The Dyrt – find campgrounds for tents, RVs, cabins, glamping and more.
Open in App

Best Campgrounds near Merrick, NY

263 Reviews

Camping options within 30 miles of Merrick, New York range from oceanfront sites to suburban parks with varying levels of development. Nickerson Beach Park Campground in nearby Lido Beach provides RV and tent sites with full hookups just steps from Atlantic Ocean beaches, while Battle Row Campground in Old Bethpage offers year-round camping with more basic amenities. Heading east, Heckscher State Park Campground in East Islip features both traditional campsites and beachside cottages along Great South Bay. Fire Island National Seashore's Watch Hill Campground provides a more remote beach camping experience accessible by ferry, offering a natural barrier island setting with dunes and oceanfront access.

Reservations are essential for most campgrounds in the region, particularly during the peak season from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Many Long Island campgrounds have parkway access restrictions that prohibit RVs and trailers due to low bridge clearances, requiring alternate routing. As one camper noted, "There are height restrictions on the parkways so RVs cannot travel on them without risk of crashing into bridges. Google Maps doesn't have an option for large vehicles, so I made my way manually and the trip took an extra hour." Weather conditions vary seasonally, with summer bringing hot, humid conditions and occasional thunderstorms, while spring and fall offer milder temperatures but more variable conditions including nor'easters in late fall.

Beachfront locations receive consistently positive reviews for their proximity to swimming, fishing, and water activities. At Nickerson Beach, campers appreciate the surfing opportunities, with one visitor noting it's "basically a parking lot, but steps away from some of the greatest waves on the east coast." Most campgrounds in the area feature relatively close site spacing with limited privacy, though facilities are generally well-maintained. Campers seeking solitude may be disappointed, as one reviewer of Heckscher State Park observed: "The campsites are very close together without defining borders so everybody walks across each other's sites. No solitude, lots of families with kids, lots of music." Wildlife encounters are limited compared to more remote camping areas, though raccoons are commonly reported at several campgrounds.

Map showing campgrounds near Merrick, New YorkExplore the Map

Best Camping Sites Near Merrick, New York (38)

    1. Nickerson Beach Park Campground

    8 Reviews
    Long Beach, NY
    5 miles
    Website
    +1 (516) 571-7700

    "It’s basically a parking lot, but it’s steps away from some of the greatest waves on the east coast. Showers are clean, there’s a dog park nearby, and the island is very bikable to get around."

    "Very close to everything."

    2. Battle Row Campground

    4 Reviews
    Old Bethpage, NY
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (516) 572-8690

    $5 - $60 / night

    "You can take bike rides , and relax outside with a nice amount of space to yourself ."

    3. Blydenburgh County Park

    11 Reviews
    Hauppauge, NY
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (631) 854-3713

    "just a great place to get away from home"

    "The group camping on the fox sites is accessible by a dirt drive in. I felt like I was suddenly transported upstate when in fact I had only driven 2 towns over, (about 20 minutes from home.)"

    4. Heckscher State Park Campground

    9 Reviews
    Great River, NY
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (631) 581-2100

    $20 - $285 / night

    ".

    • cottages far enough away from each other
    • fire ring with Adirondack chairs
    • dumpster and recycling within walking distance
    • lots of bone dry firewood around for campfire
    • walkable beach"

    "Overall my experience was positive.

    Camping Sites

    Each camping site has a picnic table and barbeque grill."

    5. Sandy Hook — Gateway National Recreation Area

    19 Reviews
    Atlantic Highlands, NJ
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (347) 630-1124

    $30 - $150 / night

    "Boat from New York City."

    "Once you are there, you can walk right across the street to a bayside inlet and sandy shore that is not highly trafficked because no one can park there except those using the campground."

    6. Liberty Harbor RV Park

    13 Reviews
    Jersey City, NJ
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (201) 516-7500

    $149 / night

    "Very easy to hop on transit to get to New York City. People were friendly."

    "This is all about location. The closest RV park to NYC. It's basically a parking lot with a dump station. Not much else. Pick one of the larger end row sites to get a little extra elbow room."

    7. Battle Row Campground

    Be the first to review!
    Old Bethpage, NY
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (516) 572-8690

    8. Collective Governors Island

    5 Reviews
    Jersey City, NY
    25 miles
    Website
    +1 (970) 445-2033

    $529 - $1200 / night

    "The article also mentions the benefits of camping on Governor Island, such as feeling close to nature, relaxing and enjoying a peaceful space, away from the noise of the city."

    9. Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park

    41 Reviews
    Pomona, NY
    48 miles
    Website
    +1 (845) 947-2792

    $17 - $20 / night

    "$15 dolares la noche para los que viven en el Estado de New York o New York city .. si es fuera del estado son $5 dolares mas!!"

    "Drive-in tent campgrounds. Adequate restroom facilities sprinkled amongst tent sites. Some campsites have raised platforms. All sites have picnic tables and fire ring with flip-top grill."

    10. Staten Island — Gateway National Recreation Area - CLOSED for 2025

    4 Reviews
    Bayonne, NY
    27 miles
    Website
    +1 (718) 354-4655

    $30 / night

    "You have a clear view of the Narrow bridge and at night the city lights light up your surroundings light a nigh light. The camp here has 7 campsites here and it fill up really fast."

    "this place is awesome when it comes to finding an affordable place to stay while in NY, this camp ground isnt your usual forest camp sites, however there are some beautiful views, and it is located in"

Show More
Showing results 1-10 of 38 campgrounds

2025 Detourist Giveaway

Presented byToyota Trucks

Review Campgrounds. Win Prizes.

Enter to Win

Merrick Contest

Enter to Win

Recent Camping Photos near Merrick, NY

104 Photos of 38 Merrick Campgrounds

Recent Reviews near Merrick, NY

263 Reviews of 38 Merrick Campgrounds

  • Paul K.
    Aug. 26, 2025

    Croton Point Park

    Not the Best Place to Go in the Northeast By a Longshot

    Croton Point Campground is a modest little campground, located along the Hudson River within Croton Point Park in NY. In addition to camping, the park itself offers many of its own attractions, including swimming, hiking, kayaking, cabin rentals, and a host of other family-oriented activities just along the Hudson. 

    The park, which is honestly probably the largest attraction here, is located just an hour and a half outside of the city. This proximity is both its perk and its downfall, as the park itself, but particularly the campground, has become laden with all sorts of inexplicable and burdensome rules, endless guidelines, and restrictions only a New York State-run bureaucracy could ever make sense of, let alone hope to justify. 

    This includes all manner of restrictions on how you can camp, where you can camp, what equipment can be used, and use in relation to what particular site you may have been lucky enough to reserve. Much of this you can understand while imagining what may have taken place here to bring them to such measures, but it doesn't make it any easier to contend with. 

    In terms of the actual camping conditions Both the tenting section and RV sites are each very clustered together, and quite crowded, with regular patrols🚓(actual patrols) being made day and night, by both the Park Rangers and what appears to be general park staff members, all looking to see if you or your family might be doing something that they might consider outside of the guidelines or not in compliance with the many restrictions. 

    This is not to say you can't possibly have a good time here. It just might mean being a bit more diligent toward reviewing the potential legitimacy of your normal camping routine to ensure it meets with many restrictions and guidelines imposed, while also making yourself comfortable with some fairly regular surveillance during your stay here. These all being things we hoped to get away from while camping ourselves It just turned out to be a bit much for our particular liking.

  • J
    Aug. 8, 2025

    Wildwood State Park Campground

    Our go-to spot

    My wife and I love this campground. It is right at the entrance to wine country on Long Island and has a beach on the Long Island Sound. (A little rocky on the north shore)

  • GThe Dyrt PRO User
    May. 8, 2025

    Wildwood State Park Campground

    Nice campground with lots of sites

    I've been going to this campground every summer for at least 5 years. Recently they became very stringent about parking to vehicles at the site making it very difficult to visit with a family and 2 vehicles. I usually host group camping trips and the single vehicle rule makes that very difficult.

    That aside, this is a very nice campground with various kinds of sites. You can find sites that are less wooded and better suited to group camping, as well as sites that are a little more secluded. This is one of my favorite campgrounds solely because there are platform sites so I can place my tent on a concrete or wooden platform. There is a separate area for RVs vs tents. There is also a store where you can get a cup of coffee in the morning and lots of goodies throughout the day.

    There are hiking trails and you can walk to the beach. Note - it is a downhill walk to the beach. The beach is fairly clean and has a small boardwalk.

    There are lots of stores nearby as well as orchards to pick your own fruits. I stayed there one weekend and went to Splish Splash waterpark that's not far away. There is also a Tanger Outlet nearby. I've been there during a full on thunderstorm and watched as the trees swayed in the wind.

    Lovely campground with lots of activities to entertain you.

  • GThe Dyrt PRO User
    May. 8, 2025

    Heckscher State Park Campground

    My favorite place for group camping

    This place is the best around for group and family camping. The entire campground is one flat open space where some sites are full in the shade and other sites (lower numbers) have lots of sun. I've been going here every summer since 2019 after it re-opened. Each site has a picnic table and grill. Water is also available near the sites.

    You can come here in tents as well as RVs and the staff is very nice. They toilets are cleaned constantly, though they are not immaculate. There is a shop at the entrance to get supplies if you need it and you can rent firepits and buy firewood. The ice cream trucks comes by as well. There is a playground just for the campground.

    Bring a bicycle or scooper and you can ride the loop around to the beach; you can also drive to the beach. There is a pool, but it has not been open for many years. There are also hiking trails and a place where you can rent a kayak.

    On one visit there was a magician performing for the camp goers. I've even been there while there was a philharmonic concert near the campground.

    Park staff and rangers regularly patrol the campground and are diligent about cleaning up.

  • M
    May. 3, 2025

    Blydenburgh County Park

    Great stay

    If your going to be on Long Island ,Suffolk county is really only RV friendly place.Worth buying green key card for resident access.200 but you’d spend that 4 nights regardless.Very clean campgrounds lots of space.Not much to do inside the grounds.

  • Joe R.
    Mar. 23, 2025

    Liberty Harbor RV Park

    Worth it

    This is a pricey park, but options are limited. As in almost non existent. This is a prime location for visiting the city or heading down the shore. The light rail is a block away, and the path train is about 8.

    Staff is average, as this is not meant to be high end. They are nice but a bit rough. We had some issues with our converter and they wanted to extort a 20% commission to allow our repair man in. A bit of logical conversation put that idea to sleep. Sites kind of level and very close. Power and water, and convenient dump station if staying and needing to dump. The bath house was above average and heated. The laundry was helpful and was acceptable. Having a view of Lady Liberty out your window is priceless.

    Getting in and out of the city is an adventure. Stay right off the highway to avoid the $30 tunnel toll. Follow RV life pro and not Waze.

  • Lee D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 18, 2024

    Croton Point Park

    Not too much to offer

    General: A county park with a mix of w/e (6 sites) and FHU sites plus about a dozen tent sites near a capped dump! There is a lodge and cabins close to the end of the point, but they appeared to be part of a group camp experience. They all appeared to be closed for the season (or because no one was renting at the time; they reminded me of places I used to take youth groups for weekend camps). The reservation process is a bit wonky. You need to call (no online reservations) and then wait for an e-mail, but the e-mail does not tell you your assigned site; you have to wait until you check in to find out your site.

    Site Quality: We had a loosely defined gravel pad that was level. All sites appeared level. The FHU sites were back-to-back and although there were trees separating the sites, they were close together. No one was in the tent sites, but they did have new picnic tables.

    Activities/Amenities: Other than a playground and a basketball court, there did not seem to be any activities to partake in. There used to be a pool but from the looks of it, it hasn’t been in use for many years. There are walking paths outside of the campground that are located within the park, but we did not have time to explore them. 

    Bath/Shower house: Clean but a bit dated. No shelves or hooks for toiletries. I was surprised the door was left open all night long. There was a sign warning that the toilets were slow flushing, but I think this may have been fixed because the flush was so powerful that the water splashed over the top of the seat! 

    Because it was on a point on the Hudson, I had hoped for views from the campground but there were too many trees to see the water. I was perplexed by the signs throughout saying no trespassing/fishing prohibited. I get the no fishing part but the trespassing? When we checked in, we had to write down our credit card number on a slip of paper before we were given a key that opened the gate to the campground. When we checked out, we asked for the paper or to watch it get shredded but were told they had to keep it on file which concerned us.

  • Jake R.
    Oct. 15, 2024

    Campgaw Mountain Reservation

    Busy but Lonely

    Campgaw doesn’t seem to offer much in terms of a camping experience. The sites themselves are fairly close to the road and there are super popular hiking trails that run right through all the camps. If you like being woken up by folks walking their dog at 7 AM, this is the spot for you.

    However, once the sun goes down, the campsite becomes a ghost town (except for the odd sheriff driving down the road). We went on a holiday weekend, and we were the only campsite that was occupied, so that is absolutely a plus. There was also plenty to do during the day, like joining the hikers on those trails, disc golf, and sitting by the water.

    All-in-all, it is not a terrible site, especially considering the cheap price.

  • Jessica C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 11, 2024

    Heckscher State Park Campground

    Great for families, not for solitude

    The campsites are very close together without any defining borders so everybody just walks across each other site’s to get to a different one, a path, the bathroom, etc. No solitude, lots of families with kids, lots of music, I mean it’s basically a party. I didn’t realize this when I made my reservations. The place is great for families who want a safe space to camp and it’s a typical Long Island campground. Rangers came around checking on everyone often so it really did feel incredibly safe. I had a pick up truck w/ tinted windows follow me in the park for quite a while which was rather creepy and I couldn’t shake them. When I biked into the campground itself, the pick up truck couldn’t get past the check in area. Everyone I met was friendly and there’s a little shop in the front of the campgrounds that sells various items. I personally wouldn’t stay here again unless I was meeting up with friends or something and wasn’t trying to have more solitude. This is no fault of the park itself though, I’m just more of a woods girl.

Guide to Merrick

Camping near Merrick, NY, offers a mix of beautiful nature and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful getaway or a family adventure, there are several campgrounds to choose from.

What to do:

What campers like:

  • Clean Facilities: Campers at Clarence Fahnestock State Park appreciate the cleanliness. One visitor said, "The bathroom is very old and very clean," which is a big plus for many.
  • Secluded Sites: Many enjoy the privacy at Mahlon Dickerson Reservation. A camper mentioned, "The sites are spaced well and have a nice bonus of large fire rings set back in the woods."
  • Family-Friendly Activities: Families love the activities at Timberland Lake Campground. One reviewer said, "They do their own haunted walk through that is just awesome!"

What you should know:

  • Noise Levels: Be aware that some campgrounds can get noisy. A visitor at Beaver Pond Campground warned, "When I plan my trip around the spring, fall, or summer weekends that look sparse it is quiet."
  • Limited Amenities: Campgrounds like Liberty Harbor RV Park offer basic amenities. One camper noted, "This campground is like a parking lot, with absolutely nothing but a spot to park."
  • Reservations Required: Many campgrounds, such as Cheesequake State Park, require reservations. A camper mentioned, "Reservations are required," so plan ahead.

Tips for camping with families:

  • Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for places like Wildwood State Park Campground that have activities for kids. One parent said, "There are many farms nearby where you can get fresh veggies and fruits."
  • Pack for Comfort: Bring along items to keep your family comfortable. A visitor at Kettletown State Park Campground noted, "The lots were large. Semi-private with great view and nice walks to the water."
  • Plan for Quiet Time: Be mindful of noise levels, especially at campgrounds like Timberland Lake Campground. One camper mentioned, "Things were loud well past midnight."

Tips from RVers:

  • Know Your Rig: If you're new to RVing, be cautious at places like Liberty Harbor RV Park. A reviewer advised, "Getting in and out is not for someone in a brand new 45' travel trailer."
  • Check for Amenities: Look for campgrounds with the amenities you need. A visitor at Mahlon Dickerson Reservation appreciated the "water spigot at the bathrooms to fill up your water tanks."
  • Explore Nearby Attractions: Many RVers enjoy the convenience of being close to attractions. One camper at Sandy Hook - Gateway National Recreation Area mentioned, "There are several public beaches, a lighthouse, old army barracks and military facilities to explore."

Camping around Merrick, NY, has something for everyone, whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a fun family adventure.

Frequently Asked Questions

What camping is available near Merrick, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, Merrick, NY offers a wide range of camping options, with 38 campgrounds and RV parks near Merrick, NY and 1 free dispersed camping spot.

Which is the most popular campground near Merrick, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Merrick, NY is Nickerson Beach Park Campground with a 3.4-star rating from 8 reviews.

Where can I find free dispersed camping near Merrick, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, there is 1 free dispersed camping spot near Merrick, NY.

What parks are near Merrick, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, there are 11 parks near Merrick, NY that allow camping, notably Gateway National Recreation Area and Fire Island National Seashore.

Keep Exploring