Best Campgrounds near Ithaca, NY

I had a wonderful stay at Beaver Bend. The campground is beautifully landscaped, spacious and quiet. I experienced camping in the summer, the weather was very pleasant. We hiked in the woods, fished and visited the heardle nearby lakes. It was truly a memorable experience.

Nice, quiet stay. Third time staying here over the last decade when passing through the area and it's been great every time.

Perfect location great view of the lake and close to many breweries wineries distilleries hiking trails state parks and amazing restaurants

The tent site and the 70 acres of hiking trails sound like the perfect getaway for anyone looking to reconnect with nature. I love the idea of having access to such a large network of trails, especially with the Finger Lakes area offering so much natural beauty. By the way, if you’re ever in need of some inspiration or ideas for nature-related essays, check out Nature Essay Examples and Topic Ideas on https://www.topessaywriting.org/samples/nature —there’s a lot of helpful content there! Overall, this seems like the ideal spot for anyone wanting to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

5/5 Stars!

I recently stayed at Sned Acres Campground, and it was an incredible experience! The campground is beautifully maintained with stunning views of Cayuga Lake. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed. The facilities were spotless, and the campsites were spacious and well-kept. Whether you’re RVing or tent camping, there’s plenty of space and privacy.

The location is perfect for exploring the Finger Lakes region, with wineries, hiking, and local attractions just a short drive away. The peaceful atmosphere and serene surroundings made for a relaxing getaway. I can’t recommend Sned Acres enough – we’ll definitely be back!

Right at the intersection of Potomac Road and Chicken Coop road in the Finger Lakes National Forest. If heading North on Potomac Road, turn left at the intersection and you’ll find a parking lot. Into the woods around the Lake you’ll find free dispersed camping.

My mom and I stayed just in the parking lot and had no issues and weren’t bothered. NO AMENITIES

Camped here for a one night stay. Campground was easy to locate and the road was in good shape.

We stayed in the space across from the port-a-pottie. The other camping spaces we close enough to see their campfire at night but far enough away that it's still quiet.

Campsites are level and long enough for a very small trailer. The trees are so thick we could not feed our solar panel.

Site has no water, no garbage service and no phone signal.

We came into the camping area on a Sunday and found site 7 available. While this is next to the road, it is also within 40 yards of the only potta potty in the park.

About 100 yards away was the public fishing dock and another camp site. There were two young men fishing there at about 7 PM.

There is no water or garbage services at this site. Most camping spots are ideal for tents or very small campers or trailers.

The camp sites I saw all seemed to be large and level spots all located beneath the tree canopy. Sites seemed disbursed enough to provide a modest level of privacy.

Would rate 5 stars if it had water and a garbage dumpster.

No show but decent bathrooms. I spent a night at Watkins Glen the only advantage was the shower. But you can wash up well here. You can stay horses here, each site has a fire pit and it feels safe.

I was initially worried about the other people camping here because I was almost immediately visited by them but the poor kids just needed to charge their phone so I obliged. Aside from that this was a short drive in and I was able to score a spot right on the pond next to a dock. People have driven in to fish and kayak so I don’t feel isolated and afraid, and I am just a few steps away from sitting on the dock and admiring the scenery.

There is a port-a-potty near the entrance but otherwise a “leave no trace” situation which is fine considering the ample forest coverage in case there is someone who drives in.

Each spot seems to have plenty of shade and access to downed firewood, and it looks like there are fire pits at each site. Lots of good tinder left over from previous guests which has been helpful.

Beautiful views, quiet, no insect issues so far, and if I had a rod and reel I wouldn’t need to worry for food at all. T-Mobile service has been exceptional as well. I am planning on staying here for a week or more and I see no reason to find another location as there is no fee or permit needed and you can stay up to 14 days I believe.

Amazing RV park!I can't stop talking about the Finger Lakes RV park and the great experience we had there. FLRV opened in the last couple years and is a great addition to the camping options around the Finger Lakes. Located about 1/3 of the way up the eastern side of Seneca Lake, the location provides easy access to the wineries, distilleries, and breweries along the lake.

This is a family owned campground and the owners were very friendly and took pride in their business. Fresh baked chocolate chip cookies are included at check-in. The campground sites are very large and spread out. Being a newer campground, the trees are small, but that did not take away from the experience. Easy maneuverability, great wifi and water pressure, along with level sites make it a great place to stay. The bath house is immaculate and rivals those at Fort Wilderness Resort. 

Amenities are minimal(no pool, playground, or golf carts), but they are bookended by two wineries with walking paths from the campground. Due to the minimal amenities, it is very quiet and relaxing especially in the evenings sitting around the campfire. 

I look forward to returning to the Finger Lakes RV park as this is easily one of our top campgrounds when needing to relax.

Stopped in to "ride out a rain storm." After surviving the night, we discovered all the amenities. Free garbage service daily, Water faucets were placed all over the campground. There is a Forest Fire Lookout Tower next to the bathrooms.

Camp sites are disbursed so you don't feel crowded or squeezed for space.

Weekends are very busy but weekdays there were no more than 7 or 8 campsites occupied each night.

The horse stalls were used regularly and seeing horses coming and going on trail rides is a daily occurrence.

We stayed at Finger Lakes RV Resort in Hector, a short drive from Watkins Glen and Ithaca, in search of waterfalls and wine in the Finger Lakes region of NY state. 

This is a fairly new campground, operated by a friendly husband and wife who show great pride in the condition and cleanliness of every square inch. 

THINGS I ESPECIALLY LIKED: 

• Easy drive to Watkins Glen, Lake Seneca, Ithaca, and the greater Finger Lakes region. 

• Everything is in great condition and clean. 

• Daily trash and recycling pick-up from each site. 

• Walking paths from the campground to two different wineries. 

• Really nice pavilion for group gatherings and watching the sunset. 

• We experienced a severe thunderstorm one evening which resulted in an area-wide power outage that lasted a couple days. Of course, the campground had no responsibility or control over this situation, but they refunded everybody a night’s stay as a courtesy. Thanks, Rachael and Doug! 

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: 

• This campground does not offer a pool, jump pad, sports facilities, amenities, or activities. They offer a clean and safe place to stay while visiting the area. For me, this is a positive, not a complaint. 

• There’s no shade from trees or otherwise. If you’re visiting during the summer, be sure your air conditioning and awnings are working. 

• They sell firewood and propane. 

WOULD WE COME BACK? 

• Absolutely, this is a great place to stay for wine and waterfalls.

Some of the other state forests in the area are really nice, so I had high hopes for Long Pond but was disappointed. Long Pond is located in a state forest west of Smithfield Flats and Greene NY, and many locals come to Long Pond for fishing. The pond is quite large compared to other area pinds, and three are three accesses for fishing: a regular boat launch with parking lot and dock, a carry-in kayak access near campsite 6, and a handicapped accessible fishing puer near campsite 1. All seem to be very popular, and the lake is very scrnic and very productive for fisherman. The camping situation is a little strange though. Campsite 1 is adjacent to the handicapped fishing pier, and is supposedly an accessible campsite. Though an all terrain wheelchair could navigate from car to campsite, a regular one could not due to gravel. In addition, there is no outhouse by the site, only one quite a ways down the lake. Also, the parking area at this campsite seems to be a major party spot as beer cans were thrown all over and even in the water. It was sad to see this. The other campsites nearby are not located in a distinct campground, but are strung out along the shoreline clise to the highways, each with its own driveway right off the highway, which creates a lake of privacy as passersby can quite easily pop right in off the highway. This doesnt seem real secure, and some if the campsites closest to the road had evidence of driveby garbage dumpers who popped in and dumped household garbage right in a couple of the campsites. In addition, the relatively new outhouse installed near the middle of the camping area has been vandalized and damaged already. Its a shame to see this, as otherwise the campsites are large and shaded and well spaced from each other and close to the pond. But I wouldnt want to camp here given the garbage and security and vandalism issues. Also, other than fishing there isnt much too do as there arent designated hiking trails here, though you could drive a few miles away to access some truck trails that are in another part of the state forest. Get a map of the forest from the website ahead of time though, as the info kiosk has been damaged and all info and signs and maps are missing!