18 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Heckscher State Park Campground accepts pets throughout its 69 tent and RV sites, though campsites lack distinct boundaries with no designated pet areas. The open layout means people and pets often walk through neighboring sites. Fire Island National Seashore's Watch Hill Fire Island Campground provides pet-friendly accommodations just steps from the beach, allowing campers to listen to waves crashing while their dogs enjoy the shoreline. Blydenburgh County Park features pet-friendly tent and RV camping with nearby trails ideal for dog walking. Campers consistently note that bathrooms and shower facilities at these parks are generally clean and well-maintained. Most campgrounds provide water hookups near sites for pet hydration, though mosquitoes can be particularly aggressive at Watch Hill where even DEET repellent offers limited relief.
Fire Island's Watch Hill campground offers backcountry beach camping options by permit where dogs can enjoy more seclusion. Sites along the dunes provide significant spacing from other campers, creating a private beach experience with pets. The 7-mile loop trail around the lake at Blydenburgh County Park accommodates both dogs and horses, with decent fishing opportunities as well. Wildwood State Park Campground's pet-friendly sites include tent, RV, cabin and glamping options operating from April through October. All Suffolk County parks enforce leash requirements, with rangers making regular patrols to ensure compliance. Smith Point County Park's multiple access types (boat-in, drive-in, walk-in) create diverse camping possibilities for pet owners. Temperature considerations are important when tent camping with pets, as summer months can become particularly hot with limited shade at beachfront locations.
"* 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."
from $20 - $285 / night
Check Availability"Great park with a nice 7 mile loop around the lake with decent fishing. Lots of horses and dogs on the trail. 30 or so sites around a central public restroom."
"Hiking trails are beautiful. Dog friendly. Clean bathrooms"
"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."
from $35 - $197 / night
Check Availability"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."
"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."
from $33 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $20 - $225 / night
Check Availability"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."
"Campsites are located close enough to the beach/marsh. Multiple playgrounds for the kids although they were closed due to Covid."
"There are dog friendly which was very nice. It is a lil tight from each site but you have the beach and a little hiking trails that makes it worth it."
GuideI grew up in Long Beach. If you’re looking for a spot to camp so you can surf, this is perfect! 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.
benefits: allows dogs childrens playground beach programs like movie nights throughout the summer
GuideCamp Gateway in Brooklyn New York is one of my favorite places to visit. I went to college in New York, and loved to get out of the busy city and go camping and be outdoors. Camp Gateway was always a place that I loved to go. It is pretty close to town-which is crazy because you feel like you are miles away. Camp Gateway does offer a lot of different activities for everyone. One thing I love to do is go kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. My girlfriends and I tried to do this once a month to get away from the city and school. Because you are so close to the city, you can plan outdoor activities as well as some activities in the city. My friends and I stayed 1 night in the campground, and the next day went to a recital show that took us 10 minutes to get to. You can also walk, hike or ride your bike along multiple paths- I have done the Fort Tilden trail (I just walked, but there were multiple people that passed us on their bikes). Within the campground they do have some fire pits- which my friends and I always use because we love cooking smores and hot dogs for dinner. A little further away from the campground, about 10-15 miles there is a place where you can do horseback riding, see the Statue of Liberty (which is gorgeous!), and there is a little beach area. This beach area is where I do my kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. Again, its not very far away...you can either drive there, walk or ride your bike. The road is paved, which is nice. I stayed here also with my parents, and I know my dad went golfing one day (I didn't go, but he said it was awesome)- and again that was only a 10 minute drive from our camping spot. This campground like I said, does offer quite a bit. Sometimes it doesn't really feel like you are "camping" because things are pretty close by, but it definitely is worth going to and trying.
RangerVery plain & functional, no frills but right on the harbor & on the very edge of Jersey City, close to a ferry & the train that takes u across to New York City. Shopping & restraunts are right next door. We brought scooters & had a great stay! Plus you can see the Statue of Liberty from there!
LegendWe tried this campground without knowing what was safe and where to stay for visit New York City. It is located in Brooklyn and is little removed from everything. The sites are at Floyd Bennett Field which is an old airfield. The atmosphere here is eerily cool at the same time. You basically park and camp on the asphalt by the old hangars. No hookups at all but they do have a camp store and bath house. If you are tent camping, there are some grassy sites.
The campground is located right on Jamaica Bay so there were people fishing all the time from the seawall. At night, you could hear cars doing burnouts right next to us. To get to all the action in the city, we had to take a bus and then the subway. The travel was a headache but better than trying to drive in to New York City in our RV. One way to improve here would be to have some security at night as well as access to clean water and dump station. They remained locked most of the time for some reason.
The best part of this place was the free tour of Hangar B by some guys doing restoration of old planes (HARP). They had some great stories and gave us history of the planes on display.
GuideThis place is kind of a toss up for me. On one hand, I enjoy it because it's a little slice of heaven in the hell of one of the busy areas of New York. I hate this place for the same reason. It's not really camping if you're going to see a play and then go tour the Statue of Liberty. It just doesn't seem right to me. If I HAVE to be in New York, maybe I'd consider staying here again just to get myself out of the city for a bit. But this definitely isn't your "great outdoors/rest and relaxation" kind of place.
ScoutVery reasonable rates to pitch a tent. You get a private space with a fire pit. Ocean is close with lifeguards. Good fishing and pleasant people. Boat from New York City.
ScoutThere is only a small place for tents. Mostly people go there with campers. Not your typical campground. Very easy to hop on transit to get to New York City. People were friendly.
LegendThis campground is amazing. 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. I came at 5 in the morning and there was already a family there. There is abandoned buildings here and you can do urban exploring. There are restroom here that are pretty dirty. The public uses the restrooms not just the campers here. For the firewood I recommend buying it or bringing your own. Firewood was difficult to find here. At night there are no stars because the city lights cover them up.There are rangers taking you on a trek and exploring the abandoned building. This place is great if you live in new York city and don't want to drive really far from the city to go camping
RangerThe park itself is lovely and close to some other green areas. The nice thing about this campsite is that it’s so close to NYC. The bad thing about this campsite is that it’s so close to NYC. If you live in NYC this is a good, cheap, super quick escape accessible by public transport. If you’re visiting the area I’d recommend staying in Manhattan/Queens in an AirBNB for the full NYC experience or heading to Long Island, Pennsylvania, “Upstate” New York, or New Jersey for a better nature camping experience. For what it is, this site is a nice green little oasis. It’s National Park Service land and they try really hard to keep things clean and working well with so much traffic. Bring earplus for the airport traffic and the noisy neighbors. Tent sites are pretty and wooded, but there is also a TON of concrete from an old WW2 airfield.
Suffolk County offers several pet friendly camping near Ocean Beach, New York with terrain that varies from pine barrens to coastal settings. The region features sandy beaches along both the Atlantic Ocean and the Long Island Sound, with elevations rarely exceeding 100 feet above sea level. Summer temperatures typically range from 70-85°F, while spring and fall camping seasons experience milder 55-75°F temperatures.
Kayaking and rowboats: At Blydenburgh County Park, campers can enjoy water activities on the lake. "Great park with a nice 7 mile loop around the lake with decent fishing. Lots of horses and dogs on the trail," notes Erik R. The park rents rowboats for fishing excursions.
Beach stargazing: At Watch Hill Fire Island Campground, visitors can obtain special permits for nighttime beach access. "You can get a permit to backcountry camp instead of reserving a designated campground spot... There were many spots along the dunes and allows to really space out from other campers," says Emily S.
Island exploration: Take a ferry to access Fire Island's unique landscape. "Fire Island National Seashore! Take the ferry over across the bay to this quiet little gem on Long Island. Amazing, your own ocean and beach!" writes Megan B. The ferry ride takes approximately 30 minutes from the mainland.
Private beach access: Smith Point County Park provides direct ocean access from campsites. "Great first experience. Had onsite bathrooms and showers that were clean. 1 minute walk over the dune to the Atlantic ocean," Michael states. Sites 230-270 specifically overlook the ocean.
Family-friendly amenities: Indian Island County Park features playgrounds and open fields for kids. "It's nice for kids they have an open field with a playground for kids. There are dog friendly which was very nice," reports Gino D. The beach area is within walking distance of all campsites.
Wooded sites: Cathedral Pines County Park offers more secluded camping experiences. "Wooded sites are lovely. RV sites in large field," Karen R. mentions. The park has walking trails through pine forests where visitors can spot local wildlife including deer.
Bug preparation essential: Mosquitoes can be particularly challenging at certain campgrounds. "We were getting attacked by mosquitoes and horseflies the entire weekend. When we first arrived to the campground, we were immediately getting attacked so we doused ourselves in deet. Even with the bug spray, the relief didn't last long," shares Rosie R. about her experience at Watch Hill.
Site spacing varies greatly: Heckscher State Park Campground has an open layout with minimal boundaries. "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," explains Jessica C.
Fire pit requirements: Many Suffolk County parks do not provide fire rings. "The only reason I gave 4 stars is because the campsites don't come with a fire ring. Not sure if this is because of maintenance, but it just wasn't super apparent until we got there," reports Maxime T. about Indian Island. Bring your own portable fire pit or rent one onsite at some locations.
Playground access: Wildwood State Park Campground offers recreational facilities for children. "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," notes Giselle P., highlighting nearby attractions.
Beach-oriented activities: Smith Point provides easy ocean access for children. "I love smiths point it is so much fun and very save but please lock up your bikes cause high schoolers will go over the bridge and steal you bikes or alcohol if they aren't locked up at night," warns Ella C.
Nature programs: Watch for ranger-led activities at many parks. "There are park rangers on site and have excellent programs for kids," Inocencia O. mentions about Watch Hill Fire Island Campground. These programs typically run during summer months and weekends.
Hookup availability: Southaven County Park offers water and electric connections. "Average compared to other state/county parks. The crowd was a little questionable. State police were called in the settled a dispute between campers," reports Dominick L. Sites with electricity tend to fill quickly during peak season.
Access challenges: Nickerson Beach Campground has specific routing considerations. "I drove down from Connecticut to Long Island to find the main routes to the campsite all went through New York's parkways. There are height restrictions on the parkways so RVs and semis cannot travel on them without a high risk of crashing into the bridges," warns Matt S. Avoid parkways and use commercial vehicle routes.
Seasonal considerations: For winter camping options, check county-operated parks. "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," advises Maria P. about Blydenburgh Park, which remains open year-round.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Ocean Beach, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Ocean Beach, NY is Heckscher State Park Campground with a 3.6-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Ocean Beach, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 18 dog-friendly camping locations near Ocean Beach, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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