Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Downsville, NY has a lot to offer. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Downsville, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Downsville. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
Keen Lake Camping and Cottage Resort is a privately owned 90-acre spring fed mountain lake, located in the scenic northern Pocono Mountains of Northeastern Pennsylvania just off Route 6.
Our campgound offers a variety of accommodations available for you and your family ranging from Seasonal Camping, RV Camping, Popup Camping, Tent Camping, and Seasonal Cottage Rentals.
Our serene natural setting provides fresh, clean country air, a variety of amenities to fit your needs while on your vacation, a complete activities program for the young and young at heart, excellent fishing (large mouth bass, perch, walleye, crappies and more) and the opportunity to relax with your family and friends - to read, to boat, to swim, to walk, to think, to play, and mostly to create precious memories with those you best love.
There are five lean-tos as well as five primitive campsites marked with round, yellow, DEC markers. In addition, primitive camping is allowed. Campsites must be at least 150 feet away from the nearest road, trail, or body of water. Camping for more than three nights or in groups of ten or more requires a permit from the regional office.
Camping is prohibited above 3,500 feet in elevation from March 22 until December 20 each year to protect the fragile summit environment. Campfires are permitted below 3,500 feet in elevation, but only dead and down fuel may be used. In an established campsite, use the existing fire ring. Before you leave, completely extinguish the fire. Never leave a fire unattended. The use of camp stoves is encouraged.
While most people consider New York City to be the main attraction of the state, further upstate lies Chenango Valley State Park; a much calmer 1,137 acre natural wonder of New York. This park is known for its two kettle lakes, named Chenango and Lily. The lakes, which were created after the last Ice Age, formed when large chunks of ice that were left behind by a glacier ended up buried deep beneath the earth. Over time, that ice melted, forming the bogs and wetlands known today as Chenango and Lily.
The park’s rich ecosystem attracts both migrant as well as predatory birds and other watchable wildlife. Subsequently, birdwatchers will delight finding and spotting the woodpeckers, nuthatches, warblers and thrushes found along woodland trails. You will also find herons, ducks, and kingfishers over on the lakeside.
Those searching for something closer to the lakes will enjoy an abundance of excellent fishing opportunities. Fishermen can attempt to catch trout, bass, perch, and bullhead in Chenango Lake, as well as the various wetlands and marshes throughout. Lily Lake is not known for its fishing opportunities, but makes a the perfect place for a relaxing day at the beach. After you’ve soaked up some rays, enjoy a relaxing game of gold over at the 18-hole Chenango Valley State Park Golf Course. There’s never a shortage of activities, nor scenic beauty to take in during your stay here. And luckily, if you can’t fit it all into one day the park offers fantastic overnight accommodations as well.
When camping here, take comfort knowing there’s plenty of room for everyone. In fact, campers can choose from among 184 campsites, or 24 warm and cozy cabins. The park offers shower buildings routinely placed throughout, as well as an amply-stocked convenience store with camper information inside.
Fortunately, there is a variety of campsite sizes and amenities to choose from. However, if you’re planning on camping with an RV, consider reserving your site at least a few months in advance as space can fill up very quickly, especially during the summer.
Kittatinny Campground in NY offers on site whitewater rafting, canoeing and kayaking, tubing, dual racing ziplines and paintball, you can do it all here! This campground features more than 250 rugged acres with 350 campsites that allow you to choose to be nestled in the woods or camp along the river’s bank. This campground offers a primitive, secluded camping experience in the Catskill Mountains.
a largely off-the-grid, truly unique, 420-friendly YURT in beautiful Livingston Manor. A ‘tiny house’ with every conceivable amenity—full kitchen, hot shower, indoor toilet, woodstove, spacious living room, enormous sleeping loft, speakers for your music, excellent wi-fi—thoughtfully arranged to maximize space and ease of use. Our YURT is at the end of a shale road on a blueberry orchard. Guests are invited to pick all the fruit they like. The hillside’s high elevation provides an oasis of cooler temperatures during every summer heat wave. The panoramic view of the Catskills from the porch has to be seen to be appreciated.
while the setting is delightfully off the beaten path, it’s also a short drive to the cafés, breweries, and eateries in the charming hamlet of Livingston Manor. World class hiking, swimming, camping, and fishing is even closer. (Camping and hiking gear provided.)
if the YURT is booked, you're welcome to camp in total privacy on the grounds. Or spend a night or two in our equally comfortable tiny house camping.
perhaps most importantly, our YURT offers more than a getaway. Guests learn how to tap a spring for their home’s water, the joys of heating with wood, how hygienic and easy-to-use a composting toilet is. A few days on the blueberry patch is both a rewarding glimpse of the sustainable life and an invaluable education in how comfortable a small home can be. If you’re considering procuring your own, spending time in one of ours will help you decide if such a home is right for you.
how to get here: depending on traffic, it’s about two hours from NYC. Take the Thruway to the very first exit, Exit 16 for Rt. 17 west. Follow Rt. 17 for an hour to Exit 98/Parksville.
what to expect: the YURT was literally just finished. Because it has a composting toilet, because it's heated with wood, because the property is accessed via a chip path not an asphalt one, invariably sawdust, wood flecks, and the occasional spider web make their way inside. The country will follow you indoors. Please visit expecting that. In the interest of keeping the place tidy we ask that guests remove their shoes before entering. You’ll have to walk about 75 yards from your car so… make sure those shoes are comfortable. The YURT sleeps two couples. House broken, well-mannered pets welcome. Expect a location that’s off the beaten path and, consequently, not super easy to find. But for ours, there are no houses in sight. Relevantly, our house is next door. (See photos.) We are quiet folks and you’ll likely hear little but the rustling trees and nearby spring.
what to bring: if you’re planning to pick blueberries or go hiking, bring clothes you don’t mind getting a bit dirty. A headlamp is recommended for enjoying the grounds at night and hiking up from your car at night. Speaking of cars, the shale road that leads to our YURT does not require a 4wd drive vehicle. However, you should drive cautiously if you arrive in a Prius or any other car that’s low to the ground. Whatever you’re driving, please do so slowly as the road is one way. Note: our Prius successfully navigates this bumpy country lane daily.
A standard release is required. Must be comfortable with a composting toilet and should know how to light a fire in a woodstove.
$150 / night
The weather was terrible while I was there, so perhaps this review may be biased. The Campground was very quiet in mid October. Many of the sites seem to be seasonal as there was no traffic to or from them. But there was quite a bit of daily traffic, usually arriving late and leaving early. Perhaps because the weather was turning very chilly and although the leaf peeping was at its peak for this season, I think people were heading south fast like me.
We had a great time staying here. It's a very beautiful campsite. There's lots of great hiking and activities in the area.
Stay in one of the last weekends of August. We were a party of 8 so we needed 2 sites, the first sites we booked were horrible - so so tiny (E11 & E12) and right on a swampy pond where the grass is growing into the water so it was hard to see where the water line was. We had kids, so we needed to move our sites. We ended up right across the way on E7 & E8 - much better. This loop for tent campers is mixed. Some of the sites are literally on the road - stay away from the sites on the same side of the road as the pond. I saw a family who literally had to block the road a little bc they couldn't park their car *and* have a tent on the tiny site. Anything on the side of E7 is bigger and a little deeper into the trees, but nothing seemed to be private in this campground. It was a busy weekend, so of course there was loud music and partying - it just so happens that it was next door to our sites. Bathrooms were far on this loop. There are little foot bridges that you could take to get to the bathroom easier (and closer) but they are set on people's campsites, so if someone is on that site it's really walking through their site to get to it. The campground has good amenities - wifi, pool, jumping ball, playground, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and a tether ball court :). Great for the kids. Pool is small but it works. There's a cafe there so we were able to grab coffees and stuff. They deliver wood and ice to your site which is super convenient. We would return for sure. Also - just to let everyone know the fire pit is really small.
Keen lake is the most cleanest friendliest family environment campsite you will ever find. Beautiful lake great fishing. Activities all day long for the children. Great general store that has everything in it that is open from sun up to sundown. The nachos and ice cream are the best. Super friendly staff. It's big they have tent sites right along the lake the lake is huge there's so much I could say but I would run out of room. I started coming here when I was four and I am now 46 years old and it is just the best place ever. It will always have a special place in our heart. Look forward every year to coming here no matter what age my kids are they all have a blast. From tent sites to RVs to cottages to glamping you name it they have it highly recommend it. Recently went camping to somewhere a little bit closer to home and it's nothing compared to here. It's like comparing Macy's to Walmart. You will never regret coming here. So pack your family up and have a great time.
Very clean park. Lots of families. Tubing was fun. Bring bug spray.
Friendly staff, beautifully kept.
Nice area. Lots of room. Laundry room ok with 2 washers and 2 dryers. Lots of open fields.
Great all-around campground. Level sites with plenty of trees. Clean bath houses. Tons of biking and hike trails. A “beach” swim area that is like a resort. A golf course. A great option for families.
A really beautiful area to visit. A very cool brewery is just 4 miles away.
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 couldn’t even get a 11am call answered from the office
This was my first stay at any TT campground and I wasn't sure what to expect with this campground as the reviews are so mixed. While I don't have other TT campgrounds to compare this to, I do have a lot of experience in state parks and private campgrounds. If you are looking for an RV resort-type place, this isn't it. If you are looking for a CAMPground, this is a wonderful place! The grounds are well-kept and the bathrooms are clean. Th campground itself is pretty quiet, although there is some noise by the playground. Once school is out, I'm sure it will be busier.
The only problem I had was that my Starlink didn't work at the first site (372 - full hookup) but they let me choose another site (435 - no sewer) and I was happy as a clam. Oh yea, the sewer connection in 372 ran uphill for me, but my pipe sits very low.
Jake from the Dyrt here! Whispering Timbers is a new glamping site on the Dyrt, check them out and make sure to leave a review after your stay!
Beautiful scenery and nice place to camp.
Great host and is very accommodating. We had a large group planned and he offered us many options and add-ons to make our stay run as smoothly as possible. Thank you!
The campground was fine. There is a pretty covered bride and historic home. Places to play for the kids at the lake. Restrooms were clean. We were traveling on a schedule so only stayed for one night, but had to pay for two. Would have prefered to pay a higher one night fee and left the site available for others.
Use to be a real nice family oriented campground. Since the new owners took over, the nicest thing is leaving! Wild, disrespectful adult adolescents get out of control and the park does nothing about it. Speed limits are not enforced! Some fly thru the park making it dangerous for everyone, especially children. Garbage used to be picked up at your site throughout the day and brought up by the entrance, but now there are overflowing dumpsters all over the place which have caused fly and rodent infestations. I had to hang nasty fly strips all around my canopies and caught mice in my camper constantly. THE WATER! ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! I'm guessing the new owners didn't do as much as the previous owners as far as water treatments. It smelled like raw sewage, loaded with sediment and very discolored. Little to no pressure and a couple times no water at all. This was my 5th year camping at Nickerson and these issues were not there in the past. I have been camping for about 50 years and I've stayed in many campgrounds, this water was by far the worst I've ever experienced.
On top of hill right outside of town. Stayed during the week and was able to get a more secluded, wooded site. (Most of them are pretty open) It was quiet at night. You can hear some traffic from down below at busier times. Nice walking trail around the property through woods and field. Convenient WSE hookup right at site. Staff was friendly. It was hard to pre book a site though. You can’t do it online, you have to email, and it can take a while to hear back from anyone confirming a reservation. $50/night for full hookup.
thanks
Long time camper at oneida (usually during Miss Colombia weekend), this is an older and more established campground. This year, it changed owner and you can already see the improvements happening.
The one thing I did not like was seeing the new owner yelling at one of this employees. That wasn't cool at all.
Also, It is not very RV friendly as it can be challenging parking and setting up an RV at Oneida.
Being that I am now an RV owner, it it a bit challenging to navigate the campground.
I have been camping at Kittatinny (Barryville) for over 20 years. I have noticed that the campground has progressively gotten more urbanized as the years pass.
Since covid, more people have taken up camping, thus making every campground more crowded, but Kittatinny has gotten to the point that it's pretty much one person on top of the other.
I wish they would enforce "quiet hours." Loud music everywhere, the people screaming take away from the camping experience.
Also, this is a request. AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile do not have signal at camp. Once you're at Kittatinny you might as well be in the middle of the desert.
Last but not least, the bathrooms really need to be modernized.
Ashley here with The Dyrt! We're so happy to have this listing on our platform. Check them out, then come back here to leave them some love!
Absolutelylived this campground. The sites were very spacious and clean. They had a pool and water slides for the kids. The owner and staff were so friendly and welcoming. We can't wait to go back. Highly recommend this place. There are also a lot of places in the area to visit. Minekill state park is only a 5 minute drive.
Our recent camping trip to Slumberland at the River’s Edge was truly remarkable. Despite the rainy weather, we had an amazing time. The campground's family-friendly atmosphere and waterfront location added an extra layer of beauty to our stay. The serene river provided the perfect backdrop for relaxation and water-based activities. We enjoyed swimming, tubing, and even fishing. The breathtaking views and tranquil ambiance made us feel truly connected with nature.. The lack of phone service was a blessing in disguise, allowing us to disconnect from technology and truly immerse ourselves in nature. The host was incredibly attentive, regularly checking in on us to ensure we had everything we needed. His dedication and genuine care for the guests made us feel welcome and well taken care of throughout our stay. Highly recommended for a unique camping experience and can't wait to return for our next adventure.
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.
The owners are very nice and helpful. Very clean sites and bathrooms. Quiet and peaceful at night and the other campers were very friendly. There is not one negative thing I can say. Would definitely visit again.
Jake from the Dyrt here! My Friend's Place is a great spot to enjoy a peaceful glamping experience. Check them out and make sure to review your stay on the Dyrt!
We stayed for two nights mid-week in June and had the entire loop to ourselves. That made the experience a 5/5, but after seeing the site layout, it seems like accessibility could be an issue with high occupancy. Check-in went very smoothly and we were greeted by the new owner of only 45 days. She was extremely pleasant. Most of the campground is filled with seasonal RVs which makes for a different experience. Our site was on top of the creek, close to the path down to the water and close to a hiking trail. During our visit we drove around the nearby towns and didn't find much to see or do with our time. I don't know if I would stay here again just for the visit to the campground given the higher cost, but we enjoyed the one time experience. Verizon cell service was decent, and enough to work remotely.
Camping near Downsville, New York, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're pitching a tent or parking your RV, there are plenty of campgrounds to explore.
Camping near Downsville, New York, has something for everyone, from families to solo adventurers. Enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Downsville, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Downsville, NY is Keen Lake Resort Campground with a 4.4-star rating from 29 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Downsville, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 43 glamping camping locations near Downsville, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
