Beaver Pond Campground in Harriman State Park offers pet-friendly platforms and standard campsites with tent and RV accommodations. The campground maintains several pet-welcoming sections throughout its wooded setting, with some sites providing raised wooden platforms ideal for keeping pets off wet ground. Fire rings, picnic tables, and clean shower facilities come standard at all sites. Pets must be leashed at all times and owners are required to clean up after their animals. Many campers report the park trails are particularly suitable for dog walking. ['The campground is remarkably dog-friendly—visitors frequently encounter deer throughout the property while walking their pets.'] Other pet-friendly options near West Haverstraw include Croton Point Park's cabin and tent sites, Sebago Cabin Camp, and West Point FMWR Recreation Areas where pets are permitted in designated accommodations.
Harriman State Park's extensive trail network provides numerous pet exercise opportunities with multiple dog-friendly hiking paths accessible directly from camping areas. Pets should remain leashed on trails due to frequent wildlife encounters, including bears that inhabit the area. The nearby Lake Welch offers water access, though pets are restricted from the main swimming beach. Campers with dogs particularly appreciate the quiet atmosphere during weekday and off-season visits when the campgrounds are less crowded. The park's proximity to NYC—just 45 minutes north—makes it a convenient pet-friendly camping destination for metropolitan residents. Weather conditions vary seasonally, with spring and fall offering the most comfortable temperatures for camping with pets. Veterinary services can be found in nearby towns should emergencies arise during your stay.
$17 - $20 / night
"15 dolares la noche para los que viven en el Estado de New York o New York city .. si es fuera del estado son $5 dolares mas!!"
"Drive-in tent campgrounds. Adequate restroom facilities sprinkled amongst tent sites. Some campsites have raised platforms. All sites have picnic tables and fire ring with flip-top grill."
$30 - $60 / night
"Tent sites are very private with some dirt roads to exit out but thats what make it unique experience! Bathrooms with shower is near by and has plenty porta potties all around."
"Was close to bear mountains state part and the train station is right there!"
$17 / night
"With Covid/social distancing requirements, many sites are closed so it’s extra quiet and spread out. I stayed at site 6 with my seven year-old daughter from Tue-Thur."
"When you are camping with a large group of friends and don't all have access to a car, this is the perfect spot."
$74 - $130 / night
"It is a step up from cabin camping. They also have a beach behind it."
"This place is only an hour away from NYC with so much to do and see. These cabins are VERY rustic, four walls, a cot, and a fridge."
$25 - $40 / night
"Love the proximity to NYC - I always look for areas that are not too far, but not too close to NY. Beautiful but small-ish tent sites."
"We are looking forward to stopping by Round Pond again in the near future."
$45 - $55 / night
"Pet friendly and kid friendly with a playground available. Our favorite site is #25. Up a hill, totally private and has a lean-to."
"Close to the city and civilization, yet large enough to have nice trails and creeks to feel away from it all. The camping sites are very different so it’s useful to go in person and select the area."
$20 - $150 / night
"Yes, this is a military-only campground but, that doesn't take away from how incredible it is and that is properly advertised.
This place is incredible. "
"We got a red carpet site by the Gaga pit and near the water park (Cindy bear lane) and it was a convenient yet noisy site. Kids were at the playground 8 am or before and the noise woke us up."
"With a new check in area, Gardiner has really stepped up. They expanded the pool area to include another pool plus splash area and water slides."
$82 - $95 / night
"Have stayed here several times - great location and nice, full hook-up sites. Back-in and pull through sites and can accommodate large rigs. A little expensive but everything is included."
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.
ScoutRecently, we camped here for a week. We don’t ever post negative reviews like this. The last day, we experienced a violent attack by a very large and aggressive Pit Bull. The Pit Bull did not have a collar or a leash and was accidently let out of the RV to roam free and unsupervised. It immediately ran to our site(4 sites away) and attacked our dog that was tied at the time. The incident was unprovoked. While trying to save our dog, my wife and I were also attacked. The wounds were serious enough to require emergency transport to a hospital for treatment including stitches. All we could think of was what might have happened if our granddaughter had been playing with our dog.
To put it mildly, their existing pet policy is grossly lacking. They never checked what breed of dog or ask to see documentation of shots when we were registering. Yogi Bear Jellystone Park needs to better manage their pet policy to address aggressive dog breeds and ensure the safety of campers. We camped there for seven days and saw multiple sites have more than one large dog, which in many places we’ve camped at would have been banned due to breed type or size. We have RV’ed extensively across the US and have never seen such careless enforcement of a pet policy regarding aggressive dog breeds. Seriously, think about avoiding this park if you have pets or small children.
TravelerGood for skinny dipping and other fun things! Most acidic lake in New York but completely safe.
TravelerSome things you should be aware of before booking: The office, playground, dog park, pool, laundry are located at the top of the hill. Camping spots are downhill, a good distance from the office and amenities. Trash is located off site in a pullout on the road you drive in on. There are 2 showers for women and 2 for men. Both are old and not well maintained or in our experience clean, either. In general the camping spots are not well maintained, weedy, un-level and picnic tables are weathered and warped. This resort campground is composed of mainly residents, the rules (we observed) apply to the overnight campers, not the residents. Children of the residents run free all day and past curfew in the evenings unsupervised. The setting is quiet, the views from the upper level are lovely. With some updating of bath facilities, cleaning and leveling of campsites, uniform enforcement of rules, Pleasant Acres could become a resort destination.
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.
Campgrounds near West Haverstraw sit between 100-400 feet elevation in the Hudson Valley, experiencing moderate rainfall of approximately 45 inches annually. The camping season typically runs April through October, with peak visitation in July and August when temperatures average 75-85°F. Weekday camping offers significantly more solitude than weekends, when campgrounds often reach capacity.
Hiking trails access: Clarence Fahnestock State Park Campground connects to extensive trail networks with varied difficulty levels. "A 20 minute drive from our site to the beach across the 2-lane highway. The lake is clear and sandy (some rocks in sand on shore, but standard for imported sand), and many families seemed to have traveled up for a day trip," notes a camper.
Water activities: Swimming in Canopus Lake is popular from June through early September, with sandy beaches and lifeguards on duty. "The beach is secured with lifeguards and shower and bathroom facilities are available. The camp ground is on RTE 287 just south of Newburgh," reports one visitor.
Seasonal events: Jellystone Park Gardiner schedules regular weekend activities for families. "This campground has a lot of activities but some were repetitive. It looks like Saturdays have the best activities but we were not there on a Saturday," notes one reviewer, who adds that activities are more concentrated on weekends.
Platform camping: Beaver Pond Campground offers elevated wooden tent platforms that provide dry camping surfaces. "The biggest positive about Beaver Pond is how spread out it was. You definitely feel like you have your own space and are not camping on top of your neighbor. Many of the camping options were on platforms which is especially nice if it recently rained," reports a camper.
Quiet off-season visits: Fall and spring camping provides more peaceful experiences. "We stayed here on a Thursday night in September prior to taking off backpacking. The campground was clean and quiet. Ranger said that during summer weekends the grounds fill up and can be quite noisy, but mid-week during the off-season it was great," shares a Beaver Pond visitor.
Affordable pricing: Some campgrounds offer budget-friendly rates. "This is an off-grid camping experience. You can use your generator at certain hours. They have a beach. Their staff is friendly. I love going here," notes one camper who mentions Beaver Pond's "$15" cost.
Wildlife encounters: Bear activity requires proper food storage. "Welcome to Bear Mountain grumbles the park ranger as he sits in complete darkness! He offers us a highlighted map to our site, wishes us a good stay, and gives us the run down on bear activity in the area. I mean, we are in Bear Mountain, what do you expect?!?" warns one camper.
Limited amenities: Ward Pound Ridge Reservation has basic facilities. "There is no phone or internet reservations and has to be made in person at the office. I would recommend call earlier and come in few minutes earlier to 9 am when the office opens to find the best spots," advises a visitor.
Seasonal facility access: Many campground facilities close after Labor Day. "The beach is closed after Labor Day to the public, but open to people staying at the campsite. Clean and beautiful. Great hikes. Bathrooms and dishwashing... UGH. So old and dirty!!!" notes a visitor to Fahnestock State Park.
Child-friendly amenities: Croton Point Park provides playgrounds and natural areas for exploration. "It's a good park/camp for groups. They have cabins and RV sites and now that the Tapan Zee bridge work is done most of them are now open again. There is a model airplane air field and a decent playground for young kids," shares a visitor.
Dog friendly options: Several campgrounds welcome pets with specific restrictions. "Peaceful and gorgeous campground, family friendly with some dirt roads to exit out. Keep your food in the dry bag and away from the tent or benches provided or face the packs of fearless raccoons at night," advises a Croton Point visitor.
Bathroom access: Facilities vary widely between campgrounds. "Tent site is after the RV site, so use their LX before you get to site if you can. Dumpster and water near sites. Great site for a party, try to stay away from this end of the site or choose a site away from other bookings if you'd like quiet," suggests a Croton Point camper.
Site selection priorities: Black Bear RV Park provides full hookup sites with varying privacy levels. "Have stayed here several times - great location and nice, full hook-up sites. Back-in and pull through sites and can accommodate large rigs. A little expensive but everything is included," notes a regular visitor.
Winter camping options: Limited campgrounds remain open year-round. "We are returning to the south after spending a couple months of fall in New England. This was our first stop and primarily chosen because it was one of the few places along our route that was open for RVs in the off season," explains a Black Bear RV Park visitor.
Space between sites: Some campgrounds provide more separation than others. "The FHU sites were back-to-back and although there were trees separating the sites, they were close together," reports a visitor describing site layout at an area campground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near West Haverstraw, NY?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near West Haverstraw, NY is New York City North/Newburgh KOA with a 4.2-star rating from 40 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 84 dog-friendly camping locations near West Haverstraw, NY, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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