136 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Woodland Valley Campground's primitive sites along the stream welcome pets in both tent and RV camping areas, offering a true wilderness experience with hiking trails accessible directly from camp. Giant Ledge Primitive Camp also permits dogs, providing backcountry camping options for hikers with pets. Most pet-friendly sites throughout the Catskills region require dogs to be leashed at all times, with designated areas for pet relief. The campgrounds feature picnic tables, fire rings, and some offer electric hookups for RVs. Allaben Campground provides free primitive camping with picnic tables and fire pits, making it an economical option for pet owners. Sites are often rocky and dirt-covered, though some maintain small grassy areas suitable for pets.
Kenneth L Wilson Campground and North-South Lake Campground offer more developed facilities including showers, sanitary dump stations, and water hookups, while still maintaining pet-friendly policies. Trailheads for dog-friendly hiking are abundant, with Giant Ledge offering spectacular mountain views worth the challenging one-mile vertical climb over rock gardens. The spring water source is a short hike from campsites. Bears are present in the area, so proper food storage is essential when camping with pets. Many campgrounds have limited or no cell service, requiring advance planning for pet emergencies. Weather conditions in the Catskills can change rapidly, necessitating proper gear for both humans and pets. The mountain creeks provide natural water sources and a relaxing soundtrack for sleeping.
"This campground had easy access to excellent hiking trails. Woodstock, NY was about 30 min away and we enjoyed exploring the area on our non-hiking day. Very dog friendly."
"water to play in right behind tent. I do prefer fire pits over the brick stove. this had the stove. more advanced hiking in walking distance. no cell service. my gps on phone was able to track though."
from $20 / night
Check Availability"We had planned on driving to hiking but there was so much to do around the camp site we just walked around and did the hiking near by. The dog park is wonderful. Our dog loved it."
"Two ponds to play in and a fenced dog park. Some nice hiking in the park."
from $22 / night
Check Availability"Pros: Near wonderful, little-used hiking trails - challenging ones, too!
- Close to Catskill town options to explore, e.g."
"You can see a picture here of the water just a 10 foot trail away from our campsite. All in all a great trip."
from $22 / night
Check Availability"Our first campground was in New York Aug 8th. Unfortunately, Debbie was socking New York hard. North South Lake Campground in the Catskills was our camping home."
"This is a truly beautiful and scenic campground, easily one of the best places we have visited in New York State."
from $22 - $44 / night
Check Availability"We took our dog too. Bring a bear bell and bear mace can to be safe. We did not see any but definite signs of them. Get tracking poles if you don't already have some. Very helpful here."
"However the descriptions of this place in reviews here and elsewhere provided very little info and once I got out to the trail realized how different it was to what I expected."
"There are two campsites located right outside of the park where you can park your car next to your tent but we opted to hike in."
"There are several beautiful, secluded hike-in sites along the lake which I would love to return to someday. The hike around the lake is a lovely, easy walk."
"A short drive to these rustic tent-only spots, dog friendly, nice rangers and great trees for hammocks! This is my go-to in the summers."
"this is close by to many catskill hiking trails"
from $16 / night
Check Availability"A great free spot for dispersed camping tucked right off the road. Had a fire pit and picnic table"
"Short walk to all campsites."
"Right outside downtown Phoenicia the black bear campground is perfectly situated for a multitude of activities. They offer creek front and wooded campsites."
"2 minutes walk to town"
from $35 - $65 / night
Check Availabilityfrom $130 / night
Check Availability
ScoutThe campsite was great. Big and going after Labor Day means there was tons of space. Well priced. We did have neighbors that had a trailer and used their generator early in the morning and late at night. Beside that it was fantastic. We had planned on driving to hiking but there was so much to do around the camp site we just walked around and did the hiking near by. The dog park is wonderful. Our dog loved it.
GuideLots of room in many sites for my 24 ft RV and 30 ft trailer. Big meadow in middle with new full playground set.
Dry camping but water available and a sewer dump. Gotta haul your own trash.
Two ponds to play in and a fenced dog park.
Some nice hiking in the park.
GuideSuch a clean and well maintained campground. Staff were so nice and friendly. Only one shower area that was a bit of a trek from our site, a bike would have been nice to get around. We had to move our tent as we had set it back too far and was not on the site pad and park ranger Brian who was very lovely came and asked us to move it and we had a nice chat. Lovely big dog park. There are some nice little walks and small hikes on the ground with a lake that you can rent kayaks or canoes. Close to Woodstock which is a cute town. Our site was a little exposed but the sites either side of us were closed for restoration thankfully. There are some more secluded and set back sites too though.
LegendWe were on a 5 state East Coast camping trip. Our first campground was in New York Aug 8th. Unfortunately, Debbie was socking New York hard. North South Lake Campground in the Catskills was our camping home. Thursday & Friday it was Neverending rain & wind. Saturday was the nice day.
North South Lake has no electricity. The sites are almost all beautiful, tucked in under shady trees. Not a good way to try out our solar panel! Some are by a stream. A few are by the lake. This is a tent campers paradise. New York tent campers are hard core camping during Tropical Storm Debbie!
There are 7 loops. We were in loop 2. Site 85. There are some sites with an incline down to the site. That might give some rvs trouble. It did for us & I had to be driven out of the campground to call 911. Thank you Mary!! It all ended well & we got a different site.
There are bears that visit the campground & one came one of the nights & visited our camping neighbor's site. They showed us a picture- it was a large black bear.
Generators are allowed for 5 hours & they tell you when you can use them.
The bathrooms/showers are state park clean- which means not very.
There is NO cell service & just forget about WiFi. You are unplugged.
This is a hiking park & for this middle aged overweight flatlander they are pretty strenuous. Kaaterskill Falls is an exception - short, easy trail, but the parking fills up quickly. Then they close it! You'll have to take a shuttle to get in.
The trail to the Mountain House Site is also pretty easy, with more of an incline.
There's 2 nice lakes with beaches.
The Catskills are very scenic& we enjoyed our time there!
ScoutRecently, we camped here for a week. We don’t ever post negative reviews like this. The last day, we experienced a violent attack by a very large and aggressive Pit Bull. The Pit Bull did not have a collar or a leash and was accidently let out of the RV to roam free and unsupervised. It immediately ran to our site(4 sites away) and attacked our dog that was tied at the time. The incident was unprovoked. While trying to save our dog, my wife and I were also attacked. The wounds were serious enough to require emergency transport to a hospital for treatment including stitches. All we could think of was what might have happened if our granddaughter had been playing with our dog.
To put it mildly, their existing pet policy is grossly lacking. They never checked what breed of dog or ask to see documentation of shots when we were registering. Yogi Bear Jellystone Park needs to better manage their pet policy to address aggressive dog breeds and ensure the safety of campers. We camped there for seven days and saw multiple sites have more than one large dog, which in many places we’ve camped at would have been banned due to breed type or size. We have RV’ed extensively across the US and have never seen such careless enforcement of a pet policy regarding aggressive dog breeds. Seriously, think about avoiding this park if you have pets or small children.
TravelerGood for skinny dipping and other fun things! Most acidic lake in New York but completely safe.
GuideThis campground is nestled in the Catskills, New York, with easy access to New Jersey and Connecticut. With large campsites and most surrounded by trees, you will find just the right mix of privacy and community depending upon what you are looking for. Although the showers aren't top notch, they do have them and a great recycling center for all of your garbage. If hiking is what you enjoy, they have nearly 4 miles of trails within the campground and surrounding areas that circle two nearby ponds and their day use area. If you are looking for something offsite, don't miss the Giant Ledge hike, a 30 min drive and about a 3 mile out and back hike to Giant Ledge for amazing views overlooking the entire area. Head out to watch the sunrise one morning with awesome views looking east. When you need a break from cooking, don't miss the nearby Phoenicia Diner for some great breakfast and coffee! All of the Park Rangers are very helpful and will provide recommendations and maps, just ask!
TravelerNorth South lake is one of the larger public camp grounds in New York. The sites are well spaced out. Great for families. The lake is huge.
Avoid holidays to avoid the crowds.
TravelerA bit off the beaten path for a KOA, but nearly sold out in early October nonetheless. Sites range from typical large rig to dispersed tents next to a creek. The tent sites with electric like the one we took used 240v 50A plugs, so we had to borrow a converter plug form the office for our 120v equipment. Only one bath house and it’s a bit dated. Very pet friendly including a dog play pen. Pool looked nice and was still open in early October.
Catskills campgrounds around Highmount sit at elevations between 1,200 and 2,200 feet, creating varied camping experiences as temperatures drop roughly 3.5°F for every 1,000 feet of elevation gain. The region receives approximately 45 inches of precipitation annually, with summer thunderstorms common and evening temperatures dropping significantly even during warm months.
**Mountain hiking trails: Tackle the Giant Ledge trail for remarkable views. As reviewer Caleb J. notes about Giant Ledge Primitive Camp: "It is a near vertical hike the first mile with 90% or more being over rock gardens. Not some rocks littering the trail. I think the trail used to be a stream or creek."
**Creek access: Explore the multiple water features at Black Bear Campground. Derek W. explains that at Phoenicia Black Bear Campground, "I stayed at one of the creek front campsites and highly recommend doing so. They're slightly more expensive but the view is so worth it. The creek was perfect for dipping your feet and just hanging out."
**Lake activities: Rent watercraft at North-South Lake. According to Kyla B., "We happened to spend the weekend on a day with free canoe/kayak rentals which was great! We had a great time and definitely seemed family friendly."
**Wildlife viewing: Keep watch for native species throughout the Catskills. Kane B. from Kenneth L Wilson Campground reports: "It was the wildest weekend I ever had, I'm not being sarcastic. The hiking areas are great, the weather is perfect and the bear was very nice for a bear."
**Privacy between sites: Many campers appreciate the separation at certain locations. According to Erik C. at Alder Lake: "We stayed three nights in late October. Grabbed one of the two vehicle accessible campsites along the road which had some very light traffic. There are several beautiful, secluded hike-in sites along the lake which I would love to return to someday."
**Natural sleep sounds: The region's running water provides natural ambient noise. John N. explains at Woodland Valley Campground: "The mountain creek is like nature singing a lullaby - sleeping next to it was very relaxing; weather was great and we could see the stars through the canopy - very very enjoyable!"
**Water-adjacent camping: Sites near creeks and ponds rank highly. Nora S. from Alder Lake reports: "The campsites are very spacious with lots of room between you and other campers, and have a fire pit and some have picnic tables. We had a stellar time just hiking down the path and relaxing by the water."
**Dirt sites vs. gravel: Campground surfaces vary significantly. Mayra D. shares this practical tip about Devil's Tombstone: "This is cute small campground. Most of the sites are gravel so bring extra pad for the tent."
**Cell service limitations: Expect minimal connectivity throughout the Catskills. At Little Pond Campground, Giselle P. notes: "Cell service is non existent and they have a pay phone near the entrance booth where you can use to make/receive phone calls. It's a 20 min drive back into town to get cell service."
**Strict campground rules: Some locations enforce detailed regulations. According to Gabriella G. at Little Pond: "Upon check in you're met with an extremely long list of rules, including having to keep your coolers in your car or RV at all times, which was extremely inconvenient and we didn't have the room for."
**Firewood availability: Not all sites sell firewood. Jason L. from Woodland Valley reports: "There was no fire wood available at the campsite so buy before you come (available in Phoenicia and Woodstock, both close)."
**Bear safety requirements: Proper food storage is mandatory. John S. from Giant Ledge shares: "Thought I heard bears come through overnight, but may have been a lucid dream. Bear can was undisturbed in the morning."
**Playground access: Several campgrounds feature play areas for children. At Devil's Tombstone, Phillip L. observes: "There is a playground for kids so you don't have to watch over them while you set up."
**Swimming options: Multiple locations offer water recreation. Lizz H. reports about North-South Lake Campground: "I go there almost every year to go swimming with my family and friends and it's always a good time."
**Pet vaccination documentation: When seeking pet-friendly camping near Highmount, New York, bring proper paperwork. Sam L. cautions about Devil's Tombstone: "NY has some strict requirements about proof of rabies vaccination for dogs, so make sure to read the requirements."
**Bathroom cleanliness: Facility maintenance varies widely between locations. Yasmin S. shares about Devil's Tombstone: "The bathrooms are a glorified hole in the ground with a toilet seat, but if you need it, it's there. No sinks. But there is a water source in between every other site for when you need it."
**Site dimensions and access: RV sites have varying sizes and entry paths. Katherine P. from Kenneth L Wilson reports: "Campsites are fairly close together with a variety of levels of privacy. Ours allowed you to be pretty far back from the road for more privacy, but some of the other sites were literally next to the road."
**Hookup limitations: Most campgrounds offer minimal RV services. A camper at Devil's Tombstone notes: "We had a VW Westfalia, which we had no trouble pulling into our site. If we had something bigger, it might have been an issue."
**Free camping alternatives: Budget-conscious RVers can find no-cost options. Drew H. from Allaben Campground shares: "A great free spot for dispersed camping tucked right off the road. Had a fire pit and picnic table."
**Road access considerations: Some campgrounds have challenging approach roads. Sam L. cautions about Devil's Tombstone: "State Route 214 divides the campground in half, and you could hear road noises from our site, but they quieted down by 6:00."
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Highmount, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Highmount, NY is Woodland Valley Campground — DEC with a 4.2-star rating from 29 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Highmount, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 136 dog-friendly camping locations near Highmount, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
