For those who want to experience Southold, but still want the creature comforts of home, consider glamping for your trip. The Dyrt can help find the best glamping in and around Southold, NY. These scenic and easy to access New York glamping locations are perfect for any adventurer.
Situated along the scenic Connecticut coastline making great camping near New Haven, Rocky Neck State Park is a is a small recreation area that features white sand beaches, salt marshes, and the rocky remnants of Ice Age glaciers. The park is located about 1 hour southeast of Hartford, near the town of East Lyme, with a view across the sound of Fishers Island, Gardiners Island, and Long Island. The park showcases several examples of ancient glacial terrain, including rock scouring and polishing, potholes and erratic boulders. In some places, the overlying sediment has been completely eroded away to reveal interesting outcrops of banded granitic gneiss.
The campground at Rocky Neck offers 160 drive-in campsites for tent and RV campers. Visitors can choose from open, grassy sites and wooded, shady sites. Each site is equipped with picnic tables and fire rings, but RV hookups are not available. Sites can accommodate vehicles/trailers up to 35 feet; some sites are tent-only. Water faucets, restrooms, and trash/recycling receptacles are located throughout the campground; a dump station is located near the campground entrance. Dogs are not permitted in this park. Camping is available from May through September; sites are $20–$30/night; reservations accepted.
The main attraction at Rocky Neck is its wide, sandy beach, where visitors can lounge in the sun, or go for a dip in Long Island Sound. The park has several picnic areas for family and group gatherings, several miles of hiking trails for exploring the park’s salt marshes, waterways and natural features, and anglers can fish for saltwater bass, blackfish and flounder. Along the park’s western shore, the historic Ellie Mitchell Pavilion has concessions, and dining and lounging areas. The park also offers a variety of seasonal interpretive programs, guided hikes, wildlife viewing, and evening entertainment.
Take the Virtual Tour! - WILDWOOD STATE PARK
Wildwood State Park comprises 600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest, terminating on the high bluff overlooking Long Island Sound. Swimmers can take advantage of the cool waters of the Sound, and picnickers can relax at shaded picnic tables as their children enjoy the nearby playground. Visitors can fish and use the hiking and cross-country ski trails, making this an enjoyable place to camp and be outdoors in any season. Geography: Wildwood State Park is located near Long Island Sound, on the north shore of Long Island, in Suffolk County. Recreation: Considered a flagship facility, visitors can enjoy the beach, biking, camper recreation programs, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and cross-country skiing. During July and August, movies are shown weekly, and once a week, campers can enjoy an evening of line or square dancing. Facilities: The park has 2 miles of beach on the Long Island sound for fishing and swimming. Each campsite has a picnic table, and dumping stations are nearby. There are 10 cottages, each with a fire ring, screened-in patio, and are available for rent through mid-November. The campground recycles newspaper and cardboard. Other amenities include food concessions, a nature trail, twelve miles of marked hiking trails, a picnic area, basketball courts, ball fields, a playground, and showers. Firewood is for sale at the park; bring your own barbecue or metal fire container.
Set amidst century-old maples, quaint stone walls, and reproduction colonial architecture, this family resort provides the best Connecticut camping has to offer. Here the prevailing breeze is fresh, and the westerly views are of rolling wooded hills and magnificent sunsets. With modern facilities, the campground is beautifully situated on a hill among maple and apple trees. Most sites are pull-through, allowing for easy parking with additional areas offering everything from secluded tent sites to a three-acre field for groups. No RV? No problem! With our speciality accommodations, including Camping Cabins and Deluxe Cabins, you may not even feel like you're roughing it at all. Enjoy all the attractions in the greater Mystic Connecticut area, including Rhode Island beaches, Foxwoods Resort Casino and the Mohegan Sun Resort Casino. Mystic KOA is also near to some of Connecticut's finest tourist attractions, including the Mystic Seaport Museum, Dinosaur Place and the Mystic Aquarium.
Owned & operated by the Gustine family since 1994, Wolf’s Den Campground is located on 35 scenic acres in the beautiful Connecticut River Valley. Whether for the day, week, month or season, the campground is an ideal place to camp, relax and enjoy the great outdoor life with your friends and family. Every year thousands of families, many of them repeat customers, find their way to Wolf’s Den to join us for loads of fun activities, visiting many nearby attractions, and just kicking back and escaping for a while. We cater to all ages and lifestyles and welcome tent & popup campers, full time travelers, seasonals, and weekenders alike. As we celebrate over 50 years in the camping industry, we invite you to visit and experience all the family fun and camping excitement that we have to offer.
Smith Point, on the Fire Island barrier beach, is a haven for sportsmen, surfers and beach lovers. An extremely popular facility, the park's white sands, rolling Atlantic surf and adjoining camping facility attract Suffolk County residents and tourists each summer season. Reservations are required for all the sites in the campground. All sites have water, and many have electric hookups and sewers. Outer beach camping is available on first come, first served basis, beach conditions permitting.
A nationally recognized team of lifeguards makes Smith Point its home base, providing ocean visitors with an extra-special safety feature.
Off-road vehicles, with permit only, may drive on the eastern portion of the outer beach. All beach-goers are advised to respect the marked, protective fencing around the nest sites of endangered shorebirds inhabiting the ocean and bay beaches.
Strawberry Park is a 160 acre campground nestled in the heart of southeastern Connecticut, in a region of lakes, streams and ocean beaches, conveniently located near all the major points of interest, and only 5 miles off I-395 or 15 miles from I-95. Strawberry Park offers a wide variety of campsites, ranging from open lawns, wooded and shaded sites, some close to the facilities, while others are more secluded.
Legend
We generally only stay in KOAs or similar RV parks when we need showers, laundry, or a dump station. This one was in a convenient location plus many campgrounds had not yet opened for the year when we were there. It had rained for a few days before our arrival and that did not help our first impression as we drove on the rutted and muddy road to our site. There was a sign that improvements are underway, but I am not sure what those planned improvements are and when they will be implemented.
On the plus side:
*Friendly and helpful staff. Not sure why when we are given a map an employee escorts us to our site but that is a KOA thing. Later an employee asked if I wanted help carrying our clothes to the laundry.
* Warm showers (but it did take a while for the water to get warm)
*Brand new pool that was uncovered but it was way too cold in April to use*Sites were spaced a decent amount of space apart (although there is little physical separation). This was helped by the fact that there was no one on either side of us during our stay.
*In season, there are many activities to occupy families (pool, playground, mini golf, daily firetruck rides, complimentary shuttle into the town of Niantic); however, we could not take advantage of most of these.
*Reasonably priced laundry, although the washing machines were smal, and it took two to do what should have been one load. However, the dryers give you 60 minutes so although it took longer to dry, I only had to use one.
On the negative side:
*Unmaintained roadways. The main one was once paved but has not been maintained; others were dirt (and mud after a rain)
*High price for what we received. Not sure if we received an off-season rate but at $87 per night for a water/electric site and not being able to take advantage of amenities seemed high.
*Allowing political flags to be displayed at sites. I understand that on private property, this can be allowed at the owner's discretion, but this was offensive to us.
Again, this is not our preferred type of camping. Initially, I struggled to give this two stars but once the rain stopped, our stay improved somewhat.
Scout
Stayed at this campground this past weekend and yes it was a long weekend so the campground was packed. All the camping spots are pretty much right next to each one with hardly any space, packed like Sardines. Neighbors are loud and some of them are ignorant of the park rules. Staying on the phones in the middle of the night while talking so loud that all camping neighbors can hear their whole story
Its a pity that they take a nice park and remove the fun out of camping.
However the walk to the beach area was very serene, especially early morning before sunrise and didn't feel like we live in dense suburbia and sunrise from the beach was worth the trip
Camp site itself was pretty flat, had a water station, bathrooms were well kept , no fire ring (BYOFP)
Legend
General: HUGE state park with over 700 sites. It does not fully open for the season until May 1 and when we were there in mid-April, only two sections, Fish Camp and Mills Camp were open. The Ranger station is staffed 24 hours a day, with a ranger on site until 11 pm. You need to show your pass to get inside the gate leading to the campsites. There are no hookups in any site (as far as I could tell). Sites are designated for tents, small trailers, large trailers, and RVs. As with other RI state parks, non-residents pay double the price of residents which kind of ticks me off (I don't mind a nominal upcharge but double is excessive IMO).
Site Quality: The site numbers throughout the park are painted on rocks but the sites themselves are not very clearly defined. There is no designated camping pad. Our site (114) had a water view but was not level. It was large enough for us to park horizontally and make it work for one night. Some sites had excessive roots and also were not level. Some picnic tables have been replaced with new ones, but others badly need it.
Bath/Shower house: The one in Fish Camp was adequate and clean. There is hot water, but you need to run it for a while before you get any. There was no garbage receptacle, and the toilet paper is so thin, that you can see through it. Showers are $.75 to get it started for the first three minutes. After that, the amount per minute increases to $1, $1.25, $1.50, and so forth. Machines take up to 22 quarters. There is a change machine at the Ranger Station. I did not use the shower so I cannot comment on how well they work.
Activities/Amenities: There is a camp store that offers wood, ice, coffee, basic groceries, propane, and canoe rentals. It was open with limited hours during our stay. Fishing, boating, swimming - all in season. Even though the park was only about 10% occupied, there was a strong Ranger presence. He circled our small loop three times just before check-out time and wanted to make sure we were leaving not a minute past the designated time.
This was just an overnight stay for us in a convenient location but there is no way I would stay at the height of the season!
Scout
We love camping at Odetah. Clean facilities. Great staff. New pool and hot tub. Will definitely come back
Traveler
Updates
Note that some of the photos submitted to this site were taken in areas that were NOT IN the Park. Also the Park is NOT under new ownership.
Legend
We stayed at Mystic KOA in North Stonington, Connecticut, to be tourists in Mystic. Spoiler alert… we had a great stay!
This campground is just 15-minutes from Mystic and about an hour’s drive to Newport, Rhode Island. It’s just a few minutes from I-95 and so close to Mystic Aquarium, downtown Mystic, Mystic Seaport, and all the local spots.
It’s a well-maintained campground with 2 pools(though the larger one was closed for maintenance during our stay), lots of play areas and daily activities for little ones, and a cool“pub truck” for adult drinks. Our site(#408) was about 85’ long with plenty of room for our 45’ motorhome and toad(and then some!). It was level and gravel with a nice fire ring and picnic table. The hookups worked fine with 50-amp electric and decent water pressure. Cable TV had nearly 50-channels, but the wi-fi didn’t quite reach our part of the park.
Due to a family issue, we needed to leave about a day-and-a-half early. We called the office as a courtesy to let them know as we were pulling out and received a partial credit for a night’s stay on our credit card. Didn’t even ask, they just did it. Thanks Mystic KOA!
We’ll definitely be back. This is a great place to stay when visiting the coastal Connecticut/Rhode Island area.
ScoutStayed for a week mid-July; during the week had almost an entire loop to ourselves which was wonderful - it felt like having the entire park to ourselves. Things picked up on Friday/Saturday but overall we lucked out with no neighbors who were disrespectful of the quiet hours (10p - 7a). Bathrooms, dumpsters, and portapotties are plentiful, but not always well maintained. Staff are seen frequently throughout the park and are very willing to be helpful when asked - our site had a few Yellowjacket nests and they took care of them for us almost immediately when asked. It’s worth investigating the various sites ahead of time - there are a number of sections much more likely to be busy than others, and lots of low-lying sites that show signs of easily being washed out in anything more than a moderate rain. With multiple great east coast beaches minutes away (as well as conveniences like fuel/stores) we will definitely be back.
ScoutLarge campground with 3 pools, many amenities and scheduled activities
LegendPros: 15 minutes from Mystic CT 50 AMP, sewer & water hookup Nice amenities
Cons: Gravel site No shade Tight site & hard to get in/out for big rig
TravelerWe camped here from Friday to Sunday. The staff in the main office was very inviting and friendly, the rangers kept everyone in check . The bathrooms were kept clean, but the showers in the Legiontown area are kinda crappy, it's mainly the shower heads...they feel like bullets hitting you and you can't even adjust the shower head nozzle. The showers are $1.50/8mins I only put $1.00 in for 5 minutes which was more than enough time for me. There's a beautiful lake and you can rent Kayaks or a canoe for the day I believe it was around $45.00. there's a nice general store, an arcade, playground, trails, cabins... And the sites are pretty big. No real big complaints, except that the staties are usually waiting for you to come back from the bars since there's no alcohol allowed on the property. So if you are to drink off the property, make sure you have a Designated Driver. They love handing out DUIs. (I did not have this issue, but my friends did.)
ScoutOdetah 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.
Traveler
Truly great spot. Amazing sites with plenty of room, though they are close together. But was worth it for the amenities and fantastic views. Stayed on the bayside (site 30), which had a fantastic direct bay view. Although most sites have views of the bay, some are blocked by seagrass (for example site 28 - huge corner spot but the flat spot to park has an obstructed view). Literally steps to the beach.
Traveler
Perhaps it was the weekend we went but this was an extremely unpleasant trip. The bathroom facilities are wonderful as is the beach but the crowd stayed awake playing music all night very loudly. I think the cabins here are the way to go.
GuideThis is a great spot that’s perfect for a weekend camping. I ended up getting a cabin here and stayed the night. It was thwir opening weekend and the weather was pretty cold so we didn’t have to foght the crowds too much. That said, they have a huge capacity and during summer the place is swarmed by RV’ers and folks staying for longer stays.
ScoutOur 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. A stones throw away was one of several shower and rest room buildings. Clean and well lit. Our site had a trex picnic table on a cement patio. An on site firepit was cozy at night. A general store, complete with an ice cream shop window, on the grounds was a treat. And sweet deer. I watcheda momma deer nursing two of her babies. This is paradise.
Traveler
Favorite place ever. You can get there by ferry. Very quiet and comfortable. Birdsong in the morning and the sound of the waves. There are showers, toilets and a café. For those who want to be at one with nature. Lots of mosquitoes, be prepared.
TravelerBeen to this campsite 2 times. Nice beach with no waves. A lot of fishermen. 5-7 minutes by car to the store, gas station and farms.
Scout
Was a little weary at first as our site was smack in the middle of about 15 seasonal sites ! Turns out everyone was awesome and helpful. The pool atmosphere was like you were in some strangers pool! Hummingbirds galore !
ScoutStayed 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!
TravelerBurlingame state park campground is 3100 acres and many of the 739 reservable campsites are well spaced out and you could obtain great privacy if you know which site to pick. The condition of the park has steadily declined since about 2016. Plans are in the work to update all bathroom facilities, but it keeps getting pushed back year after year. Burlingame State Park campground is the only state park managed by an outside corporation who assumes the day to day responsibilities for campsites, dumpsters and bathrooms. Ongoing issues, especially on holiday weekends have been noted by hundreds of campers. The new pre-registration offered through Reserve America has been a great improvement. It allows to avoid the long lines at the check-in station and drive straight up to the gate. Lack of staff on the management level, and Rhode Island state park department level definitely shows. Rhode Island DEM is allowing this wonderful campground to deteriorate. Flooding issues during even minor rainfall is apparent in a large portion of sites, so beware which campsite you reserve. Camper created group called Bound4burlingame has filmed every campsite and put them on YouTube and has created a private group on FB where the camping community of Burlingame contributes daily to an extremely popular public forum. Best place to gain info and insight. Get campsite recommendations straight from the people who actually camp there.
ScoutThe sites in the 500 section are nice and big, and that’s about where the positives end :( There was a huge party that went on till 3 AM with crazy loud music, if you like quiet nights this is not your place. I really don’t mind loud people though so if that had been the worst of it I would have been ok. For me the bathrooms and dumpsters were absolutely unacceptable 🤢 I think the bathroom was cleaned once the 3 days we were there. There was feces on the toilet 2 of the 3 days, people washing dishes in bathroom sinks, floors covered in garbage. The dumpster smelled so bad and you couldn’t even throw garbage away, it was so full people just kept tossing it on top. Most of the time there was one person checking people in at the desk and trying to let people in the gate which takes forever since they have to check papers and license plates. Also, the mosquitoes are relentless so bring bug spray, lots of it.
ScoutVery nice staff, campground is nice also. Bathrooms could be cleaner. Close to downtown and beaches - campsite offers a shuttle service to most things around which is great!
TravelerSo many activities for kids and family. Well maintained facilities. Kind and helpful staff. No sewer hook up, but they do provide a honey wagon pump service, once, free of charge. They say you can request additional pumps for a fee, if necessary. However, we were not able to be pumped because it was the “pumpers” day off. LOL Hey, it happens. :) They do have a dump station for a DIY.
GuideYou just can’t go wrong  with a KOA campground. His place in Niantic Connecticut very close to downtown and the beach which they have a shuttle for. The staff is very friendly, courteous and knowledgeable of the area. Plenty activities for adults and kids and they are putting in a new swimming pool which will be up middle of July . They have spaces for 10 sites and up (I would call to see if you can fit if you have a larger rig ) very easy to get to write off I-95 even though you’re close to I-95, I could barely hear the traffic. I heard, crickets and birds before traffic. 
Scout
This was our first trip in our new to us travel trailer😃. Campground was awesome! Friendly staff and really clean bathrooms and shower area
Traveler
Had a wonderful time love the fact you can walk or drive to the beach at no additional cost the site itself is not very private but very spacious only draw back is you have to walk everything in you can’t even pull up and drop off have to park in parking lot and haul it in I was in site 1 shortest walk
TravelerBurlingame is a HUGE state park campground with over 700 sites. The location is fantastic, but with this many sites (so, with this many people), there are bound to be pros and cons.
Pros:
Lovely location - it's in the middle of the woods, has a pond, has pond swimming. It's just minutes to the ocean by car. Hiking and biking for miles.
Camp store - well stocked.
Price - dirt cheap if you are a RI resident, but pricey if you aren't.
Spacious - even with all those sites, there's plenty of room between sites and tons of open space for kids to run around, fly a kite, play tag, hide and seek.
Real camping atmosphere - fire rings at each site, wooded sites (and open grass sites if you like that better). Wildlife (listening to the several types of owls is a favorite pastime at night). While RVs are welcome (and we have tent and trailer camped here), this is NOT an RV resort. No hook-ups.
Cons:
No hook-ups, lol. This is a con in the heat of the summer if you want/need AC.
Bath houses - are usually pretty filthy, and that's because there are too many people per bath house, and people are gross.
Noise / Parties / Drunks - again, too many sites means too many people and nowhere near enough park staff. On the weekends people can get out of hand with the partying and it's not uncommon to have to listen to noise late into the night. Do not come on a holiday weekend, it's packed.
Overall, if you are a camper's camper, this is a great place. Close to CT so a day trip to Mystic is easy, close to several gorgeous beaches, close to great restaurants, ice cream, and shopping. Swim in the pond. Fish in the pond (catch and release). Bike. Hike. Hammock. Avoid holiday weekends and the heat of August if you can. Be prepared for dirty restrooms and come armed with hand soap (they no longer provide any), paper towels, and Clorox wipes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Southold, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Southold, NY is Rocky Neck State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 23 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Southold, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 19 glamping camping locations near Southold, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
