Best Glamping near Utica, NY

New York State pretty much has abandoned this park. Trees fallen down across the sites. Might be ok for a tent but that’s all.

My buddy and I were looking for a campsite for a quick overnight stay before a bike trip around the Adirondacks, and this spot was a perfect fit. Coming in late after driving all day, we unfortunately didn’t get to meet Rich in person. He did however give us good directions to navigate the narrow driving path in the dark to reach the pond camping area, and even had a large two room tent already set up that we were able to use - a convenient and kind gesture! The old school bus was a fun perk to check out in the morning as well. Most state ran parks in New York close up before the middle of October, and this is a great option for an off season camping spot in the area. Thanks Rich!

Delta Lake State Park sits at the foothills of the Adirondack Park, just outside Rome, New York. Pretty and well-kempt, Delta Lake is a nice option for those looking to stay close to home and within proximity to civilization. You can enjoy the great outdoors, while only being a few miles away from a restaurant or grocery store.

The campground isn‘t the best I’ve experienced, a bit on the crowded side-similar to a woodsy suburb- but this could have been distinctive to Loop A where I stayed. I stayed in site 35 and was intermixed with all the campers and RV’s, so it got a bit noisy. Not that restful, secluded experience I typically go for, but I should have planned further in advance.

However, what the park lacked in terms of its campground, it totally made up for in its beach, swimming and picnic areas! This place was awesome for hosting a birthday party for my niece and relaxing at the beach/ day facilities. They have plenty of picnic tables, charcoal grills, a huge beach and locker rooms. This is really a great place to spend a day with your family!

This is a great example of what a state park should be. It not only preserves a place of unique biological diversity and geologic interest, it is also well set up and well maintained to maximize low impact outdoor recreation and environmental education. A new state of the art regional environmental education center is being built now that will open in spring, as well as new handicapped access kayaking docks that complement Accessible trails and campsites throughout the park. This is a great destination for families, handicapped campers, and natural history enthusiasts. There are several campgrounds, one is large and open and meant for large RVs, others are drive-in forested tent sites or trailer sites with hookups, and several walkin sites. There is also a colony of rustic camper cabins. The campgrounds have brand new restroom facilities and playgrounds, and the main lake has a new beach house. The lake is a fascinating meromictic lake with clear calcium-rich waters that are not only pristine and beautiful to look at, but also great for swimming and snorkeling as the waters are crystal clear and very deep. There are hiking trails, paved bike trails, a nature preserve for bird watching at Round Lake, a golf course, and great kayaking or canoeing. It is also located right next door to the Erie Canal State Park for those who want to hike or bike the historic Erie Canal. Though you might expect a park like this to be in a remote location, it is actually just a short distance east of the suburbs of the Syracuse metro area, so it is an easy park to get to, plus staying there also provides easy access to stores for supplies, or access to local cultural activities or restaurants for those who want that. One of my favorite state parks in New York!

Went on a mother daughter camping trip at this KOA and it was such a pleasant stay! Usually when we camp, we’ll adventure somewhere most of the days whether to nearby towns or exploring but we stayed on the campground pretty much the whole time! Super relaxing and the creek is AMAZING. Both kid and adult friendly and it’s free, just bring a tube or purchase for cheap at the camp store. Lazy river flow with some faster spots, truly a perfect way to spend the days in the sun, hawks flying overhead and refreshingly cool and shallow water. The mines are wonderful also if you’d want to search for your own Herkimer diamonds (clear doubles terminated quartz). Star gazing, falling asleep to the sound of the creek, lots of fun spaces for kids, inexpensive, etc. We loved it so much, we extended our stay and are planning on doing another trip soon. Enjoy, fellow opt outsiders!

We stayed her for the first time and compared to most KOAs we have stayed at this one was far better. I have a full review on my blog openboxreviews

Cons: low water pressure at our site

Firewood is expensive and you don't get much

Sites are close together and little to no privacy

Pros:

Pet friendly- has K-9 area for dogs to run off leash and do agility course

Lots of activities

Themed cabins

Almost all camping sites are on the water

You can go tubing from one end of the creek to the other- bring your own tube

Playground

Pool

Basketball court

Shuffle board

Level Sites

Full hook-ups

Across the street from Herkimer Diamond Mine

We had lots of fun, we spent one day at the mines and the next day we tried to do as many activities as we could- wiffle ball, made pinwheels, volleyball with a giant volleyball, bingo, family relay, ice cream social and dance party. Great time, clean campground, great staff.

For my full review visit: openboxreviews.com

What a great Holiday campground. This was a wayside stop for us getting between Niagara & Bar Harbor. And what a treat. An incredible plethora of things to do - river floating, great play ground and pool, well stocked store, the restaurant across the street at the mines is delicious, the diamond mines were AWESOME. We stayed and hammered for 3 hours and came home with great treasures. I’d definitely stay here again. We did 3 loads of laundry. Kids played pick up basketball games with other kids on-site and everyone was super friendly.

Not a good place to camp unless you are also there for the quartz. I was put at a lower site that was cramped and wet. My fault for not checking before going. The other review was a site on the upper road so I thought it would not be too bad. Either those were full or they just gave me a crappy site.

Best for tents, camper vans or really small RV. Electric and water only on lower sites. Very steep driveway.

Very busy during the day. But great diamonds to find!

I called and booked ahead of time knowing I'd arrive late and leave early, which was absolutely no problem, so I'm very thankful for that. I paid over the phone, was given clear instructions on where to park, and was told to enjoy my stay. This location is great if you're in a van or RV and need a quick place to stay for the night in this area of NY in mid- / late-October (because it seems NY closes its state parks quite early) or if you're here for the rock-hunting. From what I could see late at night (which honestly wasn't much) I wouldn't recommend for tent-camping as the sites were quite close to each other and not much soft ground for sleeping.

It's very nice, especially if you can get a water site. They have recently added electricity to the sites and a new playground at the beach. The concession stand at the beach will deliver to your camp site.

Was here with a camper on a lake accessing site. Sites are fairly big but not completely separated. Having the kayaks were great, there’s so much to explore, and town is right down the road.

Nice spots in loop c. Loop a is quite open. Nice overall.