Wildwood State Park Campground welcomes pets on both tent sites and RV spaces, with full hookups including water, sewer, and electric connections for campers traveling with dogs. The campground enforces standard leash policies requiring pets to be supervised at all times. Smith Point County Park offers similar pet-friendly accommodations with designated spaces for tent, RV, and glamping options where pets can join their owners. The sites overlook either the bay or the Atlantic Ocean with short walks between both waterfronts, ideal for morning dog walks. Bathroom facilities throughout these pet-friendly parks remain consistently clean and well-maintained with hot showers, making extended stays with pets comfortable.
Cathedral Pines County Park features wooded sites that provide natural shade for pets during summer months, with RV sites situated in an open field area. Campers note that Indian Island County Park and Southaven County Park maintain clean facilities while offering electric hookups and water for tent and RV campers with pets. Wildlife sightings are common at several locations, with some campers reporting deer approaching close enough to feed from hands, though this practice is officially discouraged. Campers should be prepared for ticks in the wooded areas, particularly at Southaven County Park where thick forests create ideal habitat for these pests. All county parks require Suffolk County residency for reservations, though temporary permits are available for non-residents at some locations. Park rangers actively enforce quiet hours and drinking policies throughout the 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."
"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."
"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."
"Is good for dogs to the trails are nice and big"
"This hidden gem is located right in Hampton Bays and is the perfect campground for anyone looking to camp off the grid."
$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."
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.
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
GuideWonderful weekend visit in the off season. Site was level, pretty spacious and easy to back into. Campsites are located close enough to the beach/marsh. Multiple playgrounds for the kids although they were closed due to Covid. 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. Nice neighbors. Dog friendly. People obeyed the quiet hours. I have not one complaint. There were hiking trails and geocaching on site. 4 stars bc no sewer at the campsite and we like full hook ups and honestly I’m guessing this is a county rule but the playgrounds could’ve been open. Outside and socially distanced after dealing with Covid for a whole year and most local parks and playgrounds being open since last May... that was upsetting. All in all we had a great weekend. Close to the LI aquarium as well! Many stores and a golf course near by too!
ScoutThis park is about 6 minutes away from our home. It's a small park. It's great if you have little ones. Dogs are welcome.There's a large dog run so the fur babies will have a great time too. Staff is super nice. Bathrooms are just okay. Sites are close and very buggy but "tis the season". We didn't explore the trails but heard they were good.
Center Moriches offers access to camping sites along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Long Island Sound. Suffolk County parks dominate the camping landscape with sites positioned between densely wooded pine barrens and coastal beaches. Summer temperatures average 80°F with high humidity, while spring and fall camping seasons offer more comfortable 60-70°F conditions with less precipitation.
Beach exploration: Wildwood State Park Campground provides direct access to Long Island Sound. "Close to the Hampton's and Fire Island National Seashore. A great family campsite right on the Long Island Sound," notes Megan B. The park offers a mix of beach and forested areas.
Stargazing permits: Smith Point County Park allows after-hours beach access with special permits. "You have to buy a stargazing permit to be out on the beach after sunset, which is kind of strange but really helps prevent hooligans from taking over the beach and destroying the serenity," explains Amber A., describing the North Shore experience.
Wildlife viewing: Cathedral Pines County Park features abundant local wildlife. "Sweet deer. I watched a momma deer nursing two of her babies," reports Patrick C. Morning and evening hours provide the best opportunities for wildlife sightings in the wooded areas.
Water recreation: Paddle craft rentals available at multiple parks. "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," shares Nadia V. about Sears Bellows County Park.
Views across multiple waterways: The parks offer varied water views. "Truly great spot. Amazing sites with plenty of room, though they are close together. But was worth it for the amenities and fantastic views. Stayed on the bayside (site 30), which had a fantastic direct bay view," reports Gianna at Smith Point County Park.
Extended season opportunities: Many Suffolk parks remain open beyond summer. "I spent a week while travel nursing. Quiet and peaceful. Lots of sand!" notes Clifford about camping at Watch Hill Fire Island Campground during off-peak periods.
Access to local attractions: Proximity to regional points of interest enhances camping experiences. "There are hiking trails and you can walk to the beach. Note - it is a downhill walk to the beach. The beach is fairly clean and has a small boardwalk. 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," shares Giselle P. about Wildwood State Park.
Reservation restrictions: County park camping often requires county residency. "ONLY DRAWBACKS, 1- YOU HAVE TO BE A RESIDENT OF SUFFOLK CO, NY 2- ONE WEEK STAY AT A TIME. PERIOD. After staying there, you'll wish all campgrounds were like this," shares Tim M. about rules at Smith Point County Park.
Campsite layouts vary widely: Some parks offer more privacy than others. "I've been going to this campground every summer for at least 5 years. Recently they became very stringent about parking to vehicles at the site making it very difficult to visit with a family and 2 vehicles," explains Giselle P. about Wildwood State Park Campground.
Fire ring policies: Not all parks provide fire pits. "A little bit of a bummer on the rental for a firepit but the bathrooms are big and spacious," reports Megan B. about Wildwood State Park, while another camper notes, "Lame not having a fire ring, you have to rent one or bring your own" at the same location.
Insect preparation: Ticks and mosquitoes remain persistent in certain areas. "You can get a permit to backcountry camp instead of reserving a designated campground spot. Just walk down to the beach after check-in and walk east until you see a pole with a tent symbol on it," advises Emily S. about beach camping at Watch Hill to avoid wooded areas with more insects.
Playground access: Several parks feature dedicated play areas. "The playground is really nice and big has a lot of slides. The bathrooms are in one area and the showers are in another area. Is good for dogs to the trails are nice and big," reports Gino D. about Sears Bellows County Park.
Pet friendly sites: Most parks accommodate dogs with standard leash rules. "We had a great time at Indian Island, even if it was just for a short stay. The beach was within walking distance, lots of little trails, and plenty of activities for the whole family," shares Maxime T. about Indian Island County Park, a pet-friendly destination.
Ice cream availability: Some campgrounds receive visits from ice cream trucks. "At nite an ice cream truck comes by, you get visits from the nearby deer. It is paradise," mentions Tim M. about evening routines at Smith Point County Park.
Safety considerations: Parks maintain good security. "Nice size camp site, bathrooms are descent, lame not having a fire ring, you have to rent one or bring your own. Beach is beautiful, very rocky, bring your water shoes, sunset scenery is beautiful! Kids were roaming freely and safe!" observes Ossama B. about Wildwood State Park.
Hookup variations: Different parks offer varied electric options. "RV pull through sites were fantastic. It was a great campground for maiden voyage in new rig. Plenty of amenities," explains Lori R. about Wildwood State Park Campground.
Site positioning: Ocean and bay facing sites offer different experiences. "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," describes Patrick C. about the premium positioning available at Smith Point County Park.
Seasonal considerations: The best times for RV camping to avoid crowds are early May and late September. "It's a dry camping, however the views are incredible. You are steps from both the ocean and bay. A 4x4 is required. You must also purchase an outer beach permit for your vehicle," advises Rich L. about Cupsogue County Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Center Moriches, NY is Wildwood State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 24 reviews.
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