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Best Tent Camping near Youngstown, NY

Tent camping options near Youngstown, New York are limited but accessible within driving distance. Two established campgrounds serve the area: KOA Campground Medina Wildwood Lake and Riverview Camp Ground & Marina. These tent-specific sites are located within 30 miles of Youngstown, providing basic accommodations for campers seeking overnight stays in the western New York region. Fort Niagara State Park, though not offering camping directly, serves as a notable landmark near which campers can find nearby alternatives.

The tent camping facilities near Youngstown feature minimal amenities, with most sites lacking officially documented drinking water, electric hookups, or sanitary facilities based on available information. Campers should plan to bring all necessary supplies, including drinking water and sanitation equipment. The camping season typically runs from late spring through early fall, though specific opening and closing dates vary by location. Weather conditions in western New York can change rapidly, particularly in shoulder seasons, requiring tent campers to prepare for potential temperature fluctuations and precipitation.

Primitive tent setups near Youngstown provide a rustic outdoor experience within reach of Lake Ontario and the Niagara River. The region's location near the Canadian border offers unique cross-border views and cultural experiences for tent campers using these sites as a base. The relative proximity to Niagara Falls makes these tent-only camping options practical for visitors seeking budget accommodations while exploring the region's natural attractions. While documented user reviews are limited, the established nature of these campgrounds suggests they serve primarily as functional overnight accommodations rather than destination camping experiences. Walk-in tent sites are not explicitly documented at these locations, suggesting most are accessible by vehicle.

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Best Tent Sites Near Youngstown, New York (2)

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Tent Camping Reviews near Youngstown, NY

272 Reviews of 2 Youngstown Campgrounds

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 28, 2023

    Evangola State Park Campground

    Great campground

    We stayed here three nights to ride out a heat wave and really liked it. Sites are electric only, with a dump station available at the entrance and one in the campground loop. There are potable water spigots throughout the campground, where you awkwardly pull over to the side of the road and fill your tank. Sites are pretty much wide open, with zero separation between you and your neighbor. Most are out in direct sun but the ones along the edge have some tree cover and shade. 

    There are yurts here as well, and a playground, and a huge disc golf course. You can walk to the beach from the campground (dogs aren’t allowed on the beach). The nature center is right in the campground, by the basketball and tennis courts. 

    Showers were dirty and buggy, but they’re free and you can actually choose your own water temperature. NY State campgrounds require proof of rabies vaccinations for your dogs.

     Good cell reception for Verizon, ATT wasn’t great but the cell booster helped. Trash bins, but no recycling. Beautiful sunset on the lake.

  • Laura M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Dec. 28, 2023

    Evangola State Park Campground

    Great campground

     We stayed here three nights to ride out a heat wave and really liked it. Sites are electric only, with a dump station available at the entrance and one in the campground loop. There are potable water spigots throughout the campground, where you awkwardly pull over to the side of the road and fill your tank. 

    Sites are pretty much wide open, with zero separation between you and your neighbor. Most are out in direct sun but the ones along the edge have some tree cover and shade. 

    There are yurts here as well, and a playground, and a huge disc golf course. You can walk to the beach from the campground (dogs aren’t allowed on the beach). The nature center is right in the campground, by the basketball and tennis courts. Showers were dirty and buggy, but they’re free and you can actually choose your own water temperature. 

    NY State campgrounds require proof of rabies vaccinations for your dogs. Good cell reception for Verizon, ATT wasn’t great but the cell booster helped. Trash bins, but no recycling. Beautiful sunset on the lake.

  • Danielle S.
    Oct. 11, 2020

    Four Mile Creek State Park Campground

    Field Camping

    It's not all bad! It took a while to find our site in the dark as site markers are small. The sites are decent size, the bathrooms are clean but spiders will hang out. Showers are hot. Sites are available with electric and there is an RV dump station if you have one. There are a lot of RVs at this campground, a large playground, and a field with soccer goals (no net). Niagara Falls is 15 or so miles away, and Buffalo NY is a short drive. The bathroom building has an outdoor sink with heated water, and this is also where the trash bins are.  Firewood is available in front of many nearby homes (a couple of miles, max,and $4-5 a bundle). The fire pits are either low or leaning, so we found a camp stove to be essential. It can get quite windy, we saw a tent buckle and our stakes were pulled up from the wind. It can get loud at night and it doesn't seem as if quiet hours are enforced. I'd stay again but only if a more private campground was unavailable.

  • Leah L.
    Aug. 2, 2020

    Golden Hill State Park Campground

    Quiet Campground Over Lake Ontario

    We camped at Golden Hill over the weekend of July 24-26, 2020. Due to COVID, advance reservations are required to book a spot at any NY state campground. We had site 47 in loop C, which was across the road from the lake view sites. I recommend sites 40-45 for lake-front views. Loops A and B were more crowded and more suitable to RV trailers and rigs (we were camping in a pop-up camper). Site 47 was large and had a few trees. The campfire ring was right against the pad, which made it difficult to position our pop-up so that it was away from the fire ring. 

    Things to consider: There are 2 bathrooms in the campground, one near the A-B loops and one near the entrance. It was quite a hike in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom from our site. Some sites in the A-B loops are right next to each other, and we preferred the space for the sites in the C loop. 

    Wonderful things: The views are spectacular, particularly at sunset. The campground was quiet at night. The Niagara Wine trail is close to this campground, and Niagara Falls is about a 50 minute drive away. We hiked Devil's Hole and Whirlpool State Parks on this camping trip. The showers in the bathrooms were phenomenal - very clean with hot water and a private dressing area next to the shower. Showers were ADA compliant and had shower seats.

  • Erin H.
    Sep. 14, 2020

    HTR Niagara Campground

    Covid update on one of my favorites

    Once again, the Branches of Niagara comes through stunningly. Even in the midst of the lockdowns and augmented restrictions, TBON went above and beyond to be sure we had the safest and most enjoyable time we could during our stay.

    Bathrooms, as usual, were pristine, with regular visits from the staff to disinfect and make sure campers were satisfied. This is a campground of several lakeside cabins and mostly RVs, so they were also seldom in use, making them even more accommodating for us during this time of distancing. They notified us in advance that they were still open and what was functional under the strict and ever changing NY requirements. Note: as of Summer 2020, masks were required to enter the store and check in areas, but not required elsewhere. Kids activities were augmented to allow for distancing and remain completely outdoors.

    We got site 10, which was excellent both for proximity to everything, hookups, privacy, space and views. This particular site had ample, mowed and cleared room behind the spacious site as well where you can set up your hammocks and relax in the wooded shade. Directly in front of the site is a clearing which allows a view to the pool and pond-side of the campground. It was quiet and clean.

    Stef is always friendly, and the camp store rents a number of items to add to the fun - paddle boats, kayaks, 4 seater bike surreys, peddle carts, and other fun things. Zip lines were both still open. Activities were updated to reflect safety during C-19.

    Beautiful, peaceful, spacious campground with so many hidden gems. The lake is pretty and the campground’s access from the Grand Island side of Buffalo to Niagara Falls is very convenient, yet away from the loud commotion and traffic. We highly recommend!

  • Amy G.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 13, 2022

    Evangola State Park Campground

    Nice but not great

    The facilities in the campground are very good (relatively new bath house with nice clean showers). The campsites are a good size although most have no natural shade or privacy. My only real complaint is that this seemed like a "party park" with music playing and people being loud after quiet hours. In addition, the beach area had a lot of trash laying around.

  • Beth R.
    Jun. 25, 2024

    Niagara Falls/Grand Island KOA Holiday

    Amazing Amenities

    Pros: Full hookup (sewer, water, 50/30 AMP) Level site Wi-Fi Lots of amenities: paddle boats, heated pool, fishing pond (catch & release), cornhole, jumping pillow & pad, horseshoes, basketball court, pickleball, bocce ball, Gaga ball & playground

    Cons: Gravel site Picnic table in rough condition No shade Noise from I-190 No working cable TV

  • Marilyn C.
    Jun. 15, 2024

    Sprague Brook Park

    Beautiful park

    I loved everything. The sites are neat. We tent camped with no electric. $23 per night. Fishing allowed in the pond. Bathrooms with showers were spotless. Grass maintained. One small complaint is checkin and out times not enforced. Checkin states 3 pm but we saw many checking in as early as 8 or 9 AM. We could have gained a whole day!  Next time! 

    Lots of very wet, muddy sites where even mulch would have been helpful.

  • P
    Jul. 12, 2022

    Four Mile Creek State Park Campground

    Lovely NY State Campground—choose your environment

    This is a friendly and clean state park campground where you can choose your own environmental experience. Camping with kids and enjoy interacting with other camping families? Then the 100 loop with large playground (lots of sites with electric hookups, though not a lot of shade) is for you!…Interested in a less social scene, then the 200 loop (has electric hookups) or the 300 loop (no hookups) might be for you…we stayed at campsite 217 (level site with 3 shade trees and just 2 sites away from potable water), which had a shared lawn space with the inner loop sites. It had a lot of joyful kid activity on the weekend, but quieted down like a library on the Monday night we stayed over. The bathhouse in the 200 loop with bathrooms and showers are up-to-date and SUPER CLEAN. (Note: No dishwashing station in this loop, so bring your own system. Also, the camp store is closed on Monday and Tuesdays even in July.) It cannot be overstated that the sunsets over Lake Ontario from the “Sun Lawn” (at the very back of the 100 loop) are absolutely spectacular and every clear night you will see an exodus of campers headed there. No bells and whistles here, but a lot of friendliness and the simplicity is well done. (Note of gratitude: Our rental pop-up had severely under-inflated and worn/cracked tires. The staff at reception told us we could stop at the park’s maintenance garage for compressor air on our way out. The man who gave us air helped us back in, pumped the air in himself, noted the cracks in our tires and told us if we had any problems headed out to our camper drop off (20 minutes away) that we should call him and he would come out to help. THANK YOU!)

Guide to Youngstown

Tent camping options near Youngstown, New York center around the western edge of Lake Ontario where the Niagara River meets the lake. The area experiences four distinct seasons with summer temperatures averaging 70-85°F and winter lows regularly dropping below freezing. Camping availability is generally seasonal, with most sites operational from May through October, coinciding with more moderate weather conditions in this Great Lakes region.

What to do

Fishing expeditions: Access to Lake Ontario and the Niagara River creates prime fishing opportunities for bass, trout, and salmon depending on the season. KOA Campground Medina Wildwood Lake provides a stocked fishing pond for campers seeking convenience without traveling to larger bodies of water.

Historical exploration: Fort Niagara State Park, though not offering camping directly, stands as a significant historical site dating to the 1700s. The fort's preserved structures and educational programming make it a worthwhile day trip from nearby camping areas.

Water recreation: Riverview Camp Ground & Marina offers direct water access for boating, paddling, and water activities. The marina facilities provide convenience for campers bringing personal watercraft or those seeking rental options.

What campers like

Natural setting: Tent campers appreciate the wooded surroundings at KOA Campground Medina Wildwood Lake, which offers separation between sites and natural shade coverage. The lake views and accessible shoreline provide scenic value throughout the camping season.

Affordability: Basic tent sites at camping options near Youngstown typically range from $25-35 per night, offering budget-friendly accommodations compared to area hotels. This price point makes extended stays more feasible for visitors exploring the region's attractions.

Proximity to attractions: The best tent camping near Youngstown, New York serves primarily as a practical base for regional exploration. Campsites sit within 30-45 minutes of Niagara Falls, offering significant cost savings compared to accommodations closer to the falls.

What you should know

Reservation requirements: During peak summer months (July-August), advance reservations are strongly recommended for camping near Youngstown. Weekend availability becomes particularly limited at established campgrounds like Riverview Camp Ground & Marina.

Limited facilities: Most tent camping options require self-sufficiency. Portable water containers, camp stoves, and proper food storage are essential as infrastructure varies significantly between sites.

Weather considerations: The Great Lakes region experiences rapid weather changes, particularly in spring and fall. Tent campers should prepare for possible temperature swings of 20-30 degrees within 24 hours and pack appropriate layers.

Tips for camping with families

Safety precautions: When tent camping near Youngstown with children, maintain awareness of proximity to water bodies. Designated swimming areas provide safer alternatives to unsupervised shoreline access.

Entertainment planning: While natural features dominate the camping experience, families should note the limited organized activities at most sites. Bringing games, sports equipment, and nature exploration tools helps maintain engagement during extended stays.

Meal preparation: Most tent camping sites near Youngstown offer basic fire rings or grills but lack electricity for cooking appliances. Family-friendly meal planning should incorporate simple one-pot recipes and non-perishable food options.

Tips from RVers

Size restrictions: RV camping options have significant limitations near Youngstown. Most established sites accommodate units under 35 feet, with larger rigs facing access challenges on narrower local roads.

Hookup availability: Full hookup sites require advance planning as they remain limited throughout the region. Most locations offer partial hookups only, necessitating conservative water usage and power management.

Leveling challenges: The terrain throughout western New York features subtle grades that may require additional leveling equipment. RVers recommend carrying extra leveling blocks as soil conditions can vary with seasonal moisture levels.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Youngstown, NY?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Youngstown, NY is KOA Campground Medina Wildwood Lake with a 0-star rating from 0 reviews.

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