Best Tent Camping near Claryville, NY

Fahnestock State Park, Carmel, NY

Busy Campground on Weekends!

This park has a nice open beach on Canopus Lake with a concession area and bathhouse, which we found to be quite clean! They even have boat rentals - or you can bring your own boat to launch! If you are into fishing, there is another lake and two ponds that our neighbor campers said were great for catching panfish - one fisherman said he had caught several bass weighing over 3 pounds!!

Weekends - this park is FULL! Make sure to reserve at least two weeks out. Weekdays? You should be in luck! We stayed in site number 1, and I found it to be just wooded enough. Almost all of the sites offered privacy.... Even when the campground was full. I do feel the campground bathhouse really needed more attention... while it had clearly been painted this past year, it was very “buggy” - and did not appear to have been thoroughly cleaned since spring... (yuck!).

PRODUCT REVIEW: As a ranger for Dyrt.com, sometimes I am offered the opportunity to test and review various products. At Fahnestock State Park in New York state, I reviewed my Gregory Maven 55L Women’s backpack (see accompanying video).

Weighing in at 3 pounds 6 ounces, the Gregory Maven was a nice mid-weight pack for me to take on my yearly 2 1/2 week Appalachian Trail hike.

Normally, I like to save the best for last when I do a review; however, this time I just can’t wait to spread the news about my favorite features! The Maven has a Matrix Ventilation System, which provides exceptional ventilation on the pack’s back panel. This kept my back from being its usual sweaty mess! The second feature that blew me away was how cool my water stayed in this backpack! With other packs, the water gets warmed up from heat radiating off the hiker’s back. This didn’t happen with my Gregory pack! Every pull off my water - from the beginning of the day until hours later - provided me with a refreshingly cool drink. I actually questioned other hikers with Gregory packs to see if I was the only one experiencing this - The other hikers, who had different Gregory models, confirmed that their backs and water were staying cooler too! Added bonus: I was able to pull out the hydration sleeve and use it as a daypack a few times!

The Maven’s pockets helped me keep my pack much more organized than in the past. It has a lower sleeping bag compartment, top pocket with separate zipper areas (one has a place to attach a car key!), side pockets, hip pockets, and even pockets on the shoulder harnesses! I can’t forget the front pocket, which held the rain fly!

The pack fit was great, but do be careful to check your sizing if you are looking at both the 45L and 55L. While I am a XS/S with the 55L, I would have been a S/M with the 45L.

I used this pack for 2 1/2 weeks backpacking over 200 miles on the Appalachian Trail through the states of New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The Maven did an outstanding job keeping my possessions organized and dry as well as keeping me comfortable and happy on the trail! This will definitely be my pack of choice for future hikes!

We recently stayed at site 3 at the campground at High Point State Park in NJ. It was our first time there, and we were surprised at how nice it was.

There are about 40 to 50 sites around Sawmill Lake. Many of these sites , like ours, are walk in sites (about a 50 yard walk) that sit lakeside. The sites were large and spread out, and we felt like we had a good amount of privacy.

Our site had a picnic table, and a fire ring with a cooking grate. Although, we didn't have one, we saw some sites had tent platforms

There are a few sites that sit higher up, and further from the lake, for RV and or car campers not looking to walk to there site. These had less privacy because they sit close to the road.

The bathrooms with flush toilets were ok when we were there. There are water spigots around the campground, but there are no showers or sinks. It's noted that there is no camp store at the campground, and the closest grocery was about 1/2 hour away, so come prepared. They did sell firewood at the park headquarters , which is about 10 minutes away from the campground.

It was pretty buggy (including ticks), so don't forget your deep woods.

My first time camping at High Point State Park, Sawmill Area, September 2019. I chose a campsite close to the restrooms and water spigot. It turned out to be very secluded, minus the foot traffic to the restroom at all hours. The campsite is mostly gravel so the platform is necessary. There are no trees for hammocking, so I made the best of it with the platform and my car. There was also not a lot of shade during the day. I moved my chair around to chase the shade. It was hot during the day and chilly at night.

Campground is close hiking trails and the High Point Monument(20min drive).

Each campsite has a firepit/ring, picnic table, and lantern hook. Campsite sells fire wood. Clean bathrooms with flush toilets, no sinks, no showers, no bad smell.

Shawangunk 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 nicest, most level tent site you'll ever find. So easy to set up, and no worries whatsoever about roots or rocks.
• Bathrooms and wash area, water access, etc. are all very easily accessible from any campsite
• Nice new picnic benches
• Gorgeous area - especially in the walk-in sites (i.e., not car accessible), where you're a little separated from the pavement
• Holy crap is this the perfect location for exploring the Gunks, Mohonk Preserve, etc. You couldn't be more central to everything that's going on around it.
• Phenomenal access to a trash can. It's very central and made throwing out dog poop really, really simple.

The just okay:

• Campsites are pretty close to a road. It's not particularly busy, but the speed limit is 55 so you do get some pretty decent whooshing sounds while you're trying to sleep.
• The tent site is literally the only flat part of most campsites. Even our picnic table at site 13 was slightly tilted. Not an issue, really, but it was noticeable.
• With all the heavy bear traffic signs that were up, I was surprised to see how close bear boxes were to our tents. They seemed to be 1-10 feet away from tents in each campsite. 
• Take with a slight grain of salt my recommendation of sites 8-15 - 8 & 9 are up a little higher and might be better, but 11-15 are within 50 feet of a wet area, and the bugs in late May were pretty annoying. I'm guessing other sites would have been better, and our hikes were almost bug-less.
• Campsites are CLOSE together. I was relieved to be in a site we had to walk to, because having the car right there combined with other tents would have been a little claustrophobic. 

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!

Had 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. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.

This was my second time camping at High Point State Park, Sawmill Area, October 2020. I chose this campsite, 031, based on the photos on the reservation website and boy was I disappointed. We wanted to setup our large tent on the **flat** gravel driveway and our hammocks and relaxation area on the platform. The photos did not convey the actual steepness of this site!! The gravel driveway is on a 30-40 degree incline. The tent was too long for the 12'x10' platform, so we had to set it up on the flattest part and hope not to roll down the hill in the night. We stayed 5d/4n. We ended up tearing down the large tent and setting up a smaller one on the platform for the last night, due to rain.

Beyond the tricky setup, it was nice fall weather until the rain the last night. The lake was beautiful in the morning with mist or steam. We took one afternoon to visit the High Point Monument, which was lovely. No room for yard games, but we spent the time relaxing and burning stuff. The site was very secluded. The weather was overcast so we weren't able to use our telescope at night.

Each campsite has a firepit/ring, picnic table, and lantern hook. Campsite sells fire wood. Clean-ish bathrooms with flush toilets, no sinks, no showers, with that awful outhouse smell. Bringing your own toilet paper is a good idea as the park didn't replace it enough and it ran out. Though that could have been pandemic personnel issues.

Campground Review: This is one of my absolute favorite camping areas I have ever been. Namanock Island is only accessible by water and is roughly 4 miles down the Delaware River if you leave from Milford Beach in Milford, PA. There is a ten dollar fee per day to park your car so bring cash as the parking area is not always manned and you’ll have to leave the fee in an envelope that is available just past the entrance. These sites are canoe, kayak, or(in my case) packraft accessible. The sites are maintained by the NPS and are available on a first come first served basis. Also there is no cost to camp on the river save the parking fees you paid in Milford! This was my first time making the trip with a friend and it was awesome to have some company. We stayed at site 13 (marked by a small square sign). Once at the tip of the island you will want to stay to the right on the river and close to the shore of the island(on your left hand side) as the site comes up relatively quickly and you won’t want to shoot past it. It’s a steep climb up the shore so be prepared for that. You have a small piece of shoreline that is mostly rocks. It’s a great spot to sit and enjoy the sun, sounds of nature, and have yourself a cold beer. You are limited to one night on the island. They are primitive campsites which include a fire ring and a primitive toilet. The sites are in excellent shape! This was my first time venturing to the island on a weekend(Friday) night but we had the place to ourselves so that was awesome. I’ve read that if you are going on a weekend that it’s advisable to go earlier in the day. We were on the island by 3 and had no problem securing our site, granted it was early June so your mileage may vary if you are going during the peak of the summer. It's a rare thing to camp on an island and Namanock is so serene and peaceful, you’ll hear the water flowing gently all night, perfection! We had ourselves a nice fire and made hot dogs and s’mores. The next morning we packed up and set off for another site about 8 miles down the river. After camping at the next site we packed up and hiked back along the McDade Recreation Trail to Dingmans Ferry access where we caught the River Runner Shuttle(a free shuttle that runs along the river on Saturdays and Sundays in the summer free of charge) back to the car in Milford. We were pressed for time otherwise we would have made the full 12 mile hike, instead we hiked slightly more than 4 miles. I’ll keep going back to this site as often as I can and can’t recommend it enough. In order to be prepared for the river camping experience 

I would recommend purchasing the National Geographic map of the Delaware Water Gap and/or the DWG map set sold by the NYNJ Trail Conference as they have all of the sites outlined. 

**Product Review **

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time. At Namanock Island, I got to test out the Gregory Zulu 55 pack. This pack comes loaded with features. It fit all of my gear (sleeping bag, tent, food sleeping pad, backpacking chair, packraft, paddle, clothes, etc with absolutely no problem. I am 5’7’’ and weigh about 145 lbs, the small/medium pack fit me perfectly. I really loaded this thing up with my rafting gear for our 4 mile hike back to the parking area and never once felt like I had a hot spot or any discomfort whatsoever. The Zulu features Gregory’s FreeFloat suspension technology designed to move with your body and I’d say mission accomplished, it really felt like it responded well to my movements and never once did it feel uncomfortable! The Zulu comes loaded with pockets both external and internal as well as multiple lashing points which perfectly suited my needs for my packrafting trip as I was able to secure it easily to my raft and lash extra gear externally. The fact that they include a rain cover is a nice bonus! The only issue I had was with my water bladder. I use a platypus big zip 3L which perfectly fit in the sleeve provided for a water bladder however it did not clip in well to the clip provided as it is designed for Gregory’s hydro reservoir. This is far from a deal breaker but worth mentioning. I have a few packs and the Gregory Zulu 55 is 100% going to be my go to for overnights and multi-day efforts! 

For more information and to purchase one for yourself check out the pack at Gregory’s site here: https://www.gregorypacks.com/packs-bags/backpacking-packs/zulu-55-1115ZUL55.html