Best Tent Camping near Shelter Island, NY

Sears Bellows in New York is a lot of fun. It really does offer a lot of outdoor activities for you and your family. I have stayed at this campsite 1 time, and stayed 2 nights. This campground does offer tent sites as well as RV/trailer sites. When I went with my friends in college, we just stayed in the tent sites and really enjoyed it. The campground is very well kept and clean which I really liked. They do have quite a bit of garbage's to dump your trash in. One thing I really liked about this campground is that there was a river/pond close by (Bellows Pond). The first night I stayed here my friends and I rented some rowboats and went on the water. It was a lot of fun, and the price of the rowboat was pretty cheap. The next morning we got up and did some hiking. The trails were beautiful, and the flowers were in bloom. There were people who were also biking on these trails, which looked like so much fun! We also saw some people fishing in the pond- and it seemed like most people were catching. The people who stayed in the campsite next to us were cooking up some type of fish for their dinner that they caught that day. One thing to note is that there are not any electrical hook-ups, so if that is something you need you might now want to come stay here. I would love to come back here someday, but stay maybe a day or two longer to do more things- I would also bring my bike and fishing pole to do more outdoor activities. I would also advise to rent the rowboats because that was a lot of fun!

Book early before memorial day, sites fill up quick and around 4th of July.  I went here for years with friends and family. Great sites. Flat level. Some of the best tent camping in the state.

State is really trying with this park, putting in new beach front cottages. Other then that the RV and tent camping is horrible, as the previous review stated sites aren't marked and the tables and BBQs are trashed.

Stayed at a great wooded tent site - quiet during the week and packed out by the weekend. Close to the bathrooms, with water spigot and electric hook up. Two small ponds with enough blue gill action to excite the kids. Worth checking out!

Stay at least once or twice a year. Always a good time. RV and Tent sites with one cabin as well as canoe sites off the beatin' path. Public beach with another beach for campers. Store on site for firewood and ice.

Good family campground with access to the ocean. No fire pits in the ground but you can bring your own ($50 on Amazon) or rent one (bring cash). I've done tent camping here in the summer but don't know much about the RV side, although I believe they have dump stations and such. Restrooms and showers are pretty good too, but typical campground bathrooms. 4 stars cuz I'm not a huge fan of the beaches, if I could give 4.9 stars I would.

$18/night if you live here, but $36 if from out of state. Large tent campground with lots of spaces, so everyone is in pretty close together. My main concern is there are showers in the bathrooms you can pay for, but ones outside that are free, but cold water and no curtain, so you literally have no privacy.

Sleeping Giant has been closed since May 2018. A tornado came through and knocked down many trees near the main entrance to and major parking lot for the park (on Mount Carmel Avenue across from Quinnipiac University).

This entrance area has been cleared and is being rebuilt. The picnic and pavilion areas were also affected (though less so) and will be renovated also.

In the past the picnic shelter and pavilion areas were well shaded by trees and were a wonderful place to bring the family or even large groups of people for a party. This will presumably be so at some point in the future after the park re-opens.

There were Sleeping Giant Park campground sites which could be reserved and used for tent camping back in the twentieth century. I remember them from the 1980s. They have not been available for many years now.

The beach is about a 1 mile walk or drive from the campground.  The walk is lovely and I have seen deer, turkeys, many birds, skunks, raccoons, and other wildlife along the way. There are several osprey nests too. Many families bring bikes. 

There are several camping areas at Rocky Neck - I think Crane is the best because it is quiet and the bathrooms are updated. 

The tent camping area is in a field without much privacy or shade. I recommend setting up your tent at a traditional site.

The beach is great for relaxing and beach combing. The water is warm and shallow, very calm. No floats or toys are allowed in the water, not sure why. Don't bring your kite either as the Amtrak is next to the beach, it's interesting when it goes by!

Sometimes generators are an issue, but there are limited hours at which they can run.

Lots of dumpsters for easy trash disposal. Firewood available for a low price on site, don't bring any outside wood. 

Campground is not too far from a Walmart if you forget something. There's a gas station close by too for ice.

This campground books up FAST, I usually book in the wintertime. I stay for a week at a time.

Lots of nearby beaches and restaurants. Campsites are simple. A patch of grass with a small bush or two, not very much shade, space or privacy. Tent sites do not have water or electricity but bathhouse is in easy walking range. A nice place to ride a bike around so definitely bring your bike. More of an RV park. RVs do have hookups. Bathrooms and showers are clean. $1.50 in quarters for a 6 min hot shower. Which is nice after a long day at the beach. Playground and courts on the premises and walking paths and an area that accesses the water if your wanted to throw a kayak in. It's a nice place for the location. But not much privacy really, and not much shade, but that will vary from site to site. It's nice because there is so much to do nearby and kept very clean. Our site ended up being right next to the bathhouse so there wasn't too much privacy there. I'd come back again though. And I would definitely come back in an RV instead of I could.

Camped here on a Friday night in Site 16, yet another campground recommended in“Best Tent Camping: New England.” Overall I was not impressed. The campsites are right next to each other and are marked with posts. The sites are so close that the posts are marked with the site number on both sides which tells me that there has been confusion in the past.

The sites along the creek mostly have worn paths to walk to it but it’s nothing impressive and I wouldn’t want to eat fish that came out of it. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring, some have the kind where the top flips over and others have the moveable grate that goes up and down. There is a large dumpster in the campground and several porta-potties. The old outhouses have been permanently closed and locked shut. My campsite had a lot of trash in it, old tent stakes, plastic bottle caps, plastic fork, broken glass, etc. Not good.

Some of the people there were camping in a group and were blasting music. I didn’t see a single park ranger the entire night so I’m not sure how often they police it. Someone in a pickup truck came into the campground, did a u-turn, and sped out at 30 mph which was really annoying and unsafe.

Across the street from the campground is a trail to Chapman Falls, which will take less than 10 minutes to hike to, but it’s a pretty waterfall despite all the foam and garbage around it.

This is a pretty basic campground and is nothing special. Out of all the sites I think 22 looked the best, it is more isolated and you can hear the waterfalls from it, which would be relaxing. The downside is that it’s right next to the entrance and road so you’ll get car headlights at night.

I woke in the morning to a gray sky and hundreds of birds singing– it was my favorite part of the trip. I delayed getting up to enjoy the moment. I also didn’t see any ticks but I’m sure there are plenty based on other reviews.

I’ve always thought that if states were condiments Connecticut would be mayonnaise– relatively unremarkable and bland. This campground fits that description perfectly.

I have been camping at Rocky Neck State Park for decades, both tent camping, and now In a 30' camper. Located right off I95 ( which you can hear at times), the park is convenient to all the major interstates and state roads. If you can, stay away from the front gates during the typical peak arrival / departure times. Traffic jams occur, partly because you're also in-line with the car loads of beach goers. The beach and beach parking lots fill to capacity. Week ends are the worst.

The campgrounds are located within internal loops. Most sites are quite level. Park-like settings surrounding a large lawn. Bathhouses are being rehabbed, deemed adequate; can be seedy towards the end of the season. Park is routinely patrolled by State Conservation Officers who will put you out if needed. CT State Police and local officers also patrol. Camp roads are paved, and lots and lots of kids spend time riding bikes, coloring with chalk, skateboarding, roller blading.

No electrical hook-ups; potable water spigots located within the camping circles. Generators allowed, but there are quiet hours. Dump upon exit; its up top by the entrance booths.

There is a "tent-only area" which is nice and abuts a paved road for campers to walk / bike to the beach. Use this. Stay off the main road to the beach if you can. The speed limit is enforced, but sporadically. The fines are very stiff (you receive a State traffic ticket from the Officer).

This beach road leads you to a wonderful overlook where lots of people take their kids crabbing for Blueshells. There are size regulations so be careful. The regs are posted. Bring some raw chicken wings and kite string and have some fun. You can also follow the signs that will lead you to nature walks. Amazing.

During inclement weather some campers leave the park. We always recommend taking a right out of the park onto east bound Route 156. Follow into downtown Niantic for restaurants, an Irish pub, or a movie. Nice village area, and pedestrian friendly.

Rocky Neck is a very nice park, and if I had to list one complaint, it is that the State is in a financial tight-spot, and has been cutting services and personnel. Entrance booths go unmanned and that leads to traffic jams that extend out and onto the main road. Very , very messy. Life guard towers at the beach are empty at times. Bath houses can be filthy.

All things considered, I would recommend this park..

My husband and and I camped one night at this newly reopened park over the weekend in Long Island just to check it out and were pretty disappointed by the tent camping area. There are 69 tent/trailer sites(no hook ups). There is no distinguishing separation between each site nor a designated driveway for your car- you merely pull up on the grass. It's basically like camping in your local city park. People park wildly all over the place, which also makes it more difficult to determine which site is which by the number painted on the roadway. Each"site" has a picnic table and an barbecue grate on a post. There is one bath/shower house in the center of all of these sites with no path provided for folks to walk to and fro, so naturally people will walk right through your site randomly rather than around the road. While the bathroom building itself is in decent shape and has a large amount of toilet stalls and about five showers, the condition of women's room was absolutely ghastly inside.

At some point during the evening, a maintenance worker on a golf cart showed up with a mop and some cleaning supplies and cleaned the men's side of the building. I was so relieved when I saw him, but he seemed to neglect the women's side completely, so I resorted to using the men's facilities all night.

There are no fire pits on any of the sites, although I learned afterwards that they do allow you to bring your own metal fire pit as long as it is elevated off the ground. There are large dumpsters located throughout the camping area and a large trash bag is provided (if needed) at the camp office when you check in.

The highlight of Heckscher State Park is the newly constructed heated cottages located on the shore of Nichol's& Great South Bays.. There are currently 11 cottages--- with more under construction. There are cottages suited for two, four, and six people and range in price from$225-$285 per night during off peak seasons and$250- 320 per night during the peak seasons.

The cottages are fully furnished, with a full kitchen and large bathroom with a walk in shower. The cottages are a short walk from the beach and also include a fire pit with Adirondack chairs and an outdoor shower on the exterior each property. I do not have photos of the inside, but they do have them on the Reserve America website if you are interested.

While the cottages are lovely and their location is fabulous  they are quite pricey and  no TLC was spent in the$22 tent/rv camping area, other than a new registration office which is not yet completed as of this weekend. I do hope they invest some funding in the primitive area to add fire pits,more water spigots, clearer site markings and for the continued maintenance& upkeep of the bath/shower house.

* I emailed the parks departement about the issues mentioned above about the camping area and received this reply:

I am sorry that you are upset with the conditions in our recently opened campgrounds. We have replaced all of the picnic tables. Although, they may look old because they are weathered since these picnic tables were put together during the Winter, however, they are brand new. All of the barbeques are also new and were installed during the Winter. We have changed and modernized the light fixtures and we will be replacing the rusted doors that you mentioned. There are also plans to install a playground within the campground beginning this Fall and we are looking for other improvements and additions to the campgrounds. As you probably noticed there is a new building under construction, at the entrance to the campgrounds, and it will serve as a check-in area, as well as, additional comfort stations, including family restrooms. Your suggestion of fire pits is a good one and the Park Managers will evaluate the feasibility of installing these. Lastly, I have spoken to the Park Manager who will review the cleaning operation to ensure the restrooms are appropriately maintained. I apologize for our employee not cleaning the women's room. Again, I am sorry for your negative experience but we are continuing to make improvements to the campgrounds.

Sincerely, George Gorman Regional Director New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

I will check back later this year to see if anything was changed and report back.

Odetah Camping Resort called us today 24 hours prior to our arrival- after 4 years of camping there- to cancel our site unless we rented an RV and didn’t use tents. We were allowed to book and had the booking for 4 months. I was on the phone with them while I booked for assistance since it’s a group booking for 16. I called later to book a cabana too. They never once said anything. Then they called 24 hours in advance because our reservation said tent and that’s not allowed. Then they charged us a cancellation fee. Even tho they cancelled ON US. 

But my favorite part is them saying that the camping industry is moving to no longer allow tents. They think they are*kind* to still allow tents-a handful of sites on a rocky hill that don’t have electricity or water. So those with medical needs cannot use those sites. Those with mobility limitations cannot either. 

WHAT?! 

Camping= tents. Change your name if you are going to discriminate. Don’t worry tho, you can put on a tent NEXT TO an rv on the sites. You just cant put only a tent. 

Their customer service was horrendous. The experience was horrendous. What a shame.

This campground is very open and spread out. Easy to set up a tent next to your vehicle. Major plus being so close to the beach. On site bathrooms as well.

Great family place. Not much for privacy. Nice pond for fishing and swimming. RV, Tent and Cabins with a store on site.

We had a wonderful time camping 4 nights in August at the Osprey Loop. The campground is about 20 min. walk and 5 min. drive to the beach. There is no additional entrance fee to the beach. The Osprey loop has the most woodsy campsites. However, many are very rocky (punctured the floor of our tent even with an additional tarp) and oddly shaped so if you have multiple tents/screen houses, the the campsites at other loops are grassy with bigger size lots. Bathrooms are average in cleanliness. Firewood is available at check-in but there is no on-site camp store for last minute necessities. Grocery stores and many restaurants are about 15 min. away so it is very convenient. I highly recommend this park for an affordable beach vacation.

Beautiful forest, but campground affords very little privacy between sites. RVs mixed with tents and noisy generators running all day and night.

every campsite has its own fire pit with a grill attachment and a picnic table. my site was tent only and you couldn’t pull your car up to the site so unloading and loading was a hassle. beach is a short drive on site and the showers were one site over. I had a great time

Campground has lots of grass, and wide range of site options. Some are out in the open and others have more shade or trees, but all in all it is a lovely place. Short walk to the beach from the campground. There is a little refreshment stand near the beach where you can get simple food and beverages. Sites for tents and rvs. Plenty of space so doesn’t feel crowded!

Beach is in a protected cove so it has a relaxed feel, and the campground is protected/wooded and inland, so no crazy ocean winds.

I took the train to Montauk on 6/20/24 and got a cab ($20) to the campsite.  All sites were reserved, but only 1/3 were being used. I was able to put my name on a waitlist and got a tent lot.  They wouldn’t let me register for more than 1 night.

I was in A6, which is against the dunes (which are ~12ft tall), so I could hear the surf, but not see it. There was no one within 2 sites, so it was quiet.

Friday morning, I put my name on the waitlist at 8am, I had to break down my site by 11am, and come back at 1pm to claim a site. I took J10 (which is on a bluff ~20ft above the beach and G, H and I areas). Strangely, I was offered a 2 night stay (Fri&Sat).

Beautiful views of the ocean from my tent and I could still hear the surf. Area J has the best (newest?) facilities (bathrooms, showers, sinks (kitchen and personal)). Drawback is 10 minute walk to the general store/ranger station and 5 minutes to the beach (10 to swimming area).

Almost no cell service! 2 bars was the maximum and finding that was rare. (Not enough service to get an Uber or play Spotify). There is a landline outside at the ranger’s station.

General Store closed at 3pm, but Gurney’s is 1.5 miles down the beach if you want expensive bars and restaurants.

FYI, guarded swimming area is ~100 yards wide and located next to the entrance circle.

Great staff, stayed here to 3 nights recently and had a good time. The sites are surprisingly close to each other offering little privacy. I'd say they're 10'-15' apart at most. Tenting bathroom is a little rough, all the others are nice and newly renovated.

You will have the seasonal folks cruising in golf arts at the end of the day, but that's to be expected in such a large rv campground.