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Best Campgrounds near Ocean Beach, NY

171 Reviews

Camping options near Ocean Beach, New York include several established campgrounds within driving distance of Fire Island. The area features a mix of state and county parks offering various accommodation types. Heckscher State Park Campground in East Islip provides tent, RV, and cabin camping with electric hookups and shower facilities. Watch Hill Fire Island Campground on Fire Island National Seashore offers tent and cabin camping with beach access. Most campgrounds in the region maintain developed sites with picnic tables, fire rings, and restroom facilities, though amenities vary by location.

"The campground is very well kept and clean which I really liked," noted one visitor about Sears Bellows County Park. Access to most campgrounds requires advance reservations, particularly during the peak summer season from May through September. Many campgrounds in the area operate seasonally, with Heckscher State Park open from May 26 to September 3, while others like Blydenburgh County Park and Southaven County Park remain open year-round. Transportation logistics can be challenging, as some locations require ferry access to reach Fire Island destinations, and parkway restrictions may limit RV travel routes to certain campgrounds.

Proximity to beaches represents a significant draw for campers visiting the Ocean Beach area. Watch Hill Fire Island Campground receives positive reviews for its beachfront location, with one camper describing it as "beautiful location steps away from the beach. Listen to the waves crashing as you sleep and stargaze over the clear ocean." Several visitors mentioned mosquitoes as a concern, particularly at Fire Island locations. Wildwood State Park Campground offers beach access to Long Island Sound and convenient proximity to Long Island wineries. Smith Point County Park provides multiple access options including boat-in, drive-in, and walk-in camping. Most campgrounds in the region feature drinking water, showers, and toilet facilities, though primitive sites with fewer amenities can be found at some locations.

Map showing campgrounds near Ocean Beach, New YorkExplore the Map

Best Camping Sites Near Ocean Beach, New York (28)

    1. Heckscher State Park Campground

    9 Reviews
    Great River, NY
    5 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."

    2. Blydenburgh County Park

    11 Reviews
    Hauppauge, NY
    13 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.)"

    3. Watch Hill Fire Island Campground — Fire Island National Seashore

    7 Reviews
    Bayport, NY
    9 miles
    +1 (631) 597-6074

    $25 - $159 / night

    "Beautiful location steps away from the beach. Listen to the waves crashing as you sleep and stargaze over the clear ocean. Not ready for full on camp-life? No problem!"

    "Camping gets you away from the bustle. It is a little less than a half mile walk from the ferry dock and located behind the dunes which offer some protection. Take a quick walk down to the beach."

    4. Smith Point County Park

    9 Reviews
    Mastic Beach, NY
    17 miles
    Website
    +1 (631) 852-1315

    "Literally steps to the beach."

    "A short walk from the ocean to the bay, both accessible by walking from your campsite. No shade so be prepared to wake early if you’re in a sweltering tent. Staff has been great, no complaints."

    5. Southaven County Park

    7 Reviews
    Shirley, NY
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (631) 852-1391

    $33 / night

    "Recently went camping in our pull behind, met some old friends and had a great time. Rangers have a hardon for people screwing up tho. Think they're all that and then some..."

    "Great Location Clean Park."

    6. Smith's Point

    5 Reviews
    Mastic Beach, NY
    17 miles
    Website

    7. Wildwood State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Wading River, NY
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (631) 929-4314

    $20 - $250 / night

    "The beach is in a walking distance. You can swim or fish there. This camp site has a relatively new and clean facility.

    There are many farms near by where you can get fresh veggies and fruits."

    "However there are too many loud families and the sites are too close in proximity for me."

    8. Battle Row Campground

    4 Reviews
    Old Bethpage, NY
    17 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 ."

    9. Cathedral Pines County Park

    4 Reviews
    Middle Island, NY
    20 miles
    Website
    +1 (631) 852-5502

    10. Nickerson Beach Park Campground

    8 Reviews
    Long Beach, NY
    24 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."

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Recent Camping Photos near Ocean Beach, NY

58 Photos of 28 Ocean Beach Campgrounds

Recent Reviews near Ocean Beach, NY

171 Reviews of 28 Ocean Beach Campgrounds

  • 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.

  • Prashant M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 17, 2024

    Indian Island County Park

    Very Busy! Close quarters! Can be loud and neighbors are ignorant of rules

    Stayed at this campground this past weekend and yes it was a long weekend so the campground was packed. All the camping spots are pretty much right next to each one with hardly any space, packed like Sardines. Neighbors are loud and some of them are ignorant of the park rules. Staying on the phones in the middle of the night while talking so loud that all camping neighbors can hear their whole story

    Its a pity that they take a nice park and remove the fun out of camping. 

    However the walk to the beach area was very serene, especially early morning before sunrise and didn't feel like we live in dense suburbia and sunrise from the beach was worth the trip

    Camp site itself was pretty flat, had a water station, bathrooms were well kept , no fire ring (BYOFP)

  • 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.

  • JThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 27, 2024

    Skyline RV Camp - Non-Waterfront

    Skyline RV Camp Has Moved

    Be advised that Skyline RV Camp has moved to:

    50 Noble St, Brooklyn, NY 11222

    The original property location at 2 Oak St was sold and is now private property.

    Google Maps coords are 40.730491531436556,-73.9577966772486

    There no longer is a waterfront view of the NYC skyline when camping at Skyline RV. The website views are misleading.

  • G
    Jun. 14, 2024

    Smith Point County Park

    Lovely campsite

    Truly great spot. Amazing sites with plenty of room, though they are close together. But was worth it for the amenities and fantastic views. Stayed on the bayside (site 30), which had a fantastic direct bay view. Although most sites have views of the bay, some are blocked by seagrass (for example site 28 - huge corner spot but the flat spot to park has an obstructed view). Literally steps to the beach.

Guide to Ocean Beach

Camping near Ocean Beach, New York, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and fun activities. Whether you're looking for a family-friendly spot or a peaceful getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.

What to do

  • Beach Access: Many campgrounds are just a short walk from the beach. For example, at Wildwood State Park Campground, you can enjoy a nice beach with no waves, perfect for swimming or fishing. One visitor mentioned, "The beach is in walking distance. You can swim or fish there."
  • Hiking and Trails: If you love nature walks, check out Blydenburgh County Park. The trails are awesome, and you can even rent a rowboat for fishing. A camper noted, "Trails were awesome. Row boat for fishing was great."
  • Local Farms: Fresh produce is nearby! Campers at Indian Island County Park enjoyed visiting local farms for fresh veggies and fruits. One review said, "There are many farms nearby where you can get fresh veggies and fruits."

What campers like

  • Clean Facilities: Campers appreciate well-maintained bathrooms and showers. At Smith Point County Park, one visitor remarked, "Clean and well lit. Our site had a trex picnic table on a cement patio."
  • Family-Friendly Atmosphere: Many campgrounds cater to families. For instance, Southaven County Park has a beautiful lake and a nice playground. A happy camper said, "Perfect place to take the little ones has a beautiful lake and a really nice playground."
  • Spacious Sites: Campers enjoy having enough space between sites. At Heckscher State Park Campground, one reviewer mentioned, "I had enough space that I didn't feel like I was intruding on my neighbors."

What you should know

  • Noise Levels: Some campgrounds can get loud, especially on weekends. A visitor at Wildwood State Park Campground shared, "The crowd stayed awake playing music all night very loudly."
  • Booking in Advance: Popular sites fill up quickly, especially during peak season. A camper at Nickerson Beach Park Campground noted, "It's all but impossible to get an RV spot there from Memorial Day to Labor Day."
  • Limited Amenities: Some campgrounds may not have all the amenities you expect. For example, Sears Bellows County Park does not offer electric hookups, which some campers found inconvenient.

Tips for camping with families

  • Choose Family-Friendly Campgrounds: Look for places with playgrounds and activities for kids. Southaven County Park is highly recommended for families, as one reviewer said, "Perfect place to take the little ones."
  • Plan for Meals: Bring a camp stove or grill since some sites may not have fire rings. A camper at Heckscher State Park Campground mentioned, "I would just bring your own [fire pit]."
  • Pack for Bugs: Be prepared for mosquitoes, especially in wooded areas. A visitor at Watch Hill Family Campground warned, "Lots of mosquitoes, be prepared."

Tips from RVers

  • Check Site Sizes: Make sure your RV fits the site. A reviewer at Blydenburgh County Park mentioned, "A few Big Rig spots are available, but this is a Suffolk Co Campground that is not well maintained."
  • Be Ready for Rough Roads: Some campgrounds have bumpy access roads. A camper at Blydenburgh County Park noted, "2 miles of the road have many areas of missing blacktop making a very rough ride."
  • Plan for Dump Stations: Not all campgrounds have easy access to dump stations. A visitor at Wildwood State Park Campground mentioned, "The dump station is basically not accessible to a big rig."

Camping near Ocean Beach, New York, has something for everyone. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Ocean Beach camping located?

Ocean Beach camping options can be found in the New York metropolitan area with several coastal locations. Sandy Hook — Gateway National Recreation Area offers beachfront camping with ocean access and is accessible by boat from New York City. For those seeking proximity to Ocean Beach on Fire Island, Watch Hill Fire Island Campground — Fire Island National Seashore provides a true oceanfront camping experience with beach access. These locations offer the ocean beach camping experience while being accessible from the New York City area.

How does Ocean Beach compare to other New York beach campsites?

Ocean Beach camping offers a distinctive coastal experience compared to other New York beach options. Sears Bellows County Park provides both tent and RV sites with various outdoor activities for families, though it lacks direct oceanfront access. Meanwhile, Smith Point County Park offers true beachfront camping with drive-in access and essential amenities like restrooms and water. What sets Ocean Beach camping apart is the balance between natural coastal settings and accessibility to urban attractions. While some oceanfront sites offer more seclusion, others provide the unique advantage of beach camping with relatively easy access to New York City attractions, giving campers the best of both worlds.

What amenities are available at Ocean Beach campground?

At oceanfront campgrounds like Heckscher State Park Campground on Long Island, you'll find basic amenities including 69 tent/trailer sites without hookups. The park features camping areas with nearby access to beaches, though sites may lack clear separation between them. For RV campers, Liberty Harbor RV Park provides convenient amenities with a small tent area and primarily focuses on accommodating RVs, plus offers easy transit access to New York City. Most ocean beach campgrounds in the region provide fire pits, basic toilet facilities, and water access, though specific amenities vary by location.

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