I have camped Beaver Pond for the last 45 years and have found something new and better each every year I've gone to the campgrounds. I have gone from tent platform, tent camping, tarp, and now hammock camping. The sites can be a bit tight, at times and you may find a few visitors, not necessarily on two legs, but always a delight. It's great to be among the trees away from the hustle and bustle of the city in what I consider a majestic chapel that will always welcome and embrace your presence. Something for all, swimming, camping, access to bear mountain pool, or the appalachian trails, and lean tos, (not on the camp sites). Prices all can afford to come. Great for all types of levels of campers.
This is a beautifully taken care of State Park. Great sites, clean bathhouses, friendly camp hosts, rangers helpful and friendly, special treat of bear passing on nearby road, peaceful and well kept up trails.Dog friendly too. We enjoyed kayaking, hiking, biking and just enjoying the peace around the park. Plenty of areas to kayak. Two beaches and nice picnic areas. Walking and biking trails too. Rental for canoes, row boats and kayaks. Just be aware weekend rentals for kayaks are limited. Campsites and clean facilities.ignage was everywhere and water for filling up and two dumping stations near campground.It was our first state park and we came home and booked another trip in 2 weeks we had such a great time.After doing regular campgrounds the atmosphere of the state park is our#1 favorite now!
This campground is a nice little hideaway not too far from the beaten path. You can hear some of the highway sounds from the campsites (especially the jake brake). The sites are hit or miss in terms of comfort, some have large, flat, clear spaces for multiple tents, some you have to wedge a tent to avoid rocks. Bathrooms were standard, compost toilets. The showers were free and generally quite hot.
I spent the night in the Promised Land State Park at Pickerel Point and it was so pretty and quiet. There was a bathroom with flush toilets nearby and the campsites were well spaced apart. Mine overlooked the water and had a gorgeous sunset. There was a beach nearby that was an excellent place to gaze at the stars. Loved it!
You can drive to High Point monument that is 1803 feet above sea level and you get a spectacular panorama view. There are hiking trails and fresh water for kayaking. The campsite are ok , a little small and there is a pit toilet on site, but flush toilet and how showers are 5 min drive.
We camped here in almost mid October this year. Our first time in a NJ state park. The tent camping area was right along the river, some sites with direct access, some you'd have to walk a little more to the larger access areas. Our site, 15, had a direct path right down where you could be on the river. It was also very close to the bathroom/shower without actually being close enough that people bothered you, rarely even heard folks going to the restrooms. The camp site was level, huge, good table and had a lantern hook, too. Plenty of places for tent and shelter, plus tons more space. The bathrooms got the job done. Nothing fancy, but had hot water showers, large shower rooms and enough bathrooms as well. Biggest extra was a dishwashing sink which felt amazing after a summer of camping far from water and all the drama that entails. Its a "dry" campground, but I know for sure the sites around us did not follow that rule. No electric, or water at each site, just at the bathrooms. There's so much outdoor stuff to do in this area that honestly I'd go back a ton of times if I could. Hiking, fishing, Lakota Wolf Preserve, Pennsylvania…the list goes on. 100% recommend this area for camping!
We stay at Pickerel Point and Deerfield depending on season. No complaints and was pleasantly surprised they have programs for kids. Can never go wrong here.
A great place to camp for a good nature experience . There are trails that lead from the campground to many miles of wilderness hiking in the federal park and state forests . The Lakota Wolf Preserve is a must see while there and hearing the wolves howl at night while you are out at the fire is really cool . There are a lot of bears roaming the woods in this part of NJ so keep your coolers in the car and garbage in the trash cans . For hiking and a great outdoor and camping in the woods experience check this place out .
Easy to navigate our 38 ft. RV. Easy to dump and fill. Peaceful. Close to train to N. Y. City.
Worthington State forest is right on the Delaware river. It is a beautiful place to camp. You can hike up Douglas trail and sit near the Sunfish Pond. This campground is great for families but not for groups going out to drink alcohol. Alcohol and cigarettes/vapes are not allowed.
Nice, quiet place. Our site was up front and we didn’t venture into the park. We did use the laundry room, which needed some updates, especially some lighting. It has a pretty large staircase and at night with a handful of laundry, it was a little scary navigating without lights. Other than that, it was a good stop over for a couple of nights.
A quick 40 minutes north of NYC, Harriman State Park has an eclectic little campground called Beaver Pond. The grounds are just steps away from Welch Lake, offering a lifeguard monitored sandy beach which is open during the summer season for swimming, fishing, and small boat craft further out.
“Welcome to Bear Mountain” grumbles the park ranger as he sits in complete darkness! He is in his ranger hut, checking in the late evening arrivals to the campground. It’s totally dark inside, lit only by the glow of the outside lamps. The atmosphere is complete with spider webs covering the walk up window, and I swear I saw a black widow doppelgänger . He’s nice, but you can tell he’s given this welcome speech too many times to get overly excited about it. He offers us a highlighted map to our site, wishes us a good stay, and gives us the run down on bear activity in the area. I mean, we are in Bear Mountain, what do you expect?!?
The campground offers several different sties, from platform tent spaces to those for 25’ trailers. All sites have a standard picnic table and fire ring. Our site is a trailer site, it’s perfect for the trusty old pop-up, and feels nice and roomy. Although no site offers electric or water hook up, camp amenities include: a moderately stocked store, public bath houses, a laundry facility, playground for the kids and camp-sinks with access to water.
Offering the peaceful tranquility of sitting under the changing oak, sumacs, maples, and poplars, I wouldn’t recommend this site for the quiet hearted. There is a constant buzz in the air of conversation, music, laughter and shrieking toddlers. Quiet time at night is laughable as the enjoyment of being in nature rages on into the early morning. I myself could go either way; I’m not overly bothered by the late nights and chorus of noise, but living in the megalopolis that I call home, it would be nice to not have the ruckus constantly follow you to the great outdoors.
We didn’t visit Welch Lake beach but for a quick walk to the area for a few pictures; it’s past season at this point, and I still have to do some fishing pole shopping. A quick 15 minute drive from Beaver Pond, is Bear Mountain State Park. Here you can find some of the Appalachian Trail, with various smaller trail heads for this historic (Revolutionary Times 1770s) part of the region including the one to Doodle Town. Long since the last resident left, the area is a ruins with markers showing where a house was, but most of the area has been taken back by nature leaving only a stone stair case here or a partial foundation wall there. It terminates at Iona Island Bird Sanctuary, a lovely long grassed marshland. The trails in the area are friendly to hikers, bikers, and the non arthritic kneers, as most are rated moderate to challenging. Don’t fret, trails that are rated easy and accessible to disabled are equally enjoyable and beautiful. They offer stunning views of the changing foliage, quick glances at the Hudson River and the rolling hills of the area. We didn’t take the Perkins Memorial Tower trail, but heard it was amazing. Next Time!!!
First, it is a state park so it has many of the things you would expect like a beach area, picnic areas, playground, volley ball, pavilion, etc. We went out of season so there were no lifeguards, or anything “open” at the pavilion. We are always after campgrounds with as little going on as possible other than the nature so this would not be a place for us during the summer when I imagine it gets quite packed. There are about 50 camp sites but many of them, from 1 to 30ish are wide open with ZERO privacy. That said, it’s great for large groups that book a few sites next to each other. There were 3 groups during our stay. Which got pretty loud if you were in sites in the 30s. Starting there, sites get more separated and a wee bit secluded. There are only 4 dog friendly sites, which we need. They are 42-45. Be careful with site 44, no good place for a tent. The other are nice. There is one spot for showers and bathroom. They were really clean. Same for dishwashing facility. So depending on what you’re looking for, it has something for you. Like I mentioned, we like quiet spots so the fact that it has the potential to be too loud in peak times meant 4 starts from me.
My college friends go here each year to meet up and we have so much fun. The group sites are great and perfect for our 30-50 people. Definitely go for the rafting/tubing package, it was the best part of the trip!
Enjoyed a great weekend at Stokes State Forest. We stayed at the campsite at Lake Ocquittunk Area. Campsite was very spacious and had a platform where we were able to fit two tents. There was plenty of space on the site for more tents. Site came with bear proof bin for garbage and fire ring. Very comfortable site, quiet but still with plenty of amenities. Bathrooms and shower were all single stall and very clean, only a 5 min walk from our site. Two water sources nearby as well. We didn’t have direct views of the lake, but were within a minute walk to some quiet views of the lake. Also the location is amazing; there are trail heads near the campsites and longer trails, including access to the Appalachian Trail within a short 10-15 minute drive. You can also rent kayaks and SUP at the main office. Highly recommend Stokes.
Just finished another great trip at Mongaup Pond Campground. This was our 4th time here. Not a bad thing to say. Bathroom and water access are never far. One shower located by main entrance. No power at the sites, that I know of. About a 50/50 mix of tent and small RV. Very calm and quiet atmosphere. No pool or clubhouse. (which is one of the things we like!) Great place to let the kids ride bikes and explore. Concrete fire place on each site. Wood available at check in. Boat rentals are a little pricey @ $20 for a row boat from 10-6. All types available. Beautiful, calm, clean & quiet. Every time we leave we already can’t wait to book next trip. Oh and dogs are allowed as long as you have rabies cert.
Great park with large enough campsites. Bathrooms were clean, showers were ok, could use a little bleach. We were at site 52 and had to drive to the bath house because it was so far, but we didn’t mind. Mosquitos were terrible. Water taps scattered around campground. We were drinking the water right out the tap but by our 4th day there were new signs to boil the water before drinking. We figured since we had been drinking it so long and felt fine we were ok so we didn’t boil our last day.
Electric and water hookups, no sewer but there’s a dump station on the way out. Wooded and delightfully devoid of golf carts. Saw wild turkeys and deer in the morning. The wolf preserve at the same location was just amazing - we learned so much and could hear the wolves howl from the campsite. Hiked to Mt. Tammany from the campsite for the best view in NJ (9 miles round trip). Close to all the Pocono/Stroudsburg attractions - we shopped and toured the Frazetta museum. Will definitely stay there again.
Was our first Thousand trails site. Friendly staff and knowledgeable. Plenty of space in sites. Can accommodate many different size RV and trailers, plus tents. All sorts of activities, pool, playground and more. Close to local shops as well as bigger shops like Walmarts. Beautiful senic roads. One of the pics I posted is on hyway 44-55 coming back from New Paltz.
They have decent size sites, a lot were very private some more open. I have nothing bad to say. Restrooms and showers were clean, Rangers were pleasant to deal with and on top of everything, Bears were seen in the park and they noticed I had left food unattended ( I was walking to get a sponge from a friend at a neighboring site) and stopped to me it inquire. We camped in September and the campground was pretty empty = nice and peaceful!!! wish I had taken more photos.
Nice campsites with little traffic. The brook was great for the kids to explore
A bit of a “low frills” campground, but with lots of good hiking trails, fishing spots, and a great beach area for swimming with the kids.
My daughter and I have made Camp Taylor our annual spot for the past 4-5 years and it just keeps getting better. Hiking to the Wolf Preserve, paddleboats, mini golf, swimming in the lake . . . There are so many things to do, and they keep all of the facilities updated and in great shape. Plus, unlike many other campgrounds we’ve been to, they are very good about actually enforcing the quiet hours at night, so you can have an actual peaceful and quiet night around the campfire.
This is a Thousand trails campground so it was free. I think the regular price is $64. Full hookups, tents and cabins to rent. Pleanty to do in and around campground. Grounds has a pool, concession stand,game room, playgrounds, sports feild and more. Sites are well groomed. We had one and a babbling brook was 30 feet behind us. Great spot for morning coffee. Clean restrooms,showers and laundry. Dump stations if need and a service to come to your rig to collect waste if you don't want to move it. Local shops just minutes from campgrounds. Walmart and other bigger shops just a short drive away! Scenic Willride on 44-55 to Mohonk House and trails. We be going back.
KENNETH was a smaller campground that felt perfect for us. Private sites (not all, but many), clean bathrooms & showers and very friendly staff. There is no swimming currently on the lakes, but you can rent canoes/kayaks to fish or paddle around. The views from the day-use area is fantastic. We camped there for 4 nights a few weeks ago and we enjoyed all aspects.
Inside the park are four very easy hiking trails all around 1 mile in length. All of them were pleasant trips, especially the nature trail and blue trail. As you walk along the trails you constantly see or pass over the old rock walls that can be found throughout the Catskills.
Weekdays, the park was at a low capacity, weekends definitely picked up, but it was still very quiet and never loud beyond 10pm. Great place to visit and we shall definitely return.
I was looking forward to a Worthington State Park campgrounds visit but that day they were all packed and I was suggested to Jenny Jump State. I enjoyed the overnight camp out with my kids and they had a blast. Nice size primitive tent site we had and was nice for beginner camping.
No pool, play ground, dirt sites. This campground caters to river rafting. If you want a prime tent site (one near the river) you need to pay for river rafting packages. There is no enforcement of noise, and it seems no limits to people per campsite (larges parties on the sites.) Only two bath houses so they can get pretty overwhelmed when the campground is busy. Security is a big concern, gates are open along the campground from the road so anyone can enter and leave all hours of the night. Will not be returning.