Wildwood State Park Campground accommodates pet owners with tent, RV, cabin, and glamping options on Long Island's North Shore. All campsites permit leashed pets with proper documentation, though some weekend campers report loud music that might disturb sensitive animals. The campground provides clean facilities with water, electric, and sewer hookups at many sites. Cathedral Pines County Park offers a more wooded alternative for pet owners seeking a quieter experience, with electric hookups and water available. Both parks maintain clean restroom facilities with showers. Sites at Wildwood can be close together with limited privacy, creating a community camping atmosphere rather than secluded nature experience.
Hiking trails throughout both parks welcome leashed dogs, with Wildwood offering the additional benefit of beach access on the Long Island Sound. The beach requires water shoes for pets and humans alike due to rocky terrain, but provides excellent swimming opportunities during summer months. Nearby farms and markets offer fresh produce, convenient for campers preparing meals for themselves and their pets. The area experiences significant weekend traffic, especially during peak summer season, making weekday reservations advisable for those traveling with animals. Some sites feature platforms ideal for tent camping, keeping pets elevated from ground moisture. Campground quiet hours are enforced, though effectiveness varies depending on weekend crowds and neighboring campers.
$20 - $225 / night
"The beach is in a walking distance. You can swim or fish there. This camp site has a relatively new and clean facility. There are many farms near by where you can get fresh veggies and fruits."
"However there are too many loud families and the sites are too close in proximity for me."
$33 / night
"Recently went camping in our pull behind, met some old friends and had a great time. Rangers have a hardon for people screwing up tho. Think they're all that and then some..."
"Great Location Clean Park."
"Campsites are located close enough to the beach/marsh. Multiple playgrounds for the kids although they were closed due to Covid."
"There are dog friendly which was very nice. It is a lil tight from each site but you have the beach and a little hiking trails that makes it worth it."
"Literally steps to the beach."
"A short walk from the ocean to the bay, both accessible by walking from your campsite. No shade so be prepared to wake early if you’re in a sweltering tent. Staff has been great, no complaints."
"Great park with a nice 7 mile loop around the lake with decent fishing. Lots of horses and dogs on the trail. 30 or so sites around a central public restroom."
"Hiking trails are beautiful. Dog friendly. Clean bathrooms"
$20 - $70 / night
"The showers were outside the bathroom- there was a bench & hooks OUTSIDE! We found out all the other loops had modern bathhouses."
"Beautiful Connecticut beach sits just steps away from your campsite. Well kept showers and bathrooms are abundant and the camp store has the majority of what you need."
$35 - $197 / night
"Beautiful location steps away from the beach. Listen to the waves crashing as you sleep and stargaze over the clear ocean. Not ready for full on camp-life? No problem!"
"Camping gets you away from the bustle. It is a little less than a half mile walk from the ferry dock and located behind the dunes which offer some protection. Take a quick walk down to the beach."
$20 - $285 / night
"* cottages far enough away from each other
- fire ring with Adirondack chairs
- dumpster and recycling within walking distance
- lots of bone dry firewood around for campfire
- walkable beach"
"Overall my experience was positive. Camping Sites
Each camping site has a picnic table and barbeque grill."
GuideI grew up in Long Beach. If you’re looking for a spot to camp so you can surf, this is perfect! It’s basically a parking lot, but it’s steps away from some of the greatest waves on the east coast. Showers are clean, there’s a dog park nearby, and the island is very bikable to get around.
benefits: allows dogs childrens playground beach programs like movie nights throughout the summer
GuideSmall campground with good electrical, clean water, sewer and a friendly owner. Each site has grass and a picnic table. There is a wonderful little frozen custard shop down the road called roses farm stand. It’s a perfect campground for seeing the local area or even catching the train to New York City.
TravelerClean, family friendly campground. Pet friendly with plenty of area to walk. Close to I-95 and 15 minutes from the beach. fishing areas for the kids. Spots are well organized and no issues with hookups. Propane is available at the store.
GuideSears 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!
ScoutThis is a nice family friendly campground that makes for easy trips. There are a variety of sites available, from open field sites to more wooded and private areas. The campground also has a lake for swimming,trails for hiking, and some nice quiet areas for fishing. Well maintained bathrooms, with available showers, are also spread throughout the grounds. Not pet friendly unfortunately.
GuideThe actual beach isn't too nice; not soft sand, broken shells, and cigarettes. However, the campgrounds have nice facilities like a shop, good showers, a playground, and volleyball courts. Be noted PETS ARE NOT ALLOWED in the summer. We were not aware of this.
ScoutBeautiful campsites! Lots of lean to sites with fireplaces in them. You have to go in person to make a reservation and pay. The camp area is beautiful, especially in the fall. Pet friendly and kid friendly with a playground available. Our favorite site is #25. Up a hill, totally private and has a lean-to.
LegendI had a hankering for East Coast seafood, so I picked Hammonesett Beach State Park for Connecticut. Our 2nd state of 5.
Hammonesett Beach has a huge campground. They divide the loops with names. I unfortunately chose Pequot. This loop has THE WORST bathrooms/showers on the South side of the campground. Looks like they were built in 1950s with rotten wood siding. Dirty. The showers were outside the bathroom- there was a bench & hooks OUTSIDE! We found out all the other loops had modern bathhouses.
My first impression of this campground is it's loud, crazy busy & there's traffic noise from the beach road. I actually liked it! This is a fun campground for families. There were kids on bikes, scooters, skateboards,roller blades. Watch your speed! They don't always watch out for your car.
I found out most people stay through Sunday & leave on Monday. There were still lots of campers left. Lots of tent campers.
I chose site 14 on the Pequot Loop because I thought I would have a view of one of the ponds. There was tall vegetation, so that was out.
The sites on the other side of the loop were right by the main beach road. Noisy during the day, but quiet at night.
There are some sites with shade, but most are sunny.
There's no electricity at most of the sites. Our site was full sun(yay for the solar panel!). On Beach Road in the campground there's 2 rows of full hookup sites, but they go FAST! I tried.
NO PETS! Including dogs.
No WiFi, but there's cell service. At least 5 dump stations.
The beach was popular.
There was a stream running from a pond that kids were playing in.
They have a beautiful Nature Center. A couple of easy hikes through one of the preserves.
This was a good base camp for the area. Gillette Castle & other state parks are within driving distance. Connecticut is a beautiful state!!
RangerMy 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.
Camping options near Shoreham, New York sit along the north shore of Long Island, approximately 65 miles east of New York City. The area experiences moderate seasonal temperatures with summer averages of 75-85°F and winter lows of 25-35°F. Most campgrounds in the region operate seasonally from April through October, with several Suffolk County parks requiring a Green Key card for resident discounts.
Beach exploration at Long Island Sound: Wildwood State Park Campground provides direct access to Long Island Sound beaches. "The North Shore and South Shore are pretty different. This site gives you the North Shore experience with high bluffs, sandy calm beaches along the Long Island Sound, and views of CT across the water," notes Amber A.
Birding and wildlife viewing: Cathedral Pines County Park offers wooded areas ideal for wildlife spotting. Multiple visitors note deer sightings throughout the camping areas. "Wooded sites are lovely," reports Karen R., who enjoyed the natural setting of this Middle Island location.
Kayaking and boating: Southaven County Park features a lake with rental options. "I rented a rowboat, and used that for a large part of the morning. They also have some kayaks available to rent as well," shares Kari M., describing the water activities available.
Hiking trails: Blydenburgh County Park offers a 7-mile loop trail around its lake. "Hiking trails are beautiful. Dog friendly," notes Ali O. about the path system, which accommodates various skill levels.
Platform sites for tent camping: Elevated camping platforms at some locations keep gear dry. "This is one of my favorite campgrounds solely because there are platform sites so I can place my tent on a concrete or wooden platform," explains Giselle P. about Wildwood State Park.
Waterfront views: Smith Point County Park offers oceanfront camping with spectacular views. "Our 36ft motorhome backed up to a raised balcony overlooking the bay. Less than 100 feet from the front of our site was the beach and the Atlantic Ocean view," shares Patrick C.
Proximity to farms and markets: The area provides access to local produce and farm stands. "There are lots of stores nearby as well as orchards to pick your own fruits," reports Giselle P., highlighting off-campground amenities near Wildwood State Park.
Clean facilities: Most parks maintain well-serviced bathroom and shower facilities. "Clean, friendly, safe and relaxing!" summarizes Alyssa G. about her 6-night stay at Wildwood State Park.
Reservation requirements: Suffolk County parks have specific reservation systems. "You need a Green Key card membership for reservation which at least got me a 50% ($9) discount on beach parking," explains Dominick L. about requirements at Southaven County Park.
Site privacy varies significantly: Indian Island County Park and other area campgrounds have varying levels of privacy between sites. "It's a lil tight from each site but you have the beach and a little hiking trails that makes it worth it," notes Gino D.
Fire ring policies: Some parks require campers to bring or rent fire rings. "Lame not having a fire ring, you have to rent one or bring your own," explains Ossama B. regarding Wildwood State Park. This policy exists at several area campgrounds.
Weekend crowds: Most campgrounds experience significantly higher usage Friday through Sunday. "The crowd was a little questionable. State police were called in the settled a dispute between campers," reports Dominick L. about a particularly busy weekend at Southaven County Park.
Playgrounds and open spaces: Heckscher State Park provides family-friendly amenities. "Perfect place to take the little ones has a beautiful lake and a really nice playground highly recommended," shares correl H. about family camping options.
Educational opportunities: Some parks offer ranger programs and nature centers. "There are park rangers on site and have excellent programs for kids," mentions Inocencia O. about Watch Hill Fire Island Campground.
Beach accessibility: Consider distance to beaches when choosing a site. "Indian Island County Park is a short walk from beach access and kayak launch. There is a playground for kids and clean facilities," explains Michael G., highlighting multiple family-friendly features.
Insect preparation: Bring appropriate repellents, especially in wooded areas. "Beware and prepare for ticks. Very wooded," warns Ken P. about Southaven County Park, a consideration for families with children.
Electric hookup locations: Watch Hill Fire Island Campground and other parks have limited full-service sites. "We needed to move to dump station prior to leaving (2 night visit) and had to drive to fill the fresh water tank once while there," shares Janelle G. about partial hookups at one location.
Site dimensions and access: RV sites vary significantly in size and access across the region. "RV pull through sites were fantastic. It was a great campground for maiden voyage in new rig. Plenty of amenities," notes Lori R. about Wildwood State Park.
Seasonal restrictions: Some campgrounds close water hookups during cold months. "Water was off because we were a week shy of the season opening," reports a camper about early season camping, highlighting the need to verify available services when booking.
Leveling requirements: Be prepared for potentially uneven terrain at some locations. "Site was level, pretty spacious and easy to back into," reports Janelle G., indicating that site conditions can vary for RVs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Shoreham, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Shoreham, NY is Wildwood State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 24 reviews.
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