RV camping near Guilderland Center, New York typically runs from May through mid-October, with most campgrounds closing for the winter season. The Hudson River Valley region sits at elevations between 200-400 feet, creating moderate temperature swings between day and night. Sandy soil at many campsites provides good drainage during summer storms but can make tent staking challenging without proper equipment.
What to do
Kayaking and paddleboarding access: Alpine Lake RV Resort features waterfront sites for direct lake access. "Waterfront sites worth the dollars! Bring your boats and SUP boards for lots of fun! Staff is friendly and helpful. Grounds are large and well maintained. Hikers and water enthusiasts will live this place!" writes one visitor.
Birding opportunities: Schodack Island State Park Campground offers excellent wildlife viewing from dedicated blinds. "Best part was hiking out to a couple of different blinds to look for birds. Did see a juv eagle," notes a camper who appreciated the natural setting despite mentioning that "trees and vines on trails obscured almost all possible river views."
Swimming options: Thompson's Lake Campground provides lake swimming with rentals available. "They have a great beach with swimming, kayak and boat rentals, a nature center next door you can walk too and the bathrooms are refurbished! It's absolutely beautiful!" according to a regular summer visitor.
What campers like
Privacy between sites: Many campers appreciate the thoughtful layout at Lake Taghkanic State Park Campground. "They have both platform and dirt tent sites, all sites come equipped with fire pits. The bathrooms and showers are clean and the water stayed hot until the last weekend of the season," reports a fall camper who added that "late night, stargazing over the lake is a great pastime, because the water is calm and the light pollution is low."
Resort-style amenities: Lake George RV Park offers comprehensive facilities beyond basic camping. "This park is amazing! So much to do right in the park with clean sites, friendly staff, awesome amenities and even a trolly to get around this huge park or get down town to Lake George," writes one visitor. Another notes the park "looked more like a hotel resort than campground. Free shows every night at the playhouse kids loved."
Uncrowded campsites: Many state parks in the region provide spacious camping areas. "The state did an excellent job designing sites with dense foliage as sound and site barriers creating good privacy for campers," notes a Schodack Island visitor, while another mentions "the sites are amongst the most spacious I've ever seen."
What you should know
Pet documentation requirements: Most campgrounds require more than just rabies tags. At Schodack Island, "Be sure to bring your dogs rabies records!! They don't let you in with just the tag, it has to be the paper records," warns one camper who noted they're "very strict on rabies requirements."
Water pressure fluctuations: Alpine Lake RV Resort experiences water system challenges during peak usage times. One camper reported having "an issue with water pressure on Saturday around 10am" and called the office to "make sure there was not a known water issue. Front desk knew nothing and said they would send maintenance but we never saw anyone. The situation improved so we think it was just a high demand time of day."
Garbage disposal logistics: Some campgrounds have limited trash facilities. At Alpine Lake, one camper noted "The dumpsters were FAR away from everything so that was also an annoyance. They also have hundreds of sites and only one area with dumpsters, seems like poor planning."
Tips for camping with families
Playground availability: Ledgeview Village RV Park provides good recreational facilities for children. "Has a playground and pool. Kids enjoyed the area," notes one repeat visitor, while another mentions the "friendly staff, pool, playgrounds, large rec room. My son had a great time."
Kid-friendly swimming areas: Thompson's Lake Campground features accessible water recreation for children. "This campground has always been my go to. Now that I have kids, I appreciate the playground area near the beach more. All public areas including the bathrooms are very clean," shares a regular visitor.
Indoor activity options: Several campgrounds offer alternatives during rainy weather. Lake George RV Park has "Arcades and game rooms are great for rainy days. Indoor pool too!" notes one camper, providing options when outdoor activities aren't possible.
Tips from RVers
Site selection considerations: At Arrowhead Marina & RV Park, RV sites have good spacing and amenities. "This was one of our favorite campgrounds of our cross-country trip. Our site was back-in and had plenty of space. There's a lot of green space in this campground and it's right on the river," reports one traveler who appreciated the "little fenced in area for dogs that our dog loved."
Level site challenges: Some campgrounds require additional equipment for leveling. At Lake George RV Park, one visitor advises to "be sure to bring boards to level your trailer for some sites are quite uneven!"
Road navigation concerns: Alpine Lake has challenging interior roads. One camper noted "The roads are narrow and many should be one way, but are not. It would have been impossible many places in the grounds to pass a rig on the road due to the amount of other's vehicles, golf carts, decorations etc... so patience is important when arriving and departing."
