Best Dispersed Camping near Old Chatham, NY

Peaceful and quiet dispersed camping spot. Large enough for 2-3 vehicles or one large rig/RV. Very few vehicles pass, some days none. Two fire rings set up: a large one and a small cooking one.

The Airfield Campground is a strip of land with several campsites and fire pits. It has pit toilets. These sites are close together with little to no shade. Some sites have access to a stream that flows behind the park. The real attraction is the huge Somerset Resevoir which is up the road. Plenty of fishing, paddling, hiking and picnicking opportunities. There are other dispersed sites down the road that are free

Only the first section of the campground was open due to flooding. As a result, there were puddles everywhere.

Campsites are listed as disbursed but there are only 7 trees to separate 9 camp sites. The campsites are all next to the road and have fire circles.

There is a single pit toilet at the end of the camping area. No garbage service, no water, no cell service. Basically a camp site where you can share a fire with the neighbors.

A LOT of bugs due to dense wooded surroundings. The bugs seems to be unbothered by the bug spray as well. A few miles down the road there is another campsite that is more open and also has a fire pit with a lot less bugs flying around and more open space.

After driving unpaved dirt road for a while, we arrived a surprisingly well maintained beautiful campsites. The pond is small so the mosquitos were not too bad. So few people passed by and very unknown quite and we just loved the experience. Just be careful driving in the sometimes rough conditions.

At least a dozen spots, some very spacious. Only crashed for 1 night but will be coming back to spend a few, this area was excellent!

Large open site just off of Forest Road 273

The entrance to the road had a sign that said “road closed ahead”. We chanced it and was able to find a really nice open spot right before the road closure. Was a great spot!

Westford there last weekend. Got up on a Friday with plenty of spots. 10 spaces between the bathrooms/vault toilets with only 3 other 4 in working order. Great location near Somerset Reservoir. Weekend was interrupted by a domestic violence situation a few sites downbeat resulted in fights and someone shooting off a handgun. Took state police over 50 minutes to respond and multiple families left...... Can't pick the other people using the space I guess, but lots of trash left in fire pitsand all along river. Water behind the sites more like a marsh. Flat levels it's and people able to fit their campers. Campers near us said there are more sites if you pass the airfield that are more spread out past the actual airfield sites.

Well, that was an experience! Met some friends Friday night at the Somerset Airfield for a weekend of camping. We endured Snow and mid 20s Friday night with 8" of fresh snow to wake up to Saturday, and our main Roadhouse down from the weight of the snow. The stakes didn't hold in the frozen ground. So, we tied them to the trees and our cars. Saturday, we got at least 8" more along with sleet, freezing rain, and rain. Saturday evening, we had 3" more by 11pm.

 Then the fun began as the wind blew the storms out and temperatures plummeted to 8⁰ and a windchill of-3 for this morning. Everything crusted was over with a good inch of ice. I have never endured such winds camping, I was sure camp was going to be blown apart. Even with a winter fly tight to the snow my hammock was rocking all night. Our tarps held mostly, we only lost one or two anchor points. Gear that wasn't staked, tied or put in our cars moved blown around inside our foxholes of snow.

In the morning when packing up and breaking the ice glazed on everything.

we stayed in the first few sites, there are walk in sites behind these that have easy river access.  in the winter be ready for snowmobiles, in the summer trucks.

As I've stated in my other review for this location, there are outhouses here and firerings.  It is an easy dirtroad drive to get to this location, that is why they tend to be used so much by RVers.

Nice spot right off the main road and close to town. Small pond-don’t think there are any fish. Picnic table. Fire pit with cooking griddle. Trails to the fishing access across the road.

This primitive spot is a little more than a clearing with a fire pit.  But what a great spot with no light pollution, cell signal or distractions.  Don't expect to get in here unless you have more than 8" of clearance under your vehicle.  

I was here in winter, but I would expect in summer a lot of undergrowth in the woods, if your hammock camping bring a manchette to clear a spot.

I've looked at this spot a few times and it is normally way to wet to camp at, but this time it was frozen.  This is a nice clearing near the river where the road used to cross.

The access into this location is a little rough but most cars should make it, I would prefer having a little more clearance though just to be sure.  

Being a primitive site there is only a fire ring here.

Peacefully placed along the bends of the river is a large open grassy area with a sizable fire pit! The left side of the drive in is swampy so be sure to not drift to that side. The beginning of the little driveway is quite rough with some bigger rocks we have substantial ground clearance so no issues there but smaller ground clearances may feel a bump or two! Live by the motto leave nicer than you found it so we all can continue to enjoy the beauty!