Taconic State Park – Copake Falls Campground Overview

 

🏕️ Taconic State Park – Copake Falls Campground Overview

📍 Location & Access

• Address: 253 Route 344, Copake Falls, NY 12517

• Distance from Queens: ~110 miles / ~2 hr 15 min drive (traffic-dependent)

🌲 Setting & Scenery

• Privacy: Mixed — some sites are close together, others more secluded

• Parking: Available at most sites

• Noise Level: Generally quiet, but weekends can be busier

⛺ Campsites

• Total Sites: 106 campsites + 18 cabins

  • 45 tent sites

  • 25 tent platforms

  • 36 trailer sites (no hookups)

• Features: Picnic table + fire ring with cooking grate at each site

• Cabins: Vary in size (4–6 people); some have private bathrooms, kitchens, and accessibility features

🚿 Amenities

• Bathrooms: Centrally located bathhouses with flush toilets and hot showers

• Water: Hot and cold running water in cabins; spigots near campsites

• Cell Service: Generally available but can be spotty in wooded areas

🎯 Activities

• Hiking: Access to Bash Bish Falls, Brace Mountain, and Harlem Valley Rail Trail

• Swimming: Ore Pit Pond (lifeguards required for swimming); kiddie pool also available

• Fishing: Freshwater fishing permitted with NYS license

• Other: Bike trails, Copake Iron Works Museum, Pomeroy Railroad interpretive ride

💰 Cost & Booking

• Rates: Campsites ~$15 base fee + $5 out-of-state surcharge; cabins vary by size and season

• Reservations: Online via ReserveAmerica; book early for summer weekends

• Minimum Stay: 2 nights on weekends; cabins require 7–14 night stays during peak season

Little Pond Campground (Andes, NY)

https://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/little-pond-campground/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NY&parkId=495

Little Pond is a beautifully maintained and well-equipped state campground in the Catskills. I strongly recommend it for families. We stayed at one of the "remote" sites. It was only remote since you could not park your car near the site. The car was in a parking lot a short walk away. I really like that as not having cars at peoples sites makes everything quieter. The site was on the water and beautiful. We rented boats and could “dock” them at our site. The kids also did a lot of fishing at Little Pond.  There is a debate over who caught the monster in the picture of this post but it was one of my two kids!

This is definitely my favorite campground except it breaks the 90 minutes from Queens rule.

Location: Andes, Delaware County, New York — 130 miles from NYC (about 2 hrs 30 minutes depending on traffic)

Number of Sites: 67 standard sites plus 8 remote back-country tent sites

Types of Sites Available: Walk-in sites, remote primitive sites

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🗺️ Layout & Setting

• Overall Size & Layout: Quiet and picturesque, set amid the Catskills with a leisurely hiking trail around a 13-acre pond and access to back-country trails.

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⛺ Campsites

• Site Quality: Each site includes a picnic table, fire ring, and grill.
• Size/Spacing: Heavily wooded and well-spaced, offering a good mix of privacy and shade.

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🚻 Facilities

• Restrooms: Flush toilets in comfort stations throughout the campground.
• Showers: Hot showers are available.
• Potable Water: Drinking water accessible from central spigots and comfort stations.

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🎣 Recreation & Features

• On-Site Recreation: Sand beach, 0.75-mile pond loop trail (gentle grade), playgrounds, athletic courts (volleyball, basketball, soccer, horseshoes), boat rentals (canoes, kayaks, rowboats), and access to nearby hiking trails.

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🛒 Services

• Camp Store: Yes — offers firewood, ice, and camping essentials.
• Cell Service: Spotty to non-existent; a payphone is available near the entrance.

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💲 Costs & Reservations

• Nightly Rate: $22 per night ($5 additional per night for out-of-state residents).
• Reservation System: Reservations available through ReserveAmerica.

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✅ Strengths

• Scenic, peaceful, and remote — ideal for nature lovers and families.
• Wide array of recreational activities: pond, trails, sports, and rentals.
• Affordable pricing.

 

Mongaup Pond Campground (Livingston Manor, NY)

 

https://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com/camping/mongaup-pond/r/campgroundDetails.do?contractCode=NY&parkId=100

We had a large waterside site at Mongaup and loved it. The kids got to swim right from the site. It was too cold for me! Mongaup is definitely louder than Little Pond since you could park your car next to your site.

There is a fish hatchery right by Mongaup. They farm the fish New York State uses to stock ponds and lakes. It was cool to see all the fish in their pools and you can buy food to feed them. It's not worth a drive from Queens by itself but definitely worth the trip (5 minutes) from Mongaup.

There was a family of ducks and ducklings that wandered up to our site. It was fun to share the camping experience with the duck family. After dinner we took a family hike to throw out the trash. It got dark quickly and the recycling center was far from our site. When we went there I scared a deer who was apparently doing his family's recycling.

They also had a fishing pier that the kids had fun fishing from.

This is our second favorite Catskills campground! The fact that you can get such a large site on a beautiful pond, that you can swim in from your site for $22 a night is amazing!

📍 General Information

• Location: Livingston Manor, Sullivan County, New York
• ~120 miles from NYC; ~2.5 hours by car
• Number of Sites: Approximately 163 campsites
• Notes: Lakeside sites are awesome!

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🗺️ Layout & Setting

• Overall Size & Layout: Nestled around a 120-acre lake—Catskills Park’s largest outside NYC reservoirs—featuring wooded, spacious loops and forest preserve surroundings.
• Privacy Between Sites: Generally well-screened and private, though some sites near access roads have less separation.

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⛺ Campsites

• Site Features: Each includes a picnic table, fire ring, and grill.
• Highlights: Many lakeside options with direct water access and views.

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🚻 Facilities

• Restrooms: Multiple small restroom loops with flush toilets.
• Showers: Hot showers available seasonally.
• Potable Water: Accessible from centralized spigots at comfort stations.

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🎣 Recreation & Features

• On-Site Recreation: Swimming, paddling (non-motorized boats only), fishing, sand beach, picnic areas
• Scenic Value: Stunning lake surrounded by unspoiled forest—peaceful and picturesque.
• Wildlife/Fishing: Excellent fishing with brook trout, pickerel, bass, and more; regular wildlife sightings around the lake.

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🛒 Services

• Camp Store / Rentals: On-site boat rentals available.
• Cell Service: Spotty—expect limited or no signal depending on provider.

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💲 Costs & Reservations

• Nightly Rate: $22 per night ($5 surcharge for out-of-state residents).
• Reservation System: ReserveAmerica online or by phone.
• Value for Money: Excellent—plenty of amenities and natural beauty at a modest price.

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👍 Strengths

• Exceptional lakeside scenery with lots of recreational options.
• Spacious, wooded campsites offering peaceful privacy.
• DEC-managed amenities (showers, restrooms, boat rentals).

Fahnestock State Park Campground Overview

Fahnestock is our favorite campground to tent camp in. You get a large site and it is inexpensive. You can park your car next to most sites. We have done several one-night trips there since it is so easy to get to. Even one night in the woods is great!

They have a nice swimmable lake with a beach across the street from the campground.  The beach has a separate bath house as well as a snack stand. They also have cross country skiing there in the winter.

They have several trails for hiking. We have gone there for the day to hike only without staying over, especially when it is colder.

Remember they will be closed for the 2026 camping season!

https://parks.ny.gov/parks/133/details.aspx

Location: Route 301, Carmel, NY 10512

Distance from NYC: About 60 miles — 1 hour 21 minutes depending on traffic

🏞 Setting & Scenery

• Type: Forest / Lakefront / Beach (Lake)
• Privacy: Large wooded sites with fire pit and picnic table
• Parking: Available at most sites
• Noise: Can be noisy, especially on weekends

⛺ Campsites

• 80 tent sites only
• Site sizes tend to be large
• Some sites are on the bathhouse lawn, others are semi-remote
• Each site includes a fire pit and picnic table

🚻 Amenities

• Bathrooms: Flush toilets and hot showers (two bathhouses)
• Water spigots near sites
• Cell service: Spotty

🎯 Activities

• Several hiking trails onsite and nearby
• Swimable lake with beach across the street
• Bathhouse and small snack bar/store at the lake
• Boat rentals available

💲 Cost & Reservations

• $17–$21 per night per site
• Reservation system: Online
• Book ahead: Highly recommended, especially for summer weekends

👍 Pros

• Large campsites with fire pit and picnic table
• Inexpensive
• Lake and beach access

👎 Cons

• Bathhouses are clean but older
• Can be loud on weekends

Ward Pound Ridge Campground Overview

 

Ward Pound Ridge is one of our top three campgrounds. We have gone back many times. We’ve stayed in tent sites, lean-tos in the campground, and a dispersed lean-to site. We have also done trips with other families there. 

We’ve done several one-night trips since it’s an easy drive from Queens. The hiking trails are well maintained and include scenic river walks with covered bridges. Firewood is available for purchase at the office.

They have fishing on site but they do not have a swimmable lake.  If they did they would be pretty close to perfect.

We stayed there when it got very cold at night.  The next morning we took a trip into town for an additional blanket and socks for everyone!

https://parks.westchestergov.com/ward-pound-ridge-reservation

📍 Location: Route 35 and 121 South, Cross River, NY 10576

🚗 Distance from NYC: 53 miles — about 1 hour 19 min. depending on traffic

⛺ Campsites

• Tent sites and lean-tos available
• Each site includes a fire pit and picnic table

🚻 Amenities

• Bathrooms: Flush toilets (no showers)
• Cell service: Spotty

🎯 Activities

• Several well-maintained, scenic hiking trails onsite
• Fishing available on site

💲 Cost & Reservations

• $45/night for tent sites
• $55/night for lean-tos 
• Reservation system: Old school—paper reservations and checks only
• Book ahead: Definitely! It’s popular, especially on summer weekends

👍 Pros

• Large campsites with your own fire pit and picnic table
• Inexpensive
• Well-maintained Westchester County Park

👎 Cons

• Bathhouses are clean but older
• No Showers
• Pack-in, pack-out park—bring your trash home!

AMC Harriman Outdoor Center Campground Overview

This is our favorite campground for cabin camping. The campground is well maintained, the bathhouses are newer and clean, and the cabins are in great condition. The staff is enthusiastic and welcoming—their job is to have people love camping, and they are great at their job!

We also tent camped in one of the four sites on the lake. It was about a half-mile hike to the site. The night we stayed, the other three sites were unoccupied, which was nice. These sites share a pit toilet and a fire pit, and we don’t think there was a table at all.

AMC has a restaurant that serves a buffet breakfast and dinner every day.  They also sell sandwiches at lunch. You really could go there and not cook at all.  I would think that would be a shame, but on the other hand it is way easier if someone else is doing the cooking.

The lake is beautiful.  We swim and boat in it and hike around it.  They have a “pool” in the lake which is unique at least to me!

AMC is one of the campgrounds we return to again and again and we really love it.  It is usually more glamping than camping but it works.

Location: 200 Breakneck Road, Haverstraw, NY 10927

Distance from NYC: 50 miles — about 1 hour 12 minutes depending on traffic

The campground will pick you up from the train station and return you. Call them for more information.

🏞 Setting & Scenery

• Type: Forest and Lakefront
• Privacy: Tent sites are on wooden platforms and very close to other sites; cabins offer much more privacy

⛺ Campsites

• Site types: Tents, lean-tos, and cabins
• Site size: Small
• Tent sites are grouped in the main campground and around the lake
• Cabins are located in the main campground; two have private bathrooms, others use shared bathhouses
• Shared fire pits and picnic tables

🚻 Amenities

• Bathrooms: Flush toilets in two bathhouses in the main campground; pit toilets for lake tent sites
• Showers: Yes, with hot water
• Water: Outdoor dish sink at each bathhouse
• Electricity: Available in cabins with dorm-size fridge
• Cell service: Spotty

🎯 Activities

• Hiking trails onsite and nearby
• Swimming in the lake
• Canoes and kayaks included
• Ping pong in rec hall and games in one of the shared cabins

💲 Cost & Reservations

• ~$40 per night for campsites
• Cabins start at $180 per night (without private baths)
• Reservation system: Online
• Book ahead: Highly recommended, especially on weekends

👍 Pros

• Large, beautiful lake great for hiking, swimming, and boating
• Dining hall offers buffet breakfast and dinner, plus sandwiches for lunch
• Small store sells wood, ice, and souvenirs

👎 Cons

• Tent sites are close together
• Not all tent sites have their own table and fire pit
• Gets very busy on weekends
  

NYC Family Camping

We are a NYC family who loves camping. We are married and have two great kids — ages 10 and 13. Like a lot of families, our love of the outdoors really started during the pandemic. At first, we just wanted to get outside without masks, so we began hiking the Pat Dolan Trail in Forest Hills Queens with my sister-in-law. From there we graduated to Forest Park. Forest Park is huge, with miles of trails, and we hiked it in all four seasons. But it’s still smack in the middle of Queens, with the Jackie Robinson Parkway running through it, so eventually we wanted something that felt a little less urban.

We started exploring trails in Westchester — Teatown and Rockefeller were early favorites — and before long, we were ready to go camping.

When we finally went, our first family trip was to a cabin at AMC Harriman — complete with its own bathroom. Definitely more glamping than camping, but it was perfect. We hiked, swam, kayaked, cooked over the Coleman stove and the firepit, and ate every meal outside. We were hooked instantly. We’ve been back to Harriman many times since, in tents and in cabins, and it’s still a magical place.

The truth is, AMC makes people fall in love with camping. The staff and volunteers at Harriman are incredible at what they do. Honestly, I’m glad we started there — because we’ve seen some of the other cabins in the park, and if that had been our first trip, this might’ve been the NYC Familily with no hobby website.

After that, we bought a tent and did our first real tent camping trip. We haven’t looked back since. At this point, we’ve camped at least 50 times across New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, and Maryland — mostly in tents, but also in lean-tos and cabins. The whole family loves it, and we’ve shared trips with friends and extended family, too.

Camping when you live in a NYC apartment and don’t own a car isn’t easy, but we make it work. All our gear has to fit in one armoire, so choosing wisely matters. We’ve also gotten pretty quick at packing — which you learn to do when you’re loading a rental car in the bus lane while angry bus drivers honk at you.

🌲 Why This Site Exists

The point of this site is simple: to share our love of the outdoors — especially camping — and to show where we’ve been, what we pack, and what we eat.

We hope it’s useful for new car campers, especially anyone trying to make it work from the city. If you’re an apartment dweller dreaming of campfires and trails, you’re in the right place.

We have spent at least one night at any campground reviewed. The gear suggestions are either what we use, or the closest we could find to what we use.

You can email us at Queensdadcamping@gmail.com with any questions or suggestions of future posts.