Looking for the best campgrounds near Stamford, NY? Discover secluded campsites where you can reconnect with nature. Or maybe you like to bring your family and friends along. Either way, there are Stamford campgrounds just for you. Find the best campgrounds near Stamford, NY. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
"After driving unpaved dirt road for a while, we arrived a surprisingly well maintained beautiful campsites. The pond is small so the mosquitos were not too bad."
"Intermittent cell service which was frightening while driving on these rough roads"
$20 - $40 / night
"We arrived here early afternoon, which ended up being perfect timing as we could set up everything and catch sunset by the fire."
"There are several beautiful, secluded hike-in sites along the lake which I would love to return to someday. The hike around the lake is a lovely, easy walk."
$57 / night
"Although there may be times when there may be people and groups around for day use, the small number of cabins and they way they are spread out will make you feel like you are at your own private retreat"
"Get tracking poles if you don't already have some. Very helpful here.
This was one of my favorite weekend backpacking trips."
"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."
"Quiet, next to a lightly trafficked road. There was a port a potty. Campsites in middle field are just clearings with fire pits and nothing else. Soft ground for staking a tent. Very few bugs."
"This was a good campground for a base point for hiking around the peekamoose area. I stayed in the middle field campground site #6 (which is the worst spot on that field)."
"There are two primitive campsites at this location. The small parking area can accommodate several cars. One site is to the left, one to the right."
GuideThis campground was my first backpacking trip and it was perfect! There are tent sites around the whole lake with fire pits and 1 lean-to site at the end of the trail when you first arrive at the lake. The sites are relatively flat and well shaded with trees. Note, it can get swampy near the edge of the lake so you may want to bring bug spray. Make sure you practice leave no trace principles and pack out what you bring in! It does get a little crowded later in the day so you may have to share space with others and it can be a little noisy at night.
ScoutShawangunk was SUCH a nice place to stay. So many good things - though a few things to keep in mind when you're booking, too.
I definitely recommend trying to get the walk-in (meaning you can't drive to them) sites (8-15) because they're just a little bit more set back and kind of wonderfully wooded all around. 8 & 9 seemed like the star sites, because they're up and away a little bit more than 10-15.
Here goes:
The Good:
The just okay:
Overall we really did love staying here. It was pretty empty and we were able to have two cars in the parking spots (usually you can only have one in the assigned spot) without putting anyone out. It was full of friendly people and my dog had an awesome time romping through the leaves and people watching. Definitely recommend this site if you're hiking or climbing in the area!
RangerHad a great summer camping weekend at Little Pond.
Pros:
- Near wonderful, little-used hiking trails - challenging ones, too!
- Close to Catskill town options to explore, e.g. Livingston Manor
- picnic table and room to park at your site
- there is a dump station and recycling center.
- Clean bathrooms and shower facilities
- Nice tent sites with well-maintained fire pits (have rack for grilling over coals, very large fire pits, sturdy)
- payphone near entrance/park ranger's office
- firewood for sale at ranger's office
-wildlife: hummingbirds on the path around Little Pond, frogs, deer, birds
- foraging: plaintain, raspberries near camp, blueberries and huckleberries on hike
- views on hike
- ruins on hike
Cons
- no cell service, however, if you hike to a mountain top can have fun joking with those you call about that's what it took to be able to get a signal and be in touch with them :-)
- weekend around the lake is more like a park with day-trippers, as opposed to serene wilderness/lakeside camping.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There was a high school group (on Satuday?) there that made it feel more like a family/public place than a wilderness getaway. The hiking, however, more than made up for it. The trail we took to get to the top and, at last, have cell phone service and AWESOME views more than made up for that.
The Park Rangers were helpful and unobtrusive. They drove their carts around periodically but not like they were hovering in any one spot or making trouble for anyone.
We like visiting the nearby towns and breweries. It was a wondrful weekend. They have some tent sites right on the lake for hike-ins. If you drive, you have to carry all your stuff for awhile before you get to yourcamp site. However, these are right on the lake in supreme spots, even with "old school" outhouses a stone's throw away.
I recommend Little Pond for a weekend. If you stay longer, be sure to check out the surrounding area. We stayed at campsite 2, which was ok, but not on the lake. Go for a site on the lake, even if you have to carry your stuff to set up, it was breathtaking in the morning to see the mist rising off the lake.
From the park:
Campground Phone:(845) 439-5480 Regional Office Phone:(607) 652-2032 Make Your Camping Reservation: ReserveAmerica
Little Pond is a quiet picturesque campground located in the Catskill Forest Preserve which offers a leisurely hiking trail around a 13-acre pond, and the opportunity to venture along trails leading to the ruins of an old farm or enjoy breathtaking views atop the Touchmenot Mountains.
The campgrounds, beach, boat rental, and Junior Naturalist Program offers fun for all ages; and for the primitive camper, we offer remote sites on the back side of the pond. Little Pond is located minutes from Beaverkill, a world renowned fly fishing stream. Amenities = 67 tent and trailer sites; 8"remote" tent sites; picnic area with tables, grills, or fireplaces; pavilion rental; playground; volleyball; horseshoes; soccer; basketball; ice sales; firewood sales; flush toilets; hot showers; trailer dump station; recycling center; sand beach; boat launch; rowboat, paddle boat, kayak and canoe rentals.
The campground offers accessible campsites with a mile long trail around the pond. A newly constructed ADA fishing platform is at the end of the trail near the day use area. There is also a new ADA path to the beach. Full listing of DEC's Accessible Recreation Destinations. Campsite Restoration Project This campground has sites that have been selected for restoration. While undergoing restoration the chosen sites will be closed. For the list of sites and more information on the project visit the Campsite Restoration Project page. People using the accessible trail at Little Pond Featured Activities boating Boating No motor boats allowed. Rowboats and canoes allowed. Rowboat, paddle boat, kayak and canoe rentals available. fishing Fishing A variety of pan fish.
The Beaverkill, renowned fly fishing stream, is with minutes from the campground. The Pepacton Reservoir is also close by. A special permit is needed to fish in this reservoir and can be obtained from the city of New York Board of Water Supply. Record sized brown trout and smallmouth bass have been caught in the reservoir. Fishing licenses are no longer being sold at any of our campground facilities, but can be conveniently purchased on-line or by phone.
Hiking Trailheads for both the campground trail and Little Pond trail are located within the campground. These trails connect the campground to the 33 miles of foot trails located on the 27,000+ acre Delaware Wild Forest, which boarders the campground to the north. swimming
Wildlife to Watch: White-tailed deer Wild turkeys Bald eagles Bears Coyotes Foxes
Historic Interest: The campground was constructed between 1965 and 1968. It opened for camping in 1968 with 67 sites; the picnic area and the beach in 1968. The 8 remote sites were added at a later date. The shower house was constructed in 1984. In celebration of the 100th year anniversary of the Forest Preserve in July 1985, a time capsule was buried in the campground. This capsule, containing the names of the persons camping in the campground at that time, was entombed in the base of a stone monument located in front of the facility supervisor's office. The capsule is scheduled to be opened on the 200th anniversary of the Forest Preserve.
GuideThis is a very nice modern campground with great access to amazing hiking and climbing in the area! About half the sites are walk-in and half the sites are drive-up.
Pros:
Very minor cons:
RangerCampground Review:
The campgrounds are pretty basic, but have everything you need. It is mainly a rock climber campground, so this may not be the best choice if you want a campsite to drink and party at. All of this happens, its just a little earlier in the night! Most go to sleep relatively early with a full day of climbing ahead of them. That being said, the climbing community is pretty friendly and the campgrounds have eliminated fire rings at each site and opted for one, communal fire pit to encourage more social interaction. There is a pavilion near the fire ring with sinks and bathrooms with pay showers. They are kept relatively nice. There is also another "comfort station" with sinks and vault toilets near the other side of the campground. Most of the campsites are drive-up sites, but there are a few hike-in sites(like we stayed in the first night) where the Matador Beast28 Technical, Packable backpack was great for hiking in some clothes and campsite necessities. The second night, we stayed at site 31(drive up) and I recommend that as it is near the comfort station and back enough from the road and other sites that you have some space to yourself.The view of "the trapps" 300 ft cliffs from the campsite is amazing. Please be aware that, although the website says they are open in March, they will not open if there is snow on the ground. We found out the hard way on a previous trip.
This is the closest campground to world renowned rock climbing in "the gunks" and also offers many other outdoor activities including some great hikes and rock scrambles, swimming holes and waterfalls. People travel from all over the world to rock climb here. Most are experienced climbers and go on their own, but there are guide services in town if you're looking to get into the sport. There is also a ton of great hiking. Bonticou crag has a pretty intense rock scramble to a great overlook and hosts some great cross-country skiing trails in the winter. The Mountain House Resort Property(you have to pay) has some great hiking including "the lemon squeeze." The town of New Paltz is only a ten minute drive away and offers some great options for food. Mexicali Blues, Mcgillicuddys, and huckleberry are all very different places to eat in town, but they're all great in their own way.
Pros :
Cons :
Product Review :
As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - for this trip I tested the Matador Beast28 Technical, Packable backpack. I used this pack for getting gear to and from our hike-in campsite, as a day pack for a short hike, and as a climbing pack for getting my gear to the cliff.
My first impressions were that the pack was well made with solid materials. It also looks great and, although not waterproof, seems like it would hold up to some pretty solid rain before letting any water in. The main compartment zips most of the way down, making it easy to get to gear, even if it was packed in the bottom of the pack and the small, zipped lid compartment is great for a few small items you need quick access to(headlamp, phone, snacks). There was also a front stash pocket that I kept a small towel and my belay gloves in, It was nice to have but wont hold much. The gear loops on the outside of that pocket were nice for a few extra carabiners and hand sanitizer. The water bladder compartment and securing straps worked great and the hose routed relatively well through the pack and down the loops in the shoulder strap. If you have a large mouthpiece on your hydration pack, you may have some trouble feeding it through the pack.
As for the fit, I loved the way this felt and the straps adjusted to fit me very well. Im 6'4" and many packs of this size end up being too small for me. that was not the case with this pack and there was almost no load shifting while climbing or hiking. The compression straps were a nice touch.
I was a little confused about the size of the side mesh pockets when I first got the pack, as they are not even close to big enough for a water bottle. Im guessing that, since it already has the hydration compartment, they viewed this as an opportunity to keep this pack's profile a little smaller/tighter and I really appreciated this. I kept a few cliff bars, headphones, and a buff in there and it was nice that the pocket was tight enough that the items felt secure.
There are only three things I didn't love about this pack:
Overall, this is a great pack that I will use for cold weather day hikes, climbing, and travel. Big thanks to Matador for putting so many features into such a packable pack!
ScoutWonderful campsite 11 right next to the stream. unfortunately no hot water for my 3 days there.. mens bathroom sink near entrance was not working.. closet spigot working was near campsite 27. No firewood sold at campground at this time. NO cell phone service.. most campsite are very close together so not much privacy. Dead end road so virtually no road traffic at all. Most campsites are rocks and dirt. No fire ban 8/2022 at this time. Its about a 30 min ride to Phoenicia. Bathrooms clean. Very close to hiking trails- Slide mountain trail and giant ledge right next door
ScoutWe 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. Do recommend bringing something with wheels. It’s not too far from the parking lot, but it’s far enough to be annoying to carry everything. Nice even path. Most of the sites are off the water and can’t speak to those. Got a kayak for the day and it was a great rate. Saw beavers and eagles.
LegendWe arrived here early afternoon, which ended up being perfect timing as we could set up everything and catch sunset by the fire. The place is pretty easy to access with paved road the whole way there except for the last 1/2 mile where it is very bumpy. Some might say 4*4 but we made it just fine in our little Camry. There are two campsites located right outside of the park where you can park your car next to your tent but we opted to hike in. The first spot is less than 1/2 mile down the path, with the next three in the next mile. The campsites are very spacious with lots of room between you and other campers, and have a fire pit and some have picnic tables. We had a stellar time just hiking down the path and relaxing by the water. There’s no noise at night apart from the running water of the stream and we had a very peaceful weekend. We’re most definitely returning!
GuideThere are three campgrounds (upper, middle, and lower field) and a trailer field for a total of 24 campsites. Calling them “fields” might be misleading - they’re heavily wooded areas by a river. I slept in the middle field. On a Wednesday night in early September I had the whole campground to myself. Quiet, next to a lightly trafficked road. There was a port a potty. Campsites in middle field are just clearings with fire pits and nothing else. Soft ground for staking a tent. Very few bugs. Good water access with the river. At the middle field, you have to walk 200+ feet from the parking lot to your campsite, so just be prepared to carry your stuff. I got there long after dark: had to stumble around a little in the dark to figure out where the campsites were, but it wasn’t too bad. Highly recommended.
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