Best Tent Camping near Cooperstown, NY

This is a beautiful primitive hike-in campsite alongside the Ludlow Creek section of the Finger Lakes Trail in Chenango County, New York. It is located in a beautiful, unspoiled and seldom visited region of state forest, providing a wilderness type experience fairly close to several nearby villages, and only a half hour drive from the town of Norwich and less than an hour from the city of Binghamton.. The campsite is perfect for groups or individuals willing to hike in a short distance to this secluded spot. There is a large relatively new Adirondack-style lean-to in great condition, perched on an heavily wooded overlook above Ludlow Creek. The hike in from the trailhead to the north is relatively short, and recommended for easy overnight access. The hike is longer coming in from the south. The campsite is maintained by local volunteer members of the Bull Thistle Hiking Club, http://www.bullthistlehiking.org/p/about-us.html, which is a member chapter of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference http://www.fingerlakestrail.org/ If camping here, be sure to pack in water and plan to pack out garbage and leave no trace. Detailed maps of this trail section can be found in the Finger Lakes Trail East Passport Guide, see map E07, p. 21 at http://www.fltconference.org/trail/files/3814/0154/4940/Passport_East_View.pdf, or visit the interactive trail map at https://fltconference.org/trails/P/TrailConditionMaps/Interactive/Seg_Cat.html?Vifw#"

We booked this as our first real camping trip with our new trailer, can’t recommend that for everyone lol, but we had a lovely time.

We had a back in site with a fire pit, picnic table, and no hook ups. It was gravel and not super level, but we made it work. There was a potable water spigot a few sites over and a bathroom with showers a short walk away.

This is a great spot for tent camping, so if that’s your vibe this place is perfect. We had a lot of tree cover so we didn’t even need our air conditioning on during an 85 degree day. There are a lot of mosquitoes, but with some bug spray and a couple thermacell mosquito repellents, we were comfortable the whole time. I loved cooking over the fire, the pit had a cinder block wall around it to set a grate on and block the wind. We had a lot of privacy because the campgrounds next to us were empty, but even if there were people nearby there was about 20-30 ft between our site and the next.

The lake is small but calm and great for kayaking. There is a little “beach” there for swimming, but know that it’s a soft lake bottom further out.

We really liked it here and booked another visit in August.

This campsite is a hike in stop on the Finger Lakes Trail, but can also be accessed by a short walk-in from Elmer Jackson Rd, or by paddling in from the parking area in the west side of the pond. The pond is deep and clear and stocked with brook trout, and the campsite on the east side of the pond is in an idyllic setting with good camping, fishing (canoe or kayak only), and day hikes on the Finger Lakes Trail. You can also walk or drive along various state forest riads to several other pinds in the Wildlife Management area for good birdwatching. From the south end if the pond is a cascade into a gorge which is the beginnings if Canasawacta Creek, which eventually flows to Norwich and the Chenango River.

This is a primitive canpsite, no shelter or latrine but there are several fire rings and good tent sites as well as a gentle water access right on the shore. This would be a nice family friendly weekend destination, as well a a great stop fir through hikers. Previous campers have left the site in great shape.

Camping in this DEC Wildlife Management Area campsite is limited, and requires a permit. Visit the regional DEC office at 1285 Fisher Ave., Cortland NY or call 607-753-3095, or email at Info.R7@dec.ny.gov ; allow one week for permit to be processed.

More info about the WMA can be found here: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/63889.html or http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/70693.html

An interactive map for hiking in the area can be found here: https://fltconference.org/trails/P/TrailConditionMaps/Interactive/Seg_Cat.html?Vifw#"

For more info and local area map, see page 15 and map E04 in the Finger Lakes Trail East passport guide:

http://www.fltconference.org/trail/files/3814/0154/4940/Passport_East_View.pdf

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. 

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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.

This park is located approximately 12.5 miles from downtown Cooperstown and is set in the quiet rural countryside of New York. The mature trees make for beautiful scenery in the fall. There is a mix of sites varying from tent, RV, rental trailers, and camping cabins/cottages/lodges bringing the total number of sites to 120. Back-in and pull-thru sites are available. Site types include full hookup, water and electric, and no hookup with prices varying depending upon site. You can choose between 30/20 or 50 amp electric service. Interior roads are gravel and some site pads are gravel while others are grass. 

The park is nicely terraced and all the sites are level. Patios were a grassy/dirt area with a picnic table and fire pit. Our site (#41) was a pull-thru but there was no way we could drive our 45’ motorhome forward out of the site because of a large tree and narrow roads. So we ended up having to back out. The free wifi worked well as did our Verizon 4G phone and hotspot. We picked up a dozen or so television channels with our antenna. The park does have a fair amount of trees that would interfere with roof-mounted satellite dishes so you would have to pick your site carefully. But, there are some 30 amp and no hook-up sites that are clear. This is a typical KOA with lots of amenities including a swimming pool(which was closed for the season when we were there), a playground, volleyball court, basketball court, jump house, pavilion, recreation room, bicycle rental, and horseshoes. Showers, restrooms and laundry are also present and clean. There is a propane filling station. While there is no fenced-in dog park there is a pet walking area. The surrounding area is pretty rural and the closest town (Richfield Springs– which is very small) is five miles away and where you will find restaurants, gas station, grocery store, and more. A few miles from the park is a creamery that has a café. 

Approximately five miles away is Glimmerglass State Park which was great for hiking and kayaking Otsego Lake. There is a also a historic house at the park that you can tour and the country’s oldest covered bridge. Cooperstown is a little over twelve miles away from the park but well worth a trip. Not only is Cooperstown home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame but it is a charming downtown well worth exploring. Other nearby attractions include The Farmers Museum, Fenimore Art Museum, Hero’s of Baseball Wax Museum, Glimmerglass Opera, and Cooperstown Brewing Company.

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. Site number 1 is quite flat and open and could accomodate a trailer or camper van but isnt very scenic. The other sites are great for tenting but the drive-ins are variable. There are several new clean outhouses with doors meant to be wide enough for wheelchairs, but the gravel roads of the campground are not very wheelchair friendly. There is one site set aside for picnicking and day use only, on a very pretty spit on the south shore. There is a small boat launch meant for canoes and kayaks and small non mototized fishing boats, alongside a gravel peninsula for shore fishing. The pond is pretty with mature shade trees, and the campground also has a trailhead to access a large network of hiking trails. If you want to backpack in, dispersed camping is allowed throughout the forest

Both the Glimmerglass State Park and the Glimmerglass Festival Opera House list their location as Cooperstown, but in actuality the Park is 8 miles outside of Cooperstown on the northeast side of Otsego Lake, with the Opera House nearby on the northwest corner of the lake nearby. If you are going to visit one, you should also visit the other! In fact the park is an ideal spot to stay if you are wanting to take in any of the Glimmerglass music or theater productions which have quite a professional lineup in the summer season. If staying at the park you will also enjoy the amazing beach and waterfront on Otsego Lake, and great kayaking on the lake as well as the stream flowing into it. You can also hike, ot take a day trip into Cooperstown, especially for museums and all things baseball.

The camping opportunities give you three options: the main campground by the park office, which is wooded and shady and has electric hookups as needed, and is close to the beach, but you will have a lot of neighbors. If you want a quiet tenting experience, choose the Beaver Pond primitive tenting campground! This offers a small number of large, well spaced and private tent only sites set back in the woods by a beautiful pond and by the Beaver Hiking trail. Very peaceful with more solitude than the main campground, but a longer walk to the beach. The third and newest option, the Travis Field campsites, reminds me of an overflow parking area at an outdoor festival, unfortunately just a bunch of basic tent campsites plunked in an open grassy field located in between the beach and the Beaver Pond sites. I am guessing the park has greater demand for campsites than the original campground offers, so they put these spots up in an open field, and maybe folks would rather have these sites than nothing if they want a week at the lake, but they would not be a first choice unless perhaps you have a group that wants to gather together and take a block of these sites. I didnt check out the cabins, but there are some, which might be especially good if you want to come in the winter as the park is open year round

I called and booked ahead of time knowing I'd arrive late and leave early, which was absolutely no problem, so I'm very thankful for that. I paid over the phone, was given clear instructions on where to park, and was told to enjoy my stay. This location is great if you're in a van or RV and need a quick place to stay for the night in this area of NY in mid- / late-October (because it seems NY closes its state parks quite early) or if you're here for the rock-hunting. From what I could see late at night (which honestly wasn't much) I wouldn't recommend for tent-camping as the sites were quite close to each other and not much soft ground for sleeping.