169 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
The Catskill region surrounding Lake Hill, New York features a mix of established campgrounds and primitive camping options within the forested mountain landscape. Catskill/Kenneth L Wilson Campground provides spacious, wooded sites for tent and RV camping, with several reviewers noting its private, shaded settings. North-South Lake Campground and Devil's Tombstone Campground offer additional developed options with amenities like picnic tables, fire pits, and seasonal access. For those seeking more rustic experiences, Echo Lake offers free dispersed camping with primitive tent sites accessible by hiking trails.
Camping is generally available from mid-May through early October, with most established campgrounds closing by late October. Many sites require reservations, particularly during summer weekends and fall foliage season. The terrain varies from accessible drive-in spots to more remote hike-in locations requiring preparation. Bears are active throughout the region, and proper food storage is essential. Most campgrounds have specific protocols and regulations regarding wildlife. Cell service is limited or nonexistent in many camping areas. A camper noted, "There was no cell service in the campground," highlighting the remote nature of these locations despite their proximity to towns like Woodstock.
Several visitors highlight the natural features that make camping in this region distinctive. The wooded settings provide privacy and shade at most sites, with many campers appreciating the spacious layouts. Echo Lake offers scenic water views with tent sites surrounding the lake, though one reviewer advised, "It can get swampy near the edge of the lake so you may want to bring bug spray." The area's mixed-use campgrounds balance access to amenities with natural settings. Kenneth L Wilson Campground receives consistently positive reviews for its cleanliness and well-maintained facilities, with multiple reviewers mentioning its proximity to hiking trails and the nearby towns of Woodstock and Phoenicia. Primitive camping options like Giant Ledge provide more solitary experiences for those willing to hike in with their gear.
"Our first campground was in New York Aug 8th. Unfortunately, Debbie was socking New York hard. North South Lake Campground in the Catskills was our camping home."
"This is a truly beautiful and scenic campground, easily one of the best places we have visited in New York State."
from $22 - $44 / night
Check Availability"This campground is nestled in the Catskills, New York, with easy access to New Jersey and Connecticut."
"Access to fresh water spouts and clean bathrooms were just a walk away from most sites, theres a beautiful pond on site and beautiful views of the Catskills, Woodstock is a 15 min drive if you’re looking"
from $22 / night
Check Availability"water to play in right behind tent. I do prefer fire pits over the brick stove. this had the stove. more advanced hiking in walking distance. no cell service. my gps on phone was able to track though."
"Close to Woodstock, NY, many trails and other attractions. You need to plan for it, there's a lot to explore; some trails are challenging. "
from $20 / night
Check Availability"You’ve got fishing either in 2 private lakes or you can fish in the river but to do the river you’ll need a New York State fishing license."
"I was a little skeptical that we wouldn’t get to choose our site, but you can’t go wrong, they are all wooded, private and well situated. The campground is centrally located you many things to do."
"this is close by to many catskill hiking trails"
"It was close to trails and town"
from $16 / night
Check Availability"Right outside downtown Phoenicia the black bear campground is perfectly situated for a multitude of activities. They offer creek front and wooded campsites."
"2 minutes walk to town"
from $35 - $65 / night
Check Availability"You will see a yellow little circle sign on a tree with a tent on it, a short distance down that side trail there is the site. It has rock benches and a fire pit. Primitive."
"However the descriptions of this place in reviews here and elsewhere provided very little info and once I got out to the trail realized how different it was to what I expected."
"A great free spot for dispersed camping tucked right off the road. Had a fire pit and picnic table"
"Short walk to all campsites."
"There are great hiking trails on the Hudson River right outside your campsite. Amenities are the great outdoors and an ancient bath house built during the New Deal in the 1930's."
"Firewood wasn’t available at the camp, had to drive about a mile to grab some. Close to town so easy to grab needed items."
from $21 - $102 / night
Check Availability"I went here with my friend and we were using it as our base camp as we went out in trails in the eastern Catskills notably the Devils Path, echo lake, etc."
"Nice little campground with lake sites. The Northville Placed Trail comes out in this campground. The showers were clean and plenty of pressure."
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.
GuideMade a reservation (site44) since I arrived as the sun had set. Office registration was open until 8. Staff was neither friendly nor unfriendly. Bathroom was dated but fine and a short walk from my site. CG was emptier being a Tuesday night in mid-October, so was plenty of space.
Great trail following the Hudson River. Beautiful fall colors.
ScoutI stayed here in March 2026 for a night before going snowboarding at Belleayre Mountain. It was in the middle of a snowstorm on a Tuesday night, so I had the whole place to myself, which was nice.
TravelerA nice wooded campground that was quiet despite being almost full on our Friday night stay.
The site we stayed at (64) had some pretty large roots to drive over and may have been an issue for a low clearance vehicle (we have a Subaru Outback).
The shower / house bathroom combo units weee very clean with hot water and baby changing station.
GuideI'm sure families would like it here in the summer, but to charge $90 when everything is closed up is ridiculous. Wi-Fi and showers are an additional cost. It does have an ADA shower which is a plus. Lots of permanent RVers and some sites are tight.
ScoutNice campground, bathrooms are clean but dated, first come first serve for the sites.
GuideThe park looks fantastic! Well maintained camp sites and beautiful river sceneries from the boat launch area!
Bathhouse is one of the best I have seen!
Check in was smooth. Everyone was courteous!
LegendMostly peaceful campground with nice spots, most of which offer some privacy. If you are bothered by trains, note that you will hear them in the background quite frequently from the railroad bridge that passes over the Hudson River. It's not loud by any means, but you can hear them.
The state park staff and the camp hosts were all very friendly, and it has some of the cleanest bathrooms I've ever seen in a state park.
Site 20 is a pull through site and it's huge, and while it is next to the shower building, it's far enough away that it really isn't a problem. Also, the field between you and the shower building is a fantastic spot to set up a Starlink dish.
Travelerbeautiful quiet space, great home base for the Catskills and small towns around here. note there's only a few spots. road conditions were fine.
The Catskill Park area surrounding Lake Hill sits at elevations between 1,100-3,500 feet, creating diverse microclimates throughout the camping season. The region falls within the 700,000-acre Catskill Forest Preserve with strict "leave no trace" regulations at all camping locations. Weather patterns can change rapidly in mountain valleys, with temperature drops of 15-20 degrees common after sunset even in summer months.
Waterfront recreation: Echo Lake offers primitive tent camping with excellent water access for swimming and fishing. One camper noted, "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."
Historic trails: Access the Catskill Escarpment trail system directly from North-South Lake Campground. A reviewer mentioned, "Awesome access to the Catskill Escaprment trail from here," while another highlighted that it's "Located just about a mile from Kaaterskill Falls this campground couldn't be in a better spot."
Wildlife observation: Giant Ledge Primitive Camp requires a challenging hike-in but rewards with wildlife viewing opportunities. A camper advised, "Bring a bear bell and bear mace can to be safe. We did not see any but definite signs of them. Get tracking poles if you don't already have some. Very helpful here."
Natural water features: Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds offers creek-side campsites particularly popular with visitors. A reviewer shared, "Stayed for a night. We were over in 'Lover's Lane' so it was isolated on a separate loop. Couples only on this loop, no kids! Pricey--$60 a night. But super nice being right on the creek--we took our chairs and plopped down in the water."
Trail access proximity: Multiple camping spots near Lake Hill provide direct trail connections. At Giant Ledge Primitive Camp, a camper described, "From the parking area of Giant Ledge/Panther Mountain this was a fairly decent and semi challenging hike. We took our dog too."
Reliable facilities: Campers consistently mention the quality of amenities at established sites. At Catskill/Kenneth L Wilson Campground, a visitor reported, "The bathrooms were fine. They were clean but sometimes ran out of toilet paper. There was no cell service in the campground."
Site access variations: Some camping areas require careful planning for vehicle access. At Devil's Tombstone Campground, a reviewer warned, "We had a VW Westfalia, which we had no trouble pulling into our site. If we had something bigger, it might have been an issue."
Weather preparation: Mountain weather patterns require extra gear considerations. A camper at Echo Lake advised, "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!"
Reservation timing: Busy periods require advance planning. At North-South Lake Campground, a visitor recommended, "Clean and well run campground with beautiful lakes and surrounded by trails. perfect Hudson getaway. Reserve very early for waterfront."
Swimming options: Multiple camping spots near Lake Hill offer kid-friendly water areas. A camper at North-South Lake Campground shared, "I go there almost every year to go swimming with my family and friends and it's always a good time."
Playground access: Woodland Valley Campground offers family-friendly amenities beyond hiking. A visitor noted, "we got rained out. but it was still an awesome campground. private and just secluded enough. everyone was friendly. water to play in right behind tent."
Trail difficulty levels: Consider trail ratings when planning family hikes from campsites. At Devil's Tombstone Campground, a reviewer mentioned, "This is cute small campground. Most of the sites are gravel so being extra pad for the tent. The rangers were very friendly and helpful."
Site dimensions: RVers should verify specific site layouts before booking. At Catskill/Kenneth L Wilson Campground, a camper described, "We had a 3-day weekend tent camping at This site from July 24-26 2020, at site 58 on Loop C. It was almost completely full that weekend, with a bit of coming and going. Campsites are fairly close together with a variety of levels of privacy. Ours allowed you to be pretty far back from the road for more privacy, but some of the other sites were literally next to the road."
Hookup availability: Multiple camping areas offer electrical connections with limitations. At Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds, a reviewer explained, "Very easy to level and setup on #7. Full connections. Pay showers and laundry onsite. Loved having gated security."
Off-season access: RV camping seasons vary by location and elevation. A reviewer at Blue Mountain Reservation shared, "We had a great time with a playground and pool basketball court. Game room and snacks a nicely stocked camp store and exceptionally clean bath houses and laundry facilities. Propane and chopped wood available and wonderful hosts."
Frequently Asked Questions
What camping is available near Lake Hill, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, Lake Hill, NY offers a wide range of camping options, with 169 campgrounds and RV parks near Lake Hill, NY and 15 free dispersed camping spots.
Which is the most popular campground near Lake Hill, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Lake Hill, NY is North-South Lake Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 44 reviews.
Where can I find free dispersed camping near Lake Hill, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 15 free dispersed camping spots near Lake Hill, NY.
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