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Best Equestrian Camping near Staatsburg, NY

46 Reviews

North-South Lake Campground accommodates horses on spacious sites separated by natural foliage, providing privacy between camping areas. The campground features drive-in access and accepts both tents and RVs, with electric hookups available for equestrian campers. Trail riders can explore the extensive hiking network directly from the campground, with several paths suitable for horseback riding. The grounds include picnic tables and fire pits with grill tops at each site, allowing riders to relax after a day on the trails. The campground's proximity to Kaaterskill Falls creates excellent riding opportunities in the surrounding Catskill region. Bathrooms and shower facilities remain consistently clean throughout the camping season.

Located approximately 90 miles from Staatsburg, North-South Lake provides seasonal camping from May 19 to October 22, making it ideal for spring, summer, and fall equestrian excursions. The surrounding Catskill Mountain trails offer varied terrain for riders of different skill levels. Horse owners should note that the campground strictly enforces quiet hours and cleanliness policies. Water access is available at the dual lakes, providing natural watering opportunities for horses after trail rides. Multiple hiking trails connect directly to the campground, creating an extensive network for day rides. The campground's proximity to natural attractions like Kaaterskill Falls and the Catskill Escarpment trail enhances the riding experience. Trail connections to the newly opened viewing platform for Kaaterskill Falls provide scenic destinations for horseback excursions.

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Equestrian Camping Reviews near Staatsburg, NY

46 Reviews of 2 Staatsburg Campgrounds

  • Cynthia K.
    Aug. 29, 2024

    North-South Lake Campground

    New York

    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!

  • Tara L.
    May. 21, 2018

    North-South Lake Campground

    NYS camping.

    North 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.

  • M
    Jun. 4, 2026

    North-South Lake Campground

    scenic campground

    This is a truly beautiful and scenic campground, easily one of the best places we have visited in New York State. The campsites are well laid out, the surroundings are stunning, and the entire campground is very clean and well maintained. We visited in October, and it was pleasantly uncrowded, which made the experience even more enjoyable. The peaceful atmosphere and beautiful fall scenery made for a perfect camping trip. I'm not sure how busy it gets during the peak summer season, but our autumn visit was fantastic. We had a wonderful time and will definitely be coming back.

  • nThe Dyrt PRO User
    Oct. 22, 2021

    North-South Lake Campground

    Beautiful grounds but…

    Gorgeous campgrounds, friendly staff, and spectacular facilities. Loved that trailheads are walking distance from the sites. But we felt very close to campers next to us, not a lot of shrubbery between sites to feel somewhat private. Fire pits are very nice but more catered to cooking instead of being able to sit around in a circle. Also, we picked a site hoping we’d have a nice view of the lake but it’s hard to see from the site and a good walk away. Overall, beautiful grounds but I’d take less facilities to have a more “woodsy” vibe but that’s just my preference!

  • Lena L.
    Jun. 14, 2018

    North-South Lake Campground

    Family friendly

    Had a great time at this campground- surrounded by many returning campers which gave the whole experience a good community vibe. Ice cream truck comes around each evening in the summer. Sites are tucked away in the trees for privacy. We set up our 6 person tent and two hammocks comfortably. Long walk to the beach from our site but enjoyable anyway. Nice little hiking trails nearby.

  • R
    Aug. 26, 2018

    North-South Lake Campground

    Love this place

    The sites are spacious and private and there are lake side sites available too. Perfect for groups!! We were able to maximize our lake experience by bringing an inflatable kayak. I was able to explore many different parts of the lake and do a decent amount of fishing. There were a few hiking trails walking distance of the campground that were fun to explore. We will def come back!!

  • M
    Jul. 3, 2019

    North-South Lake Campground

    Great family campground

    This place is enormous. This is a NYS park run by DEC. They are very strict with quite hours which are from 10pm to 7am. The had a truck come around many times after 10pm to make sure everyone was quite. This is a great spot for young kids. I was warned about high black bear activity in the region and even had to sign a waiver acknowledging their presence and all the rules associated.

    Each site had a fire pit with a grill on top of it and a picnic table. Sites are very close together but that didn’t bother me. There are bathrooms and showers, both very clean in every loop. Attached to the bathroom area is a large sink to wash dishes.

    The north lake is under construction so there is not beach front there. Beware of staying in Loop 6 as you will probably hear the construction noises.

    The north lake does however have a nice path alongside it and a spot to deploy a non motorized boat.

    No cell service anywhere in the park or close by.

    I highly recommend staying here.

  • M
    Oct. 26, 2025

    North-South Lake Campground

    Beautiful grounds HORRIBLE STAFF

    I don’t normally write reviews especially a negative one. We had a very upsetting experience at North-South Lake. We drove over two hours to visit my husband’s childhood campground for the first time with our three kids(ages 5, 7, and 9). When we arrived at the entrance, we were asked if it was a day visit, and we said yes, we were only staying for the day. We paid the fee, received a map, and drove in. My husband was so excited to finally share this place and create memories with our children. Looking for a place to park, we thought we were lucky to find an empty campsite in one of the loops where he used to camp as a child.

    We parked the car hoping to enjoy the view of the lake, take a walk, and maybe make the kids a couple of s’mores before heading home.

     At around 2:15–2:30 p.m., the “SUPERVISOR” in the white Kia approached us in an extremely rude and nasty manner, speaking as if we were committing a serious crime and comparing our situation to“sleeping in someone else’s hotel room.” She asked us if we had a reservation; we said no. She said,“Someone else reserved this spot.” We were very apologetic, embarrassed, and immediately put our stuff in the car. I said they could have told us; we would have moved right away. I’m sorry. 

    She said,“They aren’t supposed to talk to you; that’s why they send me here.” She told us we had ten minutes to leave, waited there while we put our chair, blanket, and s’more cookies in the car, and refused our 9-year-old daughter access to the bathroom while we packed up our three things, and even followed us out of the loop to make sure we didn’t park elsewhere. My daughter came to us crying because the lady told her she couldn’t use the bathroom and had to get in the car. Well, she had an accident in the car right as we were pulling out. 

    We were mortified and apologetic. My husband even offered to leave the firewood we had just purchased for the next campers, but she was dismissive and harsh about that as well. 

    The following day, I called and asked to speak with a manager to explain how we were treated. The manager was just as unfriendly and miserable sounding as the supervisor. I was told they had been looking for us“for hours” and that it’s“common sense” not to park in a campsite. She actually said it’s considered trespassing. So, a friendly warning for first-time visitors: Apparently, if you don’t know that“day use” doesn’t mean“park in any empty campsite,” just for the day, you’re officially a trespassing criminal, at least according to the manager. 

    Reading the website now, I see that check-in for people with reservations is at 2 p.m., which was the time we were trying to make a small fire, so unless someone left their site and returned, it’s unclear how they could have been looking for us“for hours.” We were right there at 2pm. 

    The website also states: Day Use• Anyone who is not camping is a day-user. Day-use hours are from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Day-users are not allowed between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m. 

    We were not camping but didn’t realize we couldn’t park in an empty campsite. I think“common sense” would be to inform DAY USE visitors at the ENTRANCE to use public parking, especially for families or first-time visitors who may not be camping experts. Bottom line: this was my husband’s childhood family spot. We just wanted to take a beautiful fall drive and have a special day with our kids. 

    We understand now that we needed to reserve the parking spot ahead of time, and it was an honest misunderstanding. I would have even offered to pay for the campers’ stay for their trouble. What we wish for is that the staff had approached us respectfully and explained the situation instead of treating us like criminals. Imagine being such a miserable person and working in such a BEAUTIFUL and peaceful place for families. 

    This was meant to be a special family day, honoring memories of my father-in-law and creating new ones with our children. Instead, it became stressful and humiliating. Sadly, this is what our children will remember about the day and about North South Lake

  • L
    Jun. 24, 2022

    North-South Lake Campground

    Lake, creek and waterfalls!

    Beautiful. Our site had a creek close behind it and only a short walk to the lake. We were there in middle of the week and it was very quiet. Most sites a shady and private. Loved it, hope to visit again sometime.

Guide to Staatsburg

North-South Lake Campground offers dedicated equestrian camping facilities approximately 90 miles from Staatsburg in the Catskill Mountains. The campground sits at an elevation of 2,200 feet, providing cooler summer temperatures than surrounding lowlands. Water access is limited in certain sections of the campground during drought conditions, particularly in late summer months.

What to do

Trail riding access: Riders can connect directly to the Escarpment Trail system from North-South Lake Campground. "This campsite is by far my favorite in the Catskills! Their staff is friendly and knowledgeable, bathrooms & beach areas are always clean, & the hiking nearby is fantastic," notes Jessica W.

Swimming opportunities: The dual lakes provide refreshing swimming after trail rides during summer months when temperatures reach the 80s. "I go there almost every year to go swimming with my family and friends and it's always a good time," reports Lizz H.

Scenic viewpoints: The newly constructed observation platform at Kaaterskill Falls provides a destination for riders willing to dismount for panoramic views. "Located just about a mile from Kaaterskill Falls this campground couldn't be in a better spot," states Brittany W.

What campers like

Site spacing: North-South Lake's generous site dimensions accommodate horse trailers with ample room for portable corrals. "Clean and well run campground with beautiful lakes and surrounded by trails. perfect Hudson getaway. Reserve very early for waterfront," advises Rachel G.

Bathroom facilities: Shower buildings receive regular maintenance throughout the season. "The restrooms were clean and had showers, which we did not expect," mentions Brittany W.

Loop variety: Different camping loops offer varied experiences for equestrian campers. "Large family friendly campground with all the amenities - boating, showers, great hiking," explains Becky G.

What you should know

Peak season crowds: The popularity of this horse campground near Staatsburg, New York means summer weekends fill quickly. "Always packed, but always beautiful. Awesome access to the Catskill Escaprment trail from here," warns Maribeth W.

Reservation requirements: Equestrian sites must be booked well in advance, particularly for weekend dates. "North 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," recommends Tara L.

Clear day-use policies: Day visitors should remain in designated areas and not use reserved campsites. Staff strictly enforce these boundaries for site integrity.

Tips for camping with families

Nostalgic experiences: Multiple generations can enjoy traditions at this established equestrian destination. "I'm a native of the Catskills and spent many an afternoon with my family enjoying the facilities at North/South Lake. I've recently started going there again with my own family and it's great to see them take the same enjoyment I did. Camping, swimming, hiking, boating, biking, this place has it all," shares Chris D.

Site selection: Choose campsites in the 40-45 range for optimal family-friendly locations with closer bathroom access. "This campground has many different size sites big enough for groups and small for just single. Great place to camp," notes Eliany L.

Activity planning: Schedule water activities in the morning hours when lakes are calmer and less crowded for younger riders. The beach areas become busiest between 1-4pm during summer months.

Tips from RVers

Hookup availability: Electric sites accommodate horse trailers with living quarters, though 50-amp service is limited. "This campground has many different size sites big enough for groups and small for just single. Great place to camp. The view from the town to the campground was amazing," states Eliany L.

Access considerations: The mountain roads leading to equestrian campgrounds near Staatsburg require careful navigation with larger rigs. Winter weight restrictions may apply through April on certain access roads.

Campsite leveling: Many sites require blocking materials for proper leveling of larger horse trailer combinations. Wooden blocks are preferred over plastic on the rocky terrain.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular equestrian campsite near Staatsburg, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular equestrian campground near Staatsburg, NY is North-South Lake Campground with a 4.5-star rating from 44 reviews.

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