Whether you're a tent camper, an RVer, or just passing through, Smithtown, NY has a lot to offer. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Smithtown. Get the dirt on all the best camping near Smithtown. Browse campgrounds by amenities, site types, and more.
Take the Virtual Tour! - WILDWOOD STATE PARK
Wildwood State Park comprises 600 acres of undeveloped hardwood forest, terminating on the high bluff overlooking Long Island Sound. Swimmers can take advantage of the cool waters of the Sound, and picnickers can relax at shaded picnic tables as their children enjoy the nearby playground. Visitors can fish and use the hiking and cross-country ski trails, making this an enjoyable place to camp and be outdoors in any season. Geography: Wildwood State Park is located near Long Island Sound, on the north shore of Long Island, in Suffolk County. Recreation: Considered a flagship facility, visitors can enjoy the beach, biking, camper recreation programs, fishing, hiking, picnicking, and cross-country skiing. During July and August, movies are shown weekly, and once a week, campers can enjoy an evening of line or square dancing. Facilities: The park has 2 miles of beach on the Long Island sound for fishing and swimming. Each campsite has a picnic table, and dumping stations are nearby. There are 10 cottages, each with a fire ring, screened-in patio, and are available for rent through mid-November. The campground recycles newspaper and cardboard. Other amenities include food concessions, a nature trail, twelve miles of marked hiking trails, a picnic area, basketball courts, ball fields, a playground, and showers. Firewood is for sale at the park; bring your own barbecue or metal fire container.
Heckscher State Park was once the 19th century estates of George C. Taylor and J. Neal Plum. William Nicoll, founder of the Town of Islip, originally built his estate on this property. The park was bought by the State of New York using a donation by the affluent August Heckscher with strong opposition from wealthy local residents. It was one of Robert Moses' most difficult fights to obtain land for public recreation on Long Island. Only with assistance and support from then Governor Alfred E. Smith was Moses able to close the deal on this beautiful property fronting the Great South Bay.
$18 - $22 / night
Smith Point, on the Fire Island barrier beach, is a haven for sportsmen, surfers and beach lovers. An extremely popular facility, the park's white sands, rolling Atlantic surf and adjoining camping facility attract Suffolk County residents and tourists each summer season. Reservations are required for all the sites in the campground. All sites have water, and many have electric hookups and sewers. Outer beach camping is available on first come, first served basis, beach conditions permitting.
A nationally recognized team of lifeguards makes Smith Point its home base, providing ocean visitors with an extra-special safety feature.
Off-road vehicles, with permit only, may drive on the eastern portion of the outer beach. All beach-goers are advised to respect the marked, protective fencing around the nest sites of endangered shorebirds inhabiting the ocean and bay beaches.
Hammonasset Beach State Park is the largest of Connecticut’s shoreline parks. Two-mile beach, facilities for swimming, camping (third weekend in May to Columbus Day), picnicking, saltwater fishing, scuba diving, hiking and boating; concessions. Nature center and interpretive programs. Bicycle rentals available through Labor Day, rates begin at $10 per hour and range up to $75 per week, with discounts for children. Helmets provided free to use and are mandatory for riders 15 and younger. Note: Lifeguards on duty on Wednesday through Sunday. Pricing: Weekdays: free for CT vehicles; $15/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm. Weekends and holidays: free for CT vehicles; $22/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm William F. Miller Campground. 558 open sites. Concession, dumping station, bathrooms, showers. Saltwater swimming and fishing. Individual fireplaces not provided. No pets.
$20 - $45 / night
The family campground at Watch Hill provides a camping experience like no other.
The Carmans River flows through this scenic, pine-oak forested park. Southaven is a popular picnicking site, containing group areas capable of accommodating up to 1,000 people. Southaven's 1,356 acres also offer a bicycle hostel. Boating and freshwater fishing are permitted. Camping is also available, with sites for tents and trailers.
$33 / night
Comprising 44 acres of campground and dense woods, Battle Row Campground is an ideal place to relax with family and friends. Battle Row has 64 campsites ranging in length from 40 to 45 feet as follows: 52 sites have water and electricity (31 sites with 30amp/125-volt electric hookups and 21 with 50 amp/125 volt); and 12 tent sites (must be 21 years of age or older to reserve).
A comfort station is equipped with restrooms and private showers. The campground also offers swings, a recreational field, a rally field for club group camping. Leisure Pass holders receive resident rate.
$5 - $60 / night
Smith Point, on the Fire Island barrier beach, is a haven for sportsmen, surfers and beach lovers. An extremely popular facility, the park's white sands, rolling Atlantic surf and adjoining camping facility attract Suffolk County residents and tourists each summer season. Reservations are required for all the sites in the campground. All sites have water, and many have electric hookups and sewers. Outer beach camping is available on first come, first served basis, beach conditions permitting.
A nationally recognized team of lifeguards makes Smith Point its home base, providing ocean visitors with an extra-special safety feature.
Off-road vehicles, with permit only, may drive on the eastern portion of the outer beach. All beach-goers are advised to respect the marked, protective fencing around the nest sites of endangered shorebirds inhabiting the ocean and bay beaches.
Hammonasset Beach State Park is the largest of Connecticut’s shoreline parks. Two-mile beach, facilities for swimming, camping (third weekend in May to Columbus Day), picnicking, saltwater fishing, scuba diving, hiking and boating; concessions. Nature center and interpretive programs. Bicycle rentals available through Labor Day, rates begin at $10 per hour and range up to $75 per week, with discounts for children. Helmets provided free to use and are mandatory for riders 15 and younger. Note: Lifeguards on duty on Wednesday through Sunday. Pricing: Weekdays: free for CT vehicles; $15/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm. Weekends and holidays: free for CT vehicles; $22/out-of-state $7 after 4:00 pm William F. Miller Campground. 558 open sites. Concession, dumping station, bathrooms, showers. Saltwater swimming and fishing. Individual fireplaces not provided. No pets.
$20 - $45 / night
The Carmans River flows through this scenic, pine-oak forested park. Southaven is a popular picnicking site, containing group areas capable of accommodating up to 1,000 people. Southaven's 1,356 acres also offer a bicycle hostel. Boating and freshwater fishing are permitted. Camping is also available, with sites for tents and trailers.
$33 / night
Comprising 44 acres of campground and dense woods, Battle Row Campground is an ideal place to relax with family and friends. Battle Row has 64 campsites ranging in length from 40 to 45 feet as follows: 52 sites have water and electricity (31 sites with 30amp/125-volt electric hookups and 21 with 50 amp/125 volt); and 12 tent sites (must be 21 years of age or older to reserve).
A comfort station is equipped with restrooms and private showers. The campground also offers swings, a recreational field, a rally field for club group camping. Leisure Pass holders receive resident rate.
$5 - $60 / night
Legend
General: A county park with a mix of w/e (6 sites) and FHU sites plus about a dozen tent sites near a capped dump! There is a lodge and cabins close to the end of the point, but they appeared to be part of a group camp experience. They all appeared to be closed for the season (or because no one was renting at the time; they reminded me of places I used to take youth groups for weekend camps). The reservation process is a bit wonky. You need to call (no online reservations) and then wait for an e-mail, but the e-mail does not tell you your assigned site; you have to wait until you check in to find out your site.
Site Quality: We had a loosely defined gravel pad that was level. All sites appeared level. The FHU sites were back-to-back and although there were trees separating the sites, they were close together. No one was in the tent sites, but they did have new picnic tables.
Activities/Amenities: Other than a playground and a basketball court, there did not seem to be any activities to partake in. There used to be a pool but from the looks of it, it hasn’t been in use for many years. There are walking paths outside of the campground that are located within the park, but we did not have time to explore them.
Bath/Shower house: Clean but a bit dated. No shelves or hooks for toiletries. I was surprised the door was left open all night long. There was a sign warning that the toilets were slow flushing, but I think this may have been fixed because the flush was so powerful that the water splashed over the top of the seat!
Because it was on a point on the Hudson, I had hoped for views from the campground but there were too many trees to see the water. I was perplexed by the signs throughout saying no trespassing/fishing prohibited. I get the no fishing part but the trespassing? When we checked in, we had to write down our credit card number on a slip of paper before we were given a key that opened the gate to the campground. When we checked out, we asked for the paper or to watch it get shredded but were told they had to keep it on file which concerned us.
Scout
Stayed at this campground this past weekend and yes it was a long weekend so the campground was packed. All the camping spots are pretty much right next to each one with hardly any space, packed like Sardines. Neighbors are loud and some of them are ignorant of the park rules. Staying on the phones in the middle of the night while talking so loud that all camping neighbors can hear their whole story
Its a pity that they take a nice park and remove the fun out of camping.
However the walk to the beach area was very serene, especially early morning before sunrise and didn't feel like we live in dense suburbia and sunrise from the beach was worth the trip
Camp site itself was pretty flat, had a water station, bathrooms were well kept , no fire ring (BYOFP)
Traveler
The campsites are very close together without any defining borders so everybody just walks across each other site’s to get to a different one, a path, the bathroom, etc. No solitude, lots of families with kids, lots of music, I mean it’s basically a party. I didn’t realize this when I made my reservations. The place is great for families who want a safe space to camp and it’s a typical Long Island campground. Rangers came around checking on everyone often so it really did feel incredibly safe. I had a pick up truck w/ tinted windows follow me in the park for quite a while which was rather creepy and I couldn’t shake them. When I biked into the campground itself, the pick up truck couldn’t get past the check in area. Everyone I met was friendly and there’s a little shop in the front of the campgrounds that sells various items. I personally wouldn’t stay here again unless I was meeting up with friends or something and wasn’t trying to have more solitude. This is no fault of the park itself though, I’m just more of a woods girl.
LegendThis is state park, very large nested on Peninsula on the Hudson River.
Guide
Camping Review:
This campsite is beautifully located in the woods, offering a peaceful and serene environment. There are no busy roads nearby, which ensures a quiet setting during the day.
However, there are several downsides to consider. The camping spots are uneven, making it challenging to set up tents or campers. Additionally, swimming at the nearby beach is restricted to residents of the village, so visitors are not allowed to swim there.
During our stay, there were multiple large groups, including a Christian group that preached (screamingly) and played loud music until midnight, despite the designated quiet hours. Unfortunately, the management did nothing to enforce the rules, which was disruptive.
Another significant issue was the state of the sanitary facilities. They were extremely dirty, with feces present in various places. It took a long time before anything was cleaned, which obviously kept us from using the facilities.
Overall, while the location is beautiful, the poor management, noise issues, and dirty sanitary facilities seriously detract from the experience.
Legend
I had a hankering for East Coast seafood, so I picked Hammonesett Beach State Park for Connecticut. Our 2nd state of 5.
Hammonesett Beach has a huge campground. They divide the loops with names. I unfortunately chose Pequot. This loop has THE WORST bathrooms/showers on the South side of the campground. Looks like they were built in 1950s with rotten wood siding. Dirty. The showers were outside the bathroom- there was a bench & hooks OUTSIDE! We found out all the other loops had modern bathhouses.
My first impression of this campground is it's loud, crazy busy & there's traffic noise from the beach road. I actually liked it! This is a fun campground for families. There were kids on bikes, scooters, skateboards,roller blades. Watch your speed! They don't always watch out for your car.
I found out most people stay through Sunday & leave on Monday. There were still lots of campers left. Lots of tent campers.
I chose site 14 on the Pequot Loop because I thought I would have a view of one of the ponds. There was tall vegetation, so that was out.
The sites on the other side of the loop were right by the main beach road. Noisy during the day, but quiet at night.
There are some sites with shade, but most are sunny.
There's no electricity at most of the sites. Our site was full sun(yay for the solar panel!). On Beach Road in the campground there's 2 rows of full hookup sites, but they go FAST! I tried.
NO PETS! Including dogs.
No WiFi, but there's cell service. At least 5 dump stations.
The beach was popular.
There was a stream running from a pond that kids were playing in.
They have a beautiful Nature Center. A couple of easy hikes through one of the preserves.
This was a good base camp for the area. Gillette Castle & other state parks are within driving distance. Connecticut is a beautiful state!!
Legend
Be advised that Skyline RV Camp has moved to:
50 Noble St, Brooklyn, NY 11222
The original property location at 2 Oak St was sold and is now private property.
Google Maps coords are 40.730491531436556,-73.9577966772486
There no longer is a waterfront view of the NYC skyline when camping at Skyline RV. The website views are misleading.
ScoutI took my 5 year old-son and wife, all of us first time campers. this place was great. The site was very nice, all the people friendly and area beautiful.
Traveler
Truly great spot. Amazing sites with plenty of room, though they are close together. But was worth it for the amenities and fantastic views. 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 (for example site 28 - huge corner spot but the flat spot to park has an obstructed view). Literally steps to the beach.
Scout
This is a nice campground - not crowded and centrally located. However, I cannot walk ANYWHERE without picking up ticks. Even on the large sand paths, going to and from the bathroom I find ticks. It’s amazing!
ScoutThere was only 1 bathroom with small shower for all guests, however they are in the process of adding 5 more. The only bathroom did have toilet paper, a garbage can and hand soap for the sink, but no paper towels to dry your hands and no shelves, hooks, or benches to put your things while you shower.
The campground was pretty hard to find. We almost gave up before we found someone local who could point us to the right place. One of the reasons is that their sign is half gone, small, and very hard to read.
The views of the city are spectacular, but the place itself is what I would call very rustic/primitive/not lovely.
The host was helpful but the administration seemed a little unorganized. When we tried to check in, they told us we were a day too early. I had booked through the Dyrt and there was a mixup. A day later, two days later, they texted us that we were late checking in. They had another mixup. On checkout day, we didn't check out on time and they didn't contact us until it was so late we had to pay for and stay another night. It was our fault, but a reminder of checkout time would have been helpful.
I have pictures I would add if there was a way to do that.
Scout
The article also mentions the benefits of camping on Governor Island, such as feeling close to nature, relaxing and enjoying a peaceful space, away from the noise of the city. The language is easy to understand, not too technical, suitable for those who love traveling and camping. driving directions
I found your article to be a good and engaging article, helping readers have an overview and details about the campground at Governor's Island. I hope my review is helpful to you.
Traveler
Perhaps it was the weekend we went but this was an extremely unpleasant trip. The bathroom facilities are wonderful as is the beach but the crowd stayed awake playing music all night very loudly. I think the cabins here are the way to go.
Ranger
This RV park is literally just a parking lot and quite expensive for what it is.
The location is great, but the surrounding streets may be hard to maneuver with an RV if you’re a newbie. You can see the Statue of Liberty from the park, and there were several cafes and restaurants within walking distance.
If you’re looking for actual amenities, this probably isn’t the park for you. But if you just need a base camp for doing tourist activities in NYC then this place will do.
There is 24 hour security which is nice as well. We felt safe while we were there, but it was also fairly empty too.
Guide
Ive been coming here for years. They have great sights and are open all year round. Ive stayed in hammocks, tents, leantos, and even did a good share of car camping. They have many sites and a tone of hiking trails. All of the shelters have fire pits and some have interior fireplaces. The one downside is that you need to book in person but it can be done well in advance if need be.
ScoutDer Camping Platz ist in der wunderschönen Natur gelegen. Das Personal ist sehr freundlich und die Camping Plätze sind grosszügig und gut gepflegt. Das Preis Leistungsverhältniss ist ebenfalls sehr gut. Einziger Nachteil: in den Waschräumen brennt die ganze Nacht das Licht und es gibt keine Türen. Damit wird aus den Waschräumen ein zu Hause für Moskitos und Ungeziefer…
ScoutOur 36ft motorhome backed up to a raised balcony overlooking the bay. Less than 100 feet from the front of our site was the beach and the Atlantic Ocean view. A stones throw away was one of several shower and rest room buildings. Clean and well lit. Our site had a trex picnic table on a cement patio. An on site firepit was cozy at night. A general store, complete with an ice cream shop window, on the grounds was a treat. And sweet deer. I watcheda momma deer nursing two of her babies. This is paradise.
ScoutI camped here solo on Friday and Saturday over the Labor Day weekend. Overall my experience was positive.
Camping Sites
Each camping site has a picnic table and barbeque grill. The sites are designated by printing on the roads and do not have clear boundaries between them. My site had good shade coverage and was free of rocks and other hazards.
I had enough space that I didn't feel like I was intruding on my neighbors and vice-versa. That said, there aren't clear paths to the restroom building so it's not uncommon for people to cut through the edges of sites to get there. In my experience I (and others I saw) tried not to go right through the middle people's setups to do so.
If you're looking for privacy, the sites at the rear seemed to be less-densely packed, even though every site was occupied. Quiet hours are generally adhered to but not enforced - there were some campers that had noise running later.
Amenities
The restroom building is in the middle of the campground and was clean and had plenty of stalls.
Potable water is available at regular intervals, about at the corners of each group of four campsites.
Cell phone reception is limited - I had data but it was very slow which led to my phone's battery draining quickly.
Access
A car is an absolute must for this part - the entrance is directly off of Southern State Parkway with no pedestrian access. Train stations are nearby so you could take the train most of the way and rent a car from there.
Scout
We are local and have spent most of our beach days at Sandy hook. It’s one of our all time favorite places in the world. So naturally we wanted to spend an entire night down there. The campsites sell out early in the season, but we realized people cancel pretty frequently and we found availability on the night the blue moon was up. We set up camp and went to the beach across the street for sunset. When we got back I noticed the bear boxes were infested with roaches, but we didn’t think too much of it. Fast forward to the morning and we wake up to our tent and everything left out of the tent covered in roaches. We spent 1.5 hours shaking everything out after we went to watch the sunrise, although I ended up having to throw out my tent because it had hundreds of bugs on it and I couldn’t risk infesting my home. I thought I had gotten them all but they were crawling around my car as I was driving home and when I got home, the outside of my car still had a bunch on it. $30/night was a misleading price as I’ll have to replace my tent and get our cars detailed. I had never seen a roach at Sandy hook beaches, and we’ll continue to go back for day trips, but that was a one and done camping excursion. Really sad because it was a nice set up and it would have been fun to camp by the beach.
ScoutWe had a breezy afternoon check-in with the fantastic & knowledgeable forest service ranger. Parking close to the campsites, but helps to use the provided wheelbarrows to get everything to your personal site. The power is currently out for a major reconstruction. our campsite had 10-15 holes in the ground with what appeared to be sand wasps flying in and around the holes. they have never caused me any trouble, they are just large and surprising. We knew they’d be sleeping at night. after camp set up, we used the bikes we brought to ride the well-kept trail about 2 miles to Beach D, spent a great afternoon sanding & swimming and a little ice cream at the carvel truck. Biked back and bought a few bundles of firewood to cook & get ready for the evening.
our campsite backed right up to a communal water source. when I went over to get some additional water once dark, roaches scurried when I turned on a light at the faucet tap. not totally surprised (people were washing food off pots there) but then when I walked back to my picnic table, I was ACTUALLY surprised to find HUNDREDS of roaches everywhere ….all over our equipment on the table, on our bikes, even on the marshmallow stick resting on the lit fire pit … I mean everywhere. It’s like once it was dark they all came out, in numbers I have never seen anywhere. Am planning on giving feedback to the rangers as well in case the were not aware of the extent of the problem. We weren’t able to stay overnight in that environment unfortunately because everything else was truly super pleasant.
Traveler
Favorite place ever. You can get there by ferry. Very quiet and comfortable. Birdsong in the morning and the sound of the waves. There are showers, toilets and a café. For those who want to be at one with nature. Lots of mosquitoes, be prepared.
TravelerBeen to this campsite 2 times. Nice beach with no waves. A lot of fishermen. 5-7 minutes by car to the store, gas station and farms.
ScoutBathrooms are a health hazard, have not been cleaned in who knows how long. Poop is smeared on the walls, floor and toilet. Showers are horrendous. There are young children that have to use those showers and bathrooms. I wouldn’t want to bring my kids here!!!
Traveler
Average compared to other state/county parks. The crowd was a little questionable. State police were called in the settled a dispute between campers. Neighbor ran a generator all night (luckily it was somewhat quite)I, but had no issues with anyone. There seemed to be a disproportionate amount of dilapidated trailers on the side of the campground with no electricity. I'm not sure how some of them even moved. The side with electricity was ok. Places to eat are very close, and a 15 minute drive to Smith's Point beach was a plus. You need a Green Key card membership for reservation which at least got me a 50% ($9) discount on beach parking.
TravelerGreat site E20 but this year they seem to have a huge roach problem, not a lot of fun when you need to check ALL of your things ALL THE TIME.
Scout
We have a 42 ft 5th wheel toy hauler. A few Big Rig spots are available, but this is a Suffock Co Campground that is not well maintained. 2 miles of the Road have many areas of missing blacktop making a very rough ride with low branches. The dump station is basically not accessible to a big rig. Most of the longer sites were very difficult to level.
GuideWe came in October to celebrate Halloween in sleepy hollow! This is a great campsite and reasonably priced. Was close to bear mountains state part and the train station is right there!
Camping near Smithtown, NY, offers a mix of beautiful nature and fun activities for everyone. Whether you're looking for a peaceful retreat or a family-friendly adventure, there are several campgrounds to explore.
Camping around Smithtown, NY, has something for everyone, whether you're looking for a quiet getaway or a fun family adventure. Just remember to plan ahead and choose the right spot for your needs!
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular campground near Smithtown, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Smithtown, NY is Wildwood State Park Campground with a 4.2-star rating from 22 reviews.
What parks are near Smithtown, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, there are 13 parks near Smithtown, NY that allow camping, notably Fire Island National Seashore and Gateway National Recreation Area.
