lakes State Park Campground, approximately 15 miles northwest of Cazenovia, offers tent and RV camping with electric hookups, as well as cabin accommodations. Stoney Pond State Forest Camping Area, just 5 miles from Cazenovia, provides more primitive camping options with 15 drive-in sites and two walk-in tent sites along the south shore of Stoney Pond. Morgan Hill State Forest offers free dispersed camping for those seeking a more secluded experience, while Nature Lover's Paradise provides a single reservable tent site with access to hiking trails.

Most developed campgrounds in the region operate seasonally, typically from May through October. Green Lakes State Park maintains regular operating hours from May 13 to October 9, while The Villages RV Park at Turning Stone follows a similar season. Several locations require advance reservations, particularly during summer weekends and holidays. Many campgrounds provide electric hookups and basic amenities like picnic tables and fire rings, though primitive sites in state forests have limited or no facilities. As one camper noted about Stoney Pond, "This is a primitive state forest campground on the south shore of Stoney Pond. There are 15 drive-in campsites widely spaced and set into the woods, and two developed walk-in sites on the west shore."

The pristine lakes at Green Lakes State Park represent a highlight of camping in this region. The park features two unique meromictic lakes with striking blue-green waters that draw visitors for swimming, hiking, and photography. A visitor described them as having "clear calcium-rich waters that are not only pristine and beautiful to look at, but also great for swimming and snorkeling as the waters are crystal clear and very deep." Trail networks throughout the area provide additional recreational opportunities, with Morgan Hill State Forest offering hiking paths and Stoney Pond featuring shoreline fishing areas. Most campgrounds accommodate pets, though rules vary by location. Primitive sites in state forests offer more seclusion and typically less crowding than the popular developed campgrounds, which can fill quickly during peak summer periods, especially on holiday weekends.

Best Camping Sites Near Cazenovia, New York (134)

    1. Green Lakes State Park Campground

    42 Reviews
    Kirkville, NY
    11 miles
    Website
    +1 (315) 637-6111

    $24 - $116 / night

    "The lake is a fascinating meromictic lake with clear calcium-rich waters that are not only pristine and beautiful to look at, but also great for swimming and snorkeling as the waters are crystal clear"

    "The sites are nice, some are little close to each other but nice for group camping. A short distance (walk or by car) to the beach. The lake is a little chilly sometimes but very refreshing."

    2. The Villages RV Park at Turning Stone

    10 Reviews
    Oneida, NY
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (315) 361-7275

    $65 - $75 / night

    "For activities, there are some great hikes around the campground, as well as excellent playgrounds, fishing, an awesome pool, and of course, free shuttle rides to the Turning Stone Casino right up the"

    "Convenient to the highway with 24 hour shuttles to the casino 5 minutes away, yet quiet and beautifully maintained."

    3. Stoney Pond State Forest Camping Area

    2 Reviews
    Morrisville, NY
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (607) 674-4036

    "There are 15 drive-in campsites widely spaced and set into the woods, and two developed walk-in sites on the west shore."

    4. Verona Beach State Park Campground

    9 Reviews
    Verona Beach, NY
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (315) 762-4463

    $31 - $33 / night

    "Nice small state park, our site had a water spigot right behind our site hook up hose and filled camper. Lake is dirty but the had a nice splash pad for the kids."

    "Campground sits on the edge of Lake Oneida with a nice camper’s beach and trail on the lake front. We stayed at site 11. As you can see sites are spacious and this one was right on the lake’s edge."

    5. Spruce Pond Camping Area - Morgan Hill State Forest

    3 Reviews
    Apulia Station, NY
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (607) 753-3095

    "throughout the state forest, this is a group of ten established and well maintained primitive campsites right on Spruce Pond with fishing available and an amazing network of hiking and cross country ski trails"

    6. Nature Lover's Paradise

    1 Review
    Fabius, NY
    9 miles
    +1 (561) 503-9444

    $79 - $149 / night

    "Nature Lover's Paradise is new to the Dyrt and they have an awesome spot to share with access to a vast network of trails in upstate New York. "

    7. Morgan Hill State Forest Dispersed

    1 Review
    Apulia Station, NY
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (607) 753-3095

    "This location has a set of 2 large trailhead parking lots for hikers and backpackers accessing the vast trail network of the Morgan Hill State Forest."

    8. Butternut Hill RV Campground

    2 Reviews
    Bouckville, NY
    16 miles
    Website

    "There is also a famous Inn and restaurant, the Landmark Inn, which anchors the town, adjacent to a trailhead for a hiking trail along the historic Chenango Canal, an offshoot of the Erie Canal. "

    9. Morgan Hill Forest—Onondaga Trailhead campground

    1 Review
    Truxton, NY
    13 miles
    Website
    +1 (607) 753-3095

    "This is a small state forest campground in the Morgan Hill forest from which you can directly access the Onondaga Trail branch of the National North Country scenic trail."

    10. Oneida Shores County Park

    11 Reviews
    Cicero, NY
    24 miles
    Website
    +1 (315) 676-7366

    "Great access to beach. Friendly campers and quiet. Easy to find. Not a lot of shade. Showers not conveniently located."

    "And Nice bathhouse over near beach with pass entry for campers only for showers. Close to beach. Only issue. Camp host actually came and took our wood for our campfire!"

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Recent Reviews near Cazenovia, NY

378 Reviews of 134 Cazenovia Campgrounds


  • Abby H.
    Apr. 19, 2026

    Herkimer Diamond Mine KOA

    Disrespect & Discrimination

    Long read, but so worth it! Below is the review that I posted last August after our vacation. Mind you, the vacation for my immediate family has been 10 years in a row and when I was a kid the same! The incident that happened was with our friends and therefore when I wrote the review, it stated what I witnessed! I was hoping that management changed and/ or they fixed the problems so I was willing to give it another try, I mean, this has been apart of my childhood and my children’s so why not! I called today, lady was super nice and helping me look through all the campsites because we come with so many people! I paid and then friends of ours called. After they called, our friends said that my reservation was cancelled. What??? So I called back thinking it was something on my end. I then had to wait for management to call back. Called back, and whoever I spoke with was extremely rude! She basically told me I was never welcome back and that the owners said so! Now mind you through this whole thing, I never talked to the owners. So do the owners only take one side of the story? I’m not even someone that this incident directly happened to! I said, well can I please speak to your manager or the owner. No, i am the manager, you are not welcome back. I told her that everyone in our party will probably cancel as well and her response was“I’m just waiting for 1 person to call me”! I said a few choice words and I hung up. CRYING. WHAT????? Are you discriminating me because of an issue you had with another camper???? I can’t believe what this has amounted to. So instead of dealing with your issues you just don’t allow people back? Instead of having the owner or management actually call and have a respectful, which was not had, conversation with someone you just brush it off! I have come to Herkimer longer than some of these people have worked there! I really don’t have words for how I feel. And to make matters worse I always go over my dad’s anniversary of his death, August 5, because this was his favorite place and now I can’t go and neither can my children. Great job herkimer diamond mines koa! I applaud you on your discrimination, disrespect and the lack of empathy you have for your campers! Especially the ones who have been a constant! I’m assuming Phil and his wife are still management, good luck! And to the campers that wish to go there, I really hope you enjoy yourselves because it truly is an amazing place. Unfortunately, my memories had to stop here! August 2025 This review is extremely hard for me to write, but what I had witnessed for a week of being there is disgusting& just simply not right. My family has been coming to Herkimer KOA for decades. Throughout the years, we have shown many other families this"gem"... or so we thought. This year was a bit different, there are new camp managers... This week I have witnessed human waste being sprayed all over campsites, management that discredits everything you say, management that thinks its okay to have charges on your bill that they cant even explain, ice cream cart that closes right before the last kid orders& leaves in tears, bathrooms that are disgusting! This is NOT THE HERKIMER I REMEMBER AS A KID! If you look on google, the owners of this campground is a family that has owned it for 50 years! That's amazing& kudos to them! But Phil, Phil is going to ruin every ounce of what they have worked so hard for!& being a business owner, you want management there representing YOU! Doing what YOU would do if you were there. Those owners should not be receiving mine& my friends reviews today if management did their job! Unfortunately, again very hard to say, we will not be returning if Phil is there.& I can honestly say, that the 14-20 families we bring every time, that spend thousands of dollars, will not be as well! Thank you Phil for ruining a vacation I personally held so close to my heart.& because you don't care about how you treat people& how you manage, you have lost years& years& years of loyalty.

  • Emily M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 28, 2026

    Long Pond Campground

    Great dispersed camp sites

    All the roads are gravel, so it might get a little muddy after a big rain but I had no issue with a low clearance car driving around to explore the sites available. About half the sites are spread out in a large patch of spruce trees, I stayed at one of these. You can hear and sometimes see cars on the main road from your site but overall the spruce trees give you a lot more privacy. Had a neighbor blasting their speaker and didn't even hear it until I was walking by on that stretch of road. You might catch a glimpse of someone's fire at night, but it mostly felt like I had the place to myself. The other half are clustered much closer together among some deciduous trees but all the sites are pretty spacious, with a picnic table, fire pit, and easy access to the water. You might get a visit from day-use visitors looking for water access, especially if you pick a site closer to the water access paths, so if you're looking for more seclusion you may want to look elsewhere, but I didn't mind and the people who did stop near my site were respectful and didn't seem to want to disturb me once they saw the site near the water access was occupied. A free permit is needed for camping during the on-season. I stayed off-season and most of the sites were unoccupied, but I could see this being a popular spot during the warmer months. Port-a-potties are also not available off-season – be prepared to find a good cat hole spot or bring a wag bag if you're not self-contained. Seeing some litter around my site was a bit of a bummer (don't be that guy!), but overall the sites looked pretty clean and well-maintained. I did notice some broken glass at my site, so if you have pets (or shoe-averse children) be mindful of their paw pads (and feet). There's plenty of downed wood for making a fire, and I passed a couple homes selling firewood on the side of the road on the way. Service was spotty (AT&T) but if you wandered around enough you could get a couple bars to send a text, or if you really needed to, drive up the road a couple of minutes. I would easily stay here again, but if I came during the main season I'd probably want to plan a mid-week trip and get my permit and claim my site as soon as possible.

  • E
    Mar. 27, 2026

    Tilden Hill Farm

    Beautiful campground

    Beautiful and well- maintained. Very roomy sites. Owner is friendly and responds quickly to calls.

  • Ashlee C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 18, 2026

    Andersen Hill State Forest

    Great spot!

    Stayed one night. Spot was great! It had rained so we weren't able to have a fire, but there was a spot where others had one previously. A little road noise from Rt 79, but honestly wasn't terrible.

  • D C.
    Oct. 23, 2025

    Live The Outdoors LLC

    Peaceful & Private Getaway🏞️

    Really enjoyed staying here. It’s super private and peaceful, and we loved that it’s not a crowded campground. The land is open and easy to access, and you can tell the owners are constantly upgrading and improving things. We were even able to fish here, which was a bonus. Would definitely recommend if you appreciate privacy, nature, and a peaceful place with the freedom to relax and do your own thing.

  • Chelsea B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 30, 2025

    Green Lakes State Park Campground

    Good camp sites

    The sites are good, level, and the campsite is pretty but as clean as the bathrooms are, the showers still suck. I’ll never understand why parks use the misting shower heads. Maybe TMI, but sorry ladies, you’ll never get the soap out of your bits. It’s best to use the ADA bathrooms because those shower heads are normal and have wands. I can’t say much about the amenities since we camped in the off season (really bummed not to rent a boat), but the trails around the lake are great! Beautiful water and various difficulties on the trails make it pretty fun to explore. Overall a good stay but took a star away for the showers and the landscapers. They spent at least 5-6 hours the Monday we were here mowing around our campsite, coming within inches of our power and Starlink cords. Really annoyed by that and when we called the park office, they said they’d take care of it but we still endured 4 more hours of multiple mowers going over the same areas multiple times. Honestly think they were messing with us at that point…

  • S
    Sep. 17, 2025

    Oneida Shores County Park

    Nice park for a reasonable price

    Campground is recently paved. Lots of geese, therefore lots of goose poop. Sites are small and close together. Nice wooded setting on the lake.

  • Ryan G.
    Sep. 14, 2025

    Pleasant Lake Campground

    Clean and Quiet

    I found this location to have very clean sites with plenty of amenities. Had no issues with the Wi-Fi watching Bills games and play a few video games.


Guide to Cazenovia

Camping spots near Cazenovia, New York range from primitive forest sites to family-friendly county parks with amenities. Located in Madison County at approximately 1,188 feet elevation, Cazenovia sits at the edge of the Appalachian Plateau with abundant options for both lakefront and forest camping. Several campgrounds offer seasonal operations with differing reservation requirements and pet policies throughout the region.

What to do

Fishing opportunities: Spruce Pond in Morgan Hill State Forest offers a tranquil fishing spot with designated accessible landings. As one camper noted, "This review is for the Morgan Hill primitve campsites at Spruce Pond... There are fire grills and nicely developed tents sites, one nestled in the woods and three with their own pond access, and one is actually handicapped accessible with its own accessible fishing landing."

Hiking trails: The Morgan Hill Forest—Onondaga Trailhead campground provides direct trail access to significant regional paths. "This is a small state forest campground in the Morgan Hill forest from which you can directly access the Onondaga Trail branch of the National North Country scenic trail," explains one visitor who adds that "Hiking the trail west on a day trip will bring you to the beautiful Tinker Falls."

Water activities: Oneida Shores County Park provides beach access with lifeguards for swimmers. A visitor mentioned, "Beach area is nice and clean. Life guards around. Nice playground and bathrooms available." Another camper added, "We did a over night camp as a send off for one of my buddies. The campground was beautiful right on Oneida lake."

What campers like

Spacious sites: The Villages RV Park at Turning Stone receives consistent praise for site layout. One camper shared, "Spacious FHU sites. Pull thru and back ins," while another noted, "The sites were level and great size with nice spacing in between."

Convenient amenities: Campers appreciate the facilities at Turning Stone, as one reviewer mentioned: "Turning Stone is well maintained with nice sites. Memorial day weekend the weather is beautiful spring weather. All full hook up sites from full sun to full shade." Another camper added, "The location was nice too! We did head over to the casino briefly and enjoyed that."

Privacy: Stoney Pond State Forest Camping Area offers secluded sites for those seeking solitude. A camper shared, "Nice and calm place in that little State Forest. Internet and fire pits are available." The spacing between sites allows for more private experiences compared to more developed campgrounds.

What you should know

Reservation requirements: Many campgrounds require advance booking, especially during summer months. At Nature Lover's Paradise, you'll find "a tent site and the 70 acres of hiking trails sound like the perfect getaway for anyone looking to reconnect with nature."

Seasonal variations: Most campgrounds operate from May through October with specific closing dates. Verona Beach operates "from May 13 to October 9," while Oneida Shores runs "from April 25 to October 13."

Primitive vs. developed options: Butternut Hill RV Campground offers different site types. A visitor explained, "Many of the sites are for RV's, which have electric and water hookups along with a picnic table and fire pit; rates fro these rang $40-50. There are also primitive tent sites which have a grassy tent area and fire pit but no picnic table and cost $30 per night."

Weather considerations: Late spring can be muddy at some locations. One camper at Oneida Shores mentioned, "This was our first trip in our camper. This was in June. It was muddy."

Tips for camping with families

Playground access: Several campgrounds feature children's play areas. At Verona Beach State Park Campground, "There is a pavilion that is enclosed for everyone's use. There are nice clean bathrooms with showers. There is a public, life guarded beach."

Activity options: Look for campgrounds with multiple recreational choices. As one visitor to Verona Beach noted, "The kids love to hang out at the splash pad and the state recently revamped some of the playgrounds."

Safety considerations: Be aware of campground rules and security. At Oneida Shores, "My son arrived late as he had been attending the NYS Fair that night. He went to the parking lot as instructed and was met with a flashlight in his face and was questioned by police."

Shower facilities: Bathroom quality varies significantly between campgrounds. One camper at Green Lakes State Park Campground shared, "The bathrooms have been remodeled and most are private with a toilet, shower and sink which makes this a wonderful family campground."

Tips from RVers

Site accessibility: When selecting sites, consider how level and accessible they are. At Stoney Pond, "Site number 1 is quite flat and open and could accomodate a trailer or camper van but isnt very scenic."

Hookup availability: Villages RV Park at Turning Stone offers complete services for RVs. A visitor noted, "Convenient to the highway with 24 hour shuttles to the casino 5 minutes away, yet quiet and beautifully maintained."

Site selection: Consider seasonal weather patterns when selecting sites. At Spruce Pond, "The first few campsites are the best the further down you go the worse the sites get for tent set up. Smaller tents would be best do here. Great trees for hammock camping though."

Vehicle restrictions: Some campgrounds have limitations on vehicle access to certain areas. At Verona Beach, "There are no water or electric hookups but there are water spigots throughout the campground."

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find camping options in Cazenovia?

While Cazenovia itself has limited camping options, the surrounding area offers several excellent choices. Green Lakes State Park Campground is one of the closest options, offering well-maintained facilities in a unique geological setting with stunning blue-green lakes. For RV travelers, Butternut Hill RV Campground in nearby Bouckville provides convenient accommodations along Route 20. Nature enthusiasts might also consider exploring Stoney Pond State Forest Camping Area near Erieville for a more rustic experience.

What are the best seasons for camping in Cazenovia?

Summer and early fall are ideal for camping around Cazenovia. Taughannock Falls State Park Campground, a popular destination in the region, is at its best from June through September when the swimming areas are open and hiking trails showcase the park's waterfalls and gorges. For those seeking a more secluded experience, Ludlow Creek Lean-To Campsite offers beautiful primitive camping along the Finger Lakes Trail, with late spring through early autumn providing the most pleasant conditions. Winter camping is limited in most area campgrounds, with many closing for the season.

What amenities are available at Cazenovia campgrounds?

Campgrounds near Cazenovia offer varying levels of amenities. Greenwood County Park provides excellent swimming facilities with lifeguards, picnic tables, grills, and basic camping amenities, though it can get crowded during summer months. For overnight RV parking, Vernon Downs Casino offers a large level gravel lot with pull-through spaces and access to casino entertainment and harness racing. Most state parks in the region typically include restrooms, picnic areas, and hiking trails, with specific amenities varying by location.