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Woodland Valley Campground and Phoenicia Black Bear Campground welcome pets at their campsites, allowing visitors to bring their dogs while exploring the Catskill region. Both campgrounds provide fire rings and picnic tables at each site, with Woodland Valley featuring creek-side camping that creates a relaxing natural soundtrack for both pets and owners. Allaben Campground offers a free primitive camping alternative with pet-friendly sites that include picnic tables and fire pits. Most campgrounds in the area require pets to be leashed at all times, supervised, and properly cleaned up after. Giant Ledge Primitive Camp accommodates tent campers with dogs willing to hike to their campsite. The campground ratings from visitors with pets are consistently high, with Black Bear Campground and Allaben both receiving perfect 5-star ratings from recent visitors. The Dyrt provides user ratings for locations near Shandaken, New York.
Giant Ledge Primitive Camp's hiking trails require a more adventurous approach for dog owners, with the first mile climbing steeply over rock gardens before reaching designated campsites. Hikers should bring a bear bell and bear mace when camping with pets, as wildlife encounters are possible in this area. The Slide Mountain Wilderness area contains numerous pet-friendly trails accessible from Woodland Valley Campground, making it an excellent base camp for hikers with dogs. Phoenicia Black Bear Campground's proximity to downtown Phoenicia (a two-minute walk) provides convenient access to supplies and services when camping with pets. North-South Lake Campground and Kenneth L Wilson Campground offer additional pet-friendly options with more amenities, including showers and electric hookups for RV campers with dogs. The mountain creek at Woodland Valley serves as a natural soundtrack for sleeping, while providing a place for dogs to cool off during warmer months.
"This campground had easy access to excellent hiking trails. Woodstock, NY was about 30 min away and we enjoyed exploring the area on our non-hiking day. Very dog friendly."
"water to play in right behind tent. I do prefer fire pits over the brick stove. this had the stove. more advanced hiking in walking distance. no cell service. my gps on phone was able to track though."
from $20 / night
Check Availability"We had planned on driving to hiking but there was so much to do around the camp site we just walked around and did the hiking near by. The dog park is wonderful. Our dog loved it."
"Two ponds to play in and a fenced dog park. Some nice hiking in the park."
from $22 / night
Check Availability"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."
"This is a truly beautiful and scenic campground, easily one of the best places we have visited in New York State."
from $22 - $44 / night
Check Availability"A short drive to these rustic tent-only spots, dog friendly, nice rangers and great trees for hammocks! This is my go-to in the summers."
"this is close by to many catskill hiking trails"
from $16 / night
Check Availability"We took our dog too. Bring a bear bell and bear mace can to be safe. We did not see any but definite signs of them. Get tracking poles if you don't already have some. Very helpful here."
"However the descriptions of this place in reviews here and elsewhere provided very little info and once I got out to the trail realized how different it was to what I expected."
"Pros: Near wonderful, little-used hiking trails - challenging ones, too!
- Close to Catskill town options to explore, e.g."
"You can see a picture here of the water just a 10 foot trail away from our campsite. All in all a great trip."
from $22 / night
Check Availability"Right outside downtown Phoenicia the black bear campground is perfectly situated for a multitude of activities. They offer creek front and wooded campsites."
"2 minutes walk to town"
from $35 - $65 / night
Check Availability"A great free spot for dispersed camping tucked right off the road. Had a fire pit and picnic table"
"Short walk to all campsites."
"You’ve got fishing either in 2 private lakes or you can fish in the river but to do the river you’ll need a New York State fishing license."
"I was a little skeptical that we wouldn’t get to choose our site, but you can’t go wrong, they are all wooded, private and well situated. The campground is centrally located you many things to do."
"Cool spot next to a pond. There are a few others that aren’t next to a pond, and therefore not as cool… but still pretty cool bc it’s free and you can walk up a little to a pond."
"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."
ScoutThe campsite was great. Big and going after Labor Day means there was tons of space. Well priced. We did have neighbors that had a trailer and used their generator early in the morning and late at night. Beside that it was fantastic. We had planned on driving to hiking but there was so much to do around the camp site we just walked around and did the hiking near by. The dog park is wonderful. Our dog loved it.
GuideLots of room in many sites for my 24 ft RV and 30 ft trailer. Big meadow in middle with new full playground set.
Dry camping but water available and a sewer dump. Gotta haul your own trash.
Two ponds to play in and a fenced dog park.
Some nice hiking in the park.
GuideSuch a clean and well maintained campground. Staff were so nice and friendly. Only one shower area that was a bit of a trek from our site, a bike would have been nice to get around. We had to move our tent as we had set it back too far and was not on the site pad and park ranger Brian who was very lovely came and asked us to move it and we had a nice chat. Lovely big dog park. There are some nice little walks and small hikes on the ground with a lake that you can rent kayaks or canoes. Close to Woodstock which is a cute town. Our site was a little exposed but the sites either side of us were closed for restoration thankfully. There are some more secluded and set back sites too though.
LegendWe 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!
ScoutRecently, we camped here for a week. We don’t ever post negative reviews like this. The last day, we experienced a violent attack by a very large and aggressive Pit Bull. The Pit Bull did not have a collar or a leash and was accidently let out of the RV to roam free and unsupervised. It immediately ran to our site(4 sites away) and attacked our dog that was tied at the time. The incident was unprovoked. While trying to save our dog, my wife and I were also attacked. The wounds were serious enough to require emergency transport to a hospital for treatment including stitches. All we could think of was what might have happened if our granddaughter had been playing with our dog.
To put it mildly, their existing pet policy is grossly lacking. They never checked what breed of dog or ask to see documentation of shots when we were registering. Yogi Bear Jellystone Park needs to better manage their pet policy to address aggressive dog breeds and ensure the safety of campers. We camped there for seven days and saw multiple sites have more than one large dog, which in many places we’ve camped at would have been banned due to breed type or size. We have RV’ed extensively across the US and have never seen such careless enforcement of a pet policy regarding aggressive dog breeds. Seriously, think about avoiding this park if you have pets or small children.
TravelerGood for skinny dipping and other fun things! Most acidic lake in New York but completely safe.
GuideThis campground is nestled in the Catskills, New York, with easy access to New Jersey and Connecticut. With large campsites and most surrounded by trees, you will find just the right mix of privacy and community depending upon what you are looking for. Although the showers aren't top notch, they do have them and a great recycling center for all of your garbage. If hiking is what you enjoy, they have nearly 4 miles of trails within the campground and surrounding areas that circle two nearby ponds and their day use area. If you are looking for something offsite, don't miss the Giant Ledge hike, a 30 min drive and about a 3 mile out and back hike to Giant Ledge for amazing views overlooking the entire area. Head out to watch the sunrise one morning with awesome views looking east. When you need a break from cooking, don't miss the nearby Phoenicia Diner for some great breakfast and coffee! All of the Park Rangers are very helpful and will provide recommendations and maps, just ask!
TravelerNorth South lake is one of the larger public camp grounds in New York. The sites are well spaced out. Great for families. The lake is huge.
Avoid holidays to avoid the crowds.
TravelerA bit off the beaten path for a KOA, but nearly sold out in early October nonetheless. Sites range from typical large rig to dispersed tents next to a creek. The tent sites with electric like the one we took used 240v 50A plugs, so we had to borrow a converter plug form the office for our 120v equipment. Only one bath house and it’s a bit dated. Very pet friendly including a dog play pen. Pool looked nice and was still open in early October.
The Catskill region surrounding Shandaken sits at elevations between 1,000-4,200 feet with dense forests of maple, oak, and pine trees. Summer temperatures typically range from 55-80°F with frequent afternoon thunderstorms. Most campgrounds in this area provide fire rings and picnic tables, with several options positioned along mountain creeks that offer natural cooling during warmer months.
Hike to Giant Ledge viewpoints: The Giant Ledge Primitive Camp trail begins with a challenging mile-long climb over rock gardens before opening to spectacular mountain views. "This was one of my favorite weekend backpacking trips. Getting a campsite up at the Giant Ledge area is hit or miss, as I only know of two," notes camper Tina D., who recommends tracking poles for the hike.
Kayak on Alder Lake: A peaceful paddling experience with minimal motorized boats. "There's a lake on site with swimming. We happened to spend the weekend on a day with free canoe/kayak rentals which was great!" writes Kyla B. about her experience at Kenneth L Wilson Campground, which offers similar water activities.
Fish at Little Pond: The small lake provides good fishing opportunities for bass and trout. "The pond has fish and plenty of hiking trails. There is a nice beach area to go swimming and the campsites are well maintained," explains Greg C., who enjoyed the Little Pond Campground facilities.
Creek-side camping: Many sites back up to flowing water for natural soundscapes and cooling opportunities. "If you like to camp by water, this is the perfect place for you. It has amazing on the water sites you can camp at, plus a stunning view of the Catskills," writes Meike W. about her stay at Woodland Valley Campground.
Minimal light pollution: The region offers exceptional stargazing due to limited development. "Weather was great and we could see the stars through the canopy - very very enjoyable!" notes John N., who appreciated the natural darkness at Woodland Valley.
Easy town access: Several campgrounds provide quick access to nearby communities for supplies. "River access for tubing! Love the owner! 2 minutes walk to town," writes Kendra P. about Phoenicia Black Bear Campground, highlighting its convenient location.
Bear safety precautions: Black bears are active throughout the region. "We watched the top of a tree fall through the forest, cool to see but worth being on the lookout as it seemed quite a few trees had tops that were dead or dying," notes Caleb J., who recommends being prepared for wildlife and forest conditions at Giant Ledge.
Limited cell service: Most campgrounds have minimal or no coverage. "No mobile signal, but that's the point, isn't it? You get to disconnect from it all for a while," states John N. about his experience at Woodland Valley.
Campground size variations: Some locations offer more privacy than others. "Always packed, but always beautiful. Awesome access to the Catskill Escaprment trail from here," writes Maribeth W. about North-South Lake Campground, noting its popularity.
Look for walk-in sites: Some campgrounds offer more secluded options a short distance from parking. "We had a walk in site and it was fantastic! Right on the water and pretty private. Each walk in site has its own bear box and outhouse," shares Lauren S. about Little Pond Campground, recommending "bringing something with wheels" for transporting gear.
Check playground availability: Several campgrounds include play areas. "There's a playground for kids so you don't have to watch over them while you set up," mentions Phillip L., who appreciated this feature at Devil's Tombstone Campground.
Plan for weather changes: Mountain elevations can bring sudden temperature shifts and storms. "We got rained out, but it was still an awesome campground. Private and just secluded enough," writes Erica H. about her Woodland Valley experience, emphasizing the need for rain preparation.
Limited hookup availability: Most dog friendly campgrounds near Shandaken offer basic services for RVs. "The long, narrow, and winding road from Route 28 to Woodland Valley campground should not keep you from camping there! The campground is located on a nice stream and has some really nice sites and some really basic sites," advises Gary G., noting the campground's accessibility despite challenging access roads.
Level site options: Many campsites require careful positioning. "Campsite was secluded and quiet. Close to hiking trails and the facilities were in good shape," shares Thomas H. about Kenneth L Wilson Campground, which accommodates smaller RVs on its relatively flat sites.
Seasonal road conditions: Spring melt can affect forest road access. "Although No cell service site was nice. Was our first shakedown camping trip. Very nice (clean) bathrooms and showers. Private level site surrounded by trees," reports Daniel L. about his experience at Kenneth L Wilson.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Shandaken, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Shandaken, NY is Woodland Valley Campground — DEC with a 4.2-star rating from 29 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Shandaken, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 134 dog-friendly camping locations near Shandaken, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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