Blydenburgh County Park tent sites welcome pets throughout the year, providing dog-friendly camping just minutes from Stony Brook. All Suffolk County parks in the area accommodate campers with dogs, including Wildwood State Park, Cathedral Pines, and Heckscher State Park. Each campground features designated tent and RV sites where pets can stay with their owners, though they must remain leashed when outside vehicles or camping units. Southaven County Park and Smith Point County Park maintain similar pet policies, requiring campers to clean up after their animals and keep them under control. Fire Island National Seashore's Watch Hill Campground also allows pets at their tent sites and cabins. Clean bathrooms and accessible amenities enhance the camping experience for pet owners, with most parks offering showers and drinking water. Park rangers regularly patrol the grounds to ensure safety and rule compliance. Visitors describe Blydenburgh as particularly dog-friendly with lovely trees and clean facilities.
The hiking trails throughout these campgrounds provide excellent exercise opportunities for dogs. Blydenburgh features a 7-mile loop trail around its lake where many campers walk their pets, with numerous dogs and horses regularly seen on the path. Cathedral Pines County Park maintains beautiful walking trails through wooded areas, offering a more secluded experience for hikers with dogs. Most campgrounds provide picnic tables and fire pits or grills at each site, allowing campers to relax outdoors with their pets. The proximity to beaches, particularly at Smith Point and Heckscher State Parks, offers additional recreation options, though seasonal pet restrictions may apply at swimming areas. Occasional wildlife sightings, including deer and raccoons, warrant keeping dogs leashed and food secured. During summer months, adequate shade and water access become especially important considerations for pet comfort and safety.
"Great park with a nice 7 mile loop around the lake with decent fishing. Lots of horses and dogs on the trail. 30 or so sites around a central public restroom."
"Hiking trails are beautiful. Dog friendly. Clean bathrooms"
$20 - $250 / night
"The beach is in a walking distance. You can swim or fish there. This camp site has a relatively new and clean facility. There are many farms near by where you can get fresh veggies and fruits."
"However there are too many loud families and the sites are too close in proximity for me."
$20 / night
"* cottages far enough away from each other
- fire ring with Adirondack chairs
- dumpster and recycling within walking distance
- lots of bone dry firewood around for campfire
- walkable beach"
"Overall my experience was positive. Camping Sites
Each camping site has a picnic table and barbeque grill."
$33 / night
"Recently went camping in our pull behind, met some old friends and had a great time. Rangers have a hardon for people screwing up tho. Think they're all that and then some..."
"Great Location Clean Park."
"Literally steps to the beach."
"A short walk from the ocean to the bay, both accessible by walking from your campsite. No shade so be prepared to wake early if you’re in a sweltering tent. Staff has been great, no complaints."
"Beautiful location steps away from the beach. Listen to the waves crashing as you sleep and stargaze over the clear ocean. Not ready for full on camp-life? No problem!"
"Camping gets you away from the bustle. It is a little less than a half mile walk from the ferry dock and located behind the dunes which offer some protection. Take a quick walk down to the beach."
"Campsites are located close enough to the beach/marsh. Multiple playgrounds for the kids although they were closed due to Covid."
"There are dog friendly which was very nice. It is a lil tight from each site but you have the beach and a little hiking trails that makes it worth it."
$20 - $70 / night
"The showers were outside the bathroom- there was a bench & hooks OUTSIDE! We found out all the other loops had modern bathhouses."
"Beautiful Connecticut beach sits just steps away from your campsite. Well kept showers and bathrooms are abundant and the camp store has the majority of what you need."
GuideI grew up in Long Beach. If you’re looking for a spot to camp so you can surf, this is perfect! It’s basically a parking lot, but it’s steps away from some of the greatest waves on the east coast. Showers are clean, there’s a dog park nearby, and the island is very bikable to get around.
benefits: allows dogs childrens playground beach programs like movie nights throughout the summer
GuideCamp 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.
RangerVery 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!
LegendWe 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.
GuideThis 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.
ScoutThere is only a small place for tents. Mostly people go there with campers. Not your typical campground. Very easy to hop on transit to get to New York City. People were friendly.
GuideSmall campground with good electrical, clean water, sewer and a friendly owner. Each site has grass and a picnic table. There is a wonderful little frozen custard shop down the road called roses farm stand. It’s a perfect campground for seeing the local area or even catching the train to New York City.
RangerThe park itself is lovely and close to some other green areas. The nice thing about this campsite is that it’s so close to NYC. The bad thing about this campsite is that it’s so close to NYC. If you live in NYC this is a good, cheap, super quick escape accessible by public transport. If you’re visiting the area I’d recommend staying in Manhattan/Queens in an AirBNB for the full NYC experience or heading to Long Island, Pennsylvania, “Upstate” New York, or New Jersey for a better nature camping experience. For what it is, this site is a nice green little oasis. It’s National Park Service land and they try really hard to keep things clean and working well with so much traffic. Bring earplus for the airport traffic and the noisy neighbors. Tent sites are pretty and wooded, but there is also a TON of concrete from an old WW2 airfield.
GuideSears Bellows in New York is a lot of fun. It really does offer a lot of outdoor activities for you and your family. I have stayed at this campsite 1 time, and stayed 2 nights. This campground does offer tent sites as well as RV/trailer sites. When I went with my friends in college, we just stayed in the tent sites and really enjoyed it. The campground is very well kept and clean which I really liked. They do have quite a bit of garbage's to dump your trash in. One thing I really liked about this campground is that there was a river/pond close by (Bellows Pond). The first night I stayed here my friends and I rented some rowboats and went on the water. It was a lot of fun, and the price of the rowboat was pretty cheap. The next morning we got up and did some hiking. The trails were beautiful, and the flowers were in bloom. There were people who were also biking on these trails, which looked like so much fun! We also saw some people fishing in the pond- and it seemed like most people were catching. The people who stayed in the campsite next to us were cooking up some type of fish for their dinner that they caught that day. One thing to note is that there are not any electrical hook-ups, so if that is something you need you might now want to come stay here. I would love to come back here someday, but stay maybe a day or two longer to do more things- I would also bring my bike and fishing pole to do more outdoor activities. I would also advise to rent the rowboats because that was a lot of fun!
Blydenburgh County Park campground offers open grass sites beneath mature trees approximately 10 miles from Stony Brook. Camping options around Stony Brook include both Suffolk County parks and New York State facilities, most available year-round with seasonal restrictions. Several campgrounds provide access to both Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean within a 30-45 minute drive from Stony Brook.
Lake activities at Blydenburgh: The 7-mile loop trail around Blydenburgh's lake provides fishing opportunities and scenic views. "Great park with a nice 7 mile loop around the lake with decent fishing. Lots of horses and dogs on the trail," notes Erik R. Rowboat rentals are available for anglers.
Beach access at Wildwood State Park Campground: Located on the Long Island Sound with beaches for swimming and sunbathing. "The North Shore and South Shore are pretty different. This site gives you the North Shore experience with high bluffs, sandy calm beaches along the Long Island Sound, and views of CT across the water," explains Amber A. The park requires stargazing permits for beach access after sunset.
Backcountry beach camping at Watch Hill Fire Island Campground: Accessible by ferry from Patchogue. "You can get a permit to backcountry camp instead of reserving a designated campground spot. Just walk down to the beach after check-in and walk east until you see a pole with a tent symbol on it," shares Emily S., noting that camping along the dunes provides separation from other campers.
Bay and ocean views at Smith Point County Park: Campsites positioned between bay and ocean. "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. Literally steps to the beach," reports Gianna. Corner sites typically offer more space but may have obstructed views.
Secluded wooded sites at Cathedral Pines County Park: Heavily forested camping area with separation between sites. "Wooded sites are lovely. RV sites in large field," notes Karen R. Sites cost approximately $14 per night for Green Key members, with most featuring fire pit/grill combinations.
Wildlife encounters: Multiple campgrounds report regular deer sightings. "A sweet paradise. I watched a momma deer nursing two of her babies," describes Patrick C. at Smith Point County Park. Raccoons are also common, particularly at Cathedral Pines where campers report they "are pretty invasive," requiring secure food storage.
Reservation requirements: Suffolk County parks require Green Key cards for resident rates. "Worth buying green key card for resident access. 200 but you'd spend that 4 nights regardless," explains Maria P. about Blydenburgh Park. The card provides discounts at county beaches and parks.
Ferry access for Fire Island: Watch Hill Campground requires ferry transportation. "Fire Island is a great spot in the summer, but can be busy. Camping gets you away from the bustle. It is a little less than a half mile walk from the ferry dock," notes Jill F., adding that fires are prohibited but charcoal grills are provided.
Insect preparation for Heckscher State Park Campground: Black flies and mosquitoes can be problematic, particularly at sunset. "The nats (little black flies) make it nearly impossible to enjoy an evening," warns one camper. At Watch Hill, campers report "mosquitoes are extremely potent and plentiful. Take the good stuff."
Group camping options: Blydenburgh Park offers designated group sites. "The group camping on the fox sites is accessible by a dirt drive in. I felt like I was suddenly transported upstate when in fact I had only driven 2 towns over," shares Linda A., noting that sites have a two-car limit with additional parking in guest lots.
Playground access: Heckscher State Park includes a dedicated playground for campers. "There is a playground just for the campground," confirms Giselle P., who adds that ice cream trucks regularly visit the campgrounds during summer months.
Water safety considerations: Smith Point campsites provide quick beach access but require supervision. "A short walk from the ocean to the bay, both accessible by walking from your campsite," notes Ali O., cautioning that "campers stay up late drinking by the fire. Kids of all ages are generally running and playing day and night."
Hookup availability: Wildwood State Park offers full-service sites. "RV pull through sites were fantastic. It was a great campground for maiden voyage in new rig. Plenty of amenities," shares Lori R. Sites include water, electric, and sewer connections.
Limited privacy at Indian Island County Park: RV sites positioned close together. "All the camping spots are pretty much right next to each one with hardly any space, packed like Sardines," reports Prashant M. Despite proximity issues, the park offers water hookups, electric service, and accessible dump stations.
Site selection strategy: At Wildwood State Park, RV sites are separated from tent camping areas. "There is a separate area for RVs vs tents," notes Giselle P., who also mentions the availability of platform sites for tent camping. Weekends fill quickly, requiring advance reservations.
Frequently Asked Questions
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According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Stony Brook, NY is Blydenburgh County Park with a 4.1-star rating from 11 reviews.
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