Best Camping near Hawthorne, NY

Recent Reviews in Hawthorne

413 Reviews of 76 Hawthorne Campgrounds

• 

  Lee D.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 18, 2024

  Croton Point Park

  Not too much to offer

  General: A county park with a mix of w/e (6 sites) and FHU sites plus about a dozen tent sites near a capped dump! There is a lodge and cabins close to the end of the point, but they appeared to be part of a group camp experience. They all appeared to be closed for the season (or because no one was renting at the time; they reminded me of places I used to take youth groups for weekend camps). The reservation process is a bit wonky. You need to call (no online reservations) and then wait for an e-mail, but the e-mail does not tell you your assigned site; you have to wait until you check in to find out your site.

  Site Quality: We had a loosely defined gravel pad that was level. All sites appeared level. The FHU sites were back-to-back and although there were trees separating the sites, they were close together. No one was in the tent sites, but they did have new picnic tables.

  Activities/Amenities: Other than a playground and a basketball court, there did not seem to be any activities to partake in. There used to be a pool but from the looks of it, it hasn’t been in use for many years. There are walking paths outside of the campground that are located within the park, but we did not have time to explore them. 

  Bath/Shower house: Clean but a bit dated. No shelves or hooks for toiletries. I was surprised the door was left open all night long. There was a sign warning that the toilets were slow flushing, but I think this may have been fixed because the flush was so powerful that the water splashed over the top of the seat! 

  Because it was on a point on the Hudson, I had hoped for views from the campground but there were too many trees to see the water. I was perplexed by the signs throughout saying no trespassing/fishing prohibited. I get the no fishing part but the trespassing? When we checked in, we had to write down our credit card number on a slip of paper before we were given a key that opened the gate to the campground. When we checked out, we asked for the paper or to watch it get shredded but were told they had to keep it on file which concerned us.

• 

  Jake R.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 15, 2024

  Campgaw Mountain Reservation

  Busy but Lonely

  Campgaw doesn’t seem to offer much in terms of a camping experience. The sites themselves are fairly close to the road and there are super popular hiking trails that run right through all the camps. If you like being woken up by folks walking their dog at 7 AM, this is the spot for you.

  However, once the sun goes down, the campsite becomes a ghost town (except for the odd sheriff driving down the road). We went on a holiday weekend, and we were the only campsite that was occupied, so that is absolutely a plus. There was also plenty to do during the day, like joining the hikers on those trails, disc golf, and sitting by the water.

  All-in-all, it is not a terrible site, especially considering the cheap price.

• J

  Jessica C.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 11, 2024

  Heckscher State Park Campground

  Great for families, not for solitude

  The campsites are very close together without any defining borders so everybody just walks across each other site’s to get to a different one, a path, the bathroom, etc. No solitude, lots of families with kids, lots of music, I mean it’s basically a party. I didn’t realize this when I made my reservations. The place is great for families who want a safe space to camp and it’s a typical Long Island campground. Rangers came around checking on everyone often so it really did feel incredibly safe. I had a pick up truck w/ tinted windows follow me in the park for quite a while which was rather creepy and I couldn’t shake them. When I biked into the campground itself, the pick up truck couldn’t get past the check in area. Everyone I met was friendly and there’s a little shop in the front of the campgrounds that sells various items. I personally wouldn’t stay here again unless I was meeting up with friends or something and wasn’t trying to have more solitude. This is no fault of the park itself though, I’m just more of a woods girl.

• 

  Ioan P.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 2, 2024

  Croton Point Park

  Very nice

  This is state park, very large nested on Peninsula on the Hudson River.

• 

  Jacob D.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 19, 2024

  Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

  Very nice and relaxed

  Perfect place to get away and be in the calm nature. Only sound I’ve heard is the birds in the trees. Very open area with many sites with bear lockers, picnic tables and fire pits. We called ahead yesterday and they said it’s walk-in, so we will go register now because we came in late. Only $20 for out of state!! That’s the cheapest I’ve seen across all New England lol

• 

  Betty K.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 16, 2024

  Fieldstone Farmstead

  oke

  I like everything about it. It's a nice thing to share a great story io games

• 

  licia S.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 15, 2024

  Taconic Hereford Multiple Use Park

  Great Campground

  Was only $25 night. Great looking facilities and friendly staff.

• A

  Arno W.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 10, 2024

  Kettletown State Park Campground

  Great location, but not a good experience

  Camping Review:

  This campsite is beautifully located in the woods, offering a peaceful and serene environment. There are no busy roads nearby, which ensures a quiet setting during the day.

  However, there are several downsides to consider. The camping spots are uneven, making it challenging to set up tents or campers. Additionally, swimming at the nearby beach is restricted to residents of the village, so visitors are not allowed to swim there.

  During our stay, there were multiple large groups, including a Christian group that preached (screamingly) and played loud music until midnight, despite the designated quiet hours. Unfortunately, the management did nothing to enforce the rules, which was disruptive.

  Another significant issue was the state of the sanitary facilities. They were extremely dirty, with feces present in various places. It took a long time before anything was cleaned, which obviously kept us from using the facilities.

  Overall, while the location is beautiful, the poor management, noise issues, and dirty sanitary facilities seriously detract from the experience.

• P

  Patrick K.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 9, 2024

  Winding Hills Park

  Loved it!

  Just Perfect!

• 

  Lori M.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 5, 2024

  Neversink River Resort

  Clean bathrooms, good amenities

  Stay in one of the last weekends of August.  We were a party of 8 so we needed 2 sites, the first sites we booked were horrible - so so tiny (E11 & E12) and right on a swampy pond where the grass is growing into the water so it was hard to see where the water line was.  We had kids, so we needed to move our sites.  We ended up right across the way on E7 & E8 - much better.  This loop for tent campers is mixed.  Some of the sites are literally on the road - stay away from the sites on the same side of the road as the pond.  I saw a family who literally had to block the road a little bc they couldn't park their car *and* have a tent on the tiny site.  Anything on the side of E7 is bigger and a little deeper into the trees, but nothing seemed to be private in this campground.  It was a busy weekend, so of course there was loud music and partying - it just so happens that it was next door to our sites.  Bathrooms were far on this loop.  There are little foot bridges that you could take to get to the bathroom easier (and closer) but they are set on people's campsites, so if someone is on that site it's really walking through their site to get to it.  The campground has good amenities - wifi, pool, jumping ball, playground, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and a tether ball court :).  Great for the kids.  Pool is small but it works.  There's a cafe there so we were able to grab coffees and stuff.  They deliver wood and ice to your site which is super convenient.  We would return for sure.  Also - just to let everyone know the fire pit is really small.

• J

  JOHN T.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 27, 2024

  Skyline RV Park

  Skyline RV Camp Has Moved

  Be advised that Skyline RV Camp has moved to:

  50 Noble St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

  The original property location at 2 Oak St was sold and is now private property.

  Google Maps coords are 40.730491531436556,-73.9577966772486

  There no longer is a waterfront view of the NYC skyline when camping at Skyline RV. The website views are misleading.

• 

  smithson H.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 26, 2024

  Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

  Because of its convenient

  Because of its convenient location, this is my"home" campsite and the one I visit most frequently. I like the platform sites that are available, the location close to the lake and beach, and the clean shower and bathroom facilities slope game.

• 

  Jessica D.

  Legend

  

  Aug. 11, 2024

  Kymers Camping Resort

  Fun, friendly & nestled in the woods

  We stayed at Kymer's on a whim for a weekend, so we could be close to Mountain Creek for a Spartan Race. It truly exceeded our expectations in all aspects. This is a family friendly, camper-friendly place. Lots of seasonals- everyone waves, everyone stops to chat. This is what a campground should feel like. The sound of laughter and play sitting around the huge, clean pool was refreshing. Our site was Oak 10. It was level, good placement of electric water & sewer connects. Camp store has all the basics you might need. There is a brook that flows adjacent to the property. It's peaceful & magical. Pet friendly, although we didn't have our pup with us. We will be back again. I almost feel like I'm revealing a hidden gem with this post. 💎

• 

  Deborah M.

  Scout

  

  Aug. 7, 2024

  Stonetown Circular trail Primitive #1

  Great

  Great location!

  solar smash

• 

  Shelby

  Scout

  

  Aug. 4, 2024

  Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

  Book your stay elsewhere!

  If you would like a peaceful, clean campground skip this place. This was the worst campground we’ve stayed at. The bathrooms are very outdated and not cleaned often enough. The sites are too close together with very little trees between sites allowing zero privacy. Their picnic tables also are disgusting, bring a table cloth! They have a lot rules one being “no amplifying speakers allowed” that they clearly do not enforce. It sounded like a rave throughout the night even after calling the ranger station and complaining. Guests were playing loud music until about 1:30 AM and starting up again right as quiet hours ended at 7 AM. There then was a religious service happening at 8 AM with a whole amp system we could hear clearly on the other side of campground. We absolutely will not be back.

• 

  G Y.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 29, 2024

  Lake Waramaug State Park Campground

  Quiet Rustic Camping

  My family has been camping at Lake Waramaug for over 20 years. I can say most of what’s been said is true or partially so but whether it’s bad or good depends on your point of view. Note that we are a Scout family and my husband and son have camped many days well off the grid with only the gear and food in their backpacks. That skews our point of view. 

  First off, Connecticut’s state campgrounds are not KOA’s. 

  Do not expect top of the line activities that private campgrounds have.

  What it does have are clean, large sites that are partially wooded and not out in the open. 

  The lake is great for kayaking, paddle boarding, canoes and for fishing. Bring your own gear but kayak and canoe rentals are available. The swim area is marginal- best for little ones. 

  This park is remote from all conveniences- pack it in or expect a drive. There have been several times I’ve driven to the Dunkin Donuts miles down the road for coffee but I find using a French press is more convenient. For takeout there’s the White Horse on 202. It’s ranked a top restaurant in the state - the food is good. 

  Never have we had issues with wildlife besides squirrels and ducks. Leave no trace is important - it keeps the unwelcome wildlife out. 

  There have been issues with the bathrooms off and on over the decades. It seems like they’ve finally fixed everything. Our trip of 7/27-28 showed everything was fine.

  The only on-site services are firewood and ice sales. The little food shack is out of business. 

  Yes, cell service is basically non-existent. Our trip this weekend was the first time we received more than 1 bar in 20 years. Actually we were a bit disappointed because this camp ground is a great place to disconnect and relax. Being forced to put away the devices is heaven in my mind. You can drive about 5+ minutes out and get cell service. Regarding rowdiness, of the 20+ times we’ve camped only twice was it a problem. 

  Also, this place is not glamping. The area is rural, so cows do moo at 6am, and kids are up even earlier. If you like to sleep in skip and rent a B&B. 

  Also if you want a better place to swim go to Mt.Tom state park about 10 minutes up the road. It’s a day use only park-no camping- but the lake is gorgeous and there are very few people there.

• 

  Evan F.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 23, 2024

  Neversink River Resort

  Beautiful Place

  Very clean park. Lots of families. Tubing was fun. Bring bug spray.

• 

  mike

  Scout

  

  Jul. 15, 2024

  Fieldstone Farmstead

  Amazing experience!

  My partner and I booked a weekend at Fieldstone Farmstead and it was such a pleasant experience.

  The outdoor shower and outhouse were such an appreciated amenity. The proximity to hiking trails and lakes was such an added benefit as well. We would have been happy hanging out in the alpaca pen all day, but it was great to cool off in the nearby lake.

  The campsite was clean and free of leaves and sticks.

  Always felt safe on the property and the star gazing was a beautiful sight. Clean, quiet and cozy weekend. Would recommend to anyone.

• K

  Karl F.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 9, 2024

  Winding Hills Park

  Beautiful forest area

  The forest is beautiful around the park. Lake is pretty too. Site we stayed at was nice and level for a yent, plenty of trees for a hammock

• P

  Paul A.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 8, 2024

  Yogi Bears Jellystone Park Camp-Resort at Lazy River

  Great Campsite for Families and Kids

  Great first tent camping experience for kids. Lots of activities, clean restrooms. One thing to keep in mind is the tent sites on the opposite side of the road from the river has no shade. Site gets pretty hot on a sunny day. Sites by the river have some shade.

• 

  Bianca D.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 8, 2024

  Fieldstone Farmstead

  Peaceful and relaxing stay

  Although we were rained on in the beginning, the stay was very relaxing and pleasant. Dave and Kate were extremely kind and helpful. The animals were also very adorable and sweet to be around. I would definitely recommend staying here and visiting parks in the area.

• K

  Kevin G.

  Scout

  

  Jul. 7, 2024

  Croton Point Park

  First time campers, loved it

  I took my 5 year old-son and wife, all of us first time campers. this place was great. The site was very nice, all the people friendly and area beautiful.

• 

  Bumne H.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 26, 2024

  Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

  Nice

  This is also an ideal place to relax and explore. 

  merge fruit

• 

  Mayra O.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 10, 2024

  High Point State Park Campground

  Discrimination and Discomfort: Our Unfortunate Camping Experience at High Point State Park

  I recently had a camping experience at High Point that unfortunately did not go as planned. My family, friends and I rented a camping site and a cabin for a two-night stay, looking forward to a relaxing weekend in nature. However, our trip took an unexpected turn that left us feeling frustrated and disappointed.

  On the first night, we received complaints about the volume of our music and karaoke around 7 pm. While we promptly lowered the volume, we later found ourselves facing further complaints about noise levels, despite our efforts to be considerate of other campers, especially since we had children with us and we were a group of about 28 people. The following day, we were taken aback when the police arrived at our cabin and informed us that we were being evicted from the site due to noise complaints and the placement of our tents in the cabin's backyard.

  Feeling discriminated against and confused by the sudden eviction, we tried to explain our side of the story. We had moved some of our belongings to the cabin due to a marathon event taking place in front of our campsite, which was causing significant noise early in the morning “since 5 AM”. Additionally, there was confusion regarding the use of motorcycles on the premises, which further added to the misunderstandings that led to our eviction.

  Despite our attempts to follow the rules and seek clarification, our family weekend was disrupted, and some members even opted to leave the site. The entire experience left us feeling uncomfortable and frustrated, especially considering the efforts we made to comply with the park's regulations.

  While I appreciate the police officer's effort to provide us with another chance to rectify the situation, the manner in which the eviction was carried out and the lack of communication from the park management was disappointing. I believe that incidents like these should be reported to ensure that future campers do not have to go through similar challenges.

  1. As returning campers, I meticulously reviewed all the rules, particularly regarding noise levels, knowing that moderate noise was permissible until 10 PM.
  2. I made two calls to the park office to clarify the rules regarding the use of motorcycles for the youth children. While there was a misunderstanding, I made a genuine effort to adhere to the regulations and have documentation of both calls for verification.
  3. Despite visiting the park office for check-in around 9:30 AM on Saturday, I was not informed about the unfolding situation. However, approximately three hours later, police officers arrived at our site and requested us to vacate immediately.
  4. The marathon event generated significant noise, with a large number of participants being loud, some started to prepare on Friday and starting their activities as early as 5 AM on Saturday.
  5. The decision to place our tents in the cabin site rather than campsite "A" seemed logical, given the disruptive nature of the ongoing marathon. The lack of prior notification about the marathon and the subsequent request to relocate the tents to campsite "A" or immediate evictions was perceived as inconsiderate and is definitely discriminatory, especially considering the inconvenience of dismantling and setting up the tents again and the ongoing marathon event causing noise disturbances, without considering the circumstances or providing adequate notice.

  Moving forward, I hope that similar situations will be addressed more effectively to avoid inconveniences and unease for fellow campers. It is my hope that park staff will thoroughly investigate complaints, ensuring accuracy by confirming the exact site before taking action.

  In summary, the manner in which the incidents were handled, the lack of transparency and fair treatment, and the impact on our camping experience all point towards potential discrimination. It is essential to address and report such instances to ensure that all campers are treated fairly and respectfully in the future

• H

  Heather M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 5, 2024

  Lake Frederick Outdoor Recreation Area

  Beloved Family Spot

  Yes, this is a military-only campground but, that doesn't take away from how incredible it is and that is properly advertised. 

  This place is incredible.  Being military-only keeps standards high, the campground clean and well maintained.  We've spent years here, with Dan & Janet but, are looking forward to returning this year under new management, as they enjoy retirement after many years of hard work. Boy, does their hard work show! They have poured so much love and attention into the building and maintaining of Lake Frederick! 

  Between rustic power-only campsites that give you a true camping experience and upgraded but, still simple cabins which allow campers of all ages and abilities to enjoy the outdoor experience, there is something for everyone.  The new docks around the swimming area create a safer swimming experience for even the most inexperienced swimmers, allowing them safe and obvious perimeters.  The bath house is always well stocked and clean, ready for end of the day cleanup and the laundry facilities are a great bonus for those of us who like to stay longer than a couple days.  

  You won't want for anything at Lake Frederick and it will be a great way to unplug, kick back and enjoy God's Creation!

• 

  Nicole S.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 2, 2024

  New York City North-Newburgh KOA

  One of my favorite stays!!!!

  When we rolled in, I got the feeling we were going to really like this place. It turns out, I was right!! They have the best staff and they are everywhere, if you need someone they are always around and super friendly also. They have a pond for fishing, basketball, a mini golf course being redone, jumping pillow, 2 pools, arcade and a playground. The sites we stayed in had a lot of trees and not on top of people. You can tell they maintain the campground and do their best to keep everything clean and they do a great job. They had a free pancake breakfast on the weekend days, and a band Saturday night.

  Around the area, there is tons to do if you're an outdoors person. They have an awesome path called the rail trail that you can ride your bike or walk down it goes for 22 miles, and you can stop on the way in little towns or for a bite to eat. They have a wonderful state park with a huge waterfall not a bad hike but 20 mins from the car, and a huge lake if your travel up the mountain. The hiking in the area is for all levels and ages. If you like to be outside, you won't be disappointed.

• 

  Johanna C.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 2, 2024

  New York City North-Newburgh KOA

  Newburg KOA

  I love this campground, my family and I come every year. Super clean, friendly staff and lots of entertainment. We have seen live music and they have free breakfast events. Lots of activities for the kiddos. I have stayed in every corner of this campground but my favorite sites are the 30’s. Full hookups, back in, lots of trees and really roomy. Lots to do around like New Paltz, Mohonk Preserve, Lake Minnewaska and my favorite hike Bonticou Crag…