2 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Bear Spring Mountain campground accommodates pets across drive-in sites with tent and RV options, offering clean, private spaces along with showers and toilets. This state-run facility near Downsville permits leashed pets throughout the campground areas. Facilities include electric hookups, water sources, fire rings, and picnic tables at each site. Peaceful Valley Campsite and Russell Brook Campsites also welcome pets, with both offering cabin accommodations for travelers wanting a more sheltered experience with their animals. The riverside spots at these locations provide pleasant backgrounds for camping with dogs. Campers note the camping areas are generally well-maintained and quiet, especially during weekdays.
Trails around Bear Spring Mountain provide ample opportunities for walking dogs, with numerous hiking routes through wooded terrain. The campground's proximity to Launt Pond creates water access where pets can cool off during summer months. Campers should be aware of wildlife in the Catskill region and keep pets secured, particularly at dawn and dusk when wildlife is most active. Beaverkill Campground offers another pet-friendly alternative with river access, though sites lack privacy with neighbors sometimes just six feet away. The area provides excellent trout fishing opportunities for campers, with the Beaverkill River being a primary attraction for anglers camping with their dogs. Most campgrounds in the region maintain standard pet policies requiring proof of vaccinations, leashes no longer than six feet, and proper waste disposal.
"Pros: Near wonderful, little-used hiking trails - challenging ones, too!
- Close to Catskill town options to explore, e.g."
"You can see a picture here of the water just a 10 foot trail away from our campsite. All in all a great trip."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $22 / night
"Went here with some friends who had never been outside NYC before. They were absolutely blown away. For me, it was a nice site but not exceptional. Bring or rent a kayak!"
"I drove to NYC for a business trip and ended up driving 1 and a half hour to reach this place. I always carry a tent in the back of my trunk and decided to go camping."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $18 - $40 / night
"We were right next to a small brook, and falling asleep to the sound of the water behind our tent was amazing. Everyone we met was super friendly. We will definitely be back!"
"As close to nature as possible with modern conveniences still nearby. Terri and her gang do a great job of running her Dad's adventure."
"Great location with full hook-ups. Nice riverside spots. Quiet during the week. Nice place to stay"
"Great location with nice riverside spots. Weekdays are quiet, weekends not so much. Full hook-ups. Owners are friendly and great. Reccomended, especially during the week."
"This campground was so pleasant, very clean and quiet, I loved how close the river was to our campground, only a few steps away."
"Bathrooms were very cleaned and everybody respected COVID-related social distancing. Would come again!"
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $20 - $40 / night
"Great access to the beaverkill. It’s perfect for a quick getaway."
"There are two campsites located right outside of the park where you can park your car next to your tent but we opted to hike in."
"There are several beautiful, secluded hike-in sites along the lake which I would love to return to someday. The hike around the lake is a lovely, easy walk."
"great river based location(Delaware River) bathhouse was very clean, very rustic, sites are huge, plenty of room for 2+ family campers… I know this controversial, but having Wi-Fi would be great esp when"
"It is great family camp ground with amenities that are helpful to parents and new campers such as restrooms, showers, camp shop, canoe/kayak/tube rentals and designated drive in sites with fire ring and"
from $20 - $160 / night
"Great little lake for swimming & fishing. Weather was miserable so proximity to Cooperstown was a plus. No cell service or wifi which didnt bother me but could some."
"Love the layout, with camp sites having mowed paths to the restrooms and showers in the middle of each loop. Nicest showers and rest rooms we have seen so far."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $17 - $150 / night
"They offer 4 private tent sites and 50 acres of scenic hiking trails. Campsites are spaced out, feel private, and offer all of the amenities (grill, chairs, picnic table)."
from $65 / night
TravelerFree site ran by Peekemoose forest. There are supposed to be 12 along throughout the valley, this is the only one we were able to locate. Was able to access easily with a minivan and has a nice flat area. Can see the highway from the site.
ScoutOctober leaves starting to fall makes for a very quiet, peaceful midweek evening in one of the two dispersed car camping sites. Exactly what I was hoping for - private and empty and lovely. Easy to find - two dispersed car sites are to the left at the fork in the road before the trailhead.
ScoutI stayed here in March 2026 for a night before going snowboarding at Belleayre Mountain. It was in the middle of a snowstorm on a Tuesday night, so I had the whole place to myself, which was nice.
Travelerbeautiful quiet space, great home base for the Catskills and small towns around here. note there's only a few spots. road conditions were fine.
ScoutThis clothing-optional campground has a highly toxic, intrusive, and vindictive environment. During my stay, the seasonal permanent residents('perms') subjected me to intense harassment, inappropriate sexual advances, and severe social retaliation/rumor-spreading when those advances were rejected. The situation escalated to the point where an employee had to intervene for my safety. Furthermore, despite management allowing my photo to be taken in costume at a party, I was intentionally blocked from the community group where the photos were posted, leaving me unable to monitor how my image was being used. Avoid this place if you value your privacy, personal boundaries, and safety.
RangerI'll start by saying this is a site-specific review (C20). I booked using Campspot and didn't select my own site but put in the criteria for my rig (30ft TT plus truck) and got a 50A back-in spot. The site was big but abnormal. Between the picnic table placement and the trees, I ended up right around 50ft from the electric and water, and the water spigot was so low I could barely put on my camco filter. With the uneven dirt roads, I had to unhitch with my truck in a gigantic puddle (lol). The site was otherwise fine aside from my gate code not working on Day 2. As for the campground as a whole, I thought it was pretty unique place by the river that offered several good amenities and activities, like downstream river tubing, an arcade, bathroom/shower facilities, a small store, little trails, and more. I would say this place borders the more primitive side.
GuideWe went the 2nd week of October and seems like we had just missed the foliage peak but it was still beautiful.
Everyone minded their business and most sites were 2-4 people, showers were clean and warm but the kind where you gotta push the button every 30 seconds. Toilets were clean and running smoothly (we were in the southernmost loop, closest to the camp office)
No cellphone reception but we could get satellite signal to text our loved ones that we were alive and well!
We loved the hiking and especially kayaking on the pond
GuideWe were in campsite 20 with lots of room. The first night we were there we were near very loud groups which was difficult to sleep through. The next night everyone cleared out and we had a peaceful crowd. Bathrooms are nice, the park has great hiking trails and a nice day use area! There is also an area where we can rent canoes. I would definitely return, just wish there was a little more crowd control.
ScoutWe really loved this spot- it was relaxing to listen to the sounds of the creek and not having any camping neighbors. The night sky was filled with stars and we even saw a rocket. I also appreciated having an outhouse on site- i would say the only downside was having to take our bag of poop+pee out with us when we left (site rules). The only other thing that was bothersome was being told that wood is provided at the site and then not realizing until after we got there that we would have to Venmo the owner $10 per bundle (I don’t mind paying, just wouldn’t been nice to know ahead of time that it wasn’t included in the price). I recommend this site for anyone who enjoys privacy and doesn’t mind a detox from WiFi.
The Catskill Mountain region around Downsville, New York sits at elevations between 1,200-2,000 feet, creating cool summer nights even when days reach the 80s. Located at the confluence of the East and West Branch Delaware River, this area experiences approximately 45 inches of annual rainfall, creating excellent fishing conditions. Campgrounds near Downsville typically remain open from mid-May through early September.
Fishing opportunities: Little Pond Campground provides access to stocked fishing waters. "The pond has fish and plenty of hiking trails. There is a nice beach area to go swimming and the campsites are well maintained," notes Greg C.
Hiking trails: Access multiple trail networks at Alder Lake where you can connect to longer routes. "The hike around the lake is a lovely, easy walk. The hike trail that connects to the far end of the lake is 6+ miles and while there were no real views, it was lovely. We also hiked the balsam lake fire tower which had nice views of the area," reports Erik C.
Paddling options: Rent boats at several campgrounds during summer months. "We got a kayak for the day and it was a great rate. Saw beavers and eagles," shares Lauren S. about Little Pond Campground. Rentals typically cost $15-25 per hour depending on boat type.
Riverside locations: Roscoe Campsites offers direct water access. "Right on the Beaverkill River, it's quiet, clean, gorgeous, brand new cabins and concrete pads. Fisherman's heaven," writes Richard V.
Private walk-in sites: Select campgrounds offer more secluded options away from the main camping areas. "We had a walk in site and it was fantastic! Right on the water and pretty private. Each walk in site has its own bear box and outhouse," describes Lauren S. about Little Pond Campground.
Cleanliness: Hunter Lake Campgrounds maintains well-kept facilities. "Been camping here for years. It's a quiet well kept campground right on a lake. Great family friendly campground and the owners are the best," states Jesse S.
Reservation systems: Some campgrounds require old-fashioned booking methods. At Hunter Lake Campgrounds, "The only way to make a reservation is by calling them (and then apparently you have to mail them a check or money order to reserve your spot!?!)," explains Justin H.
Cell service limitations: Prepare for limited connectivity in many areas. At Beaverkill Campground, service is minimal. Little Pond Campground has "a pay phone near the entrance booth where you can use to make/receive phone calls. It's a 20 min drive back into town to get cell service," notes Giselle P.
Site spacing concerns: Campsite proximity varies widely between campgrounds. "The site we had was right on the river, so it was pretty and the sound of the water was pleasant. However, the sound of the neighbors literally 6 ft from you wasn't," reports Guy M. about Beaverkill Campground.
Playground access: Russell Brook Campsites provides family-friendly amenities. "Our site was massive (39) and had direct access to Russell Brook. Couldn't keep my son out of the water. Very peaceful," shares Mike C.
Day-use impacts: Consider how non-overnight visitors affect facilities. "What could be a great campground only gets three stars due to the amount of day use people and condition they left the main bathroom and showers," explains Michael G. about Little Pond Campground.
Water recreation: Several campgrounds offer swimming areas suitable for children. "There is an area for day use where you can rent a paddle boat or kayak to go out on the water," mentions J G. about Bear Spring Mountain.
Hookup availability: Soaring Eagle Campground offers various site options. "Sites are huge, plenty of room for 2+ family campers," reports Hans M., who also notes this riverside location maintains a more rustic feel than typical RV parks.
Access considerations: Some roads leading to pet friendly camping near Downsville have limited accessibility. At Alder Lake, "The place is pretty easy to access with paved road the whole way there except for the last 1/2 mile where it is very bumpy. Some might say 4*4 but we made it just fine in our little Camry," shares Nora S.
Tent vs. RV site design: RVers should note that not all campgrounds cater equally to different camping styles. At Roscoe Campsites, "We are camp newbies and I guess we didn't do enough research because this place was a RVs and Cabin mecca. Our goal was to find a tent based camp site and then were eventually surrounded by RVs every where," explains Ryan B.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Downsville, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Downsville, NY is Little Pond Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 22 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 140 dog-friendly camping locations near Downsville, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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