88 campgrounds · Check availability for any dates.
Several RV parks around Rainbow Lake provide varied options for motorhome travelers in the Adirondack region. Babbling Brook RV Park in Fort Covington offers full hookup sites with 50-amp electric service, water, and sewer connections, operating from May through September. Iron City RV Park features electric hookups and sanitary dump facilities with tent and RV accommodation types. "We had a full hookup, pull-through site surrounded by trees. There was some road noise during the day but it was nice and quiet at night," wrote one visitor about a nearby park. Spacious Skies Adirondack Peaks in North Hudson accommodates big rigs with both 30-amp and 50-amp connections, featuring fire rings and picnic tables at each site.
Most RV parks in the region require advance reservations during peak summer and fall foliage seasons. Road access varies significantly between facilities, with some parks presenting challenges for larger motorhomes. According to one review, "The roads are really tight for big rigs. Between the trees, rocks, and low hanging branches, you have to take it really slow." Cell service can be inconsistent throughout the mountainous terrain. Dump stations are available at several parks including Shady Oaks Camping Resort in Plattsburgh, which offers 100 sites open from May through September. Many facilities permit pets but have varying restrictions. Winter camping options are limited, with Lake Placid/Whiteface Mountain KOA Holiday being one of the few year-round operations in the vicinity.
"Located far out in nature, the views are breathtaking. Owner was really nice and helpful."
from $30 / night
Check Availability"Electric, water and sewer available. Reasonable rates. Spacing okay."
"Located near river."
from $30 - $55 / night
Check Availability"Very close to Burlington VT and Canada there are many different hiking and adventuring options. It did seem that many of the sites were seasonal. Clean, and well kept."
"Most of the sites seemed seasonal, I am unsure if there were any overnight sites. Great location right near lake Champlain, and only about a 20 minute drive from Canada."
from $30 - $56 / night
Check Availability"Spacious sites close to great amenities! Super staff! Clean and updated facilities. Close to beautiful hiking, lake activities and rail bikes. We can’t wait to come back!"
"Felt safe and campground was quiet and clean. Will definitely be back!"
from $39 - $999 / night
Check Availability"Nice campground near Plattsburgh. Sites somewhat small and tight but there are some larger sites."
"We whent her for our first stay in our class c motorhome and had a wonderful weekend they have a beautiful pond and its peaceful environment great for families and camp owners are helpful and polite"
"Mostly Seasonal area with some overnight spots. No tents allowed. But pet friendly. Small but clean areas with electric at each site."
"The new power and water hookups are a huge upgrade, and it’s exciting to see the vision for future expansion already coming to life."
from $50 - $60 / night
Check Availability"Close to Lakes to Paddle, Store and Gas not far. Camp is quite more for Adults, no playgrounds or things for kids to do. Full hook ups and pull thru sites."
"Mostly seasonal nice and quiet. Basic sites with amenities. Very roomy and spacious."
from $30 - $40 / night
Check Availability"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."
from $39 / night
Check Availability"50 sites, full hookup ($40), water& electric ($35) and tent ($??). Has the feel of an RV park with three rows of sites plus some more (I think the tent sites) closer to the road."
from $25 - $40 / night
Check Availability
GuideThis is a Class A 5⭐️KOA Campsite! We arrived late and Jox & his sweet wife helped us manuever our RV into our pull through site B05. We were super close to the office, store, snacks, laundry & activities. Our site was a “ dirt” site that had a picnic table and fire pit with full hook ups. This campsite has concierge service that will help you out with any of your wants/needs. Great site in nature’s finest.
TravelerWe have a “big rig” 40’ 5th wheel with 4 slide outs. Called them same day from Capital Region Welcome Ctr in NY, about 3 hrs away (below Albany). They had a full hook up, pull-thru corner space for us. Offered parking for our truck right across lane on separate site. Super nice owners! Went over COVID questions and after hour check-in instructions. We came in just after it got dark. Loved town of Shelburne. Awesome little shops and great, well stocked little local grocery store. Authentic Italian restaurant in grocery store parking lot...picked up delicious strombolis. Due to COVID, mostly call ahead/pick-up or drive thru for many things...incl. delicious coffee in town at Village Wine & Coffee and AWESOME cider donuts at Shelburne Orchards! Only a 20 min drive into downtown Burlington. Took narrated tour on Ethan Allen ferry on Lake Champlain. Shopped in artsy town. Extended our stay for TWO extra nights. Will def come back. Didn’t need to use, but noted that bathrooms were immaculately clean.
ScoutWilmington Notch Campground is owned and operated by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. There are approximately 50 sites available, all on level campground and within access of Both bathrooms and shower facilities. Fire pits and picnic tables available. About a mile down the road from the high falls gorge tourist destination and a quarter mile from the base of whiteface lodge ski resort. There is an accessible trail from the back of the campground to an amazing waterfall on the west branch of the Ausable River and plenty of spots to trout fish/swim. A mile down the road is flume falls trails, which leads to a great swimming hole and various height choice cliff jumping. This is a very clean and quiet campground, one of the best in the high peaks region for primitive camping
GuideWe just spent a full week at the North Pole Resorts the last week of May and through the Memorial Day Weekend. We are full-time travelers with a 40' Class A motorhome, flat tow a Jeep, have 2 kids (ages 8 & 13), and 2 English Bulldogs. We loved pulling in the week before the holiday weekend because there was hardly anyone else at the campground or in the area just yet. It does get packed over the holiday weekend, but was still very enjoyable and quiet at night. We were there right at the start of the season for them. ***Fair warning - Be sure to turn in by the North Pole Lodge Store and Mini Golf to register. We missed it and went past.*** We stayed in premium site 11 in the resort section and loved it. There was plenty of grassy room for the dogs to go out and we had a little cover over our picnic table. The kids enjoyed the arcade and playground being right there. We loved the store as it is one of the best we've seen yet & very well stocked. The location to area attractions was ideal as well. Lake Placid is maybe 20 minutes down the road and you can get groceries and have good restaurant choices too. Highly suggest the 45 minute drive to Ausable Chasm as well as the very short drive to the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge. Another favorite activity was pulling off the road to explore the hiking & fishing. Quarry Pool Pond was our fave! Would absolutely be back!
LegendWe travel in a 17-foot camper van, but no one ever believes that we are no bigger than a standard cargo van and can easily fit in a regular size parking space. Upon arrival at Ausable Chasm, we were told we had to take a site with water and electric since we had a camper van. These sites were $13 more per night and we really did not need the hookups. We were finally able to convince the staff that we could take a standard tent site, which was more than big enough.
The road through the campground is dirt and rutted but the speed limit is 5 mph, so it wasn’t that bad, but it would be a mess if it was raining.
Bathrooms and shower rooms are individual rooms, but the doors are not labeled so it’s a game of “what’s behind door number 1?” There was no light in the shower room that I looked at so a night shower would be out of the question. The bathrooms were clean and had soap, paper towels, a garbage receptacle, and a mirror in each.
Lots of ant hills throughout the campground so be cautious where you set up a tent. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. Large and nice-looking playground, pool, volleyball net, disc golf and mountain biking/hiking trails. It also looked like there were cross country ski trails but not sure if the campground or cabins would be open in the winter.
Biggest advantage is that Ausable Chasm(a separate business) is directly across the street from the campground and it is very close to the ferry that will take you to Burlington, VT, our next destination.
TravelerI have stayed here many times over the years, usually for a 10-18 day stretch at a time. This is one of my favorite places. Most sites are right on the water. Square pond is a lovely little lake that connects to a larger lake (Upper Saranac I believe) by passing through a canal. This campground has great facilities. There are restrooms located convieniently throughout the park so you never have to walk more than a few sites no matter where you are. There are hot showers located at one end of the park and a dump station for RVs. The restrooms and showers are cleaned daily. There is a great little general store just outside the park that sells pretty much anything you could want. Sites are equipped with a table and fireplace (most have grates). There are vendors that drive through the park daily selling wood, ice cream (from an old fashioned wagon, get the moose tracks!), and ice. There is a boat supplier that travels the lake every morning and evening dropping off and picking up kayak and canoe rentals. If you love water front camping this is for you! The park is pet friendly but you need to show proof of vaccines. There are great things to do nearby like the Adirondack Museum, Lake Placid, and beautiful hiking spots. You can have power boats and jets skis on the lake as well as non motorized boats. Some of the best sunsets I have ever viewed happened right here. Quiet hours are taken very seriously and rangers walk the park at night warning rowdy fireside folks to quiet down. However, as dusk turns to night, you can always count on the chorus of yodels going back and forth across the lake. This is a wonderful spot! Check it out! You won’t be sorry! Oh, but sites go on sale nine months in advance through reserve America and the best spots wind up booked for the season pretty quickly.
GuideWe had a full hookup, pull through site surrounded by trees. There was some road noise during the day but it was nice and quiet at night. The bathhouses looked very "rustic" but we didn't use them. Nice field, swings and small palyground for kids. Close to hiking and Lake Placid!
GuideI have a 24’ RV towing a 30 foot trailer for perspective. I easily fit in site 107 and lots of other sites would have worked. They have a place to drop trailers if you don’t fit.
Sites 90 to 108 are best. Spaced out under trees.
Sites 1 to 16 are close to each other.
Sites 113 to 119 are bad. Very close to each other. No redeeming qualities.
Sites have 30 amp electric and water but might need a longish cord or hose. Clean easy to use dump with water.
Tent sites looked nice.
Short walk to nice beach or you can drive a car. Short tunnel so no campers or bikes on the roof.
Right next to rails to trails path that goes onto a causeway over the lake. There is a bike ferry to keep going. Nice ride.
Nice dog park 3/4 miles to the South on the trail.
Far away from noise. Can’t comment on loud campers.
LegendThis has been one of my favorite campgrounds and I have camped there many times over the last several decades. Always well maintained, but peaceful state forest campground with spacious sites, many right on the water. There is an official beach, but the water sites really have their own access for canoes and nice swimming. The water is crystal clear, sunsets magnificent, canoeing and hiking opportunities abound, and even on a "busy" summer weekend the campground is quiet and the fellow campers are low key and respectful. For a tent camper, this is an ideal location and I love it. Fire ring, even tenting spot, picnic tables, etc. There are numerous accessible campsites, a shower building, and regular restrooms as well as privvies. Small trailers can fit and their is an RV dumpstation, but this is not a campground for big rigs and hookups. The campground is a little off the beaten path and in the further reaches of the Adirondacks for most campers, and the vicinity is one of the largest and most pristine areas in the ADK wilderness. Come well supplied with groceries and camping needs as there isnt much nearby. The SUNY Forestry school maintains a Ranger school at nearby Wanakena on the west side of the lake, and a Field Biology station on the south side of the lake. Nice hiking in the area
The Adirondack Mountain region surrounding Rainbow Lake sits at approximately 1,500 feet elevation with temperatures typically 5-10 degrees cooler than nearby lowland areas. RV campgrounds near Rainbow Lake offer varying seasonal availability with most open from May through early October, coinciding with the region's peak tourism period. Winter camping options are limited due to harsh weather conditions and seasonal road closures.
Hiking access: At Davey Falls ADK, campers have private trails directly from their sites. "Amazing secluded creekside spot. Private waterfall, hiking trails," notes Keith D., highlighting the convenient location "to explore eastern Adk."
River activities: Several campgrounds provide water access for kayaking and swimming. "Walk to the back of the campground to the Ausable river, go down the path about 500 ft. There is an awesome swimming hole," reveals Laura T. about river exploration opportunities in the area.
Winter sports: While most Rainbow Lake RV parks close seasonally, Lake Placid/Whiteface Mountain KOA Holiday operates year-round. Its proximity to Whiteface Mountain makes it ideal for winter sports enthusiasts. "Behind the 100-Acre section are trails that lead to Whiteface Mountain so you don't have to get in the car to start a hike," explains Nancy W.
Privacy levels: Sites at Camp Whiteface Mountain offer woodland seclusion. "If 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," Christina W. notes about the camp's natural setting.
Location convenience: Campgrounds near Rainbow Lake serve as central bases for exploring the region. "You are about 12 miles north of Lake Placid so we didn't go there as much as we thought we would. One great find is the Adirondack Chocolate store about one mile up the road from the campground," shares Nancy W. about the local attractions.
Family amenities: Iroquois Campground & RV Park features a pond and family-friendly environment. "We whent her for our first stay in our class c motorhome and had a wonderful weekend they have a beautiful pond and its peaceful environment great for families," comments Shelly about her experience there.
Site variations: Rainbow Lake area RV parks offer diverse camping experiences. "There are two distinct sections of this campground– the 'Resort' section and the '100-Acre Woods' section... This section has tall shad trees and much more space between sites than the resort area," explains Nancy W. about campground layouts.
Seasonal timing: Most RV parks near Rainbow Lake have limited operating seasons. "Mostly seasonal nice and quiet. Basic sites with amenities. Very roomy and spacious," Paul G. observes about Thornbush Acres RV Park, which operates from mid-May through mid-October.
Water availability: Campsites with river or lake access are popular but limited. "On the river they have a small place to put in kayaks and wade in water," Nicole S. mentions regarding water access points at certain campgrounds.
Activity options: Rainbow Lake area campgrounds offer varying children's amenities. "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," details Nicole S. about family facilities.
Swimming considerations: Pool availability varies by campground. "Used the pool at the resort once (a little chilly)," Kristine B. notes, while others mention natural swimming options. "The area is awesome with beach access along the river with a huge playground," adds Nicole S.
Kid-friendly campgrounds: Not all RV parks cater equally to children. "Quiet, more for Adults, no playgrounds or things for kids to do," Debbie W. points out about one location, emphasizing the importance of researching family amenities before booking.
Site privacy: Rainbow Lake area campgrounds vary significantly in site spacing. "The mountain side in general is my ideal campground full of trees and nature... 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," explains Nicole S., highlighting the importance of selecting appropriate sites.
Navigation challenges: Some Rainbow Lake RV parks have tight access roads. "Maneuvering through the park was pretty tight for us and we had to take it really slow," Nancy W. cautions about navigating larger rigs through wooded campgrounds.
Visitor fees: Be aware of additional charges for guests. "One bad thing about this park is that you have to pay high fees for visitors. Day passes for adults are $12 and $6/kid. Overnight fees are crazy high at $15/adult, $8/kid and $7/car," advises Nancy W. about planning for extra costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular RV campsite near Rainbow Lake, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular RV campground near Rainbow Lake, NY is Iron City RV Park with a 5-star rating from 1 review.
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TheDyrt.com has all 88 RV camping locations near Rainbow Lake, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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