Best Tent Camping near Sterling, NY

Recent Tent Reviews in Sterling

271 Reviews of 12 Sterling Campgrounds

• H

  Heather E.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 14, 2024

  Verona Beach State Park Campground

  Nice stop

  We needed a campground not too far off our route from Niagara Falls to NH and this was great. Very windy when we arrived. Our campsite 8 did not have a fire ring but others did. Right on water…can’t drive on path in front of the water sites so you are essentially on the water. Nice clean facilities.

• R

  Randal D.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 30, 2024

  Sterling Creek Campground

  Lipstick on a pig

  After 6 years of 2 weeks visits

  Pros: New owners have made improvements to be up to code and qualifications for KOA standards. 

  Cons: Still has environment of nosy, trashy seasonal campers who are always being rude or commenting on your gear/unit. 

  If you are looking for a quick flip bit same ole suspects, this is the place for you.

• m

  meg

  Scout

  

  Sep. 24, 2024

  Cayuga Lake State Park Campground

  Tent camping in a backyard

  Tent camping here felt like we were camping in a neighborhood backyard. We could hear so many different families talking and really doing everything you do while camping but the area felt so open and unobstructed voices carried and in the evening when everyone was building campfires the smoke could be overwhelming at times.

• 

  Rui T.

  Guide

  

  Sep. 18, 2024

  Sned Acres Campground

  Great getaway time

  5/5 Stars!

  I recently stayed at Sned Acres Campground, and it was an incredible experience! The campground is beautifully maintained with stunning views of Cayuga Lake. The staff was friendly, welcoming, and went out of their way to make sure we had everything we needed. The facilities were spotless, and the campsites were spacious and well-kept. Whether you’re RVing or tent camping, there’s plenty of space and privacy.

  The location is perfect for exploring the Finger Lakes region, with wineries, hiking, and local attractions just a short drive away. The peaceful atmosphere and serene surroundings made for a relaxing getaway. I can’t recommend Sned Acres enough – we’ll definitely be back!

• 

  Jim G.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 4, 2024

  Brennans Bay Campground and Marina

  Great RV park with Marina

  A great park on Sandy Pond and Lake Ontario.  Mostly Permanent sites with 6 transient sites overlooking the marina.  The park has a nice pool, pavilion, store and kids playground with a basketball court.  Great area for fishing, bass, trout, salmon and walleye.  Very clean and well maintained park.

• j

  jimlones

  Scout

  

  Aug. 6, 2024

  Oak Orchard Marina And Campground

  We here

  I love it here

• 

  Randall K.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 17, 2024

  Green Lakes State Park Campground

  If you love a good bathroom…

  Yes, it’s true! You’ve hit the campground bathroom lottery here!

  Let’s start off with the pros: bathrooms are great! Super modern and clean and hot, free showers! Very handicap accessible as well.

  The whole campground is very well kept. Completely litter free and all the buildings and signs are modern and cool looking. Five stars all the way for the people running this place. They are doing an awesome job keeping it very fresh.

  Maintenance/facilities: 5 stars

  Camping sites:

  I’ll start with the positive. It was a simple and easy, level site. And we had electric. So it was good.

  The cons: There is zero privacy here. Virtually no trees or shrubs between sites and sites are close to each other. In the rolling meadow sites opt for the electric as the tent only sites are basically a sardine can of campers. I mean in one spot the tents were so close to each other I thought it was a group campsite but it was not. Like a group hostel room but with tents instead of bunks.

  We were only here for 1 night passing through and it was great for that but I would not feel comfortable hanging outside at my site in quarters so close. Maybe I’m just weird because many people did. I can’t imagine spending any longer than 1-2 nights here. I would stay again but would check out other camp spots first. In our area 118 and 120 seemed to the best that backed up onto trees as opposed to just other sites.

  Camping sites: 2 stars

  Amenities: there’s a lot to do here. However I feel I must say you cannot reach the lakes from the rolling meadow campground without a car, bike or very long walk. You can see a bit of round lake through the trees but it really isn’t accessible. Expectations are the doom of any trip so just keep that in mind. You’re not going to bed with any sort of lake views or sounds near you. Also you can only swim at the beach which is pretty small and guarded by some pretty enthusiastic lifeguards taking the job pretty seriously. I guess you will appreciate it if you have little kids to me it was a turn off as I don’t prefer to feel like a fish in a bowl when I swim. But again this is just personal preference! Also there were a lot of rules at this tiny beach - more than I have seen at pretty much any other beach anywhere in the world. Mostly I assume the rules are there to protect the water which I can appreciate but don’t expect a relaxing lake vibe here. Lots of picnic tables and a perfect place to have a picnic and chill for a bit. Very clean beach bath area and I really appreciated the charging station with 4 covered outlets available and a charging counter. I didn’t use it but was impressed someone thought to add that in to the building plans.

  With all the rules in place there is just one missing: No political propaganda of any type should be allowed at the campsites. We were almost blinded by idiocy each time we walked to the bathroom as we had to go past a full size Trump flag someone was flying in front of their site. Can’t even imagine the rage I would’ve felt if I had to camp next to that. Fortunately I found a cut through in the woods which I used to get around it on the way to the bathroom. Camping is where you go to get away from all of it! This is state owned land and they should not be allowing that sort of inflammatory full sized political flag in any area as it only raises the blood pressure instead of dropping it. You can’t bring your own SUP or kayak, face mask or list of any other things to the lake (rules) but you can have your heart attack inducing propaganda all over your site and in everyone else’s face - makes no sense.

  Would I stay here again: Yes. But only for 1 night passing through. I felt too crowded to be there for any length of time. It was hard for me to relax outside.

  Value was a 5 star because I had full electric for $30/night and there was plenty to do. I should note for kids this place is a goldmine! Great playgrounds everywhere and you can rent kayaks. And it’s great for bikes. And it was all very handicap accessible which I thought was very impressive. You can tell a lot of thought went into the facility side of park. If they cut out 1/4 of the camp sites it would be spacious and amazing. And the trumpeter is just a case of bad timing for me, not a permanent thing (although I do think they should ban that decoration of insanity at state run parks).

• 

  Tero C.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 15, 2024

  Creek n wood

  Tero

  Love the way you explain things. Very helpful! Solar

• 

  Rose S.

  Traveler

  

  Jul. 6, 2024

  Spruce Pond Camping Area - Morgan Hill State Forest

  loud frogs

  This was a nice spot, but the animals at the pond are very active and made a lot of noise in the night. Port-a-potty was available.

• 

  Nikolas

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 29, 2024

  Lake Bluff RV Park

  Niko

  Thanks for this wonderful article. It was very enlightening and useful. Solar

• 

  Nikolas

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 29, 2024

  Monroe County Webster Park

  Niko

  Loved this post! It's very informative and well-written. Thanks. Solar

• 

  Nikolas

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 29, 2024

  Canandaigua-Rochester KOA

  Niko

  Great insights! Thanks for providing such detailed and helpful information. Solar

• 

  Nikolas

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 29, 2024

  Webster Park

  Niko

  Your blog always inspires me. Thanks for the amazing content. Solar

• 

  Bella J.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 23, 2024

  Southwick Beach State Park Campground

  Not for me

  Unfortunately when we arrived at southwick the rangers & staff had all gone home so we were unable to get a map or check in. We went to our camp site & there were people playing very loud music until about 12am, no rangers around the say anything about quiet hours so I had to. Sites are on top of eachother & there’s no boarders inbetween, fine for some people but not for me. After it rained one night our site & others around us were completely flooded. The beach area & bathhouses we’re nice though so that helped the stay not be a complete wash

• 

  mitchell M.

  Scout

  

  Jun. 17, 2024

  Green Lakes State Park Campground

  loved where we were

  @penalty shooters 2 said loved where we were this time. page 121. On these hot days, with a slope and a nice breeze.

• 

  Janet R.

  Legend

  

  Jun. 16, 2024

  Spruce Pond Camping Area - Morgan Hill State Forest

  Morgan Hill Spruce Pond campsites

  This review is for the Morgan Hill primitve campsites at Spruce Pond. Although dispersed primitive camping is allowed elsewhere throughout the state forest, this is a group of ten established and well maintained primitive campsites right on Spruce Pond with fishing available and an amazing network of hiking and cross country ski trails along with mountain biking along the forest roads. There are fire grills and nicely developed tents sites, one nestled in the woods and three with their own pond access, and one is actually handicapped accessible with its own accessible fishing landing and an easy access to the parking lot. There is a brand new outhouse with wide accessible doorway as well. The setting is scenic and peaceful, and you can easily paddle or fish on the pond. You can also easily hike from here to the Labrador Hollow overlook where area hang-gliders launch, you might see some in action or at least get an amazing view of the Labrador Valley!

  Note: a detailed map of the campground is here: https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/regions_pdf/sprucepond.pdf

  You may camp at this campground for free, but you do need a permit and should review the campground map to select your preferred site

• 

  David M.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 7, 2024

  Sned Acres Campground

  Beautiful Wide Open grounds with a lot of flat nice grass

  We stayed here for Memorial Day Weekend and really enjoyed Sned Acres. The Grounds are well taken care of (although some areas around the playgrounds and pool could have been weed whacked better) there is a lot of grass and wide open areas for playing games, walking your dogs and you can let your dogs drag their leashes so they have free roam and feel like they are running free. The large pond is nice, there were a lot of campers fishing. The general store is well stocked and the family running the campground and store are very friendly. There is a nice pool for the kids. The only thing that would make Sned better is a little more spacing between the sites, they are close (we were in F130) to where if you open your window shades in your camper your neighbors are 5-10 feet away from you. Would definitely stay again if in the area.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 28, 2023

  Lakeview Camping Area — Fair Haven Beach State Park

  We decided to move on

  We drove through here but didn’t stay. The non-electric sites were pretty much all on hilly areas, most would be impossible for an RV to get level, though there were a few that would have worked. 

  We drove through the “bluffs” loop (electric sites), thinking it would be beautiful and look out on the water, but it was a nightmare for us, with huge RVs jam packed side by side like a parking lot. 

  The lakeview loop was nicer, but still too many RVs all in a row. There are also cute cabins here for rent. 

  When we were there the city was under a water advisory- all water had to be boiled before any kind of use. There was a dump station, and trash bins but no recycling (I’m disappointed in the lack of recycling at NY State campgrounds!) So, we moved on to Selkirk SP and stayed there instead.

• 

  Laura M.

  Legend

  

  Dec. 28, 2023

  Selkirk Shores State Park Campground

  4 Different Loops

  This campground is 4 different loops- A loop is like the loop for people here for fishing, B loop is the mellower crowd, and C and D were our nightmares: mass chaos, children running amok, loud groups, no thanks. Apparently C and D are always booked and full, because people like that it’s closest to the beach trail, the playground, and the camp store. We chose a site in loop B and were happy with our choice. None of the sites at the campground have any privacy from your neighbor, you’re all sort of camped in a big circle. Sites 66 and 67 are the exception that we saw, they’re off together to the side and would be a good choice for two groups camping together. 

  There are dumpsters here, and there’s recycling for redeemable bottles and cans only, with proceeds going to the campground’s rec center. That was the most recycling I’ve seen offered at a NY state park campground yet, at least it’s something. 

  All sites are electric, some are 30 and some are 50amp. There’s a nice new dump station with several dumps and potable water. Good cell reception for both Verizon and ATT. NY State campgrounds require proof of rabies vaccinations for your dogs.

• 

  Anna H.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 6, 2023

  Future site of Little Creek Camp

  great

  You completely match our Connections Game expectation and the variety of our Connections Game information.

• 

  Ashley F.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 27, 2023

  The PineApple Farm

  New listing

  Ashley here with The Dyrt. We're happy to welcome this new property to our platform. Check them out and come back here to leave some love!

• 

  Roger W.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 18, 2023

  Canandaigua-Rochester KOA

  Perimeter & Lakeside Are Best

  KOA Canandaigua/Rochester NY: (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good (70 yr olds in 17’ trailer). I rate based on desire for at least a moderate wilderness type experience w at least some camp site privacy. Overall Rating: for a KOA :4 - see map for nicest sites. Price 2023: $61 for a 30 amp site Usage during visit: Light - off season Site Privacy: Our site : None Site Spacing: Close Site surface: Gravel and grass Reservations: They take reservations- Recommend the KOA app Campground Noise: Quiet during our stay. Road Noise: There will some noise at sites near Town Line Rd. Traffic is minimal Through Traffic in campground: None Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: Some sites. Dump Station: Yes Potable Water Available: At the site.
  Bathroom/ Showers: Individual shower/toilet rooms. VERY clean. Pull Throughs: Yes Cell Service (AT&T): 2 bars.
  Setting: Parklike - typical KOA Weather: Highs are pin the low 50s during our stay Bugs: None this time of year. Host: Yes. Johnny on the spot.
  Rig size: Large rigs Sites: See the map in photos . Best sites are circled with green marker. Request a perimeter site or lake side if you want one is my suggestion. Otherwise you get what they give you.

• 

  Carl G.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 2, 2023

  Drumlin A Camping Area — Fair Haven Beach State Park

  love Fairhaven Beach

  We have been coming here for years. Nice large beach, swimming, fishing in Ontario or Sterling pond. Boat launch, or small boat launch in Sterling pond. The town has a small town charm, a couple of small shops, ice cream, mini golf, etc. It's worth the trip. Campground will also deliver wood to the site. One downside, NYS needs to upgrade electricity and make more sites electric. Lots of picnicking during the weekend.

• 

  JoAnna R.

  Scout

  

  Sep. 25, 2023

  Future site of Little Creek Camp

  Heard a Great Horned owl.

  Lovely weekend weather, curious creatures

• 

  Noah D.

  Traveler

  

  Sep. 24, 2023

  Towsley Road Dispersed Camping

  great little spot

  nice place to sleep. good for someone who doesn’t want something too off the road. when you get to the destination you have to go a little more up the road until you see a sign and a sand patch on the side of the road.

• 

  Sara B.

  Ranger

  

  Sep. 2, 2023

  Cayuga Lake State Park Campground

  Large Campground, Small Sites

  Cayuga Lake State Park has a massive campground but most of the sites don't have water or electricity and are squeezed together in tiny loops. If you stay, I'd recommend the 800 or 1000 loops--the sites were much bigger in those areas. But we stayed in the 100 loop (appropriately named "Minnow) and ended up leaving early because our neighbors were just too close for comfort. 

  The lakefront area of the park was very nice and we enjoyed walking on the drive down in front of the lake. Plus, Seneca Falls is an adorable town and it was great to visit the Women's Rights National Historic Park and the homes of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Harriett Tubman, while we were in the area! 

  To be fair to this park, we came directly from Watkins Glen State Park (which we loved) and our neighbors were rambunctious. We may have had a better opinion, had the circumstances been different. And in any event, we did really enjoy the area but decided to leave after 2 nights (rather than the 5 we had booked). 

  Oh and if you have a boat--the dock area of the park seemed really nice. We'd have loved to get out on the lake!

• 

  B M.

  Legend

  

  Sep. 1, 2023

  Streamside RV Park & Golf Course

  Small campground

  We stopped here for a night going from Niagara Falls area to upper vermont. All sites are a back in site yet it was long enough for us to stay hooked up. We had full hook up. The sites are tight like most RV parks. The office is at the 19th hole. There is a bar that serves food called Divots. They had prime rib on the menu yet Sundays they close early so we didn't get to eat there. 

  There is a 12 hole golf coarse that surrounds the campground. 

  There are a lot of seasonal campsites that have decks, nice furniture out at their spots. They all left Sunday afternoon yet the rigs stay there.

  we paid #37.50 for a one night stay. That is a good price for full hook up.