Best Glamping near Great Bend, NY

Unfortunately when we arrived at southwick the rangers & staff had all gone home so we were unable to get a map or check in. We went to our camp site & there were people playing very loud music until about 12am, no rangers around the say anything about quiet hours so I had to. Sites are on top of eachother & there’s no boarders inbetween, fine for some people but not for me. After it rained one night our site & others around us were completely flooded. The beach area & bathhouses we’re nice though so that helped the stay not be a complete wash

We've visited this campground 6 times since we found it 4 years ago, and keep coming back for more. Easy access, great staff, well kept facilities and a beautiful setting. What more can you ask for?

The sites themselves are a good size. They aren't huge, but you'll have enough room to get creative with your parking. Plenty of trees to hang your hammocks on. All sites have a picnic table and fire pit, and for the most part are fairly level. Not all sites have full hookups, some are just power, some are only grey water, and some are full. There are a lot of full timers here, so the grounds can look fuller than they really are as most often the majority of the full time sites are not occupied. But on big weekends, when everyone shows up, its still not too crowded.

The facilities are modern and well kept. The only issue I had was the shower heads are at about 5'2" above the floor. I'm 6' tall. So that kinda sucked. But the pressure and temp were great, so its still a win. Plus, camping isn't really about taking showers anyways, right? Other than that the bath houses are well maintained and stocked. And they are never more than a quick walk from your camper.

Did I mention there is a pool? There is. And its HEATED. Which is nice, as we often get up there early or late in the season, and a heated pool is a necessity. There's also a good sized playground, an arcade, and lots of games for kids (and adults) to play like basketball, shuffle board, corn hole or horse shoes.

They have a great little shop there too, with just about everything you'd need to make a great weekend. And the staff is fantastic as well. The river is a little weird to get to, but totally worth it for kayaking, sailing or whatever kind of boating you want to do.

So that's a lotta Pro's. I should list some Cons too, to keep it fair.

• The sites are kinda close, so you don't get a ton of privacy, and you can really hear what's going on next door.
• The roadways can get a little tight between the trees, and can make for some interesting backing in.
• Also, the roadways are mostly one-way, which can make getting creative with your trailer landing position tough.
• They offer free wifi.
• Not all sites have full hookups
• Personally I'm not a fan of such an abundance of full-time units. But at least they're well kept (for the most part) and it is a few degrees shy of looking like a trailer park. You know what I mean.

Check them out, and they'll become one of your favorites too!

Quickly becoming one of our favorite campgrounds! So much to do here for the little ones, and so much beauty to soak in for us older ones! The staff here is excellent, and are always willing to do what they can to make sure you're having a great stay. The setting is absolutely gorgeous. Well treed, nicely sized spaces and fairly easy access for large rigs. Bathrooms are well spaced and plentiful, and well maintained. The showers are actual showers, and are taller than I am (which is nice!). So many activities for the kids, a great pool, mini-golf, parades, just non stop action to keep them going and tire them out! Highly recommended! Well worth the short drive up from Syracuse, or a longer drive from elsewhere!

Overall, our trip to this campground on an island was awesome! The sunsets were spectacular and our site was literally just steps from Lake Ontario. All sites are full hook up. Wifi is available and fairly good. Trash is picked up from your site between 8-10am each day. Staff was VERY nice and helpful. Most sites are spacious enough though you can see your neighbor. Fire pits are behind the camper pad so you can see others at their fire pits but most were spread out and I didn't hear the neighbors conversations. Being right on the lake and on the west facing side allowed for the prevailing winds to be felt. One night we couldn't sit outside due to the high winds. The Midge gnats were horrible for about a day and a half. They were around all week and I understand this was the time of year for them but the one day, you could not walk outside without being swarmed. In fact, I took pics of the swarm up above the trees. I've never seen anything like it before! We went out to eat the night they were so bad you couldn't cook, eat, or sit outside. There is a store with limited supplies, a "cafe" that served food but hours were not regular, a nice pool though too chilly in mid June to use. You can rent a golf cart which isn't really needed but fun. The opposite side of the island near the marina (not a full service marina just docks for your boat if you bring one)  and sunrise view had more spacious sites and you could access the lake easier. I don't think swimming is allowed though in the lake. The interior sites not on the water were okay, but a bit close in areas. The campground was not full most of the week we were there but began filling up by the weekend. There is a winery that does tastings on Friday afternoon and evenings which was fun. The closest towns are Watertown to the east which has any store you could need (Walmart, Lowes, etc.),  Henderson Harbor (not much there), Sagett's Harbor (cute but small with a couple cool restaurants though skip the brewery as they had no local beer and the food was just okay), Cape Vincent (cool lighthouse and small downtown), and Clayton which is about a 50 min. drive. We loved Clayton. Eat at Bellas on the St. Lawrence River! There is fishing at the island and a lot was being caught but most of it was small fish. Our friends went Go Karting somewhere close by. There are a few state parks that had great hiking trails and scenery. We had a lot of down time just relaxing while taking in the beautiful view. I'd happily go again!

There is TONS of beach to explore at this little State Park in New York. I used to visit here as a kid years ago because my grandparents owned a cottage on the lake. Since they sold it, visiting Southwick is the next best thing. Lake Ontario is an amazing lake to be on and the water is pretty warm in the summer time. the waves don't get too big, so it is very safe for kids. Southwick itself has great camping spots right next to the beach. It is a little pricey if you only want to visit for the day, $8, but you can get a tent spot for $18 which is comparable to other state parks. Showers are available, and there are some short trails that are good for running or probably cross country skiing in the winter. There is also a sizable playground near the beach that is great for the kids.