Best Tent Camping near Johnsonville, NY
Tent camping options surround Johnsonville, New York, with several state forest and wilderness tent campsites spread across the nearby landscape. Ushers Road State Forest offers tent-friendly dispersed camping with locations at least 150 feet from established trails. Seth Warner Shelter, accessible via the Long Trail in nearby Vermont, provides both shelter accommodations and tent platforms for hikers seeking primitive camping experiences.
The tent campsites at Ushers Road State Forest feature stone fire rings at previously used sites, with fires permitted throughout the forest. Most primitive tent areas lack amenities, with no drinking water, toilets, or trash service available. Campers must pack in all necessary supplies and pack out all waste. Access varies significantly between locations, with some sites requiring a short hike from trailheads while others permit drive-in access. At Seth Warner Shelter, visitors will find basic toilets but should be prepared to filter water from natural sources. Stratton Pond Shelter, another backcountry option, includes two tent platforms, outhouses, and proximity to a substantial body of water.
The primitive tent camping experience around Johnsonville provides excellent opportunities for solitude and nature immersion. Sites at Ushers Road State Forest offer flexible camping options with abundant potential locations for tents throughout the wooded area. When exploring trail-accessed tent sites, campers should watch for side trails leading to established campsites with stone fire rings. The terrain transitions to low-lying, swampy areas in some locations, particularly after rainfall. One visitor noted, "About 500 feet down the right-hand trail, there is a smaller path branching off to the left. This leads to a previously used campsite, approximately 200 feet from the main trail." At Stratton Pond, tent campers gain access to hiking trails at the intersection of the Appalachian Trail, Long Trail, and Stratton Mountain trail systems.





















