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Best Tent Camping near Corning, NY

518 Reviews

Tent camping opportunities near Corning, New York include several established campgrounds within an hour's drive of the city. Gardner Hill Campground in Lowman offers tent sites with amenities including drinking water, electric hookups, picnic tables, showers and toilet facilities. Colton Point State Park Campground in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania provides a more rustic tent camping experience with both drive-in and walk-in tent sites overlooking the Pine Creek Gorge, commonly known as the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon.

Primitive tent setups are available at multiple locations throughout the region, with varying levels of amenities. Most tent sites feature dirt or gravel pads with minimal leveling. Tiadaghton Campground in Tioga State Forest provides walk-in tent sites with fire rings and picnic tables but limited other facilities. A review noted, "Roadside site 1/4 mile from the nearest site. Very secluded and peaceful. Picnic table and fire ring, but no water or latrine." Many backcountry tent locations lack potable water, requiring campers to bring their own supply or filter from natural sources. Vault toilets are common at established campgrounds but absent at more remote sites.

The Corning region offers diverse tent camping experiences ranging from developed campgrounds to secluded backcountry sites. Areas farther from town generally provide greater solitude and fewer amenities. Based on reviews from The Dyrt, Colton Point State Park is particularly noteworthy for tent campers seeking isolation: "The campsites are private and you get to hike in varying amounts of distance." Most walk-in tent sites require a short hike from parking areas, making them quieter than drive-up locations. Seasonal considerations apply, with most campgrounds operating from spring through fall. The area provides access to numerous hiking trails, fishing opportunities, and scenic viewpoints, particularly around the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon area where tent campers can access the West Rim Trail system.

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Best Tent Sites Near Corning, New York (23)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Corning, NY

15 Photos of 23 Corning Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Corning, NY

518 Reviews of 23 Corning Campgrounds

  • Gavin T.
    Oct. 23, 2017

    Blueberry Patch Campground — Green Mountain & Finger Lakes National Forests

    Simple

    The only Finger Lakes National Forest designated campground, Blueberry Patch offers a secluded experience in the heart of this sometimes overlooked beautiful geographic region in the State of New York. This campground offers a simple experience, with fire rings and picnic tables at each site and seems to accommodate just tent and small campers. Vault toilets available. On a week day in early summer, 3 of the 9 campsites we’re occupied. Can see it filling up on weekends. Enjoy!

  • Sophie D.
    Oct. 5, 2016

    Watkins Glen State Park Campground

    Friendly, beautiful, and well organized

    I ended a two-day backpacking trek through the Finger Lakes National Forest at Watkins Glen. After grunting all the way up the long hill to the campground, I checked in with a wonderful and helpful employee. She gave me all the information about the campground and park that I could ever want, and then we laughed a little about the antics of young husky mixes (I had my dog with me on the hike). The campground is dog-friendly, provided that you have a current rabies certificate and keep him/her on leash.

    I stayed at a tent site, which has no electricity. RV sites, which cost a little more, provide electric hookups. My camp site and all the neighboring ones were clean. Water from spigots is easily accessible, as are showers and toilets.

    The campground is situated walking distance from the main attractions of the park; during the summer, a large swimming pool is a popular place to hang out with family. Hiking trails parallel the creek with beautiful falls. I was disappointed to find that dogs are not allowed on the Gorge Trail, which is closest to all of the falls.

    All in all, I loved this campground. It was a very relaxing place to spend the night.

  • N
    Jun. 14, 2019

    Blueberry Patch Campground — Green Mountain & Finger Lakes National Forests

    Great site

    What does blueberry patch campground offer? Large camp sites with a picnic table large enough for 6 adults (squeezed together), metal fire pit with grill, large tent footprint and space for 2-3 vehicles to park.

    For you fellow hammock campers reading this don’t worry! Most of the sites are compatible for hammocks, some sites you may have to be more creative to make it work.

    You can stay at this site for up to 14 days at $15pn (bring cash). There are two bathrooms on the site and bear proof dumpsters as well. There are many locals selling fire wood bundles for $5 each so no problems getting a fire going. Lastly for this part BRING WATER. There are no water sources near the site. There is a gas station about 15 minutes away on route 79 so make sure to fill up on water and snacks.

    The site is great. Lots of amenities and individual sites. They aren’t too far away from each other so you don’t feel completely isolated but far enough away to allow some privacy. There are some trails nearby and are worth a hike.

    Neil

  • Amy R.
    Jul. 16, 2019

    Pine Cradle Lake Family Campground

    RV/tent campground in a beautiful setting

    This is a gated campground that we stayed at 6/30/19-7/04/19. We are NOT an RV. We own a Napier tent that hooks to our truck so that we can sleep up in the bed. However, due to it being a holiday week, the tent sites were completely booked and they only have 4(which also have water& electric). The tent sites are located in the back of the campground behind the sports field within the trees. I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to see them but they have them pictured on their website. They let us book an RV site and it was rough setting up on a gravel RV site but we understood that we were not within a normal tent element and placed an extra tarp under the tent. The campground is located at the top of some beautiful and scenic driving through farmland in Pennsylvania and you will be 30 minutes from anything like shopping or small town amenities(we drove to Walmart after setting up to get our perishables since we drive up from Virginia). Our site had water and electric, was a drive through spot for a typical RV with a section to the side of the drive through for the fire pit and picnic table. We were located right next to the shower/bathrooms/playground and had some tree coverage and shade. A lot of the RVs in the campground are permanent sites and our neighbors never showed so we had a quiet buffer but it was not a noisy campground. It appeared that they cleaned the bathrooms twice daily and we were impressed with the cleanliness of the bathroom/showers. There were 4 in the building so we never had to wait. The staff were friendly and helpful. They had a store right next to the pool area that offered common items and RV'er might need with a small grocery area as well which included bundles of wood($6 honor system after hours) and Ice($1.78 per bag). We were allowed to run an account which we paid at the end of our stay. Our campsite was required to be paid at check in. The campground is 18 acres with gravel roads, a sports field, fishing, horse shoes, bocce ball, multiple playgrounds, a rec center with some games, claw machines etc. a splash pad and salt water pool. You will be doing a lot of walking or bring your bicycles like we did. They offer scheduled activities for holidays etc and various weekend activities. You can rent non electric boats and they offer catch& release fishing without a PA license in the lake. My son caught 2 sunfish :) They have guidelines for visitors and quiet hours(my cousin came to visit us in the evenings as she lived close by). We enjoyed camping here even if we were on an RV site. We booked site 211 which had the little bit of tree coverage and was located right next to the showers/bathrooms/playground with a quick walk to the lake for fishing. Most of the other available sites in the road ahead of us had no tree coverage but closer to the lake had more trees and shade. OR, just get an actual tent site :) but they are all the way at the back of the campground, furthest from the lake so I actually preferred our site.

  • David A.
    Aug. 23, 2025

    Tiadaghton Campground — Tioga State Forest

    Tiadaghaton State Forest, PA

    Roadside site 1/4 mile from the nearest site. You can drive right to the site on Hackett Rd. Very secluded and peaceful. Picnic table and fire ring, but no water or latrine.

  • Jama A.
    Jul. 15, 2025

    Watkins Glen State Park Campground

    Watkins Glen State Park, New York

    Campers arriving at Watkins Glen State Park are immediately captivated by its dramatic gorge scenery, where 19 waterfalls cascade through narrow stone walls. Their campsites are nestled among hardwood forests, offering a perfect balance of sunlit clearings and shady retreats. Each site comes equipped with a picnic table and fire ring, making it easy to prepare meals after a day spent exploring the park’s famous Gorge Trail. The park’s facilities blend rustic charm with modern comforts: clean flush toilets, hot-water showers, and convenient potable water stations. Hiking enthusiasts appreciate the interconnected trail system, which includes the popular Rim Trail for elevated views of the gorge, as well as more secluded footpaths through hemlock groves. Families particularly enjoy the nearby swimming pool and easy-access picnic areas overlooking Seneca Lake. To simplify travel logistics for out-of-state visitors, many campers opt to pre-book an airport transfer so they can arrive at Ithaca or Elmira–Corning Regional Airport and head straight to the park without the hassle of car rentals. Those planning to explore multiple stops along the Finger Lakes often choose the provider’s reliable city-to-city rides for comfortable, door-to-door transportation between destinations. All in all, Watkins Glen State Park delivers an unforgettable combination of awe-inspiring gorge hikes, well-appointed campsites, and family-friendly amenities. Campers seeking both adventure and relaxation will find this New York treasure hard to surpass.

  • Kari M.
    Sep. 21, 2016

    Smith Memorial Park

    Great hiking trails, and beach nearby!

    Smith Memorial Park has a pretty great set up. You can camp and hike, while enjoying the beach and water activities. It is the best of both worlds. I camped here a few summers ago, and enjoyed my stay. I love hiking, and there were some really good trails nearby with some great views. The campground was great, each campsite has its own picnic table and fire ring. They also have restrooms and showers available for use too- I stayed a few nights so the showers worked out great. Our spot was fairly close, so it was within walking distance. What I really like about his campground is it is sort of secluded, and not very crowded. The campsite I stayed at was called "The Point" and it was quite and a great location. My sisters went one evening to a winery that was really close to our campsite called JR Dill, and we went to a great brewing company for dinner one night. The campground does provide firewood-which they offer for a pretty low cost. We did this, and enjoyed making smores over the campfire both nights we stayed. The beach is nice and is pretty close to the campground, within walking distance. Great for swimming, and I saw some people out on the lake with their boats. Enjoyed my stay, and would definitely come back again at some point!

  • Dan N.
    Jul. 18, 2016

    Kanakadea Park - Almond Lake

    Lake right off rt 86

    This is a park with a lake. In the green rolling hills of the Finger Lakes. Grassy open fields are nice but not private. Used the basic tent setup. Clean, grounds kept up nice, simple, no water. Lots of state lands and water nearby. Deer by the tent in the morning. Great stopover or base camp, not much to do right on site.

  • Michael B.
    Sep. 3, 2020

    Stony Brook State Park Campground

    Beautiful park. Too bad we missed the pool.

    Had a great time at Stony Brook State Park this week! The campground side doesn't open until around 11 we were told, and we reached at 8am, so we started at the North (day-use) side, parked there, hiked, ate, and eventually drove back to the other side, checked in, and set up camp. 😁 It was a very nice time. Due to the COVID-19 regulations, masks need to be worn in the bathhouse (except when brushing teeth or showering). Was a good, quiet, fun time, with a few other families nearby. The only negatives: *According to their website, the natural pool would be open the day we went. It was not. ☹️ *No alcohol permitted in the whole campgrounds. Fine for us, but annoying for many. From the trash in the bathhouse, looks like some were anyways. *No "camp store" - so if you forgot an essential item, you've got to go out from the park. Positive part: town is only 8 minutes away via car. Also, we got GREAT and easy burning from the people selling wood for $5/bundle just outside the campground entrance.

    All in all, a GREAT time! We all enjoyed it!

Guide to Corning

Tent camping near Corning, New York, offers a variety of scenic spots where nature lovers can unwind and enjoy the great outdoors. With well-reviewed campgrounds nearby, you can find the perfect place to pitch your tent and explore the surrounding beauty.

Tent campers like these nearby activities

  • At Lawrence Recreation Area, you can enjoy peaceful kayaking and explore the amazing driftwood along the lake.
  • Colton Point State Park Campground features incredible hiking trails with breathtaking views, often referred to as the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania.
  • For a unique experience, Back-Achers Campsites is located near numerous wineries, making it a great spot for wine enthusiasts to explore local vineyards.

Some prices for tent camping range from $20 to $43

  • Camping at Colton Point State Park Campground typically costs around $20 a night, offering a budget-friendly option for nature lovers.
  • Rates at Holiday Hill Campground can go up to $43 per night, providing clean facilities and plenty of activities for families.
  • If you're looking for a more rustic experience, Lambs Creek Recreation Area offers tent camping without the frills, perfect for those wanting to immerse themselves in nature.

Amenities that enhance your camping experience

  • Gardner Hill Campground provides essential amenities like drinking water and electric hookups, making your stay comfortable.
  • At Back-Achers Campsites, you can enjoy fires and have access to clean bathrooms, enhancing your camping experience.
  • Riverside Acres Campground features spacious sites with picnic tables and a beautiful view of the Susquehanna River, perfect for relaxing evenings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Corning, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Corning, NY is Lawrence Recreation Area with a 4.5-star rating from 2 reviews.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Corning, NY?

TheDyrt.com has all 23 tent camping locations near Corning, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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