The best GROUP camping near
Howells , NEW YORK

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. The area, as the name implies, is home to several lakes which can be used for various recreational purposes. There are also many hikes which can be trekked straight from the campgrounds which is always a huge plus in my mind. When we were there it was right after a rain storm and everything was a bit muddy and slippery. We will definitely be planning a trip back to Mountain Lakes when the weather gets nicer though!

This is my favorite of 3 Jellystones that I’ve been to. Will be returning in our new RV soon. When we stayed here, we stayed in a cabin on the hill and rented a golf cart which was a must have with three little kids. If we had stayed closer to the action, we wouldn’t have needed the cart but we were so thankful we had it after a long day of play. Facilities were clean and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. It is expensive but priceless in that our kids had more fun here than on almost any other vacation. There is plenty to do and see. I only wish the characters would walk around more often. We love that they sell concessions and beer on tap. It was a most enjoyable time. Campsites are not dispersed. Will return soon!

I love this place! Plenty to do, plenty to see and plenty of privacy if that’s what you want. Our campsite was lovely and the people who own this place are so down to earth and friendly. They over extended what it means to be a host in my mind. They were knowledgeable about the surrounding towns, their campground, and basically everything nature related. This was our very first night camping in an RV (we were renters at the time). They helped us with leveling and allowed us to use their phone when we had issues with ours. They removed all garbage at a decent time and the garbage cans were located near the campsites so we didn’t have to walk far at all. The campground is beautiful with a lake, playground, miniature golf course and access to a ton of hiking. The wolf preserve, which is next to the campground, is in walking distance though I believe they will drive you if needed. We didn’t do a tour, will save that for next time. We stayed on a partial site with water and electric. The dump station was easy to access on your way out of the campgrounds. Trees were trimmed and our campsite was mostly flat and easy enough to maneuver (as first timers we did it without much of an issue but we needed some 4x4s and the owner delivered them to our site). Great place to stay with or without children. Other campers were all respectful. We stayed during Covid and everyone was following social distancing guidelines. One downside for some may be the WiFi access. Very poor signal however, we didn’t mind, it actually helped us to let loose and not be so attached to all things digital. I will 100% be returning and likely it will be a yearly go-to for us.

…. But surprisingly quiet and for the most part the guests were decent, the staff was awesome, very helpful, the sites were a little on the small side and stacked a lil closer than I like, but we had a good time, some beautiful views from some beautiful motorcycle roads.

Camped out at one of the sites by the river and it was amazing, no one was around except a man far from our site. Good walking distance to the car especially in the cold! A few benches, and no trash cans so take your trash with u.

Sites are close together. There’s really no one enforcing any rules … neighboring sites can get pretty rowdy and not much you can do about it. But the area is very nice to drive around and site see and stop at local shops. No playground for kids.

We visited October 18th 2020 and the previous days rained pretty heavy so when we arrive at site #20, there were caution tape to the east of our site for the trees that had fallen. No biggie but this site is also a ditch..we hiked downwards into the site. Everyone driving / walking down the main road can look into your site. This site I would give a 1 star for zero privacy, small space for a campsite, between 2 cars & 2 tents, we did not have space to put up a hammock. We went to check in to see if we can relocate & they did offer a spot where it was shared with another site which had a party reserved. We didn't want to intrude in other parties and esp during times like these so we just stayed in our ditch. We only for 2 nights but I can see other campers getting upset if they showed up to a ditch. We can hear the trucks driving by at night, if this is a bother for you, try to get a site further in away from the entrance. 

On the other hand, our friends were at campsite #21 and it was 5 stars compared to site #20. It was a hike in but very secluded from the rest of the campers and very clean kept.

4 Stars for this campground because :

Pros - short drive from NYC, the hike around the pond is easy and beautiful, there's a beach nearby. 

Con - we just had a bad campsite so we'll know to choose another one next time.

Another great family style campground. Looks of things to do and staff is always there to help.

Lake Mocatek Campground is well kept, on beautiful lake Mocatek and an absolute gem.

They offer seasonal, winter storage and by the day rates, welcoming everything from tents to large Motorhomes.

Wake up to morning coffee and enjoy seeing the deer in the Campground as well as other wildlife.

All hookups are available, as are showers, bathrooms and laundry facility. Included is wifi. Cabins and travel trailer rentals are also available here. Don't forget to check out the on site country store and send the kids to pay video games or better yet, rent a rowboat for some fishing on the lake. Fishing from shore and RC boats are also permitted.

Weekends and holidays bring gatherings to play bingo with awesome prizes and other gatherings to meet your neighbors.

The pool is cool, clean and in the perfect area, mom and day can relax in the sun while the kids enjoy the pool.

Overall Lake Mocatek Campground is an excellent place to spend a weekend or even a summer, I highly recommend it…

This is a very nice campground for families. Has a lot of activities and facilities for campers. It is a bit more open and campsite can be a bit close to each other. But the place was very clean a friendly.