Searching for a tent campsite near Poughkeepsie? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Poughkeepsie, including sites, reviews, and tips. Each tent site offers quick access to one or more of Poughkeepsie, New York's most popular destinations.
The campground is dedicated to the memory of Sam Pryor, an extraordinary conservationist whose life's work included bringing this project to fruition. More information about the campground can be found at https://americanalpineclub.org/gunks-campground
The American Alpine Club and Mohonk Preserve are cooperatively managing the campground. Campground amenities include a pavilion and cooking area, bathhouse and restroom facilities, and circulation trails. There are 24 drive-in spots (one vehicle per site) and 26 walk-in spots. All sites accommodate up to two tents (and four people) per pad. Showers are $1 for 4 minutes and are coin-operated. No RVs, no trailers, and no vehicles over 22'.
Members receive a discount on their stay, you can register for membership through the American Alpine Club at www.americanalpineclub.org/join or through the Mohonk Preserve.
Campers may access Mohonk Preserve, New York State's largest nonprofit nature preserve, via a connector trail to the Preserve's Visitor Center and historic carriage road network for world-class rock climbing and bouldering, hiking, mountain biking, trail running, and nature exploration. Memberships and day-use passes are available at the Visitor Center and all Preserve trailheads.
Artists have been painting this area for centuries, and it's a worthy landscape to memorialize, but nothing beats the real thing. So come camp in The Hudson Valley near the base of Stormville Mountain. You can pitch your tent in our private forest-- surrounded by nature and the sounds of farm animals (we have two roosters who call their unique song for most of the day, so be forewarned). You'll have a private area to have a bonfire and set up camp, and you'll have another separate and private patio area with a table and four chairs. Additionally, you'll have access to the treehouse overlooking our alpaca den. You'll also have private access to a two-person outhouse!
Attached to our home, you'll be able to use the outdoor shower with amazing water pressure -- and most importantly HOT water. We'll be sure to stack it with the essentials: soap, shampoo, conditioner, and toothpaste. There's also a slop sink next to the shower that you can use to refill water containers, wash any dishes, supplies, etc.
When we're home, we're happy to have you meet, pet, and feed the alpacas: Lala, Oona, Tilly, and Maggie. We also have a flock of chickens who provide fresh eggs which you're welcome to. Help yourself to anything growing in the garden during your visit: we have a mini orchard with peach and apple trees, and I also try to keep a small vegetable garden with some herbs and veg which I'm happy to share. We have a couple bistro sets set up around the property for you to sit and enjoy the sounds and surroundings. We even have a two-person swing and the treehouse for you to relax in while you read a book or enjoy a cup of tea. If you're looking for something more active, then feel free to walk the trails we've made and explore the forests around you.
If you're looking for things to do off the property, then there are plenty of attractions within driving distance. We're located near to an Appalachian Trail entrance, reservoirs for boating, swimming, and floating, river towns worth exploring (like Beacon and Cold Spring), and there are plenty of gorgeous state parks to visit, hike, and explore. Upon arrival, you'll also have an opportunity to rent our kayaks and/or canoe if they're available (inquire upon arrival).
We love our little slice of paradise, and we want to share that with you.
$50 - $58 / night
$10 / night
The 4,315-acre park makes Ward Pound Ridge Reservation the county’s largest park. With its varied terrain and landscapes and miles of wooded trails, the park provides a variety of activities in all seasons. There are areas for picnicking, lean-to camping, fishing and cross-country skiing.
$45 - $55 / night
Croton Point Park is a 508-acre park situated on a peninsula on the east shore of the Hudson River. This park offers year-round events and activities and has facilities for camping, hiking and swimming. The park, rich in natural and human history, is also the site of historic wine cellars that are thought of be the oldest in New York State and the Croton Point Nature Center. The oldest oyster shell middens on the North Atlantic Coast uncovered by archeologists on Croton Point confirm that the peninsula was inhabited by Native Americans as early as 7,000 years ago. Croton is in fact named for the Indian sachem, Kenoten, which means "wild wind.” In the 17th century, Indians of the Kitchawank tribe on the Wappinger Confederacy occupied a large fortified village on the high flat at the neck of Croton Point, which they called Navish. This was one of the most ancient and formidable Indian fortresses south of the Hudson Highlands.
$30 - $60 / night
A very spacious wooded site that is in the shape of a triangle. The dimensions are approximately 100' by 100' by 50'. Perfect for the large group camp out or the family site. The Lean-to is approximately 10'x9', large enough for a small tent or keep the picnic table in there for bad weather. Large or multiple tents no problem, put your tents in the wooded area where there is room for multiple tents. There is a fire pit area, picnic table, 4 outdoor chairs and corn hole that all are included with the site. A seasonal stream runs along the campsite giving you a nice bubbling brook sound. Plenty of privacy. Within 15-20 minutes of our site is just about anything you could desire. Local restaurants, hiking, fishing, shopping, drive in movie and much much more. Rainy days no problem explore one of our nations pieces of history, Vanderbilt mansion, Theodore Roosevelt home, Montgomery Place Mansion, Poets walk, Ferncliff forest, or Art Omi. If you would like to look at some places close by, we have a google doc it is bit.ly/2KvA05U
Please visit our website for list of rules, rentals, and options for our site
Thank you
Read all reviews here: https://www.hipcamp.com/en-US/new-york/secluded-acres/rustic-wooded-lean-to
$43 - $45 / night
$15 - $45 / night
Peekamoose Valley: The Peekamoose Valley (County Route 42 in the Town of Denning) is a popular rustic camping area. Camping permits are now required to reserve primitive tent sites from May 15- September 15 of each year. Camping is restricted to reserved, designated campsites marked with the yellow camping symbol. Visit Reserve America (leaves DEC website) to make a reservation.
Lower Field: Camping is restricted to 12 designated sites. Permits can be obtained from Reserve America.
The Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center is an ideal destination for anyone looking for hiking, paddling, and camping opportunities in the heart of Harriman State Park at Breakneck Pond. Harriman State Park, New York’s second largest park, is located 30 miles from Manhattan and accessible by public transportation.
The Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center is open to the public, and is a great location for scouting, school, faith-based, and youth groups as well as family reunions and corporate outings.
The Center offers common space for outdoor programs, waterfront access to 64-acre Breakneck Pond, a dining hall, and group meeting space. Accommodations include group and family cabins, tent platforms, and three-sided shelters, offering a range of overnight experiences.
The public can also enjoy The Stephen & Betsy Corman AMC Harriman Outdoor Center through an AMC adult, family, or teen program. Membership is not required to join an AMC program. AMC members receive discounts on lodging and programs. Click here for a complete listing of upcoming programs for adults and teens.
Scout
There are no hookups. Need to change the profile on the Dyrt.
Guide
Love this place will definitely be back, not sure why it didn’t show up for free camping when I had it filtered, found it on another app. Was not the easiest for my RV van to get up the hill with the ruts, but I have a small lift so it helps, lower clearance vans might not make it. It’s a single camper site at the top of the hill left before the trailhead parking.
Legend
General: A county park with a mix of w/e (6 sites) and FHU sites plus about a dozen tent sites near a capped dump! There is a lodge and cabins close to the end of the point, but they appeared to be part of a group camp experience. They all appeared to be closed for the season (or because no one was renting at the time; they reminded me of places I used to take youth groups for weekend camps). The reservation process is a bit wonky. You need to call (no online reservations) and then wait for an e-mail, but the e-mail does not tell you your assigned site; you have to wait until you check in to find out your site.
Site Quality: We had a loosely defined gravel pad that was level. All sites appeared level. The FHU sites were back-to-back and although there were trees separating the sites, they were close together. No one was in the tent sites, but they did have new picnic tables.
Activities/Amenities: Other than a playground and a basketball court, there did not seem to be any activities to partake in. There used to be a pool but from the looks of it, it hasn’t been in use for many years. There are walking paths outside of the campground that are located within the park, but we did not have time to explore them.
Bath/Shower house: Clean but a bit dated. No shelves or hooks for toiletries. I was surprised the door was left open all night long. There was a sign warning that the toilets were slow flushing, but I think this may have been fixed because the flush was so powerful that the water splashed over the top of the seat!
Because it was on a point on the Hudson, I had hoped for views from the campground but there were too many trees to see the water. I was perplexed by the signs throughout saying no trespassing/fishing prohibited. I get the no fishing part but the trespassing? When we checked in, we had to write down our credit card number on a slip of paper before we were given a key that opened the gate to the campground. When we checked out, we asked for the paper or to watch it get shredded but were told they had to keep it on file which concerned us.
Traveler
Campgaw doesn’t seem to offer much in terms of a camping experience. The sites themselves are fairly close to the road and there are super popular hiking trails that run right through all the camps. If you like being woken up by folks walking their dog at 7 AM, this is the spot for you.
However, once the sun goes down, the campsite becomes a ghost town (except for the odd sheriff driving down the road). We went on a holiday weekend, and we were the only campsite that was occupied, so that is absolutely a plus. There was also plenty to do during the day, like joining the hikers on those trails, disc golf, and sitting by the water.
All-in-all, it is not a terrible site, especially considering the cheap price.
Traveler
I stayed there for 3 weeks for work it was quite priced very reasonably for full hook up and about a half hour from stunning views.
LegendThis is state park, very large nested on Peninsula on the Hudson River.
TravelerStayed in cabin #1. Clean & had all the amenities but very dated & dark. Could use brighter light bulbs!! Beautiful & quiet. Enjoyed my stay.
Guide
Perfect place to get away and be in the calm nature. Only sound I’ve heard is the birds in the trees. Very open area with many sites with bear lockers, picnic tables and fire pits. We called ahead yesterday and they said it’s walk-in, so we will go register now because we came in late. Only $20 for out of state!! That’s the cheapest I’ve seen across all New England lol
Scout
I like everything about it. It's a nice thing to share a great story io games
Guide
Camping Review:
This campsite is beautifully located in the woods, offering a peaceful and serene environment. There are no busy roads nearby, which ensures a quiet setting during the day.
However, there are several downsides to consider. The camping spots are uneven, making it challenging to set up tents or campers. Additionally, swimming at the nearby beach is restricted to residents of the village, so visitors are not allowed to swim there.
During our stay, there were multiple large groups, including a Christian group that preached (screamingly) and played loud music until midnight, despite the designated quiet hours. Unfortunately, the management did nothing to enforce the rules, which was disruptive.
Another significant issue was the state of the sanitary facilities. They were extremely dirty, with feces present in various places. It took a long time before anything was cleaned, which obviously kept us from using the facilities.
Overall, while the location is beautiful, the poor management, noise issues, and dirty sanitary facilities seriously detract from the experience.
Scout
Just Perfect!
Ranger
The perks of this campground is the easy river access. Besides Dingmans camp nearby or others on the NJ side of River, this is the only riverside campground before reaching NY. The river access alone makes it worth a visit if you plan on kayaking a long stretch and need a home base, like we did. Friendly and attentive staff, clean bathrooms, full camp store, swimming allowed at your own risk. They offer kayak tours with shuttle service. Small campground stretches up river side with several site options. The sites are very very small and close together. The lower river front sites offer the best views for tent campers. The upper RV/camper sites near entrance have some water views but most are obstructed by trees and sit high above river. You cannot access river from here but it’s an easy short walk down to river access area. The rest of campground is very cozy with a few sites near a small creek. It was very quiet during the week, hardly anyone there. We enjoyed the river almost to ourselves. The weekends get very busy as most come to swim and bbq. Overall still a very nice spot for a weekend. Our reason for 3 star rating is the size of camp sites and road noise 24/7 due to two busy nearby roads. We could hear it from anywhere in the campground, and some tents sites sit right along the side of the road. But, we would stay again for the convenience of river location and accommodating staff. We stayed in site 130 with 34’ trailer.
Scout
Stay in one of the last weekends of August. We were a party of 8 so we needed 2 sites, the first sites we booked were horrible - so so tiny (E11 & E12) and right on a swampy pond where the grass is growing into the water so it was hard to see where the water line was. We had kids, so we needed to move our sites. We ended up right across the way on E7 & E8 - much better. This loop for tent campers is mixed. Some of the sites are literally on the road - stay away from the sites on the same side of the road as the pond. I saw a family who literally had to block the road a little bc they couldn't park their car *and* have a tent on the tiny site. Anything on the side of E7 is bigger and a little deeper into the trees, but nothing seemed to be private in this campground. It was a busy weekend, so of course there was loud music and partying - it just so happens that it was next door to our sites. Bathrooms were far on this loop. There are little foot bridges that you could take to get to the bathroom easier (and closer) but they are set on people's campsites, so if someone is on that site it's really walking through their site to get to it. The campground has good amenities - wifi, pool, jumping ball, playground, basketball courts, volleyball courts, and a tether ball court :). Great for the kids. Pool is small but it works. There's a cafe there so we were able to grab coffees and stuff. They deliver wood and ice to your site which is super convenient. We would return for sure. Also - just to let everyone know the fire pit is really small.
Guide
Park on side of road, campfire located down slope. Very little traffic. Felt safe.
Legend
We were on a 5 state East Coast camping trip. Our first campground was in New York Aug 8th. Unfortunately, Debbie was socking New York hard. North South Lake Campground in the Catskills was our camping home. Thursday & Friday it was Neverending rain & wind. Saturday was the nice day.
North South Lake has no electricity. The sites are almost all beautiful, tucked in under shady trees. Not a good way to try out our solar panel! Some are by a stream. A few are by the lake. This is a tent campers paradise. New York tent campers are hard core camping during Tropical Storm Debbie!
There are 7 loops. We were in loop 2. Site 85. There are some sites with an incline down to the site. That might give some rvs trouble. It did for us & I had to be driven out of the campground to call 911. Thank you Mary!! It all ended well & we got a different site.
There are bears that visit the campground & one came one of the nights & visited our camping neighbor's site. They showed us a picture- it was a large black bear.
Generators are allowed for 5 hours & they tell you when you can use them.
The bathrooms/showers are state park clean- which means not very.
There is NO cell service & just forget about WiFi. You are unplugged.
This is a hiking park & for this middle aged overweight flatlander they are pretty strenuous. Kaaterskill Falls is an exception - short, easy trail, but the parking fills up quickly. Then they close it! You'll have to take a shuttle to get in.
The trail to the Mountain House Site is also pretty easy, with more of an incline.
There's 2 nice lakes with beaches.
The Catskills are very scenic& we enjoyed our time there!
GuideA great free spot for dispersed camping tucked right off the road. Had a fire pit and picnic table
Guide
I read a previous review that stated small cars stay away. I nave a Nissan rogue and made it in no problem. It's .8 miles in on the right. There was another closer in but seemed full. I'm right across from the lake in amongst a copse of trees. Drawback solar is pretty much out. I would not drive an rv in here except maybe a small type trailer.
ScoutGorgeous. There was a brook not far from our campsite, and it was only a short stroll to the lake. It was really peaceful when we visited in the middle of the week. Most websites are secretive and dark can play penalty shooters 2.
ScoutIt is a beautiful spot to visit the Taconic region, however this campsite is not up to pace. There is a lot of noise, a lot of people, and not much enforcement of the rules of candy clicker.
ScoutBecause of its convenient location, this is my"home" campsite and the one I visit most frequently. I like the platform sites that are available, the location close to the lake and beach, and the clean shower and bathroom facilities slope game.
Guide
Really enjoyed our 2nd stay at Mongaup and will return. Good, private sites and a great pond. Facilities were clean and staff was very helpful and friendly.
GuideI really love this campground each of the campsites in our loop which was in the lower 100s, has a lot of foliage around it, creating privacy between you and the site next to you. There is a lake with swimming, clean bathrooms, clean, clean showers. Picnic table and fire pit with grill top. There’s a lot of bear activity here, so constantly cleaning up your food is very important. Definitely love it here for woodsy feel.
Traveler
Blackbear is such a fun spot. Always a good time, clean, and the perfect weekend away. This spot is only 40 minutes from my regular 9-5 and it feels like it’s in another world. When you wake up, look up at the black bears in the trees and enjoy the water!!
Scout
Great location!
Scout
I booked site 5 for the week. Great experience! Quiet woods atmosphere with trail’s. Wonderful place to camp. Very clean
ScoutIf you would like a peaceful, clean campground skip this place. This was the worst campground we’ve stayed at. The bathrooms are very outdated and not cleaned often enough. The sites are too close together with very little trees between sites allowing zero privacy. Their picnic tables also are disgusting, bring a table cloth! They have a lot rules one being “no amplifying speakers allowed” that they clearly do not enforce. It sounded like a rave throughout the night even after calling the ranger station and complaining. Guests were playing loud music until about 1:30 AM and starting up again right as quiet hours ended at 7 AM. There then was a religious service happening at 8 AM with a whole amp system we could hear clearly on the other side of campground. We absolutely will not be back.
GuideI can here to spend time with friends and i feel like we got lucky with our site. It had a nice wooded area behind us and felt more private than some of the other site.
The swimming there felt really clean and I loved the dock. Close to great hiking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Poughkeepsie, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Poughkeepsie, NY is Samuel F. Pryor III Shawangunk Gateway Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 8 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Poughkeepsie, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 48 tent camping locations near Poughkeepsie, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
