Best Tent Camping near Holmes, NY

Tent campsites dot the wooded landscape around Holmes, New York, offering several options for overnight stays in natural settings. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation provides established tent camping with shelters and traditional sites spread across a 4,300-acre park in nearby Pound Ridge. Hemlock Ridge MUA Dispersed camping area offers a more primitive experience with undeveloped tent sites approximately 30 miles northwest of Holmes, while Mountain Lakes Park provides tent camping in a scenic lake-filled environment less than 10 miles from Holmes.

Most tent sites in the region require campers to pack in their own water and supplies as amenities vary considerably between locations. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation features tent sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and access to toilets and showers, while more primitive areas like Hemlock Ridge have no facilities whatsoever. Sites typically consist of dirt or forest floor surfaces with minimal site preparation. A recent review noted that at Hemlock Ridge, "There are absolutely no amenities whatsoever and barely even a signal here, but it's quiet and off the beaten path." Fire regulations vary by location and season, with most established campgrounds allowing fires in designated rings while requiring campers to follow strict fire safety protocols.

The tent camping experience in the Holmes area offers various levels of seclusion and natural immersion. Walk-in tent sites at Ward Pound Ridge provide greater privacy than drive-up options, with campers frequently mentioning the peaceful atmosphere. One camper shared that "the shelter sites are large and private with access to hiking trails and make for a unique experience." Many tent campgrounds in the region connect to extensive trail networks, with Ward Pound Ridge boasting over 40 miles of trails accessible directly from camp. The area's forests provide good shade coverage during summer months, making tent camping comfortable even during warmer periods. Fall brings cooler temperatures and colorful foliage, creating a popular season for tent camping in the area's hardwood forests.

Best Tent Sites Near Holmes, New York (35)

    1. Ward Pound Ridge Reservation

    9 Reviews
    Cross River, NY
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (914) 864-7317

    $45 - $55 / night

    "Close to the city and civilization, yet large enough to have nice trails and creeks to feel away from it all. The camping sites are very different so it’s useful to go in person and select the area."

    "There’s elevation gain, creeks, and open fields for stargazing. You have the options of a lean to here."

    2. Mountain Lakes Park

    3 Reviews
    North Salem, NY
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (914) 864-7312

    "Mountain Lakes park is a great place to camp within driving distance from NYC. A fun option available at Mountain lakes is to rent a yurt to camp in."

    "A gorgeous piece of land that contains lakes, a lookout and Mt. Bailey, the highest point in Westchester County. A dirt road loops through the property with trails off and through it."

    3. Croton Point Park

    10 Reviews
    Croton-on-Hudson, NY
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (914) 862-5290

    $30 - $60 / night

    "Tent sites are very private with some dirt roads to exit out but thats what make it unique experience! Bathrooms with shower is near by and has plenty porta potties all around."

    "Peaceful and gorgeous campsite, with plenty of space between sites. Great view of the Hudson, and playground within sight of our camper."

    4. Hemlock Ridge MUA Dispersed

    2 Reviews
    Plattekill, NY
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (845) 256-3000

    "There are absolutely no amenities whatsoever & barely even a signal here, but it’s quiet & off the beaten path. The parking lot only holds about 4-5 cars, 6 if you park real tight."

    6. Samuel F. Pryor III Shawangunk Gateway Campground

    8 Reviews
    Accord, NY
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (303) 951-4571

    "I definitely recommend trying to get the walk-in (meaning you can't drive to them) sites (8-15) because they're just a little bit more set back and kind of wonderfully wooded all around. 8 & 9 seemed"

    "This is a very nice modern campground with great access to amazing hiking and climbing in the area! About half the sites are walk-in and half the sites are drive-up."

    7. The Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center — Harriman State Park

    6 Reviews
    Pomona, NY
    32 miles
    Website
    +1 (617) 523-0636

    "Campfires are restricted to certain areas and you have to share.  They do have bear boxes available as this is bear country.  Very well run campground and cabins. Great Lake to swim."

    "I camped on one of the platforms, which was very nice and did not feel crowded even with other people on neighboring platforms. One highlight was having meals cooked by the stellar chef."

    8. Windmill Hill - Connecticut White Memorial Campground

    1 Review
    Bantam, CT
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (860) 567-0089

    $25 / night

    "Quiet woods atmosphere with trail’s. Wonderful place to camp. Very clean"

    9. West Point FMWR Lake Frederick Outdoor Recreation Area

    1 Review
    Highland Mills, NY
    27 miles
    Website

    $20 - $150 / night

    "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. "

    10. Rustic Lean-To

    1 Review
    Stanfordville, NY
    28 miles
    +1 (484) 529-8957

    $43 - $45 / night

    "We're happy to have this property on our platform. This site feature a fire-pit, wooded platform and picnic table. Check them out and leave them some love."

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Tent Camping Reviews near Holmes, NY

486 Reviews of 35 Holmes Campgrounds


  • Emma N.
    Sep. 27, 2018

    Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

    Lacking in privacy

    I stayed at Beaver Pond Campground in Harriman State Park for two nights with my husband. We chose this campground because of its close proximity to Schunemunk Mountain. We found a lovely 6.4 mile lollipop/loop route hike that weekend, complete with beautiful rolling meadows, gradual hills, and steep climbs.

    Due to some mentally-draining traffic on the way, we arrived to the campground around 9:30pm. The camp office was closed, but we were able to check in at the ranger station across the parking lot. At the ranger station we were greeted by a bunch of spiders in their webs. I'm not going to lie, I freaked out! Once we were all checked-in, the ranger explained the usual rules (quiet hours are from 10pm-7am, check out by 11am, etc.). A rule that he made sure to stress was that no alcohol is allowed in the campground.

    Harriman State Park is located in a densely-forested area, and there is very little light pollution, so we didn't notice until the morning how little privacy there is between sites. There are hardly any trees within the campground, and you can see and hear just about everything. We had some rowdy neighbors, so it was a long night.

    We stayed in a regular tent site, but there was also the option of sites with platforms. Each site had a picnic table and fire ring. The campground had restrooms with flush toilets and showers. There were a good amount of insects crawling around in the restrooms, including what we think were ticks. The showers were a bit dirty and old-looking. However, the showers were free and hot, so I won't complain. :)

    My 3-star rating mainly stemmed from the noise an major lack of privacy.

  • KThe Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 9, 2021

    Echo Lake

    Lovely Camping in the Catskills

    This campground was my first backpacking trip and it was perfect!  There are tent sites around the whole lake with fire pits and 1 lean-to site at the end of the trail when you first arrive at the lake.  The sites are relatively flat and well shaded with trees.  Note, it can get swampy near the edge of the lake so you may want to bring bug spray.  Make sure you practice leave no trace principles and pack out what you bring in!  It does get a little crowded later in the day so you may have to share space with others and it can be a little noisy at night.

  • Shelly B.
    Oct. 3, 2017

    Clarence Fahnestock State Park Campground

    Busy Place on Weekends - Quiet On Weekdays

    Fahnestock State Park, Carmel, NY

    Busy Campground on Weekends!

    This park has a nice open beach on Canopus Lake with a concession area and bathhouse, which we found to be quite clean! They even have boat rentals - or you can bring your own boat to launch! If you are into fishing, there is another lake and two ponds that our neighbor campers said were great for catching panfish - one fisherman said he had caught several bass weighing over 3 pounds!!

    Weekends - this park is FULL! Make sure to reserve at least two weeks out. Weekdays? You should be in luck! We stayed in site number 1, and I found it to be just wooded enough. Almost all of the sites offered privacy.... Even when the campground was full. I do feel the campground bathhouse really needed more attention... while it had clearly been painted this past year, it was very “buggy” - and did not appear to have been thoroughly cleaned since spring... (yuck!).

    PRODUCT REVIEW: As a ranger for Dyrt.com, sometimes I am offered the opportunity to test and review various products. At Fahnestock State Park in New York state, I reviewed my Gregory Maven 55L Women’s backpack (see accompanying video).

    Weighing in at 3 pounds 6 ounces, the Gregory Maven was a nice mid-weight pack for me to take on my yearly 2 1/2 week Appalachian Trail hike.

    Normally, I like to save the best for last when I do a review; however, this time I just can’t wait to spread the news about my favorite features! The Maven has a Matrix Ventilation System, which provides exceptional ventilation on the pack’s back panel. This kept my back from being its usual sweaty mess! The second feature that blew me away was how cool my water stayed in this backpack! With other packs, the water gets warmed up from heat radiating off the hiker’s back. This didn’t happen with my Gregory pack! Every pull off my water - from the beginning of the day until hours later - provided me with a refreshingly cool drink. I actually questioned other hikers with Gregory packs to see if I was the only one experiencing this - The other hikers, who had different Gregory models, confirmed that their backs and water were staying cooler too! Added bonus: I was able to pull out the hydration sleeve and use it as a daypack a few times!

    The Maven’s pockets helped me keep my pack much more organized than in the past. It has a lower sleeping bag compartment, top pocket with separate zipper areas (one has a place to attach a car key!), side pockets, hip pockets, and even pockets on the shoulder harnesses! I can’t forget the front pocket, which held the rain fly!

    The pack fit was great, but do be careful to check your sizing if you are looking at both the 45L and 55L. While I am a XS/S with the 55L, I would have been a S/M with the 45L.

    I used this pack for 2 1/2 weeks backpacking over 200 miles on the Appalachian Trail through the states of New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The Maven did an outstanding job keeping my possessions organized and dry as well as keeping me comfortable and happy on the trail! This will definitely be my pack of choice for future hikes!

  • R
    Aug. 22, 2018

    Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

    Quiet, off-season, mid-week retreat

    We stayed here on a Thursday night in September prior to taking off backpacking. The campground was clean and quiet. RV hook-ups, tent platforms, and rustic tent sites were available. Our rustic tent site had a few good options for pitching a tent, as well as picnic table and fire ring.

    Ranger said that during summer weekends the grounds fill up and can be quite noisy, but mid-week during the off-season it was great. Expect to purchase firewood, although scrounging for kindling was possible. Facilities were clean and what you'd expect from a campground.

    Would definitely return!!

  • S
    Jun. 2, 2019

    Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

    Lovely campgrounds an hour north of NYC

    Drive-in tent campgrounds. Adequate restroom facilities sprinkled amongst tent sites. Some campsites have raised platforms. All sites have picnic tables and fire ring with flip-top grill. If looking for privacy, back end of campgrounds (#’s 1, 13, 15, 21, 23, etc) provide adequate quietness, a bit hidden and tucked away from the rest. Very near many trailheads and the expansive Lake Welsh. Alcohol prohibited... Uploaded photo/vid from off-season 2019.

  • K
    Jul. 6, 2025

    Alander Trail Camground — Mount Washington State Forest

    Amazing Dispersed Camping

    Absolutely love this spot and highly recommend if you’re looking for a super private, true primitive camping experience. You have to park at the entrance and hike in about 1.5-2 miles with everything on your back to get to the spots. Once you get there, theres quite a few sites to choose from and each offer quite a bit or privacy. It’s completely free and it usually isn’t too busy since most people don’t like having to carry all their stuff in that far. You will be in the heart of the forest/woods so definitely make sure to be prepared. We had some scares with coyotes and bears in the past but never anything crazy. They give you a semi-flat area for a tent, a fire pit and grill rack, one picnic table, and a bear box you would be sharing with other campers nearby

  • K
    May. 27, 2021

    Samuel F. Pryor III Shawangunk Gateway Campground

    Awesome location!

    Shawangunk was SUCH a nice place to stay. So many good things - though a few things to keep in mind when you're booking, too. 

    I definitely recommend trying to get the walk-in (meaning you can't drive to them) sites (8-15) because they're just a little bit more set back and kind of wonderfully wooded all around. 8 & 9 seemed like the star sites, because they're up and away a little bit more than 10-15.

    Here goes:

    The Good:

    • The nicest, most level tent site you'll ever find. So easy to set up, and no worries whatsoever about roots or rocks.
    • Bathrooms and wash area, water access, etc. are all very easily accessible from any campsite
    • Nice new picnic benches
    • Gorgeous area - especially in the walk-in sites (i.e., not car accessible), where you're a little separated from the pavement
    • Holy crap is this the perfect location for exploring the Gunks, Mohonk Preserve, etc. You couldn't be more central to everything that's going on around it.
    • Phenomenal access to a trash can. It's very central and made throwing out dog poop really, really simple.

    The just okay:

    • Campsites are pretty close to a road. It's not particularly busy, but the speed limit is 55 so you do get some pretty decent whooshing sounds while you're trying to sleep.
    • The tent site is literally the only flat part of most campsites. Even our picnic table at site 13 was slightly tilted. Not an issue, really, but it was noticeable.
    • With all the heavy bear traffic signs that were up, I was surprised to see how close bear boxes were to our tents. They seemed to be 1-10 feet away from tents in each campsite. 
    • Take with a slight grain of salt my recommendation of sites 8-15 - 8 & 9 are up a little higher and might be better, but 11-15 are within 50 feet of a wet area, and the bugs in late May were pretty annoying. I'm guessing other sites would have been better, and our hikes were almost bug-less.
    • Campsites are CLOSE together. I was relieved to be in a site we had to walk to, because having the car right there combined with other tents would have been a little claustrophobic. 

    Overall we really did love staying here. It was pretty empty and we were able to have two cars in the parking spots (usually you can only have one in the assigned spot) without putting anyone out. It was full of friendly people and my dog had an awesome time romping through the leaves and people watching. Definitely recommend this site if you're hiking or climbing in the area!

  • Meredith C.
    Jun. 26, 2018

    Wawayanda State Park Campground

    Great hiking and scenery

    Haven't gotten the chance to camp here yet, but will definitely do so this summer. Fantastic loop hike near some amazing hidden lakes. One downside is there were obviously people who had visited and didn't understand what LEAVE NO TRACE means. We'll bring a trashbag next time.

  • Eugene  T.
    Aug. 15, 2019

    Jellystone Park Gardiner

    Great for beginners

    The camp is set up in a “blank slate, parking lot” type style, with a big field, center for tent camping or to be used for sports or other activities. There’s a “lazy river” at one side and a small RV village on the other, and tent sites with water or dry tent camping. Restrooms are available with hot and cold running water, showers and toilets.


Guide to Holmes

Tent camping near Holmes, New York offers options in state parks and nature preserves within the Hudson Valley region. The area sits approximately 60 miles north of New York City at elevations ranging from 400-800 feet, creating moderate temperature variations between day and night. Summer daytime temperatures typically reach 75-85°F with nighttime lows in the 50-60°F range, while spring and fall camping seasons experience wider temperature swings that require additional layering.

What to do

Trail exploration at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation: The 4,300-acre park features over 40 miles of marked trails for hikers of all skill levels. A camper noted, "This is a great place for camping. The shelters are great for people who want to camp and not have to worry about unplanned weather. The best part of this campsite are the endless trails in the area." Trails connect directly to camping areas, making early morning or sunset hikes convenient.

Swimming at Croton Point Park: Located about 25 minutes from Holmes, this Hudson River peninsula offers swimming with lifeguards on duty. "Short 5 minute drive to nearby supermarket to pick up food or firewood. I would highly recommend it. Oh...and did i say, gorgeous scenery along the river and a private beach which is opened from Wednesday to the weekend with life guards on duty," reports a camper.

Stargazing opportunities: Several open meadow areas provide excellent night sky viewing when weather permits. A camper at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation shares, "This is a great local spot that I love to go to get out of the city for a little bit. There's elevation gain, creeks, and open fields for stargazing."

What campers like

Privacy between sites: Several campgrounds offer generous spacing between tent sites. At Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, a recent visitor noted, "The sites are much farther away from the comfort stations than most campgrounds we have been to." This separation creates a more secluded camping experience despite being in a relatively populated region.

Year-round availability: Some campsites in the region remain open throughout winter months. A camper at Ward Pound Ridge mentioned, "Ive been coming here for years. They have great sights and are open all year round. Ive stayed in hammocks, tents, leantos, and even did a good share of car camping."

Nature immersion without crowds: The Hemlock Ridge MUA Dispersed camping area provides a true wilderness experience less than 30 miles from Holmes. As one camper described, "If you like dispersed camping, like me- this place is good. There are absolutely no amenities whatsoever & barely even a signal here, but it's quiet & off the beaten path."

What you should know

Reservation systems vary: Some campgrounds require in-person booking, while others use phone or online systems. At Ward Pound Ridge Reservation, "The one downside is that you need to book in person but it can be done well in advance if need be."

Limited cell service: Many campsites in the region have spotty coverage or none at all. This affects navigation and emergency communications. A camper at Hemlock Ridge noted the area has "barely even a signal here," which requires preparation before arrival.

Fire regulations change seasonally: Fire permits and restrictions vary throughout the year. Most established campgrounds provide fire rings or designated areas, but rules can change with drought conditions. Always check current fire restrictions before your trip.

Shower availability: Only certain campgrounds offer shower facilities, and some require payment. At Samuel F. Pryor III Shawangunk Gateway Campground, a minor drawback is "$3 for a 4 minute shower," according to a recent visitor.

Tips for camping with families

Choose established sites with amenities: For camping with children, select locations with bathroom facilities and defined campsites. At Mountain Lakes Park, "A gorgeous piece of land that contains lakes, a lookout and Mt. Bailey, the highest point in Westchester County. A dirt road loops through the property with trails off and through it."

Consider yurt accommodations: For families new to camping or during shoulder seasons, yurts provide extra comfort. "A fun option available at Mountain Lakes is to rent a yurt to camp in. The area, as the name implies, is home to several lakes which can be used for various recreational purposes."

Wildlife education opportunities: Many parks in the region offer nature programs. The Trailside Nature Museum at Ward Pound Ridge Reservation provides educational exhibits about local ecosystems and wildlife, making it "fun for the kids" according to one family camper.

Plan for temperature variations: Pack additional layers, especially for spring and fall camping when nighttime temperatures can drop significantly. Morning dew tends to be heavy in the Hudson Valley region, so waterproof footwear is recommended even without rain in the forecast.

Tips from RVers

Limited hookup availability: Few campgrounds in the immediate Holmes area offer full RV hookups. At Croton Point Park, "A county park with a mix of w/e (6 sites) and FHU sites plus about a dozen tent sites." These limited spaces fill quickly during peak seasons.

Size restrictions apply: Most RV sites in the area cannot accommodate large rigs. One RVer noted Croton Point Park's check-in process: "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."

Consider weekday arrivals: RV sites at popular campgrounds fill quickly on weekends, especially during summer and fall. Arriving midweek provides more options and often a quieter camping experience while facilities are less crowded.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Holmes, NY is Ward Pound Ridge Reservation with a 4.4-star rating from 9 reviews.

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

TheDyrt.com has all 35 tent camping locations near Holmes, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.