Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Gouverneur, NY is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Camping, hiking, biking: however you want to spend your days near Gouverneur, you'll find great campgrounds with The Dyrt. At The Dyrt, campers like you share their favorite spots, plus tips and photos. No matter where you're headed in Gouverneur, you'll find the best spot for you and your camping crew.
"Public access boat ramp with limited parking available on both sides. No amenities on-site. I'm getting two bars of Verizon signal with the help of a WeBoost. Beautiful views, peaceful and quiet."
"We hiked into our site, not easy because almost everything is meant to be accessed by boat so we were guessing our course!"
"Our spot had gorgeous waterfront to it, a stone fire circle where someone had left extra fire wood, and ample trees."
"Ours had an extensive pile of dry wood, too. There is a decent privy tucked back in the woods. Bring your own TP though! "
"amazing lake for kayaking and boating.
sites not crowded together."
"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. "
"While there I talked to a state forest maintenance guy. He said there were currently two camping sites and that more might be added.
The campsite was just feet off of Bargy Road."
"There were some firewood set out except it was wet. Overall a good free quiet place to camp."
"Along Co 421, by Horseshoe Lake, there are 10-11 designated campsites. Most have fire pits.
Road is rough but easily doable if you take it slow."
LegendWe spent 3 nights backcountry camping on Catamount Island in Cranberry Lake and absolutely loved it! The sunsets from the island were truly incredible. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Ours had an extensive pile of dry wood, too. There is a decent privy tucked back in the woods. Bring your own TP though! Also, you will either need to bring your own potable water or filter from the lake, so don’t forget your water filter.
In addition to many cool places to kayak from the island, there are a few hiking trails where you can land your boat and hike for a few hours. The Curtis Pond hike was our favorite and there are some incredible beaver dams along the way. While the mosquitoes weren’t bad at the campsite itself or while kayaking, they are terrible on the trails this time of year; so bring your bug spray, or better yet, bug shirts! The millions upon millions of dragonflies help make up for the mosquitoes!
The Village of Cranberry Lake (which is accessible from the lake) has some supplies, but not much except the very basics at the general store. You’ll need to head to Star Lake or Tupper Lake for anything of significance.
Backcountry camping is first come, first served…no reservations necessary or even possible. No permit is needed. The only fee is if you want to park your vehicle in the state park while you are camping on the island, it is $8 per day.
GuideThis was my 3rd trip to Stillwater in 3 yrs and it gets better each time!
Our first trip was an overnight to test some backpacking gear, it was September and the weather was perfect! We hiked into our site, not easy because almost everything is meant to be accessed by boat so we were guessing our course! Cooler weather meant no bugs to contend with
Next year we took a canoe to our site, it was July, warm weather, warm water and the bugs were not terrible, we were at Site 1, secluded in a cove, not a lot of traffic but there is a hiking trailhead near the site so there is potential for visitors.
Our latest trip was to site 10, an island site with a large sandy beachfront, we borrowed a motor boat to get there this year and brought plenty of gear for 4 days. Weather was great again, some rain each day but we had time to get setup and get shelters to keep dry.
Camping if free here but it is first come first serve but with 40+ sites you can almost always get something. There is a small store at the boat launch to get provisions if you need, public restrooms and wifi. Very limited cell service.
You should bring water or something to filter it from the reservoir. I believe all the site have privy boxes on them.
There are opportunities for fishing, a few local attractions, a nice restaurant at the launch.
RangerPulled in on a Thursday afternoon and found a single camp site. While there I talked to a state forest maintenance guy. He said there were currently two camping sites and that more might be added.
The campsite was just feet off of Bargy Road. The only amenity was a fire ring made of rocks. The campsite appears to be the trailhead for a man-made trail.
It rained while we were here but overall the campsite was quiet and peaceful.
GuidePublic access boat ramp with limited parking available on both sides. No amenities on-site. I'm getting two bars of Verizon signal with the help of a WeBoost. Beautiful views, peaceful and quiet.
RangerPrimitive 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.
RangerThis 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.
TravelerThe primitive campsite was a little difficult to find there’s a tiny black and yellow placard that shows you where you can camp. There were some firewood set out except it was wet. Overall a good free quiet place to camp.
RangerEven in cold rainy weather we had a phenomenal time at Stillwater. Our spot had gorgeous waterfront to it, a stone fire circle where someone had left extra fire wood, and ample trees. The season had had unusually low water all over and it left a really unusual landscape on the beach to explore. We can’t wait to come back!
Scouta 20 mile ride of just woods on a bumpy road. Pretty cool! Surprisingly the place wasn't that populated as I expected it to be. I went to a accessible campsite near the dam so I can pull stuff i needed from my car. The restaurant in the town had great food, the staff were nice, and had two cute dogs!
Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Gouverneur, New York, where nature enthusiasts can find serene spots to unwind and connect with the great outdoors. With a variety of locations offering unique experiences, there's something for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dispersed campsite near Gouverneur, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dispersed campground near Gouverneur, NY is Payne Lake Dispersed Site with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
What is the best site to find dispersed camping near Gouverneur, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 dispersed camping locations near Gouverneur, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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