Searching for the best camping near Wanakena, NY? Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Wanakena is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Discover great camping spots near Wanakena, reviewed by campers like you.
The 6,700-acre Stillwater Reservoir is located in the western Adirondacks, and provides undeveloped, remote camping on both islands and along the shoreline. The Reservoir offers a multitude of recreational possibilities including remote wilderness camping, canoeing, boating, fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, and cross-country skiing. The area receives considerable use during each of the four seasons.
During recent years, popularity of the Stillwater Reservoir has greatly increased. In an effort to alleviate some of the problems and preserve remote camping opportunities, campers are now required to use only designated sites, along the shoreline or to camp at least 150 feet inland from high-water mark. The high-water mark is generally that point where the sand beaches end and the forested or vegetative area begins.
Camping on sand beaches is no longer permitted. Camping within 150 feet of the high-water mark is limited to 46 sites designated and marked by the department. Camping beyond the 150 feet limit, as in past years, is relatively unrestricted. The intention here is to move camper use back from the water's edge to less fragile sites. The only exception is to the north of the Reservoir, which is in the Five Ponds Wilderness, where group sizes are limited to nine people or less.
Camping beyond the 150-foot perimeter remains relatively unrestricted, except for five Ponds Wilderness. That is, persons may use any site or open area for camping, provided it is more than 150 feet from the high-water mark, roads, trails or any other body of water. Furthermore, campers must comply with department regulations governing the use of state lands. These regulations will be posted at the registration booth at the Forest Ranger Headquarters and may also be found on the reverse side of the Interior Use Camping Permit. As the designated sites become filled, users are urged to camp within the Independence River Wild Forest Area on the south.
Campfires are allowed, but only dead and downed fuel may be used. The use of trail stoves is encouraged because of limited supplies of wood.
The Adirondack Mountain Club’s Wilderness Campground offers a variety of primitive camping opportunities. The seasonal washhouse is available during the spring, summer, and fall; this facility has men and women’s washrooms with showers, toilets, and sinks. During the winter months guests are able to use the facilities in the High Peaks Information Center. All food must be stored inside a vehicle to avoid attracting wildlife.
Campsites
There are 32 campsites located in the Wilderness Campground. Each campsite has a fire pit and picnic table. A limited number of sites are large enough to accommodate a pop-up camper or small trailer. A maximum of 6 people and a maximum of 3 tents are allowed per site. These sites are open year-round. Lean-tos
The Wilderness Campground has 16 lean-tos, several are located adjacent to Heart Lake. Lean-tos are a traditional three-sided Adirondack shelter, they offer protection from weather but have the feel of sleeping out in the open. Each lean-to has a fire pit and picnic table. The lean-tos are open year-round. Canvas Cabins
There are six canvas cabins in the Wilderness Campground, each sleeps six people in three bunk beds. The canvas cabins have mattresses but no pillows or linens are provided. Each canvas cabin has a fire pit and picnic table. They are open from the weekend prior to Memorial Day through Columbus Day.
$25 - $55 / night
Took me five hours to drive there but finally made it. It was nice and peaceful. I will go there again
a 20 mile ride of just woods on a bumpy road. Pretty cool! Surprisingly the place wasn't that populated as I expected it to be. I went to a accessible campsite near the dam so I can pull stuff i needed from my car. The restaurant in the town had great food, the staff were nice, and had two cute dogs!
Stayed in a campground for one night just so I could hike Mount Marcy in the morning! It was 40 dollars a night and it has a great hot shower and flush toilet. The area was perfect!
Tons of free campsites and lean-to everywhere.
Some with picnic tables and fire area.
First arrive type!
I camped while hiking the full CL50 loop.
You can also swim or go fishing!
The sites are small, but there are mature trees between them & woodsy areas around the campsites. The campground is clean and well kept. The laundry room and bathrooms were clean. I didn’t have a chance to use the deck or the indoor pool.
The owners made me feel welcome from the minute I arrived. They went above & beyond for me.
The facilities are not wheelchair accessible. The owners said that they are working on that.
So far this has been the best campground we have experienced in NY. Cranberry Lake is massive and absolutely gorgeous. The people that work here are very nice and helpful. Try to get a site on the water. Pretty good privacy site to site. The hike up and around Bear Mountain was a good workout and fun experience for our whole family (littlest is 6). We cannot wait to get back there and camp again!
Beautiful campground. The ladies at the check in point were very nice and helpful! Bathrooms were clean (no hot water). Just didn't expect the plots to be so small with no privacy. Thought we chose a plot in an area with tents only, but there was a massive camper right beside us with noisy people. I would go back again if I could pick a site that had the neighboring ones not reserved, to get a little more privacy.
Having both camped, and trained with my SAR Unit, on Stillwater Reserve, I must say it's a wonderful place to "get lost" (voluntarily at least)!
Great campground with spacious campsites. Clean bathrooms, unsure if there were showers. Great beach area for hanging out & water was clean
Some of the nicest people we have met yet. Helpful and accommodating. Lots of improvements over the last year they said, and it is really nice and clean! New bathrooms and laundry center.
Mostly Rv sites with full hook-ups and a few cabins nice filclities.
Solid 10/10 would camp again! We stayed at the Heart Lake Campground for a week and a half utilizing it as our home base for adventures into the High Peaks Wilderness and the greater Adirondack region. We had a very pleasant stay here and personally found the weekdays to be best for “camp days” given there were few people—weekends are PACKED and there were more than a couple of party sites. It did appear that you would be able to drive in without reservation on a weekday and find yourself a site! Specifically, our site was fairly flat and most were like this but there were some that appeared to have a slope if you happened to be car camping. There are two wash houses with showering and bathroom amenities that are cleaned weekly (from what we observed). Multiple water fill stations sprinkled throughout the campground area. This campground is primarily tent centric, however, there are yurts, lean-to’s, and a handful of cabins available (and of course the ADK Loj has rooms). There is Wi-Fi at the Loj and meals are served but we believe these are for Loj guests only.
We've camped here every year but it's getting difficult to get in here. We've camped all over from tents to all kind of campers. Never stayed in cabins but been inside. It's beautiful park. Goose bay on one side St Lawrence River on other. Every site is beautiful with rocks. But the rocks make it beautiful. We love sitting on a big rocks, watching sunsets and ships go by. Playground, private bathrooms, boat launch, docks, beach and fishing.
Was a great camp site very big and had a trail that lead down to the water. This campsite is right down the road from the fire tower trail.
My wife and I kayaked to Long Island and stayed for a weekend. It was quiet and had the whole island to our self. Would recommend if you want to break away from technology because you get zero service out there
Overall, the place was beautiful. Very peaceful, lots of privacy, and we loved it. We camped on site 188 for 3 nights and really enjoyed having our own private “beach,” however, we it was extremely boggy! The campground had put down sheets of plywood to help, but still the ground was so soggy that the plywood had eventually “soaked away.” It helped but not much.
Aside from the wetness of the ground it really is a beautiful spot. I’d still camp there but not at 188. Also, the hike in does take some effort, it’s not bad but if you car camp and have pop up or anything heavy it could be difficult for you.
First thing about Cranberry Lake: the staff are wonderful. We arrived when the check in staff had the day off. Not a problem we only needed wood which was available just down the street from the campground. No need, the ranger, who let us know the overworked staff was off, brought it to our site once he had figured out the key. Sweet. Our site was on the uphill slope so we had some road noise due to that. We walked a bit of the campground until we realized it's larger than first assumed. I will say do your homework, check out the site photos which you can easily find online. Get a waterfront site but be aware the privacy isn't great at many sites, at least the ones we saw. There is a shower house which is great but be ready to drive to it, as I said the campground is bigger than expected! Some sites are super close which would be great for groups who may like to visit or it could be a nightmare with loud folks. The lake is beautiful. We weren't set up for it but if you can plan for the sunset view I think it's worth rescheduling your trip for the right site. Brand new sewer dump area for folks who need it.
This is a Great Lake for kayaking, clear and calm, lots of nooks and crannies to explore. And if you can get a lakeside site, you can launch from your site, enjoy the beautiful sunsets, watch the ducks...but if you aren’t lucky (or early) enough to get a lake site, forget it. There is one narrow access path in Loop 1. No parking, and no connecting paths between loops. We were in Loop 2, which meant dragging our kayaks across someone else’s site and down the road a bit to get to the launch area. And the sunsets? We had to scope out which site was vacant each night to get a glimpse. The campground needs to designate one campsite per loop for lake access for campers in that loop.
WE love staying at Rollins Pond in a tent! Our family always meet friendly people and falling asleep to loons is priceless! We always have wildlife at our site. This past trip we had chipmunks, squirrels, ducks, and a crane. The time before, we had a family of loons!
It’s split into 2 sides. The west side is way cooler, less bugs and more views. The east side is RV/camper heaven.
Very pleased with this campground over all. Area, location, etc. Summers are beautiful winter are terrible.
I came here a couple days ago only to realize that all except one campsite needs a boat to be reached. It's first come first serve so best to find another place if you intend to drive up to your campsite. The drive up campsite had an outhouse though so that was nice
We spent a week here and didn't have a lakeside site, but one of the small ones on the stream. Great place to visit. If you do score a lakeside site, your views will be spectacular! Only downside was the lack of newer showers, but if you're ok with using the old shower building, you'll probably have the place to yourself.
Very nice campground. Beautiful river views. Very nice staff.
We pulled in on a Sunday afternoon with no reservations. We wanted 2 nights and had no issue getting a site. Campground was fairly quiet although probably 3/4 or more full. I lost my engagement ring in a walking trail and a week later received a call a ranger found it on the heavily trafficked trail! We planned on camping there again and now we will be back even sooner to pick up my ring!
No cell service or WiFi. No hookups. Odd bear rules that basically make you pack up your site when not in use, unless you have a trailer or RV. No bear proof lockers to help out like federal campgrounds. Will not be back until we get a trailer or RV. Sites are nice, secluded and not packed together.
Jacques Cartier State Park is a model which most parks should follow. The park is unbelievably well kept. The sites are large with some located with waterfront (St. Lawrence River). A boat launch in the park may it easy for boaters. A beach/swimming area is great for the whole family. The park offers short and easy trails for hiking. If you don't mind dry camping, the sites are perfect. About half the sites have electric and the balance are dry. We can't wait to go back!
Camping near Wanakena, New York, offers a mix of beautiful scenery and outdoor activities. Whether you're looking to paddle on serene lakes or hike through lush forests, this area has something for everyone.
Camping near Wanakena, New York, is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. With beautiful campgrounds and plenty of activities, it’s a perfect getaway for nature lovers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Wanakena, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Wanakena, NY is Stillwater Reservoir with a 4.9-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Wanakena, NY?
TheDyrt.com has all 17 glamping camping locations near Wanakena, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
