The best TENT SITES camping near
Edwards , NEW YORK

Have stayed here a handful of times. This is a great stop when rolling into the Adirondacks. Tons of cute towns nearby and have always used this as a quick stop before heading further into the mountains. There are outhouses at the sites and one in particular has a great view up on a ledge. Pretty secluded. Also very windy so be prepared. Will be back.

I headed up to Wellesley Island state park for the long Thanksgiving weekend with three teenagers (one girl and two boys). We rented cottage A, which was clean, spacious, warm and fully stocked with everything we needed. The fire pit outside was the only disappointment as it was well below ground level (on a sloping hill) so tending the fire was a difficult process and cooking on it was challenging. The Nature Center was open and lovely and every Saturday (even in off season) they organize hikes. The park itself was incredible - highly recommend the Eel Bay trail, which will take you past the glacial potholes a d along the striking coastline. We also checked out the North end of the park, near the marina and will probably go back in the summer and rent a cabin over there. There’s a store, laundromat and arcade, but all were closed either due to the time or year, or covid. Litter is a problem throughout the park which is really sad. We did our best to clean up what we could, but someone should organize a clean up, especially because lots of it must make it’s way into the St Lawrence :( The staff we met were all really friendly and helpful. The towns surrounding the park are economically struggling and we had to drive quite far to find a grocery store that was open. All restaurants within a 20 minute drive were closed for the season. We’ll definitely be back!

Awesome campground

Beautiful and roomy site at 19. Unfortunately it was too cold and stormy for us to get our boats out on the water but we are looking forward to getting back here for the easy water access! Bathrooms are clean. There’s a beautiful accessible site at this campground and also a nice pavilion if you need to take a break from the weather. We didn’t get to go but they were showing movies the weekend we stayed, which was a fun family touch! Overall, we were very happy with our stay and want to return.

Primitive site on the beautiful south eastern end of Stillwater. A short hike in to a great beach for swimming or paddling.

We’ve stayed here many times in tents and hammock tents. The swimming is fantastic- water is clean and clear.

Because you can’t make a reservation here sometimes there’s competition for a spot. There is a good fire circle with space all around. The trail down to the beach is only about a hundred feet, but it is downhill.

This site is close to the trailhead for the Stillwater firetower, an original Adirondack firetower.

Most of the campsites at Fish Creek Pond are along the waterfront, offering easy access to the pond. Some campers even build temporary docks that they leave behind for subsequent campers. Most of these sites are huge and provide areas that are relatively flat, even if some parts slope toward the pond. Sites in the low 130s tend to be narrower. The sites ring the pond; at night you can see the lights of campers on the opposite bank and listen to the call of the loons. At 10pm, Taps will ring out to mark the beginning of quiet hours. The firepits are deteriorating and do not have grates. Mine was half filled with debris, ash, and the previous campers discarded food.

Bathrooms throughout the campground provide toilets and running water in old CCC constructed buildings that have been renovated somewhat and are clean, but small with a single sink. They also come with a warning not to leave items plugged in because of risk of fire or theft. A newer, large, centrally located bathroom provides showers. 

The day use area and beach were closed for the summer of’20 due to COVID-19 restrictions.

There are two entrances to the campground, but one of them is closed in the evening. Depending on the direction of your arrival, you may need to continue past the first entrance you reach. Signs will direct you even if Google doesn't!

There’s a trading post just over the bridge from the campground where you can buy gas, necessities, order a sandwich, pizza, or barbecue(daily menu posted in back by the deli). In the parking lot out front, there’s an ice cream truck that’s open in the afternoon. If you’re looking for paddling maps, check behind the counter at the trading post or at nearby Hickock Livery.

There's a bike trail in the campground and you'll see lots of kids on bikes. In addition to the numerous paddling opportunities in the area, several of the surrounding towns have created hiking challenges featuring 3-9 easy to moderate peaks in their vicinity. Tupper Lake offers not only a hiking triad, but a paddling triad. The reward for completing each series is a patch. Occasionally a single bar of coverage on Verizon, very spotty and random, so I left my phone on airplane mode most of the time.

On my last morning, I finally spotted through the mist the loons that had entertained me with their calls throughout my stay - 6 of them!

This is a small primitive site. No services, but a very beautiful spot. There’s a small fire ring, and access to the lake for swimming or fishing. 

Sunday lake has always been lovely and quiet and a great place to take youth campers. 

Take Stillwater rd. to McCarty road, the trail is 0.3 miles To Sunday lake. Space to park two cars or a small RV off the road.

We try to make an annual trip here in late September, after the throngs of summer crowds have left. The sites are varied as to size and desirability, not all are level for trailers and rv’s, so do some research ahead of time to find the spot that is perfect for you. We enjoy kayaking, and there is plenty of access for that here. So many of the ponds connect that you could paddle for days and not get bored. We always go for a spot that has easy, shallow access to the lake, some are steeper to maneuver. The bathrooms are well kept, but very basic. There is a central shower house (free) with many stalls so there is rarely a wait. Summer months are very crowded there, reservations always encouraged (and currently required due to COVID). If you enjoy leaf-peeping, I recommend the last week of September when the colors and the mountains are just gorgeous! We were at site #147 which was huge and had easy access to the lake with our kayaks, and had a water spigot between it and the next site. No w/e/s hookups at any of the sites, but there is a three-lane dump station for your convenience if you are in an RV.

Soft Maple is a truly gorgeous small campground. Only about a dozen sites or so, first come first serve. Level sites for RVs or tent or hammock camping. Each site has a nice space with fire ring and picnic table. The beach is lovely and clean. There’s boat access for canoes and kayaks as this is part of the Beaver River route. 

The entire campground is accessible, with gravel pack paths, and level sites.  

Charlie is the caretaker here and everyone says he is the nicest person you’ll meet.  You can’t beat site number 11 for the perfect mix of treelined and water view!

There is space for RVs and a dump station but the sites do not have power or hookups. 

If you come in to the campground from “number 4 road” (aka state rt. 26) it’s exactly five miles from the Left turn on to Soft Maple rd. If you have time, stop halfway- the 2.5 mile mark will bring you to the entrance for Eagle falls, a short hike with a fantastic reveal.

This campgrounds is used by my family and friends for years for a fishing tournament.  I don't often attend but I did this year.  The bathrooms didn't look clean at all.  At best, they look like they are cleaned weekly.  The toilet seats looked like they were stained from lack of proper cleaning.  The showers looked grimy as well.