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Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Sterling Forest, NY

908 Reviews

Beaver Pond Campground — Harriman State Park and Mahlon Dickerson Reservation both welcome dogs at their campsites, offering diverse accommodation options for pet owners. At Beaver Pond, campers with pets can reserve sites with electric hookups, fires permitted, and access to sanitary dump stations. Wawayanda State Park Campground implements a strict leash policy for all dogs within the park boundaries while offering primitive tent sites surrounded by natural terrain. Multiple visitors report unsupervised dogs in campgrounds, with one incident at Jellystone Park involving a serious dog bite requiring emergency hospital treatment, highlighting the importance of following pet policies. High Point State Park Campground extends pet-friendly options to their cabin accommodations, though specific pet fees apply.

Dogs can accompany hikers on numerous trails surrounding Sterling Forest campgrounds, with Stokes State Forest and Mahlon Dickerson Reservation offering extensive pet-friendly trail networks. The designated dog park at Mahlon Dickerson provides an enclosed space for off-leash exercise after a day of camping. Several campgrounds feature picnic tables and fire rings at each site, allowing pet owners to keep their dogs close during meals and evening relaxation. Severe wildlife encounters have been reported, making secure nighttime containment essential for pet safety. Mountain Vista Campground receives consistently positive reviews for their dog-friendly atmosphere and dedicated dog park, with visitors noting the well-maintained facilities specifically designed for pets. Campers should verify individual campground pet policies before arrival, as signage at some locations like Swartswood State Park may not reflect updated pet-friendly status, causing confusion for visitors arriving with dogs.

Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Sterling Forest, New York (112)

    1. New York City North/Newburgh KOA

    40 Reviews
    Pomona, NY
    14 miles
    +1 (845) 947-2792

    $17 - $20 / night

    "15 dolares la noche para los que viven en el Estado de New York o New York city .. si es fuera del estado son $5 dolares mas!!"

    "Drive-in tent campgrounds. Adequate restroom facilities sprinkled amongst tent sites. Some campsites have raised platforms. All sites have picnic tables and fire ring with flip-top grill."

    2. Mahlon Dickerson Reservation

    18 Reviews
    Jefferson, NJ
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (973) 697-3140

    "Police patrolled, and dog friendly."

    "My fiancé, dog, and I have been going here for over 2 years and we love it. The campground is small but also secluded. We always hike to the lake here, it’s a very easy hike and also very peaceful."

    3. Sebago Cabin Camp — Harriman State Park

    6 Reviews
    Sloatsburg, NY
    9 miles
    Website
    +1 (845) 429-2039

    $74 - $130 / night

    "It is a step up from cabin camping. They also have a beach behind it."

    "This place is only an hour away from NYC with so much to do and see. These cabins are VERY rustic, four walls, a cot, and a fridge."

    4. Wawayanda State Park Campground

    5 Reviews
    New Milford, NY
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (973) 853-4462

    "It is off the beaten path without any running water or showers within walking distance."

    "Fantastic loop hike near some amazing hidden lakes. One downside is there were obviously people who had visited and didn't understand what LEAVE NO TRACE means. We'll bring a trashbag next time."

    5. High Point State Park Campground

    24 Reviews
    Matamoras, PA
    21 miles
    Website
    +1 (973) 875-4800

    $5 - $20 / night

    "There are about 40 to 50 sites around Sawmill Lake. Many of these sites , like ours, are walk in sites (about a 50 yard walk) that sit lakeside."

    "_The campground at High Point State Park has 50 spacious tent sites, many with direct lake access, located in a wooded area surrounding Saw Mill Lake."

    6. Black Bear RV Park

    6 Reviews
    Florida, NY
    10 miles
    Website
    +1 (845) 651-7717

    $82 - $95 / night

    "Have stayed here several times - great location and nice, full hook-up sites. Back-in and pull through sites and can accommodate large rigs. A little expensive but everything is included."

    7. Stokes State Forest

    28 Reviews
    Layton, NJ
    25 miles
    Website

    $7 - $55 / night

    "* Water and dumpsters are within walking distance, or if you are not up to walking you can just take a short drive to fill up and dispose of your trash

    • There are outhouses scattered around, or if"

    "It was a solid choice: private but close to the toilet and water. Some sites located around the opposite side of the ring back up to a babbling brook. The rushing water will soothe you to sleep."

    8. Wawayanda Group Shelter

    1 Review
    New Milford, NY
    4 miles
    Website
    +1 (973) 853-4462

    "It’s within 15 mins NOBO of the park office where there is a 24:7 bathroom with sink and trash, and a fresh water spigot outside. Right now there’s also a box of socks at the shelter- trail magic!"

    9. Kittatinny Campground

    31 Reviews
    Milford, PA
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (845) 682-3539

    $75 - $400 / night

    "A few of my friends stayed at Kittatinny Canoes River Beach Campsites recently, and while the location is fantastic for river enthusiasts, there are some areas that could use improvement. "

    "With over 160 sites spread across 18 acres, campers can choose from wooded, open field, or riverfront locations, all equipped with essential amenities like electric hookups, fresh drinking water, and picnic"

    10. Stonetown Circular trail Primitive #2

    1 Review
    Ringwood, NJ
    5 miles

    "Stonetown Circular trail is a 11 mile medium/high difficulty loop trail. This is the second of two primitive sites along the trail. The trailhead is across the street from a large parking lot."

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Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Sterling Forest, NY

75 Photos of 112 Sterling Forest Campgrounds

Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Sterling Forest, NY

908 Reviews of 112 Sterling Forest Campgrounds

  • Nadia V.
    Aug. 24, 2016

    Camp Gateway- Brooklyn NY - CLOSED — Gateway National Recreation Area

    Definitely a place to visit!

    Camp Gateway in Brooklyn New York is one of my favorite places to visit. I went to college in New York, and loved to get out of the busy city and go camping and be outdoors. Camp Gateway was always a place that I loved to go. It is pretty close to town-which is crazy because you feel like you are miles away. Camp Gateway does offer a lot of different activities for everyone. One thing I love to do is go kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. My girlfriends and I tried to do this once a month to get away from the city and school. Because you are so close to the city, you can plan outdoor activities as well as some activities in the city. My friends and I stayed 1 night in the campground, and the next day went to a recital show that took us 10 minutes to get to. You can also walk, hike or ride your bike along multiple paths- I have done the Fort Tilden trail (I just walked, but there were multiple people that passed us on their bikes). Within the campground they do have some fire pits- which my friends and I always use because we love cooking smores and hot dogs for dinner. A little further away from the campground, about 10-15 miles there is a place where you can do horseback riding, see the Statue of Liberty (which is gorgeous!), and there is a little beach area. This beach area is where I do my kayaking and stand up paddle boarding. Again, its not very far away...you can either drive there, walk or ride your bike. The road is paved, which is nice. I stayed here also with my parents, and I know my dad went golfing one day (I didn't go, but he said it was awesome)- and again that was only a 10 minute drive from our camping spot. This campground like I said, does offer quite a bit. Sometimes it doesn't really feel like you are "camping" because things are pretty close by, but it definitely is worth going to and trying.

  • j
    Aug. 16, 2022

    Mountain Vista Campground

    Mt Vista Campground

    Beautiful Campground. Clean. Gravel sites. Fire ring and picnic table. All sites have ample room. Lots of pull through for bigger rigs. Wooded. Large dog park. Love the Campground except our site is near a fairly busy road which takes away from that beautiful tranquility. They have camouflaged it as best they could. Friendly staff. Lots to do. Pool, tennis. Sauna, pond for fishing ( catch & release ). Would definitely recommend.

  • E
    Jul. 5, 2023

    Mountain Vista Campground

    First Camping Trip

    This was our first camping trip with our camper. The staff are wonderful, the whole campsite is very dog friendly and even has a dog park. Lots of stuff to do for kids including a game room. Only downside is the sites are a bit small. Overall, great place to camp. Beautiful hiking trails nearby.

  • EThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 29, 2025

    Liberty Harbor RV Park

    Functional with excellent access to the City

    Very plain & functional, no frills but right on the harbor & on the very edge of Jersey City, close to a ferry & the train that takes u across to New York City. Shopping & restraunts are right next door. We brought scooters & had a great stay! Plus you can see the Statue of Liberty from there!

  • Christy C.
    Jun. 10, 2017

    Camp Gateway- Brooklyn NY - CLOSED — Gateway National Recreation Area

    "Camping" in Brooklyn

    We tried this campground without knowing what was safe and where to stay for visit New York City. It is located in Brooklyn and is little removed from everything. The sites are at Floyd Bennett Field which is an old airfield. The atmosphere here is eerily cool at the same time. You basically park and camp on the asphalt by the old hangars. No hookups at all but they do have a camp store and bath house. If you are tent camping, there are some grassy sites.

    The campground is located right on Jamaica Bay so there were people fishing all the time from the seawall. At night, you could hear cars doing burnouts right next to us. To get to all the action in the city, we had to take a bus and then the subway. The travel was a headache but better than trying to drive in to New York City in our RV. One way to improve here would be to have some security at night as well as access to clean water and dump station. They remained locked most of the time for some reason.

    The best part of this place was the free tour of Hangar B by some guys doing restoration of old planes (HARP). They had some great stories and gave us history of the planes on display.

  • Allen N.
    Aug. 12, 2020

    Jellystone Park™ Gardiner

    Serious Dog Bite Incident

    Recently, we camped here for a week. We don’t ever post negative reviews like this. The last day, we experienced a violent attack by a very large and aggressive Pit Bull. The Pit Bull did not have a collar or a leash and was accidently let out of the RV to roam free and unsupervised. It immediately ran to our site(4 sites away) and attacked our dog that was tied at the time. The incident was unprovoked. While trying to save our dog, my wife and I were also attacked. The wounds were serious enough to require emergency transport to a hospital for treatment including stitches. All we could think of was what might have happened if our granddaughter had been playing with our dog. 

    To put it mildly, their existing pet policy is grossly lacking. They never checked what breed of dog or ask to see documentation of shots when we were registering. Yogi Bear Jellystone Park needs to better manage their pet policy to address aggressive dog breeds and ensure the safety of campers. We camped there for seven days and saw multiple sites have more than one large dog, which in many places we’ve camped at would have been banned due to breed type or size. We have RV’ed extensively across the US and have never seen such careless enforcement of a pet policy regarding aggressive dog breeds. Seriously, think about avoiding this park if you have pets or small children.

  • C
    Sep. 21, 2021

    Pleasant Acres Farm RV Resort

    Not a Resort, despite the name and per night fee.

    Some things you should be aware of before booking: The office, playground, dog park, pool, laundry are located at the top of the hill. Camping spots are downhill, a good distance from the office and amenities. Trash is located off site in a pullout on the road you drive in on. There are 2 showers for women and 2 for men. Both are old and not well maintained or in our experience clean, either. In general the camping spots are not well maintained, weedy, un-level and picnic tables are weathered and warped. This resort campground is composed of mainly residents, the rules (we observed) apply to the overnight campers, not the residents. Children of the residents run free all day and past curfew in the evenings unsupervised. The setting is quiet, the views from the upper level are lovely. With some updating of bath facilities, cleaning and leveling of campsites, uniform enforcement of rules, Pleasant Acres could become a resort destination.

  • Carrie J.
    Sep. 30, 2016

    Camp Gateway- Brooklyn NY - CLOSED — Gateway National Recreation Area

    Weird One

    This place is kind of a toss up for me. On one hand, I enjoy it because it's a little slice of heaven in the hell of one of the busy areas of New York. I hate this place for the same reason. It's not really camping if you're going to see a play and then go tour the Statue of Liberty. It just doesn't seem right to me. If I HAVE to be in New York, maybe I'd consider staying here again just to get myself out of the city for a bit. But this definitely isn't your "great outdoors/rest and relaxation" kind of place.

Guide to Sterling Forest

Sterling Forest offers camping opportunities within a 1,900-acre park in the Hudson Valley region of New York. The heavily forested area features elevations reaching 1,400 feet, with moderate to challenging terrain throughout its network of trails. Summer temperatures typically range from 70-85°F during peak camping season, while spring and fall bring cooler temperatures and fewer crowds.

What to Do

Hiking on the Appalachian Trail: The AT passes through Wawayanda State Park, providing access to well-maintained trails. "Fantastic loop hike near some amazing hidden lakes. One downside is there were obviously people who had visited and didn't understand what LEAVE NO TRACE means," notes Meredith C.

Swimming in natural lakes: Beaver Pond Campground offers swimming with lifeguard supervision during summer months. "Swimming right on site. Make reservations!! Some spots are better than others for views and privacy (try the W or A sites if you seek quiet)," recommends Amber A.

Historical exploration: Visit the High Point Monument, constructed to honor war veterans. "The monument was erected in honor of war veterans and on weekends it is possible to ascend the staircase inside the 220-foot monument to ~1800 feet above sea level for mountain and valley views," shares Trip Over Life.

What Campers Like

Proximity to NYC: Many campers appreciate the accessibility from urban centers. "Only 45 minutes from sleepy hollow and Tarrytown. Beautiful park with deer running through it. Big Clean free hot shower house!" says Michael K. about Harriman State Park.

Fall foliage viewing: The area transforms during autumn months. "Campground was nearly empty, quiet except for the wind blowing through the tall trees, sounding like ocean waves as it rustled the leaves," recalls Jonah S. about his October visit to Beaver Pond.

Secluded campsites: High Point State Park offers privacy at many sites. "There are about 40 to 50 sites around Sawmill Lake. Many of these sites, like ours, are walk in sites (about a 50 yard walk) that sit lakeside. The sites were large and spread out, and we felt like we had a good amount of privacy," explains Milty V.

What You Should Know

Weekday visits recommended: Many campgrounds get crowded on weekends. "This is a great campground during the week. Very few people. There are a few secluded campgrounds and lots of forest to explore. The weekends get a bit busy with families coming upstate," advises Ryan G.

Wildlife considerations: Bears are present in the region. "It can be on the louder side of sites I've visited, but again, it's next to NYC. Go on a weekday and in spring or fall for the best experience. There can be bears, but I think they're trying to improve regulations/trash issues," warns Amber A.

Limited amenities at some sites: Wawayanda Shelter provides basic facilities. "Extremely well maintained! In addition to the shelter there's a bear box, picnic table and modeling toilet. The privy is very clean and well maintained... Right now there's also a box of socks at the shelter- trail magic!" reports Katharine T.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Sterling Forest, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Sterling Forest, NY is New York City North/Newburgh KOA with a 4.2-star rating from 40 reviews.

What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Sterling Forest, NY?

TheDyrt.com has all 112 dog-friendly camping locations near Sterling Forest, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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