Best Tent Camping near Grand Island, NY

Once again, the Branches of Niagara comes through stunningly. Even in the midst of the lockdowns and augmented restrictions, TBON went above and beyond to be sure we had the safest and most enjoyable time we could during our stay.

Bathrooms, as usual, were pristine, with regular visits from the staff to disinfect and make sure campers were satisfied. This is a campground of several lakeside cabins and mostly RVs, so they were also seldom in use, making them even more accommodating for us during this time of distancing. They notified us in advance that they were still open and what was functional under the strict and ever changing NY requirements. Note: as of Summer 2020, masks were required to enter the store and check in areas, but not required elsewhere. Kids activities were augmented to allow for distancing and remain completely outdoors.

We got site 10, which was excellent both for proximity to everything, hookups, privacy, space and views. This particular site had ample, mowed and cleared room behind the spacious site as well where you can set up your hammocks and relax in the wooded shade. Directly in front of the site is a clearing which allows a view to the pool and pond-side of the campground. It was quiet and clean.

Stef is always friendly, and the camp store rents a number of items to add to the fun - paddle boats, kayaks, 4 seater bike surreys, peddle carts, and other fun things. Zip lines were both still open. Activities were updated to reflect safety during C-19.

Beautiful, peaceful, spacious campground with so many hidden gems. The lake is pretty and the campground’s access from the Grand Island side of Buffalo to Niagara Falls is very convenient, yet away from the loud commotion and traffic. We highly recommend!

We stayed here three nights to ride out a heat wave and really liked it. Sites are electric only, with a dump station available at the entrance and one in the campground loop. There are potable water spigots throughout the campground, where you awkwardly pull over to the side of the road and fill your tank. Sites are pretty much wide open, with zero separation between you and your neighbor. Most are out in direct sun but the ones along the edge have some tree cover and shade. 

There are yurts here as well, and a playground, and a huge disc golf course. You can walk to the beach from the campground (dogs aren’t allowed on the beach). The nature center is right in the campground, by the basketball and tennis courts. 

Showers were dirty and buggy, but they’re free and you can actually choose your own water temperature. NY State campgrounds require proof of rabies vaccinations for your dogs.

 Good cell reception for Verizon, ATT wasn’t great but the cell booster helped. Trash bins, but no recycling. Beautiful sunset on the lake.

 We stayed here three nights to ride out a heat wave and really liked it. Sites are electric only, with a dump station available at the entrance and one in the campground loop. There are potable water spigots throughout the campground, where you awkwardly pull over to the side of the road and fill your tank. 

Sites are pretty much wide open, with zero separation between you and your neighbor. Most are out in direct sun but the ones along the edge have some tree cover and shade. 

There are yurts here as well, and a playground, and a huge disc golf course. You can walk to the beach from the campground (dogs aren’t allowed on the beach). The nature center is right in the campground, by the basketball and tennis courts. Showers were dirty and buggy, but they’re free and you can actually choose your own water temperature. 

NY State campgrounds require proof of rabies vaccinations for your dogs. Good cell reception for Verizon, ATT wasn’t great but the cell booster helped. Trash bins, but no recycling. Beautiful sunset on the lake.

It's not all bad! It took a while to find our site in the dark as site markers are small. The sites are decent size, the bathrooms are clean but spiders will hang out. Showers are hot. Sites are available with electric and there is an RV dump station if you have one. There are a lot of RVs at this campground, a large playground, and a field with soccer goals (no net). Niagara Falls is 15 or so miles away, and Buffalo NY is a short drive. The bathroom building has an outdoor sink with heated water, and this is also where the trash bins are.  Firewood is available in front of many nearby homes (a couple of miles, max,and $4-5 a bundle). The fire pits are either low or leaning, so we found a camp stove to be essential. It can get quite windy, we saw a tent buckle and our stakes were pulled up from the wind. It can get loud at night and it doesn't seem as if quiet hours are enforced. I'd stay again but only if a more private campground was unavailable.

We camped at Golden Hill over the weekend of July 24-26, 2020. Due to COVID, advance reservations are required to book a spot at any NY state campground. We had site 47 in loop C, which was across the road from the lake view sites. I recommend sites 40-45 for lake-front views. Loops A and B were more crowded and more suitable to RV trailers and rigs (we were camping in a pop-up camper). Site 47 was large and had a few trees. The campfire ring was right against the pad, which made it difficult to position our pop-up so that it was away from the fire ring. 

Things to consider: There are 2 bathrooms in the campground, one near the A-B loops and one near the entrance. It was quite a hike in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom from our site. Some sites in the A-B loops are right next to each other, and we preferred the space for the sites in the C loop. 

Wonderful things: The views are spectacular, particularly at sunset. The campground was quiet at night. The Niagara Wine trail is close to this campground, and Niagara Falls is about a 50 minute drive away. We hiked Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks on this camping trip. The showers in the bathrooms were phenomenal - very clean with hot water and a private dressing area next to the shower. Showers were ADA compliant and had shower seats.

We stayed in site A42 for 10 nights in mid May and it was a great experience. We are full-time, have a 40' Class A motorhome, flat tow a Jeep, have 2 kids, and have 2 dogs. The site itself was wonderful. It was a large pull thru, nice & level and had plenty of comfortable space between it and the neighboring sites. It had a nice concrete patio, beautiful built-in fire ring, and and great solid patio furniture. We didn't even have to bring out any of our outdoor rugs or furniture. 

As for the location, it was ideal! It took maybe 15-20 minutes to get to the falls. There were great eating options in Niagara (15 minutes out) and even right outside of the campground at Adrian's Custard & Beef. There is a grocery on Grand Island as well that takes 5 minutes to get to. Wal-Mart and all other stores you could need are within 15-20 minutes. 

The kids loved it too! There is a nice playground, fishing, bikes to rent, a jump pad, basketball goal, arcade, and a pool for summer. There is also a place next door for go karts, arcade, and mini golf. 

We explored the area quite a bit and this is by far the best campground on the US side to see the falls. Would definitely recommend.