Cabins and glamping options around Haines Falls provide a mix of mountain forest experiences from 1,800 to 2,400 feet elevation in the eastern Catskills. The area sits within the 700,000-acre Catskill Park with several campgrounds operating primarily from April through October. Winter camping remains limited with few year-round options despite the region's popularity for cold-weather recreation.
What to do
Waterfall hiking trails: Lake Taghkanic State Park Campground connects to multiple hiking routes including access to Bash Bish Falls. "This location was very accesible to the Bish Bash Falls trail and even had a few side trails to explore," notes Christina M., highlighting the mix of beginner-friendly and more challenging trail options.
Swimming in mountain lakes: Copake Falls Area at Taconic State Park offers both a kiddie pool and deeper swimming area. "Very short hike (or drive) to the beautiful Bash Bish falls... 2 lIfeguarded swimming areas — a kiddie pool and a deep area with floating dock to jump off of," explains Erin B., who appreciated the variety of water recreation.
Farm animal encounters: Brookside Campground includes a small farm that camping families can visit. As Michael A. explains, "They have animals the kids can go check out. The pool is nice and they offer fun activists for the kids as well honestly try it out." The farm features goats, cows, chickens, ducks and geese, creating educational opportunities.
Field sports and games: Several campgrounds maintain open recreation areas for group activities. David R. from Brookside notes the "large activities field," while Nickerson Park Campground offers "a common use area with tether ball, playgrounds, privies, or additional parking" according to Sarah S., creating communal spaces between individual sites.
What campers like
Natural water features: The stream access at Thousand Trails Rondout Valley provides peaceful spots for morning relaxation. Robert M. shares, "We had one and a babbling brook was 30 feet behind us. Great spot for morning coffee." These water features create natural sound barriers between campsites.
Diverse accommodation options: Treetopia Campground offers multiple glamping close to Haines Falls, New York including custom treehouses with electric hookups. According to Jeff & Steff's Excellent Adventure, "They have RV sites, yurts, custom furnished treehouses with electricity, beautiful tiny homes with outdoor living spaces, completely remodeled vintage airstreams, and gorgeous private cabins!"
Clean facilities: Campground bathroom quality varies significantly throughout the region. Taconic State Park gets high marks from Lou R. who notes, "awesome place to camp and then hike from the site to a huge waterfall," though warns that during their visit "bathrooms were pretty gross...spiders everywhere." By contrast, Engin C. at Brookside reports "Nice and clean restrooms very friendly staff."
Platform tent sites: Copake Falls Area — Taconic State Park offers raised platforms for tent camping, a significant advantage during wet weather. Christina M. explains, "Each of the sites had a large platform (enough room for one very large tent or 2-3 smaller tents), a fire pit, and picnic table." Amanda S. adds that "the platform sites are great it makes it real easy to set up a tent."
What you should know
Site terrain challenges: Blue Mountain Campground has rocky, uneven tent sites that can be difficult for setup. Yolanda T. reports, "The tent site are very richly and uneven, it was very hard to pitch a tent. When it rains theres a horrible smell across the campground." Evaluate site conditions carefully when booking.
Seasonal campground populations: Several campgrounds in the region host a mix of overnight visitors and seasonal residents. Chelsea B. at Brookside Campground cautions, "Call me picky, but I really prefer not to camp in an area where folks are living full time. Just not the vibe I'm going for."
Weather contingency planning: The mountainous terrain experiences significant weather variations. David S. from Brookside reports, "During the heavy rains water flowed down the roads ways due to the clay based soil and looked like it pooled up in places near the tent areas." Elevated sites or cabins offer more protection.
Off-season limitations: While Blue Mountain Campground lists year-round operation, most facilities in the area close between November and April. Taylor H. notes the advantage of visiting during shoulder season: "We stayed for two nights mid-week in June and had the entire loop to ourselves."
Tips for camping with families
Pool facilities: Jellystone Park Gardiner offers child-friendly water play areas with varying depths. Amanda S. explains, "Nice pool that is shallow so you can relax and let the little ones go in the water park section alone or they have a 3 ft pool also."
Activity scheduling: Weekends typically offer more organized events for children than weekdays. Stephanie H. advises, "It looks like Saturdays have the best activities but we were not there on a Saturday. The Wi-Fi is also bad here. My kids enjoyed themselves a lot, and that is what matters."
Noise considerations: Family-oriented campgrounds often have extended activity periods. Stephanie H. notes, "Kids were at the playground 8 am or before and the noise woke us up. The kids were around until about 10:30 or so each night."
Emergency accommodations: Some campgrounds provide backup shelter during severe weather. Michael A. at Brookside Campground recounts, "We use tents and got a bad storm the owner called and let up bunk in the arcade for the night since she was worried." Check if similar provisions exist when booking.
Tips from RVers
Big rig access: Lake Taghkanic State Park Campground can accommodate larger RVs despite being listed as not big-rig friendly. Spaces vary in size across loops, with Kurt S. advising, "My advice would be to take the sites on the hill, nearest to the bathrooms, as all these sites seemed to be generally very well maintained."
Hookup configurations: The positioning of water and sewer connections requires planning at some sites. David S. from Brookside warns, "the sewer connection in 372 ran uphill for me, but my pipe sits very low," requiring repositioning.
Dump station alternatives: Rondout Valley offers honey wagon service for those not wanting to move their rig. Robert M. explains they have "Dump stations if need and a service to come to your rig to collect waste if you don't want to move it."
Seasonal water quality issues: Water quality varies throughout the season, with some campgrounds showing problems during peak periods. As one Nickerson Park camper warns, "It smelled like raw sewage, loaded with sediment and very discolored. Little to no pressure and a couple times no water at all."
