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Camping

Established Camping

North-South Lake Campground

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North-South Lake Campground, near Haines Falls, New York, is a fantastic destination for those looking to immerse themselves in nature. With spacious sites that offer a mix of privacy and accessibility, it's a great place to set up camp whether you're in a tent or an RV.

The campground boasts clean facilities, including well-maintained bathrooms and showers, which visitors appreciate after a day of hiking or exploring. Many campers have enjoyed the scenic views, especially during the fall when the leaves change colors, making walks around the lakes a breathtaking experience. One visitor noted, “Walking around the lakes provided incredibly scenic views during the fall.”

For outdoor enthusiasts, the area is rich with hiking opportunities, including trails that lead to stunning waterfalls and vistas. Campers have spotted wildlife, including bears, adding to the thrill of the experience. The campground is also pet-friendly, so you can bring your furry friends along for the adventure.

While some campers mentioned that the atmosphere can get lively with parties, many others enjoyed the vibrant community feel. With fire pits available for cooking and gathering, it’s easy to unwind after a day of activities. Whether you're looking for a quiet retreat or a lively camping experience, North-South Lake Campground has something to offer everyone.

Description

New York Department of Environmental Conservation

North South Lake Campground is the biggest and most popular state campground in the Catskill Forest Preserve, offering extraordinary scenic beauty, and historical sites, such as: Alligator Rock, Kaaterskill Falls, and the former site of the Catskill Mountain House. An abrupt change in elevation occurs from about 540 feet above sea level at the base of the escarpment to approximately 2,250 feet at the site of the former Catskill Mountain House. The provinces around the lakes have long provided visitors with exceptional views of the surrounding countryside. It is said that on a clear day, five states can be viewed from the escarpment. 7 camping loops; 219 tent and trailer sites; 2 lakes; 2 beaches; Two picnic areas: one on North Lake with two picnic pavilion rentals a 20' X 32' and a 44' X 24' (the larger of the two with electricity) and one on South Lake with a 40' X 60' picnic pavilion rental (with electricity).; 2 picnic areas with tables and fireplaces or charcoal grills; playground; flush toilets; hot showers; boat launch (no motorized vessels); rowboat, canoe, kayak and paddle boat rentals; firewood sales; volleyball; horseshoes; fishing; playing field; trailer dump station; recycling center; solar cell phone charging station; ADA fishing platform.

Fee Info

$22 per night (out-of-state residents surcharge an additional $5 per night)

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Location

North-South Lake Campground is located in New York

Detail location of campground

Directions

From the South: Take the NYS Thruway (I-87) to Exit 20, at Saugerties. Follow Rte 32 north for approximately 6 miles to Rte 32A and Rte 23A West. Stay on Rte. 23A to the village of Haines Falls. Make the first right turn in Haines Falls, onto County Rte 18, and follow it to the campground entrance. From the North: Take the NYS Thruway (I-87) to Exit 21, at Catskill. Turn left onto Rte 23 East, to Rte 9W South. Follow Rte 9W through Catskill to Rte 23A. Follow 23A West to Haines Falls. Make the first right turn in Haines Falls, onto County Rte 18, and follow it to the campground entrance.

Coordinates

42.20406009 N
74.03775555 W

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Access

  • Drive-In
    Park next to your site
  • Walk-In
    Park in a lot, walk to your site.

Stay Connected

  • WiFi
    Unknown
  • Verizon
    Unknown
  • AT&T
    Unknown
  • T-Mobile
    Unknown

Site Types

  • Tent Sites
  • RV Sites
  • Standard (Tent/RV)
  • Group
  • Equestrian

Features

For Campers

  • ADA Access
  • Trash
  • Picnic Table
  • Firewood Available
  • Reservable
  • Showers
  • Drinking Water
  • Electric Hookups
  • Toilets
  • Alcohol
  • Pets
  • Fires

For Vehicles

  • Sanitary Dump
  • Sewer Hookups
  • Water Hookups
  • Big Rig Friendly

Reviews

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4.5

out of 5

43 Reviews

Reviewed Aug. 29, 2024

New York

We were on a 5 state East Coast camping trip. Our first campground was in New York Aug 8th. Unfortunately, Debbie was socking New York hard. North South Lake Campground in the Catskills was our camping home. Thursday & Friday it was Neverending rain & wind. Saturday was the nice day.

North South Lake has no electricity. The sites are almost all beautiful, tucked in under shady trees. Not a good way to try out our solar panel! Some are by a stream. A few are by the lake. This is a tent campers paradise. New York tent campers are hard core camping during Tropical Storm Debbie!

 There are 7 loops. We were in loop 2. Site 85. There are some sites with an incline down to the site. That might give some rvs trouble. It did for us & I had to be driven out of the campground to call 911. Thank you Mary!! It all ended well & we got a different site.

 There are bears that visit the campground & one came one of the nights & visited our camping neighbor's site. They showed us a picture- it was a large black bear. 

Generators are allowed for 5 hours & they tell you when you can use them. 

The bathrooms/showers are state park clean- which means not very.

 There is NO cell service & just forget about WiFi. You are unplugged.

This is a hiking park & for this middle aged overweight flatlander they are pretty strenuous. Kaaterskill Falls is an exception - short, easy trail, but the parking fills up quickly. Then they close it! You'll have to take a shuttle to get in.

The trail to the Mountain House Site is also pretty easy, with more of an incline.

There's 2 nice lakes with beaches. 

The Catskills are very scenic& we enjoyed our time there!

SiteLoop 2, site 85
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Cynthia K., August 29, 2024
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Cynthia K., August 29, 2024
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Cynthia K., August 29, 2024
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Aug. 26, 2024

Gorgeous

Gorgeous. There was a brook not far from our campsite, and it was only a short stroll to the lake. It was really peaceful when we visited in the middle of the week. Most websites are secretive and dark can play penalty shooters 2.

Reviewed Aug. 16, 2024

Nice sites

I really love this campground each of the campsites in our loop which was in the lower 100s, has a lot of foliage around it, creating privacy between you and the site next to you. There is a lake with swimming, clean bathrooms, clean, clean showers. Picnic table and fire pit with grill top. There’s a lot of bear activity here, so constantly cleaning up your food is very important. Definitely love it here for woodsy feel.

Site120
Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Emily F., August 16, 2024
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Emily F., August 16, 2024
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Jun. 23, 2024

Fun place, good camp

Been there couple of times. Love it. Two lakes. Highly recommended.

Month of VisitSeptember
Reviewed Jul. 30, 2022

Great place for certain campers

This place is all in all a fantastic place for camping. The sites are nice, the facilities are ok, the staff FANTASTIC, and most people camping want to be out in nature. Saw some bears up close. Great hiking. Especially for someone with limited mobility at the time. Also some challenging hikes. What I also experienced was a LOT of people having loud parties, playing all kinds of music very loudly and leaving trash everywhere. Not my style of camping. I have to add no one was breaking any rules and maybe I am the old codger my wife says I’m turning into but that’s mt 2 cents.

Site84
Month of VisitJuly
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Roy H., July 30, 2022
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Roy H., July 30, 2022
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Roy H., July 30, 2022
  • (4) View All
Reviewed Jun. 24, 2022

Lake, creek and waterfalls!

Beautiful. Our site had a creek close behind it and only a short walk to the lake. We were there in middle of the week and it was very quiet. Most sites a shady and private. Loved it, hope to visit again sometime.

Site7
Month of VisitJune
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Linda O., June 24, 2022
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Linda O., June 24, 2022
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Linda O., June 24, 2022
  • (5) View All
Reviewed Oct. 28, 2021

Camping with a view

It’s incredibly difficult to bag a site here and now I understand why. Walking around the lakes provided Incredibly scenic views during the fall when the leaves change colors. The site was spacious and flat although some of the sites closer to the lake are rocky and smaller.

The only complaint is the set up of the fire pits which are enclosed on three sides.

Site134
Month of VisitOctober
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Kyle C., October 28, 2021
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Kyle C., October 28, 2021
Reviewed Oct. 22, 2021

Beautiful grounds but…

Gorgeous campgrounds, friendly staff, and spectacular facilities. Loved that trailheads are walking distance from the sites. But we felt very close to campers next to us, not a lot of shrubbery between sites to feel somewhat private. Fire pits are very nice but more catered to cooking instead of being able to sit around in a circle. Also, we picked a site hoping we’d have a nice view of the lake but it’s hard to see from the site and a good walk away. Overall, beautiful grounds but I’d take less facilities to have a more “woodsy” vibe but that’s just my preference!

Site64
Month of VisitOctober
Reviewed Oct. 19, 2021

Beautiful well spaced drive-in sites

Very well run, well spaced, drive-in sites suitable for tent camping as well as rvs. Spotless clean showers, wash areas, toilets. Excellent hiking of all classifications.

Month of VisitOctober
Reviewed Sep. 26, 2021

Quiet, wooded campground with clean bathrooms and showers

Staff was professional, bathrooms and showers were clean, reasonable stay prices, beautiful tree canopy. Beach areas look family friendly. We had our 26ft travel trailer boondocked at 049. Tight squeeze, but we made it. Close hiking to Kaaterskills Falls. Can't wait to visit next year!

Site049
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Play button icon
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Karena G., September 26, 2021
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Karena G., September 26, 2021
  • (7) View All
Reviewed Sep. 13, 2021

A perfect visit

The campground was active but not crowded. There is a variety of water sources with multiple camp sites abutting them. Each site is spacious and is tucked nicely into the woods giving optimal privacy. The sites do not have water or electricity but there’s a water tap nearby the sites. The sky is open and brilliant at night.

Siteloop 2 site 36
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Reneé Rose B., September 13, 2021
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Reneé Rose B., September 13, 2021
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Reneé Rose B., September 13, 2021
  • (9) View All
Reviewed Mar. 14, 2021

Great Location to Fall Foliage and Hiking

Have wanted to come here for years and finally decided to snag the last weekend that they're open for the season. End of October the leaves are still incredible and there are great hikes in the area, including right from the site! (You aren't going to want to drive out of the campground because parking at all of those trailheads are insane). We did the Newman's Ledge hike and it was crowded at the ledge, but otherwise amazing. The campground is really nice, sites were relatively private, bathrooms clean. Will be back this season! When you're hungry head down to get fresh-made donuts in Tannersville.

SiteLoop 3, Site 67
Month of VisitOctober
Reviewed Oct. 31, 2020

Fantastic, spacious campground

This is an amazing campground! We had plenty of space and easy access to the lake. We went on a busy weekend and they are currently only operating at 50% capacity. I would recommend reserving a spot well in advance. This is a very large campground with multiple different areas. It has a good water pump and the bathrooms were well maintained and had a nice sink washing area.

Month of VisitAugust
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Ethan K., October 31, 2020
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Ethan K., October 31, 2020
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Ethan K., October 31, 2020
  • (8) View All
Reviewed Sep. 21, 2020

Better than I expected

I had to make a last-minute reservation for a campsite on my drive back from Maine to DC on a Friday night in September, so was a bit worried about finding anywhere decent at all.  This campground was one of the few with any sites available, and I got the second last spot.  So I had pretty low expectations.

Actually this campground is pretty nice--the campsites are of a normal size, with enough rocks and trees between sites to provide a decent amount of privacy.  Again, my campsite was one of the worst, right on the road, but still not too bad.  It would have been pretty decent if every campsite around me hadn't been full, generally with families with a bunch of shrieking kids.  But that's a weekend in September...

There are also a limited number of campsites right on the water.  The lake is nice enough, although much of it is covered in lily pads.

Bathrooms are fine.

No wood for sale on-site, but there are several places nearby to get wood, and any other supplies you need.  The campsite is not exactly remote, I think it was about a 5 minute drive to a gas station with firewood and all manner of supplies.

I would definitely stay here during the week when it might be a bit quieter.

Site86-not recommended
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Thomas R., September 21, 2020
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Thomas R., September 21, 2020
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Thomas R., September 21, 2020
Reviewed Sep. 2, 2020

Nice grounds

Great grounds. Pet friendly. Boat launch. Check out the easy Catskill Mountain house hike (super easy). Only drag is the sites are a bit close together. Bathrooms are super clean. Recycling center super clean

  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Kat , September 2, 2020
Reviewed Sep. 1, 2020

Great for kids wish we stayed longer

There weren’t any boat rentals due to COVID, which was a big disappointment. The staff is super friendly, bathrooms clean. Awesome dishwashing stations. Hot high pressure showers. No WiFi or any cell service, but that made for a better trip with the kids. They gave us junior naturalist workbooks for the kids, and they turned them into the ranger station for review and got super cool patches. They cannot wait to return!

  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Courtney D., September 1, 2020
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Courtney D., September 1, 2020
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Courtney D., September 1, 2020
  • (6) View All
Reviewed Jul. 3, 2019

Our FAVORITE!

Truly one of the best spots for Westchester/ Putnam campers! Clean, private, and tons of things to do! Hiking and fishing are great, and campers are incredibly friendly! We’ve been there 4 out of our last 6 trips.... never disappointed!

Reviewed Jul. 3, 2019

Great family campground

This place is enormous. This is a NYS park run by DEC. They are very strict with quite hours which are from 10pm to 7am. The had a truck come around many times after 10pm to make sure everyone was quite. This is a great spot for young kids. I was warned about high black bear activity in the region and even had to sign a waiver acknowledging their presence and all the rules associated.

Each site had a fire pit with a grill on top of it and a picnic table. Sites are very close together but that didn’t bother me. There are bathrooms and showers, both very clean in every loop. Attached to the bathroom area is a large sink to wash dishes.

The north lake is under construction so there is not beach front there. Beware of staying in Loop 6 as you will probably hear the construction noises.

The north lake does however have a nice path alongside it and a spot to deploy a non motorized boat.

No cell service anywhere in the park or close by.

I highly recommend staying here.

  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Michael  E., July 3, 2019
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Michael  E., July 3, 2019
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Michael  E., July 3, 2019
  • (5) View All
Reviewed May. 31, 2019

My favorite place in NY

Campground is big and staff are very friendly and helpful, I have stayed a various sites and they where all spacious slate floor so having something soft if sleep in a tent is recommended. The park offers plenty of hiking trails with great views, Overlook mountain hotel site, you can also hike to katterskills falls it’s a long hike but worth it when you get to the falls if not you can drive down and park at the trail head parking mid way down the road to get to the katterskill falls trail. Make sure to stop at the general store on the corner they have everything you need and souvenirs to bring home..

  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Pedro R., May 31, 2019
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Pedro R., May 31, 2019
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Pedro R., May 31, 2019
  • (27) View All
Reviewed Nov. 2, 2018

Excellent location.

Located just about a mile from Kaaterskill Falls this campground couldn’t be in a better spot. We had a wonderful weekend there. The restrooms were clean and had showers, which we did not expect.

  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Brittany W., November 2, 2018
Reviewed Oct. 27, 2018

Standard campground no frills

This was a nice campground, no frills, but it’s proximity to kaaterskill falls is the selling point

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Aug. 26, 2018

Love this place

The sites are spacious and private and there are lake side sites available too. Perfect for groups!! We were able to maximize our lake experience by bringing an inflatable kayak. I was able to explore many different parts of the lake and do a decent amount of fishing. There were a few hiking trails walking distance of the campground that were fun to explore. We will def come back!!

  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Rosie R., August 26, 2018
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Rosie R., August 26, 2018
  • Review photo of North-South Lake Campground by Rosie R., August 26, 2018
  • (11) View All
Reviewed Jul. 29, 2018

Very nice

the campground is very nice I love going there. But we warned if you have a site on the water the sound carries and you will get told to keep it down.

Month of VisitJuly
Reviewed Jul. 23, 2018

Clean, Tidy, Beautiful

What a great first camping experience for my toddler. He had a blast running around and hiking around the lake with his mom and dad. The beach was closed for swimming when we went (no lifeguards) but we rented kayaks and paddled around the whole day. Kaaterskill Falls are nearby - it hadn't rained much when we went, but it was still cool to see. Only complaint was lack of diaper changing table in bathroom - we had to change my son outside on the benches and it got a bit chilly!

SiteLoop 4
Month of VisitAugust
Reviewed Jul. 21, 2018

Gorgeous

Clean and well run campground with beautiful lakes and surrounded by trails. perfect Hudson getaway. Reserve very early for waterfront.

Reviewed Jul. 20, 2018

Big sites wit trees separating them

nice bathrooms. Great hiking right from park. 2 beaches, kayaking. pretty strict on the rules and quiet times so you won’t have to worry about a loud part site.

Month of VisitJuly

Frequently Asked Questions

  • How much does it cost to camp at North-South Lake Campground?

    Camping at North-South Lake Campground can cost between $22.00 and $27.00 depending on the site.

  • Does North-South Lake Campground have RV hookups?

    According to TheDyrt.com, North-South Lake Campground has water hookups and sewer hookups.

  • What is the max vehicle length at North-South Lake Campground?

    North-South Lake Campground allows vehicles up to 60 feet.

  • Are fires allowed at North-South Lake Campground?

    Yes, according to campers on TheDyrt.com, fires are allowed at North-South Lake Campground, although make sure to check current fire restrictions in the area.