Treetopia Campground near Howes Cave houses premium glamping accommodations in the Catskill Mountains, including custom furnished treehouses with electricity, beautifully designed yurts, tiny homes with outdoor living spaces, and remodeled vintage airstreams. Visitors staying at these upscale outdoor retreats enjoy comfortable bedding, climate-controlled environments, and private outdoor areas with fire pits for evening relaxation. Other notable glamping options include A Promise to Gaia/Garden of One, featuring cabin-style glamping with shower facilities, picnic tables, and access to trash disposal. Country Roads Campground provides deluxe glamping cabins with electric hookups, showers, and toilets, all surrounded by scenic natural landscapes. According to a visitor, "Treetopia is a unique and truly amazing camping/Glamping experience in the Catskills, New York! Every unit was more beautiful and comfortable than the next."
The glamping locations in this region offer convenient access to local attractions, including Howe Caverns just minutes away from several sites. Crazy Acres Campground at Beaver Spring Lake features glamping accommodations with access to a swimming beach, market, and various water activities on the lake. Frosty Acres Campground provides glamping cabins with remarkable valley views from its 1,409-foot elevation, complete with two fishing ponds and swimming areas. Many glamping sites in the area maintain trails for hiking and wildlife viewing, while others offer scheduled activities during peak season. Winter enthusiasts can find year-round glamping at select locations where snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are popular. One guest shared, "The bathrooms and showers are out of this world! Best of any campground we've ever visited! I highly recommend the deck sites to people with small to moderate sized RVs and for large rigs they have some big sites."
"No hook ups, but there are water spigots nearby. There is a children's playground and pavilion. Firewood is available to purchase. The bathrooms and showers are clean and well-kept."
"They have new bathrooms/showers and family bathrooms. There's a playground, a pavilion, they do fireside jams. I wish they'd bring back open mic!"
Campground full next weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $17 - $50 / night
"Very quiet small campground - friendly staff - large spots/mainly bigger setups. Only downside is there is not a hiking/walking path down to the lake from the campground."
"Beautiful views and great staff. Each tent site has its own fire pit with a grate for cooking."
from $14 - $26 / night
"We had reservations about being side by side with other RVs but the site we were in was so big and being in a valley with huge trees all around a large open grassy area in the middle made everything feel"
"Groups of sites sit on level terraces stepped down toward the river. The center area of each grouping of sites had a common use area with tether ball, playgrounds, privies, or additional parking."
"Winter campfires. Owners Mike and Sherri are great. Dumpsters, laundry with coin machine. Very remote. Windy as all get out. Elevation about 1409 feet."
"There are water spigots near all the tent sites and they are nice and spread out. They have special events in a pavilion near the RVs including bingo"
"We were escorted to our site upon arrival and I certainly appreciated that as we were very tired after a long day of travel"
from $34 - $55 / night
"Ashley here with The Dyrt, extending a warm welcome to your host Rachel. This property is rented to others to help maintain and expand native and pollinating species of plants."
from $75 - $239 / night
from $65 - $110 / night
"My buddy and I were looking for a campsite for a quick overnight stay before a bike trip around the Adirondacks, and this spot was a perfect fit."
"He and his buddy, Rick, live on acres and acres of forested property, with my favorite campsites located at a seemingly magical pond surrounded by beautiful pine and birch trees."
Available next weekend
from $15 - $25 / night
from $60 - $200 / night
"Most people that stay here are in RVs but we were tent camping and they have a nice wooded area with fire pits and a view of the rolling hills. Beautiful!"
"This park is located approximately 12.5 miles from downtown Cooperstown and is set in the quiet rural countryside of New York. The mature trees make for beautiful scenery in the fall."
ScoutOctober leaves starting to fall makes for a very quiet, peaceful midweek evening in one of the two dispersed car camping sites. Exactly what I was hoping for - private and empty and lovely. Easy to find - two dispersed car sites are to the left at the fork in the road before the trailhead.
ScoutSpaces were easy in/out. Mature trees between sites. Pool, office, pickleball, k9kamp, bathrooms were all nice.
ScoutGilbert Lake State Park is located about 11 miles north of Oneonta, New York. I have camped here for a number of summers at their Hilltop Section, never dissapointed. There are a few trails that traverse the park for a few miles that are always green and shady. The lake offers swimming and kayaking. There is a concession stand and even a small museum that chronicles the efforts of the national CCC program under Roosevelt that constructed the park in the 1930's. After a long day of hiking, the campgrounds hot showers offer a great reprieve.
ScoutNow that All Star Baseball purchased this Oneonta campground this year, don't expect to stay here if you are not a baseball family. I went there in person yesterday for two nights at their"primitive" tent sites. After Hanna checked her computer, my dates were all cleared...great, then let me pay the $70... but no... she had to check with management first. I thought that was strange since that never happened to me before when getting any campsites elsewhere. I was told I'd be called later that day but nobody called me. I went back the next day only to be told all sites for the summer were rented out. Clearly that was not true based on her computer check the day before. BOTTOMLINE: if you are not a baseball family spending $1000's here, don't expect to even get the time of day. Therefore, they do not deserve anyone's business.
GuideWe've stayed here half a dozen times, usually for an evening along our camping trips. We did stay an extra day once to do some of the activities available.
It's a bit of a haul to get to the campground and the first time we were sure that we had missed a turn as we left Herkimer and headed up smaller and more winding roads to the campground. The turn off to the campground comes up fast and is quite sharp so be on the lookout for it.
The campground has many sites including back in and pull through. Not the largest of sites, but lots of green space to give the campground a park like feel. Some camp sites are right along the West Canada Creek. You can swim/wade in it, in addition to riding rafts along it.
There is a working "diamond" mine at the campground where you can try your hand at mining, or just buy some of the crystals that someone else did the work to get. There is a nice restaurant open most days (we have always managed to miss the days that it's open) in addition to stands near the mine that sell hot dogs and burgers.
There is a nice, large pool. In the park like area around it they have stands that sell mixed drinks, and others that sell ice cream and other deserts. The camp store is medium-large and has supplies, food, souvenirs (including Herkimer Diamond), etc.
GuideOur site had a lot of space. Watched a video on YouTube that was a walk through of each site. So peaceful. Lots of good hiking. Sinks for dishes, clean bathrooms and showers.
ScoutLong read, but so worth it! Below is the review that I posted last August after our vacation. Mind you, the vacation for my immediate family has been 10 years in a row and when I was a kid the same! The incident that happened was with our friends and therefore when I wrote the review, it stated what I witnessed! I was hoping that management changed and/ or they fixed the problems so I was willing to give it another try, I mean, this has been apart of my childhood and my children’s so why not! I called today, lady was super nice and helping me look through all the campsites because we come with so many people! I paid and then friends of ours called. After they called, our friends said that my reservation was cancelled. What??? So I called back thinking it was something on my end. I then had to wait for management to call back. Called back, and whoever I spoke with was extremely rude! She basically told me I was never welcome back and that the owners said so! Now mind you through this whole thing, I never talked to the owners. So do the owners only take one side of the story? I’m not even someone that this incident directly happened to! I said, well can I please speak to your manager or the owner. No, i am the manager, you are not welcome back. I told her that everyone in our party will probably cancel as well and her response was“I’m just waiting for 1 person to call me”! I said a few choice words and I hung up. CRYING. WHAT????? Are you discriminating me because of an issue you had with another camper???? I can’t believe what this has amounted to. So instead of dealing with your issues you just don’t allow people back? Instead of having the owner or management actually call and have a respectful, which was not had, conversation with someone you just brush it off! I have come to Herkimer longer than some of these people have worked there! I really don’t have words for how I feel. And to make matters worse I always go over my dad’s anniversary of his death, August 5, because this was his favorite place and now I can’t go and neither can my children. Great job herkimer diamond mines koa! I applaud you on your discrimination, disrespect and the lack of empathy you have for your campers! Especially the ones who have been a constant! I’m assuming Phil and his wife are still management, good luck! And to the campers that wish to go there, I really hope you enjoy yourselves because it truly is an amazing place. Unfortunately, my memories had to stop here! August 2025 This review is extremely hard for me to write, but what I had witnessed for a week of being there is disgusting& just simply not right. My family has been coming to Herkimer KOA for decades. Throughout the years, we have shown many other families this"gem"... or so we thought. This year was a bit different, there are new camp managers... This week I have witnessed human waste being sprayed all over campsites, management that discredits everything you say, management that thinks its okay to have charges on your bill that they cant even explain, ice cream cart that closes right before the last kid orders& leaves in tears, bathrooms that are disgusting! This is NOT THE HERKIMER I REMEMBER AS A KID! If you look on google, the owners of this campground is a family that has owned it for 50 years! That's amazing& kudos to them! But Phil, Phil is going to ruin every ounce of what they have worked so hard for!& being a business owner, you want management there representing YOU! Doing what YOU would do if you were there. Those owners should not be receiving mine& my friends reviews today if management did their job! Unfortunately, again very hard to say, we will not be returning if Phil is there.& I can honestly say, that the 14-20 families we bring every time, that spend thousands of dollars, will not be as well! Thank you Phil for ruining a vacation I personally held so close to my heart.& because you don't care about how you treat people& how you manage, you have lost years& years& years of loyalty.
RangerFull disclosure, we did not stay here. PLEASE, folks that leave reviews on this app, PLEASE say whether it’s a full-timer campsite or a recreational campsite. We paid for two weeks in advance of arriving at this site based on reviews available on Google and Dyrt. However, when we arrived we were surprised that this was mostly a trailer park. Call me picky, but I really prefer not to camp in an area where folks are living full time. Just not the vibe I’m going for. We decided to leave without staying. We called to see if we could get a refund and they were very kind and it wasn’t a problem. But just be warned… this is not a recreational campsite.
GuideVery quiet small campground - friendly staff - large spots/mainly bigger setups. Only downside is there is not a hiking/walking path down to the lake from the campground. Very nice bathrooms w shower and wash station. Electricity and water available at or near each campsite.
Howes Cave offers camping options across elevations ranging from 850 to 1,400 feet in the lower Catskill foothills of New York. The area's humid continental climate brings warm summers with highs averaging 80°F in July and August, making it ideal for tent and yurt camping. Winter overnight temperatures frequently drop below freezing between November and March, affecting campground seasons.
Waterfall hiking: 30-minute drive from Howes Cave. Max V. Shaul State Park Campground provides access to several nearby waterfalls. "There's no pond/lake here but there's several waterfalls nearby and vromans nose," notes Brian H., highlighting additional natural attractions beyond the campground itself.
Fishing: Multiple species in nearby lakes. Glimmerglass State Park Campground offers excellent fishing opportunities. One camper shared their experience: "My husband loved the fishing! My children loved the water and trails. We visited the Baseball National Hall of Fame, Fenimore Art Museum and the Farmers Museum nearby in Cooperstown."
Cross-country skiing: Winter activity for off-season campers. Winter camping options exist at select locations. "Awesome camping resort. Seasonal rates are excellent. We stayed from April until October then decided to stay over winter. They have a small winter section. You'll have the entire mountain side all to yourself! Snowshoe, cross country ski. Winter campfires," reports one winter visitor to Frosty Acres Campground.
Clean facilities: Many campgrounds prioritize bathroom cleanliness. DevilDoc Campsites receives praise for overall cleanliness and maintenance. "If your looking for a campsite thats private and clean this should be your top pick. This was my first time camping and i wanted my husband to do what he enjoys (outdoor) camping," writes Tanya D.
Private camping spaces: Sites set apart from neighbors. Campgrounds near Howes Cave often provide more space than typical state parks. At Nickerson Park Campground, a reviewer noted: "Groups of sites sit on level terraces stepped down toward the river. The center area of each grouping of sites had a common use area with tether ball, playgrounds, privies, or additional parking. Each site itself was spacious."
Night sky visibility: Excellent stargazing conditions. The rural setting of many Howes Cave area campgrounds makes them perfect for astronomy enthusiasts. "We have also had some great star viewing here!" mentions a Glimmerglass State Park visitor, highlighting an often overlooked natural amenity in the region.
Seasonal operations: Most campgrounds close in October. Nearly all campgrounds in the Howes Cave region operate seasonally, typically from May through early October. Country Roads Campground follows this pattern with a "May 15 to Columbus Day" operating season, though facilities vary between campgrounds.
Water quality varies: Some campgrounds have water issues. Bring your own drinking water when uncertain. One visitor to Nickerson Park warned: "THE WATER! ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING! I'm guessing the new owners didn't do as much as the previous owners as far as water treatments. It smelled like raw sewage, loaded with sediment and very discolored."
Weather preparedness: Temperature swings common. The Catskill foothills experience significant temperature variations, even in summer. Pack layers and appropriate rain gear. At higher elevations, one camper noted: "Very remote.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Howes Cave, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Howes Cave, NY is Max V. Shaul State Park Campground with a 4.8-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Howes Cave, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 33 glamping camping locations near Howes Cave, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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