The Dyrt is here to help plan your best camping near Paul Smiths. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Paul Smiths is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Paul Smiths. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
$22 - $40 / night
"Most of the campsites at Fish Creek Pond are along the waterfront, offering easy access to the pond. Some campers even build temporary docks that they leave behind for subsequent campers."
"Bike path, kayak rentals, close to Lake Placid Olympic center, Wild Center in Tupper Lake"
$20 / night
"As it isn't too far of a drive for us, it quickly became our go-to campgrounds for quite a while due to the mostly flat campground and who doesn't love hearing the slow trickle of water splashing close"
"It was generally quiet Memorial Day weekend, and we were able to snag a lakeside site with plenty of trees and space for our tent, SUV, and more."
$22 - $40 / night
"Outhouse was a little rough around the edges, but doable. Town is close by for ice and things. Our island had 4 other campsites on it and we barely saw or heard our neighbors."
"This lake is so peaceful and the remote islands that are only accessible by boat make this spot really special. It's a gorgeous place to get away from everything and to really connect to nature."
"Close to hiking trails, Whiteface Mt Parkway & Lake Placid. Nice, helpful staff. It is NOT wheelchair accessible. There are steep steps to the office, no grab bars in the bathrooms."
"Very large and busy campground, close to Lake Placid and other cool activities to take in. Pros- hot showers, convenient laundromat, you are guided to your site by staff on golf carts."
$20 - $40 / night
"Buck Pond is a quiet, sublime campground about 20 minutes from Paul Smiths College. The sites are sandy and our site was mostly flat. Some sites do have an uphill driveway lined with trees. "
"Our site was tucked back into some trees and you couldn't see any other sites from it. To look around, it was as if we had all of the Adirondacks to ourselves!"
$20 - $40 / night
"We spent a week here and didn't have a lakeside site, but one of the small ones on the stream. Great place to visit. If you do score a lakeside site, your views will be spectacular!"
"One side of the lake is a bit crowded and can get rowdy. This side has flush toilets and showers. There are waterfront sites here."
$18 / night
"This is a very basic campground situated in a small village in the Adirondacks – situated between Saranac Lake and Lake Placid. "
"It's an average campground, but has a really good location between Lake Placid and Saranac Lake.
Our site had the standard DEC picnic table and fire pit."
"There is a hand launch for small boats/kayaks to access the pond near the entrance. Site #1 is near the entrance and near the road."
"It was over the July 4th week, so very busy and found people would just walk through your campsite. Which of course would make our dogs bark at them."
$18 / night
"Only about a hour and a half from the border of Canada. This is a great home base for Lake Placid area and Whiteface Mountain. Great clean bathrooms with free hot showers."
"Great location, very close to Lake Placid and many different trails. The sites are closer together and not as much privacy in some sections, be sure to reserve to get a prime spot."
"This campsite is a first come first serve site located along Floodwood Road. The site sits on Middle Pond. Beautiful location but this campsite is popular during the summer months."
TravelerThe campsite has clean bathrooms. The campsite itself is more secluded and there wasn’t a lot of people or noise. It was intimate and quiet, no loud people or families. Honestly the perfect getaway.
ScoutIf you want a nice camping spot for exploring the Adirondacks this is it. Nestled in the trees by the Ausable River its a convenient place to explore the area. 20 minutes from downtown Lake Placid at the base of Whiteface mountain. 2 hours away is Montreal or Burlington VT.
RangerThe KOA was recently moved from a different location, so some pictures see on a Google search are no longer the location. This newly acquired property has 2 sides, the mountain side and river side you can choose when booking they are about 1/4 mile away from one another. This campground is very maintained. The campground on the mountain side has a playground, huge store, gem mining, arcade (which needs some love), hiking trails and a common area with some games. They have cabins, tent site areas, and huge wooded camper sites. The mountain side in general is my ideal campground full of trees and nature. The bathrooms were always clean and shower areas had great water pressure. The river side is new and on the side of the river but has you baking in the sun 🌞 there is no trees at all for shade. And there is no separation between you and the next person. There is only camper sites on that side. On the river they have a small place to put in kayaks and wade in water. They have a jumping pad on that side also. Both sides have the tractor driving around, pulling the kids around. The area is awesome with beach access along the river with a huge playground. Your at the bottom of whiteface mountain which is full of hikes and watering holes to swim in, lake placid downtown area is 20 mins away. Its a beautiful area. The girl working in the store Kyla rocked and her gf Jess who drove around on the golfcart and helping out everywhere were so fun. They lived on site and were such great people who made the trip more fun!!
GuideI’d love to give the campground the full 5⭐️ that it deserves but there were a few things that need tending to. In spot 14 where we were located the wooden platform was a little rickety and the strip under door of the women’s restroom is very loose posing a tripping hazard since I’m disabled. But the staff at the store (which has everything you could ever want) was fantastic. The place was quiet and peaceful. Besides a few dogs running around with no leashes it was paradise. This place even has WiFi!!!
TravelerI was on a water spot but the only problem is u have to climb over logs to get to the water , from the riverside. But had a great time the logs were my only complaint, someone came around at.night with firewood and ice,
TravelerLove this campground ,nice big spots, I was on the water which made my trip, came home tried to book two weeks there and there was nothing available, bummer. There is no cell or internet there
ScoutPeople at check in are incredibly rude and dismissive. Showed up late after driving all day as walk ins(have driven all the way across the country staying in campgrounds and state park campgrounds as walkins and have never had a problem) and they turned us away. It’s almost 10 pm, they had spots open and they wouldn’t let us in. We went back a second time to plead for a spot after not being able to find any other place to stay in the vicinity and they laughed at us. Incredibly rude and unprofessional staff.
ScoutI've camped on Valcour all my life since I was 7. It was amazing. So beautiful. Now it's covered in cockroaches and the water is murky and everything is covered in Zebra muscles. Other campers are rude and have no respect for your property. Has been all Canadians from my experience. They let their pets on the island to defecate and we've had one let their two large dogs swim ashore from their yacht and urinate on all our tents and destroyed our campsite and stole our food off from the picnic table all while the owners watched and laughed it off from their boat. The dogs then swam back and boarded the boat and they left. It's not like it used to be. We were yelling at them the whole time, trying to get the dogs away from our campsite and the owners didn't even apologize. One of the dogs defecated on my son's clothing that has fallen off the line.
ScoutPlease note Crane Pond Road from the lower parking lot to the pond itself is NOT maintained and often gets very muddy. 4WD is required, if you go back there without it your day is gonna suck. From experience - if your vehicle isn't lifted you may come out with a ding or two from rocks and other things jutting out of the ground. Not fit for an RV in any capacity. The parking lot at the end of Crane Pond Road is relatively small but can fit at least 6 vehicles. There is an outhouse near that lot and a foot bridge off to the right, leading to Pharaoh Mtn Trail.
If you're staying to camp there are (9) sites only accessible by boat (I haven't found a map that numbers/letters them), except the one right by the parking lot. There is a trail leading to that one. My family and I have never used the other sites so I can only attest to the one which is freaking GREAT. There is a stone cliff near it that goes down about 12(?) feet and is great for fishing or jumping off of. There is also a stone area right by the water if you want to fish or just sunbathe. Stone fireplace on site. The view right there is beautiful and at night you can hear the loons (visible during the day as well).
Camping near Paul Smiths, New York, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or an adventure-filled getaway, there are plenty of campgrounds to choose from.
Camping near Paul Smiths, New York, has something for everyone, from families to seasoned RVers. Just remember to plan ahead and enjoy the great outdoors!
Frequently Asked Questions
According to TheDyrt.com, Paul Smiths, NY offers a wide range of camping options, with 115 campgrounds and RV parks near Paul Smiths, NY and 11 free dispersed camping spots.
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Paul Smiths, NY is Fish Creek Pond Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 33 reviews.
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 11 free dispersed camping spots near Paul Smiths, NY.
Keep Exploring
