Best Tent Camping near Hancock, NY

Tent campgrounds surrounding Hancock, New York provide backcountry experiences in both New York and Pennsylvania state forests. Several established tent sites are available near Alder Lake, approximately 30 miles northeast of Hancock, while Beals Pond State Forest offers free dispersed camping options with walk-in access. The nearby Hankins area provides additional tent-only camping locations for visitors seeking a more primitive experience.

Most primitive tent campsites in the region lack amenities such as running water, electricity, and trash collection. Sites are typically set on natural forest terrain with minimal improvements beyond basic fire rings. At Beals Pond State Forest, tent campers should prepare for self-sufficient backcountry camping, as a review noted, "This state forest is beautiful but not easily accessible in the winter. After a certain point, the road is not maintained in the winter and I was unable to get cell reception with Verizon." Walk-in tent sites often require campers to carry all equipment a short distance from parking areas, though some locations like Oh! Pear Orchards provide carts to assist with gear transport.

The tent camping experience near Hancock offers varied terrain from streamside locations to forest settings. Areas farther from main roads provide deeper solitude for backcountry tent campers, though even accessible sites maintain a wilderness feel. Oh! Pear Orchards features walk-in tent sites positioned along a creek, creating peaceful settings for tent campers. According to one visitor, "Campsites next to a beautiful stream, the best fire pits, quiet and peaceful, just enough shade to stay cool." At Alder Lake, tent campers will find "very spacious with lots of room between you and other campers," though the popularity of the lake means weekend crowds are common during summer months. Primitive tent sites throughout the region typically follow a 14-day stay limit and require visitors to practice Leave No Trace principles.

Best Tent Sites Near Hancock, New York (37)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Hancock, NY

459 Reviews of 37 Hancock Campgrounds


  • Janet R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 29, 2024

    Salt Springs State Park Campground

    Unique park with unique natural features

    This park is technically a “state park” because the land for it was donated to the state for public use. However, once the state became the official stewards, there werent funds in the state budget to maintain it as a park. A lical group, the Friends of Salt Springs, stepped up and offered to maintain the park with funds raised by their group. The result is a small but unique property open to the public for day use (picnicking and hiking and fishing) along with 2 small rustic campgrounds. One campground has a large open mowed grassy meadow with level sites for car camping or small campers, no hookups are available but each site has a fire ring and picnic table. On the other side of the parks trout stream are seven secluded primitive hike-in tent sites along with three basic camper cabins. The Friends of Salt Springs makes a good effort to maintain these two rustic campgrounds, however it seems there isnt a ranger on site at night so a camper said the meadow campground can get a little noisy some nights. The hike in sites are relatively quiet and secluded though, and are positioned nicely along the stream, one site actually adjacent to a good swimming hole.

    The camper cabins are basic with bunks, bring all your own gear. They are fairly new and have electricity but no water or heat.

    On the grounds in the day use area are picnic spits, a pavilion, and an activity barn. When I was there, the barn was featuring a local quilt show.

    The special aspect of this park are the hiking trails through old growth hemlock forest, said to be the largest hemlocks in Pennsylvania. The trout stream also cascades through some some waterfalls, and there are gorges with unique geology.

    There is a village nearby with limited supplies, you may want to stock up on groceries before heading out to this somewhat remote park. There is, however, a local brewery, plus an odd coffee shop featuring both donuts and ammo, an unusual combination…..

  • Janet R.The Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 6, 2017

    Ludlow Creek Lean-To Campsite

    Ludlow Creek Lean-to

    This is a beautiful primitive hike-in campsite alongside the Ludlow Creek section of the Finger Lakes Trail in Chenango County, New York. It is located in a beautiful, unspoiled and seldom visited region of state forest, providing a wilderness type experience fairly close to several nearby villages, and only a half hour drive from the town of Norwich and less than an hour from the city of Binghamton.. The campsite is perfect for groups or individuals willing to hike in a short distance to this secluded spot. There is a large relatively new Adirondack-style lean-to in great condition, perched on an heavily wooded overlook above Ludlow Creek. The hike in from the trailhead to the north is relatively short, and recommended for easy overnight access. The hike is longer coming in from the south. The campsite is maintained by local volunteer members of the Bull Thistle Hiking Club, http://www.bullthistlehiking.org/p/about-us.html, which is a member chapter of the Finger Lakes Trail Conference http://www.fingerlakestrail.org/ If camping here, be sure to pack in water and plan to pack out garbage and leave no trace. Detailed maps of this trail section can be found in the Finger Lakes Trail East Passport Guide, see map E07, p. 21 at http://www.fltconference.org/trail/files/3814/0154/4940/Passport_East_View.pdf, or visit the interactive trail map at https://fltconference.org/trails/P/TrailConditionMaps/Interactive/Seg_Cat.html?Vifw#"

  • Angel A.
    Aug. 20, 2018

    Lower Lake Campground Northwoods Area — Promised Land State Park

    Northwoods Campground

    Big sites with 30 amp service available for RVs and trailers. Each site has a large picnic table and a fire ring with an adjustable grate. The pull-through sites don’t offer much in the way of privacy, but that’s the trade off for convenience. There are two potable water spigots in the campground. The bathhouse offers warm showers, 2 dishwashing sinks, and a coin-operated washer and dryer. The facilities are kept very clean. On the weekends it can get pretty crowded, so it tends to be louder at night then, but the camp hosts and the rangers do a good job of enforcing quiet hours. Access points to several trails are very near the campground. As with all PA state parks, alcohol is prohibited. The park doesn’t have a camp store, however, there is a small general store on Route 390 (The Lake Store) just north of the park that would have any essentials you may have forgotten, as well as ice for your cooler.

  • Oleńka S.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 16, 2023

    Bowman Lake State Park Campground

    Woodsy, pet friendly, and private

    We booked this as our first real camping trip with our new trailer, can’t recommend that for everyone lol, but we had a lovely time.

    We had a back in site with a fire pit, picnic table, and no hook ups. It was gravel and not super level, but we made it work. There was a potable water spigot a few sites over and a bathroom with showers a short walk away.

    This is a great spot for tent camping, so if that’s your vibe this place is perfect. We had a lot of tree cover so we didn’t even need our air conditioning on during an 85 degree day. There are a lot of mosquitoes, but with some bug spray and a couple thermacell mosquito repellents, we were comfortable the whole time. I loved cooking over the fire, the pit had a cinder block wall around it to set a grate on and block the wind. We had a lot of privacy because the campgrounds next to us were empty, but even if there were people nearby there was about 20-30 ft between our site and the next.

    The lake is small but calm and great for kayaking. There is a little “beach” there for swimming, but know that it’s a soft lake bottom further out.

    We really liked it here and booked another visit in August.

  • Alaina Z.
    Oct. 13, 2020

    Pickerel Point Campground — Promised Land State Park

    Beautiful facilities, rocky sites

    Pros: -beautiful new bathrooms -private lakeside walk-in sites -beavers! Far away but exciting nonetheless -the Conservation Walk on the island is short, easy, and beautiful. Well-marked.

    Cons: -chunky bluestone gravel on the sites, so bring a sleeping pad! -has a beach but it's not much to look at -sites have nice sizable fire pits, but they are very tall. It's difficult to cook over them, and sitting around the campfire in the evening is a much less visually appealing experience than I'd like

    We stayed in site 157. Accessible via a path from the designated parking space to the site about 2 minute walk. Lakeside, but visibility not great due to vegetation. All sites have little trails down to the water.

    Site 174 by the road and less private, but prettily overhung by evergreens.

    The cabins look very nice inside.

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 16, 2024

    Long Pond Campground

    Great for Dispersed Camping!

    I was initially worried about the other people camping here because I was almost immediately visited by them but the poor kids just needed to charge their phone so I obliged. Aside from that this was a short drive in and I was able to score a spot right on the pond next to a dock. People have driven in to fish and kayak so I don’t feel isolated and afraid, and I am just a few steps away from sitting on the dock and admiring the scenery.

    There is a port-a-potty near the entrance but otherwise a “leave no trace” situation which is fine considering the ample forest coverage in case there is someone who drives in.

    Each spot seems to have plenty of shade and access to downed firewood, and it looks like there are fire pits at each site. Lots of good tinder left over from previous guests which has been helpful.

    Beautiful views, quiet, no insect issues so far, and if I had a rod and reel I wouldn’t need to worry for food at all. T-Mobile service has been exceptional as well. I am planning on staying here for a week or more and I see no reason to find another location as there is no fee or permit needed and you can stay up to 14 days I believe.

  • W L.
    Feb. 9, 2022

    Little Pond Campground

    A Park with Tent Camping Options, Great Hiking Trails

    Had a great summer camping weekend at Little Pond.

    Pros:

    - Near wonderful, little-used hiking trails - challenging ones, too!

    - Close to Catskill town options to explore, e.g. Livingston Manor

    - picnic table and room to park at your site

    - there is a dump station and recycling center.

    - Clean bathrooms and shower facilities

    - Nice tent sites with well-maintained fire pits (have rack for grilling over coals, very large fire pits, sturdy)

    - payphone near entrance/park ranger's office

    - firewood for sale at ranger's office

    -wildlife: hummingbirds on the path around Little Pond, frogs, deer, birds

    - foraging: plaintain, raspberries near camp, blueberries and huckleberries on hike

    - views on hike

    - ruins on hike

    Cons

    - no cell service, however, if you hike to a mountain top can have fun joking with those you call about that's what it took to be able to get a signal and be in touch with them :-)

    - weekend around the lake is more like a park with day-trippers, as opposed to serene wilderness/lakeside camping. 

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    There was a high school group (on Satuday?) there that made it feel more like a family/public place than a wilderness getaway. The hiking, however, more than made up for it. The trail we took to get to the top and, at last, have cell phone service and AWESOME views more than made up for that.

    The Park Rangers were helpful and unobtrusive. They drove their carts around periodically but not like they were hovering in any one spot or making trouble for anyone. 

    We like visiting the nearby towns and breweries. It was a wondrful weekend. They have some tent sites right on the lake for hike-ins. If you drive, you have to carry all your stuff for awhile before you get to yourcamp site. However, these are right on the lake in supreme spots, even with "old school" outhouses a stone's throw away.

    I recommend Little Pond for a weekend. If you stay longer, be sure to check  out the surrounding area. We stayed at campsite 2, which was ok, but not on the lake. Go for a site on the lake, even if you have to carry your stuff to set up, it was breathtaking in the morning to see the mist rising off the lake.

    From the park: 

    Campground Phone:(845) 439-5480 Regional Office Phone:(607) 652-2032 Make Your Camping Reservation: ReserveAmerica

    Little Pond is a quiet picturesque campground located in the Catskill Forest Preserve which offers a leisurely hiking trail around a 13-acre pond, and the opportunity to venture along trails leading to the ruins of an old farm or enjoy breathtaking views atop the Touchmenot Mountains.

    The campgrounds, beach, boat rental, and Junior Naturalist Program offers fun for all ages; and for the primitive camper, we offer remote sites on the back side of the pond. Little Pond is located minutes from Beaverkill, a world renowned fly fishing stream. Amenities = 67 tent and trailer sites; 8"remote" tent sites; picnic area with tables, grills, or fireplaces; pavilion rental; playground; volleyball; horseshoes; soccer; basketball; ice sales; firewood sales; flush toilets; hot showers; trailer dump station; recycling center; sand beach; boat launch; rowboat, paddle boat, kayak and canoe rentals.

    The campground offers accessible campsites with a mile long trail around the pond. A newly constructed ADA fishing platform is at the end of the trail near the day use area. There is also a new ADA path to the beach. Full listing of DEC's Accessible Recreation Destinations. Campsite Restoration Project This campground has sites that have been selected for restoration. While undergoing restoration the chosen sites will be closed. For the list of sites and more information on the project visit the Campsite Restoration Project page. People using the accessible trail at Little Pond Featured Activities boating Boating No motor boats allowed. Rowboats and canoes allowed. Rowboat, paddle boat, kayak and canoe rentals available. fishing Fishing A variety of pan fish.

    The Beaverkill, renowned fly fishing stream, is with minutes from the campground. The Pepacton Reservoir is also close by. A special permit is needed to fish in this reservoir and can be obtained from the city of New York Board of Water Supply. Record sized brown trout and smallmouth bass have been caught in the reservoir. Fishing licenses are no longer being sold at any of our campground facilities, but can be conveniently purchased on-line or by phone.

    Hiking Trailheads for both the campground trail and Little Pond trail are located within the campground. These trails connect the campground to the 33 miles of foot trails located on the 27,000+ acre Delaware Wild Forest, which boarders the campground to the north. swimming

    Wildlife to Watch: White-tailed deer Wild turkeys Bald eagles Bears Coyotes Foxes

    Historic Interest: The campground was constructed between 1965 and 1968. It opened for camping in 1968 with 67 sites; the picnic area and the beach in 1968. The 8 remote sites were added at a later date. The shower house was constructed in 1984. In celebration of the 100th year anniversary of the Forest Preserve in July 1985, a time capsule was buried in the campground. This capsule, containing the names of the persons camping in the campground at that time, was entombed in the base of a stone monument located in front of the facility supervisor's office. The capsule is scheduled to be opened on the 200th anniversary of the Forest Preserve.

  • Matt G.
    Aug. 1, 2016

    Greenwood County Park

    Busy Busy

    Greenwood can get VERY crowded in the summer time, but for good reason. The swimming is excellent, lots of space for everyone, and they have lifeguards on duty just in case. There are grills and picnic tables, but you have to get there pretty early to claim them. As for the campground itself, there are 50 or so camping spots that are pretty close together. But there are fire rings, which is nice for a county park, and one unique thing we saw was a horseshoe pit. No horseshoes this time, though, too hot and muggy. Typical New York weather. Overall, the park is more than I expected for a county park.

  • C
    Jun. 9, 2022

    Ironwood Point Rec Area

    Beautiful View

    Great campground! The owners were nice and helpful. Firewood was reasonably priced as were showers (25¢ for 5 minutes.) Tent sites were nicely leveled with fire rings and picnic tables. The view was incredible! We will definitely be back!


Guide to Hancock

Tent camping near Hancock, New York offers varied opportunities within the Catskill region of New York and nearby Pennsylvania forests. Sites range from free dispersed camping to primitive walk-in locations with minimal amenities. The area sits at elevations between 900-2,000 feet, creating cool summer nights even when daytime temperatures reach the 80s. Most camping options require self-sufficiency as services are limited throughout this rural region.

What to do

Lakeside hiking trails: Alder Lake provides several hiking options directly from campsites. "The hike around the lake is a lovely, easy walk. The hike trail that connects to the far end of the lake is 6+ miles and while there were no real views, it was lovely," notes Erik C. after an October visit to Alder Lake.

Fire tower climbs: Nearby fire towers offer panoramic views of the Catskill Mountains. "We also hiked the balsam lake fire tower which had nice views of the area," says one camper who visited Alder Lake. These historic structures typically involve moderate 1-3 mile hikes to reach.

Stream relaxation: Several camping areas feature stream access for wading or fishing. At Oh! Pear Orchards, campers appreciate "campsites next to a beautiful stream, the best fire pits, quiet and peaceful, just enough shade to stay cool," according to Heather T.

Wildlife viewing: The forested areas support diverse wildlife populations. Many campgrounds are located near the Animal Adventure Park, which Jennifer K. calls "a fantastic animal preserve zoo nearby which is a must visit" when staying at Belden Hill.

What campers like

Quiet atmosphere: Many tent sites offer genuine solitude away from crowds. "We had a stellar time just hiking down the path and relaxing by the water. There's no noise at night apart from the running water of the stream," notes Nora S. about her Alder Lake stay.

Fire ring quality: Multiple campers mention exceptional fire rings at primitive sites. At Oh! Pear Orchards, one visitor highlights "the best fire pits" as a standout feature of their camping experience.

Spacious sites: Tent sites typically offer ample room between campers. "The campsites are very spacious with lots of room between you and other campers," mentions a visitor to Alder Lake, though popularity varies by season.

Morning views: Early risers appreciate the region's sunrises. One Alder Lake camper specifically mentioned "awesome sunrise" as a highlight of their stay, suggesting morning photography opportunities.

What you should know

Limited winter access: Several campgrounds have seasonal road closures. At Beals Pond State Forest, Joshua M. warns, "This state forest is beautiful but not easily accessible in the winter. After a certain point, the road is not maintained in the winter and I was unable to get cell reception with Verizon."

Weekend crowds: Popular sites fill quickly during summer weekends. One Alder Lake visitor noted disappointment: "We arrived around 11:00 am and the parking lot was already packed and cars were lined up along the road."

Cell service gaps: Most primitive camping areas have limited or no cellular coverage. Multiple campers mention complete lack of service, particularly in more remote locations.

Road conditions: Access roads to more remote sites may require higher clearance vehicles. "Was not the easiest for my RV van to get up the hill with the ruts... lower clearance vans might not make it," warns SJ W. about one Alder Lake site.

Tips for camping with families

Equipment transport assistance: Some sites offer help moving gear from parking areas. At Belden Hill Campgrounds, campers appreciate that sites are "easy access off I-88" with "pull thru full hookup, level, spacious" areas that accommodate family setups.

Site selection timing: Arrive early to secure family-friendly locations. Colleen J. cautions about Alder Lake: "We arrived around 11:00 am and the parking lot was already packed. None of the camping areas were on the water and only a few had a short path down to the water."

Weather preparation: Mountain elevations create temperature swings. Pack layers and rain gear as summer thunderstorms develop quickly in the Catskill region, especially during afternoon hours.

Water activities: Several locations offer swimming and wading options. Some campers mention beaches at certain sites, though amenities and facilities are typically minimal.

Tips from RVers

Limited hookup options: Most primitive sites near Hancock lack RV facilities. For full hookups, Hillside Campgrounds provides more amenities, with one camper noting "Wifi and internet coverage is decent" - a rarity in this region.

Size restrictions: Larger RVs face access challenges on forest roads. Tim W. specifies staying "in 38ft motorhome" at Belden Hill Campgrounds with "easy access off I-88" and "pull thru full hookup" sites that accommodate larger rigs.

Honor system supplies: Some campgrounds operate on trust for necessities. As one camper notes about a local site, "Wood/ice honor system" is common at smaller operations in the region.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Hancock, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Hancock, NY is Hankins with a 4-star rating from 1 review.

What is the best site to find tent camping near Hancock, NY?

TheDyrt.com has all 37 tent camping locations near Hancock, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.