Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Woodstock, NY

My first visit to New York state was amazing, largely in part due to my campsite at the Woodland Hills campground. I had a back in site and was having problems with my camper, and they were able to change to a pull through at time of check in. However, it was in early May and before the summer crowds. The pond has a fountain which sounds like a small waterfall at night, and wildflowers were in bloom. Very nice bathrooms and showers, and my dog loved the dog park.

Such a clean and well maintained campground. Staff were so nice and friendly. Only one shower area that was a bit of a trek from our site, a bike would have been nice to get around. We had to move our tent as we had set it back too far and was not on the site pad and park ranger Brian who was very lovely came and asked us to move it and we had a nice chat. Lovely big dog park. There are some nice little walks and small hikes on the ground with a lake that you can rent kayaks or canoes. Close to Woodstock which is a cute town. Our site was a little exposed but the sites either side of us were closed for restoration thankfully. There are some more secluded and set back sites too though.

Lots of room in many sites for my 24 ft RV and 30 ft trailer. Big meadow in middle with new full playground set.

Dry camping but water available and a sewer dump. Gotta haul your own trash.

Two ponds to play in and a fenced dog park.

Some nice hiking in the park.

The campsite was great. Big and going after Labor Day means there was tons of space. Well priced. We did have neighbors that had a trailer and used their generator early in the morning and late at night. Beside that it was fantastic. We had planned on driving to hiking but there was so much to do around the camp site we just walked around and did the hiking near by. The dog park is wonderful. Our dog loved it.

Can a campground be cozy? I think this place is. 

It's not too big, and it's not too small, it's just right. 

Bring decent tent pegs because you will probably hit a stone or two. 

They sell huge bags of firewood for 8 or 9 dollars and it's much better than the plastic wrapped stuff you get at convenience stores.

Last time we went they were sold out and we had to buy (damp) wood elsewhere.

Each loop has a bathroom. They are clean and well-lit.

They have a single building for trash/recycle/reuse and for washing dishes. They also have a playground and a dog park.

The campsites are nice and shaded.

Each site has a picnic table and grill. The picnic tables can be moved around. 

No Wi-Fi. Haven't tried to make a call so I'm not sure about that.

I'd feel safe here if I camped alone. Staff are friendly and helpful.

This campground had easy access to excellent hiking trails. Woodstock, NY was about 30 min away and we enjoyed exploring the area on our non-hiking day. Very dog friendly.

We had a 3-day weekend tent camping at This site from July 24-26 2020, at site 58 on Loop C. It was almost completely full that weekend, with a bit of coming and going. Campsites are fairly close together with a variety of levels of privacy. Ours allowed you to be pretty far back from the road for more privacy, but some of the other sites were literally next to the road.

Campsite is flat and packed dirt instead of gravel, which was great. There's a standard picnic table and a decent raised fire pit, and a spigot at our site. Bathrooms were a bit of a hike, but they were clean and had plenty of signage advising people during the pandemic. The park staff were keeping things really clean as well.

Check-in was easy, if you bring a pet make sure you have your paperwork with you, they do actually look at it.

What a fun place to stay! The sites are spaced apart nicely and well maintained. There is electric at most sites with water near the ends and there is a tent area with nothing. Also each site had large fire pits and picnic tables!! Large well maintained bathrooms are provided in the middle of each campground circle. They have recycling there and a large selection of books for you to use also! I told you this is a fun place. All the staff was very helpful, and courteous! Nicole at the front gate was very professional as were the others we encountered throughout our stay! The trails were fun to mountain bike ride on and hike! Just watch out on the weekends as there may be horses on the trail and leave their droppings behind "on" the trail.(Why do the owners not clean up after them, dog owners manage their pets!) We kayaked up and down the Schodack Creek, just watch out for the tide changes. It moves about 5' difference most days. It was fun. Lots of birds, turtles and some fish jumping! We watched the boats, some barges, go up and down the Hudson River as well as people fishing along the banks. Grocery store(Hannaford's) is just SE of there about 8 miles or you can go to Albany(17 miles). Laundry(Nine Juliet Laundromat) is in Castleton just N of there.. 3 miles.. very nice, clean and friendly owner! Go have fun and enjoy yourself!.(Oh, we were out-of-staters so we paid an extra fee but it was well worth it!)

Good for skinny dipping and other fun things! Most acidic lake in New York but completely safe.

We spent two separate weekends at this campground; one during October and the other during early May. Camping here during October was, by far, better. The foliage was turned to all hues of orange, yellow, green, and red. We stayed in lot 109, which was perfect because going through the really faint trail through the trees you can come to a ledge overlooking the Hudson River. We took our few beers and hung out there instead of our camping spot to watch the sunset.

The facilities are on par with most parks. They are dog friendly, so we took our dog with us on our camping trip in May (she loved it). There are a few cabins available to stay in. Only gripe would be that most of the camping spots are really close together and they don't sell logs for fire. They only have fire starter bricks, which get done what you need. They usually have plenty of cut down brush to use for the fires...but be wary of the rain season during April/May.

There are a lot of sweet stuff to see near the park. Close by is the Roosevelt Presidential Library and house, Vanderbilt House, and even further out is Woodstock and plenty of other cool parks.

This is a great campsite. Clean ams not too dense. There was no fire wood available at the campsite so buy before you come (available in Phoenicia and Woodstock, both close).

Great state campground near Woodstock,NY. Pull in sites for car camping. Clean bathroom facilities with showers and outdoor cleaning stations for dishes and stuff. Been here twice would go back if in the area.

We stayed at this campground for 8 nights in September and had easy access to the Catskill 3500' mountains.  The staff was friendly and helpful.  The facility was clean, well maintained, and comfortable.  They sell wood (kiln dried) but not ice.  Woodstock NY is only a few miles away as is Phonecia.

This campground is nestled in the Catskills, New York, with easy access to New Jersey and Connecticut. With large campsites and most surrounded by trees, you will find just the right mix of privacy and community depending upon what you are looking for. Although the showers aren't top notch, they do have them and a great recycling center for all of your garbage. If hiking is what you enjoy, they have nearly 4 miles of trails within the campground and surrounding areas that circle two nearby ponds and their day use area. If you are looking for something offsite, don't miss the Giant Ledge hike, a 30 min drive and about a 3 mile out and back hike to Giant Ledge for amazing views overlooking the entire area. Head out to watch the sunrise one morning with awesome views looking east. When you need a break from cooking, don't miss the nearby Phoenicia Diner for some great breakfast and coffee! All of the Park Rangers are very helpful and will provide recommendations and maps, just ask!

Located in the Catskills. This is a family friendly there’s bathrooms/showers playground, pool, potable water and a outdoor pavilion. Located near hiking in the Catskills and 15 mins to Woodstock.

The tent site are very richly and uneven, it was very hard to pitch a tent. When it rains theres a horrible smell across the campground.

First impressions of this site were very clean and accessible! Access to fresh water spouts and clean bathrooms were just a walk away from most sites, theres a beautiful pond on site and beautiful views of the Catskills, Woodstock is a 15 min drive if you’re looking for a bite to eat or shop, and the sites themselves were pretty large with a good amount of space between sites

Stayed 3 nights with 2 buddies.  We had 2 tents set up on the ground (2 man and 6 man capacity tents) and a third specialty tent in the bed my buddy's pick-up truck.  Plenty of room for a pop-up canopy over the picnic table and my car with its own attached awning.  We had a third car parked just off the roadway and we were never asked to move it to the parking area since there is usually a 2 car limit (my friend is lazy like that).

Weather was warm, so we were mostly trying our best to stay cool.  Unfortunately, I did not take full advantage of the park's amenities.  I did some light biking, walking around and mostly relaxing at the campsite.  The electricity and running water work 100%, the campsite was cleared and clean.  The picnic table was very new and stable.  Ice and firewood were delivered at our request at a decent price.  best of all, this campsite had the cleanest bathrooms and shower facilities of any place I have ever been.  Only one of my friends had trouble with his shower as the water stopped running and he could not completely rinse off.  There must have been some momentary problem with the plumbing.  I know it was fixed quickly and everything was running once again.

Not a lot of tents, mostly RV's.  All my neighbors were quiet and in bed around 9p.  Unfortunately, my group of three like to stay up late so I hope our talking didn't interfere with our neighbor's ability to sleep.  No one complained, so I am assuming we kept it down low enough. Pet friendly, though we didn't bring ours.

I recommend this place for families, though the age group observed there were mostly late 30's, 40's and 50's.  Not too many kids.  Many "exotic" birds (for a Brooklyn boy, anything that is not a pigeon or sparrow is exotic).  We had frequent visits from Gray Catbirds, and I saw a glimpse of a Bald Eagle through the treeline.  Didn't spot any turtles, though I hear they are there if you go looking.

I plan to return to this campsite, and likely very soon. I had a great time and it was nice not having a park ranger sniffing around every 2-3 hours like I have experienced in other parks and campsites.

The campground has everything that you need: public toilets, showers, public phone, picnic tables, grills, firewood (for sale), dump station. Close to Woodstock, NY, many trails and other attractions. You need to plan for it, there's a lot to explore; some trails are challenging. 

Highlights: the mountain creek is like nature singing a lullaby - sleeping next to it was very relaxing; weather was great and we could see the stars through the canopy - very very enjoyable!

No mobile signal, but that's the point, isn't it? You get to disconnect from it all for a while. Will definitely come back again, and again...

Fahnestock State Park, Carmel, NY

Busy Campground on Weekends!

This park has a nice open beach on Canopus Lake with a concession area and bathhouse, which we found to be quite clean! They even have boat rentals - or you can bring your own boat to launch! If you are into fishing, there is another lake and two ponds that our neighbor campers said were great for catching panfish - one fisherman said he had caught several bass weighing over 3 pounds!!

Weekends - this park is FULL! Make sure to reserve at least two weeks out. Weekdays? You should be in luck! We stayed in site number 1, and I found it to be just wooded enough. Almost all of the sites offered privacy.... Even when the campground was full. I do feel the campground bathhouse really needed more attention... while it had clearly been painted this past year, it was very “buggy” - and did not appear to have been thoroughly cleaned since spring... (yuck!).

PRODUCT REVIEW: As a ranger for Dyrt.com, sometimes I am offered the opportunity to test and review various products. At Fahnestock State Park in New York state, I reviewed my Gregory Maven 55L Women’s backpack (see accompanying video).

Weighing in at 3 pounds 6 ounces, the Gregory Maven was a nice mid-weight pack for me to take on my yearly 2 1/2 week Appalachian Trail hike.

Normally, I like to save the best for last when I do a review; however, this time I just can’t wait to spread the news about my favorite features! The Maven has a Matrix Ventilation System, which provides exceptional ventilation on the pack’s back panel. This kept my back from being its usual sweaty mess! The second feature that blew me away was how cool my water stayed in this backpack! With other packs, the water gets warmed up from heat radiating off the hiker’s back. This didn’t happen with my Gregory pack! Every pull off my water - from the beginning of the day until hours later - provided me with a refreshingly cool drink. I actually questioned other hikers with Gregory packs to see if I was the only one experiencing this - The other hikers, who had different Gregory models, confirmed that their backs and water were staying cooler too! Added bonus: I was able to pull out the hydration sleeve and use it as a daypack a few times!

The Maven’s pockets helped me keep my pack much more organized than in the past. It has a lower sleeping bag compartment, top pocket with separate zipper areas (one has a place to attach a car key!), side pockets, hip pockets, and even pockets on the shoulder harnesses! I can’t forget the front pocket, which held the rain fly!

The pack fit was great, but do be careful to check your sizing if you are looking at both the 45L and 55L. While I am a XS/S with the 55L, I would have been a S/M with the 45L.

I used this pack for 2 1/2 weeks backpacking over 200 miles on the Appalachian Trail through the states of New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The Maven did an outstanding job keeping my possessions organized and dry as well as keeping me comfortable and happy on the trail! This will definitely be my pack of choice for future hikes!

This was one of my favorite trips of 2019. In September my Girlfriend (who has never been camping) and I made the trip to New York. I love camping but I knew that I needed to slowly adjust her into the idea of being in and sleeping in the great outdoors. This place was the perfect fit. This site was a small tiny home located on an active produce farm. The host was fantastic and catered to all of our needs giving us some firewood, a tour of her farm, and some fresh produce she picked that morning. At night I was able to start a fire next to the picking fields and the chicken coops, hang up my hammock between two trees and cook some burgers, and s’mores over the fire. What was even better was that also on this farm was a local brewery that uses the farms crops in there beers and brews. While we still had our own peace and quiet on the other side of the farm it was still close enough for us to walk back after meeting some of the locals and drinking a few beers. On the last night the brewery hosted an Oktoberfest party bringing in tons of locals from town, bands, and vendors. The host of the farm was gracious enough to let a good portion of the attendees pitch some tents in the farm fields and camp nearby us. This trip was so much fun and was the perfect balance of having the necessities of home nearby while also being able to spend some time outdoors. Now my girlfriend has been on multiple more primitive camping trips with me and I owe it to the great experiences we had at this site.

Sharpe Reservation is located in the middle of nowhere in Fishkill, NY. It offers New York City kids an opportunity to enjoy nature in the summer. During the year, schools and youth groups can participate in the education programs available. It is a 2000+ acres of nature with cabin accommodation - but not for the general public who are looking to camp there. (If you are the leader of a scout troupe, I highly recommend you try organize an overnight trip for your troupe there.)

That does not mean you should give up in checking out this wonderful place. For once a year, they open the grounds for the general public during their Maple Celebration in March. And it is worth bringing your kids to this all-day event if you are camping/traveling in the neighborhood. http://www.freshair.org/maple-celebration

I have taken my daughter and friends there for a few years and it is always a fun-packed day to cure cabin fever before all other places are open for activities before the start of spring: watch a sky show at the planetarium; make crafts in the nature discovery room, play outdoor games designed for different ages, taste maple syrup from competing makers, watch maple sugaring demonstration, enjoy a BBQ lunch, touch an exotic animal, or walk the many trails on the ground. There is also local handmade goods and foods for shopping. (TIP: There are several screenings at the planetarium during the day, but it is best to be there at the earliest shows when there are not many people; otherwise, you probably will have to line up for half an hour to get in.)

The activities are spread out over at different locations within Sharpe Reservation, so wear comfortable shoes. But it is such a nice break from winter and such soul calming environment that I highly recommend it.