Just camped here again and was extremely impressed with the cleanliness of this campground. The…read morebathrooms and showers were meticulous, and every campsite in loop 4 was flat and well-maintained, perfect for any tent. While we were here, we saw staff removing tree roots that were impeding the campsite next to ours. I also appreciate that the DEC drives around and ensures that campers are abiding by the fire and bear safety rules and wish that other NYS parks did the same. There was SO much wildlife we saw just on the grounds - friendly deer, baby turkeys, and baby ducks. We were fortunate to have a few nights here without any neighbors and it was so serene and beautiful even in intense rain and fog. There are boat and canoe rentals on South Beach, and so many hiking trails that lead to breaktaking views. I really can't say enough good things about this campground and am already looking forward to our next trip here!

My friend loved camping here and invited me for a day trip which was nice. It was $10 a car. If you…read morewant to have a gathering, you have to get in super early to get picnic tables because they are first come first serve. We went to the north lake, and there are bathrooms and changing rooms near the lake for convenience. There are grills for your cooking needs. If it's a hot day where the lake is a nice temperature, that is a great way for the family to spend their day. There is also kayak rentals and hiking trails if you want to capitalize on the outdoors activities. It's a nice way to spend a day if you plan ahead with snacks, water, and sunscreen.

Margaret and Bernie are really really nice. They even deliver firewood. Prices are very affordable…read moreand the location is very close to Windham Mountain

Stayed there for 20 years , laid back place love Bernie and Margaret , been thinking of going back…read moresoon

Be prepared, the trail down to the falls is very long and while its quite easy going down ,getting…read moreback up is a definitely a treck. It's so worth it though. If however you decide not to go down to the bottom, there is a viewing platform . The waterfall pressure/flow can vary depending on when you visit. Heavy after rain or less during the summer months. Swimming is allowed in the basin , the water is cold . The fall and parking are free in designated parking lots. There was a porta potty in tje lot we parked in. Not sure if there's one in each parking lot though. Don't park anywhere along the roads as you will get ticketed and/or towed. Arrive early aa the parking lots fill up quickly, especially on weekends. Personally I wouldn't do this trail on a rainy day especially if you're a beginner. Lots of stepping stones that can be slippery when wet. Other than that it's one of the most beautiful trails I've been on.

One of the best water falls in NE! Mid-week late summer…read moreafternoon visit. There was a park(?) officer at the entrance sitting in the car waving as people left. There was also a table at the entrance to the trails with a person who didn't have much knowledge of the trails nor falls?? Spent 75 minutes and was able to hike upper, mid, lower falls and plenty of time to explorer. The trail to the viewpoint is very short and easy to find. The location provides an excellent long range mountain views, however, a mediocre view to the entire falls IMO. There was little water when I visited in mid- September and leaves hadn't changed colors yet. The trail to the falls is NOT marked very well after the initial 2 signs. I met a man with a cute dog who mountain biked but never found the falls! Many on the trail said they continued on stairs (straight) that didn't go to the falls! If you want to just hike without the Falls as the end goal, then this park works for you. Otherwise, download the trail map or access Alltrails prior to arriving. Lucky for me I received an advice from returning hikers who knew the park and advised me well :). The KF hikes are not long but are pretty steep... scrambling maybe required especially to get to the cove behind the upper falls. The KF trail split, to the bottom of the falls and to the mid- falls, is pretty close. So, the view to the entire falls was worth hiking down to. The trail near the bottom of the falls is red rock stairs and well maintained. Recommend water, sun protection and decent treaded shoes for gravel and roots. Bugs were minimal during my visit. There is no running water but a port-a-potty at Laurel House parking lot. Parking was a gravel lot and was about 2/3 full. Enjoy!

I really love this campground. Its very clean and my site at B-3 was very clean with a newer picnic…read moretable and garbage cans and a fire ring. I would definatly come stay here again in the future.

Happy Days Campground is a great Rustic Campground with tenting campsites as well as full hookups…read morefor RVs and campers at very reasonable rates ... The best thing, Happy Days is only 4 miles from one of the greatest attractions in New York ....Bethel Woods, the 69' Woodstock Concert Field and the historic Woodstock Museum (which is a must see... you'll thank me later). The campgrounds are covered in pine trees, so you awake to great, fresh smelling air. It's very clean. The showers, bathrooms and rec room were immaculate. I drove my RV here, but on the premises, you can rent well restored, classical 3-wheel campers for a minimal fee and spend the night in camping luxury (and instead of my gas guzzling RV, I'll bring my car next time, instead and still save).... Tim, one of the owners, is great. From his story, he had no intention of running a campsite. He was in corporate management. He came to Happy Days as a kid. When the woman who owned the site told him, he'd have to find another place to camp next year ... the wheels went into motion. This campsite is Tim and his brother's baby and the care and the high standards they have also shows in their appreciation of their customers ... and I'm sure that comes from having originally been a customer of the campsite. Make sure you make reservations in advance, especially when Bethel Woods has a concert planned for the weekend. I was going to stay an extra day but I waited too long. Booked for the Bethel Woods concert goers.

Rip Van Winkle Campground Catskills NY…read more The Good: 1. The location 2. The actual campground itself. There are roomy sites with trees. The Bad: 1. If you are lucky enough to get an assigned campsite away from the busy road, it is a HALF MILE walk to the only showers in the ENTIRE campground. They have nearly 200 campsites and ONE set of showers. 2. The speed bumps are beyond ridiculous. Two humpers and high as Bob Marley. 3. If you call the office for help (our electrical post was out) they record you without your knowledge. The Ugly: 1. The campground lost power on my electrical post and tried to blame ME for it. I own a Bulldog surge protector, yeah, so it wasn't me. How it was handled was unbelievable. I have never been treated so rudely. A simple apology would have gone a long way.

We love camping here! The staff is always helpful and friendly. The full hook up sites are wooded…read moreand spacious. Family friendly atmosphere. Also great for older folk!

I had such a great time staying at Black bear. Before this, I only ever camped primitive. Out along…read morethe trails. This is a different experience entirely. You can eat at a restaurant a stone's throw away. Mountain air is so therapeutic .i got along quite well with George and Linda. Entirely professional. I read some of the bad reviews and I'm shaking my head.I personally witnessed George being very attentive to maintaining the amenities-and that's no small task. I'm grateful to have somewhere I can jump on a bus from N.Y.C. And in a coupla hours pitch a tent next to a blue-ribbon trout stream. I hope to go back for many years to come.Phoenicia is such a lovely town. Population 389-someday I may make it 390.

Always amazing times there!! Lots of scenic views right from camp and friendly folks abound.read more

This wasn't my first stay in a tipi, teepee, tepee, however you want to spell it, all are correct…read more It wasn't even my second time. It was my third magical stay in one of these cone shaped wonders which bring me so, so much peace. So, I guess you can say I'm a "tipi expert", comparatively speaking. A night's sleep in a tipi is certainly a very spiritual experience, one I believe everyone who is even the slightest bit a nature lover or even just a tad boho should definitely try! I completely understand they aren't for everyone, but if you're somewhat adventurous, I say it's an absolute must!! This tipi was made very well. The flooring was made of stone and pieced together perfectly as if it were grouted which was new to me. There were scattered pallets around the fire for relaxing, covered in faux fur throws as well as tree stump end tables, some with candles and naturally shed antlers. It was like my own home right here in the middle of NY state. Fresh towels were waiting, neatly folded on our cozy, comfy bed. The fire pit which is traditionally placed inside the tipi, in the middle, was very well constructed and safe. It was deeper than most I've seen, surrounded by larger stones around the perimeter. Small kindling wood peices were ready and waiting for us as were candles, matches and directions on how to care for the structure. The top of the tipi remained opened all night which I personally prefer for star-gazing and waking up naturally by the daylight. The flaps can normally be closed during rain or colder weather. There was a hammock located just feet away from the tipi. We spent the morning rocking along in nature, listening to the birds fly above and just staring at the tipi which has just given us an amazing nights sleep. The outhouse was a little ways down the trail and was the cleanest I've ever seen! Even the tp was folded into a tip! There's pump water for washing, even a mirror. No shower. Please consider that when booking. And if you're too chic for a little saw dust sprinkle after you do your business, stay elsewhere. On the way out we fed two beautiful horses and a couple chickens which for me just added to the experience. Have no fear, they're far enough away from camp base you won't smell them. They were extremely friendly and hay bails were there waiting. Please no people food! We took a drive around the massive property, 225 acres to be exact!! There were many secluded sites besides the tipi! I definitely see us coming back here, with the kiddos too! It was about 3 hours or so from Philly and was literally on our way to Canada. It's about 20 minutes from my favorite grocery store in Albany, Honest Weight which will have anything you may need. Note, there's not much directly around so come prepared. The closest coffee shop was about 15 minutes away. The land was very rural, but it's about 10 minutes down the hill to the highway, which you could not hear from the site. We had no interaction with anyone here as we arrived after dark, so if you're used to concierge and camp hosts, this isn't the place for you. You can leave your car lights on to set up or if you're like me and have lanterns in your car, one would come in handy at night as it's pitch black. Aka perfect. Jason was readily available for directions and any communication leading up to our stay which we booked through Airbnb. I have a coupon code for $35 off if you're interested, just inbox me. Even in the dark we really didn't have an issue finding our site, but it may be tricky for some. Stay patient and follow the signs. Siri doesn't know her way around the grounds. The Magic Forest also hosts trips and does composting, farming and other environmental projects daily. Check their site for more info! It's a very special space. I highly recommend this experience. Just for a night!

From the owner: Our slice of paradise consists of 225 acres of forested land nestled in the foothills of the…read moreCatskills near Albany. We are a homestead and developing Eco village devoted to the principles of organic farming and self reliance. Modern agriculture and big business are unsustainable, destroying farmland at a accelerating pace. It is important for us to teach the next generation, there is a alternative. We produce much of our own food. It is a great place to forage many types of wild mushrooms, and are willing to teach those interested. We milk our own cow, also making cheese and butter. We own a sawmill, and have many natural building projects started. We have friendly goats, chickens, ducks, white peacocks, donkeys and horses the guests can pet and feed. A beautiful koi pond with a waterfall is available for the guests to feed fish. If you do not like the site you booked, contact the host and other accommodations will be found. Miles of hiking trails are available for your enjoyment. Fres

"If your going to Willowemuc Miss Mac, with me you can ride" - so she stepped up into the rig and…read moresettled down inside - she asked me if I've ever come here and will I stay a while? And I said - "listen darlin' - I'm traveling every road in this here land" And the machine that kills fascism started up in my head and sang songs of early Americana - my love of the land "Green Douglas furs where the water cuts thru - down Her wild mountains and canyons she flew - Canadian northwest and the oceans so blue" sing along now people "Roll On Columbia Roll On" - all as I'm watching little brownish grey fishies in seperate sunny huddled eddys, as if they're watching what's happening on land and perhaps waiting for a tired out mosquito to land. But ee were just looking to spend a night or two in the woods of the southern Catskills, not much more so we couldn't do it all - plus, thirteen hours of darkness now arrive around these parts in this time on the calendar (October 9tg) and just about 40* overnight with Big Phil and the new addition - Shrimp Scampi at the tender age of 15 months - one more makes a Three Dog Night - he's a stallworth young laddy passed his time chasing off all approaching fishermen and outgoing ATV's with ferociously - slightly alarming but new to the game of life, we'll just keep close watch and avoid the natives. The talk of The River permeates the crisp October air "but there's quite a few people over there" So I asked to see The Lake - we took the rig up and over rugged terrain and the lake sat perched up a twenty feet from the base campground Getting there bestowed Falls yearly yet short color splendor and grandur, the explosion of prime time foliage in the mountains. And there's something special about a swirl of fallen leaves - perhaps it's the tailspin behind us, wanting to follow but resetting instead as we rumble on. I quickly got a fire going, Marmot Limelight 2P, Vietnam Army cot, Yeti with all sorts of goodies and firewood both paid for then split with my Kelly Works axe. The ringing in my ear from the damn cellphone continually pounding and let's not leave out the grinding city rumble -- but it lightly lifted from off my soul with a bit of help from Veltins pilsner as the beer buzz began take hold - I only see Veltins upstate and not in all of these Catskill parts, so keep an eye out. Back to my beer and distractions within - I used the instructions frim my new Gillie Kettle to get my fire going as I'm not even slightly concerned about getting all 52 (inflated figure) pieces stacked and the fire going because I was going to cook a meal fit for coal miner's and accountants - a hearty thinking man's stew - but it didn't go according to plan and I got a bit miffed - so I did away with that process and put a steak on my BLACKSTONE 1650 because that's how I roll - always with backups for my backups. The thirty bucks for my campsite was fairly priced and I didn't tell y'all - I arrived on the final weekend before seasonal closing, just because I took a loopy wrong turn and I relooped it - but I'm thinking for a family with kiddos under 15, and during peak summer - this here spot is a real humdinger. For me, for what's it's worth, I'll just drive deeper into the woods - I can't say I'm a campground guy - but I respect it for what it is.

Camped here on July 4th weekend. Had a great time. Nice family campground on the river. Camp…read morepersonal were very accommodating & friendly.

This park is absolutely beautiful. Great views! It is a must see if in the Hudson valley area. New…read moreYork does have some pretty spectacular mountains. It's a nice clean park. Lots of picnic tables. It's nice to go somewhere and people actually adhere to the no smoking/vaping signs.

I made my Gunks debut yesterday and was pretty impressed despite the very meh weather situation…read more This is about 90 minutes from my HQ so probably right at the limit of a convenient day hike, and somehow I've never really been in this area before beyond travelling past it going up and down the NY Thruway. Definitely returning when the sun is actually out. I did the 8.7-mile Castle Point hike (my gut says it wasn't QUITE that long, but I don't want to argue with my book) from the Awosting parking lot down the Mossy Glen Trail (yellow blazes), making a left onto and up Blueberry Run (blue) to Castle Point itself, and then went basically straight down the cliff on the Scenic Trail (lavenderish and formerly light blue), down the Rainbow Falls Trail (orange) and finally making a right on the Lower Awosting Carriageway back to the parking lot. Wasn't crazy about the $10 fee to park - nature shouldn't cost anything - but it is what it is. It's really a shame the weather was crappy because I could tell that viewpoint at Castle Point is legit - it's sprawling and you can see for miles in almost every direction. That's a very cool spot and easily the highlight of the hike. There are some interesting viewpoints throughout the rest of the adventure, but I'd say they're primarily of rock formations and water features, which have their selling points but nothing beats a view at the top. I'm in decent hiking shape right now, and this was just not particularly challenging for me. The only part where I was even a little out of breath (and it was humid, so grain of salt in that regard) was on Blueberry Run, which was a pretty steady incline up, but really not hardcore at all from my perspective. The drop down from Castle Point on the Scenic Trail IS a little tricky and you really want to spend some time there figuring out where your foot is going to go next. Compared to other parks in the tristate area, this one definitely has more hazards, cliffs you could potentially fall down, etc. But same token, it has a ton of these completely flat carriageways as well. It rained while I was on the Rainbow Falls trail and I DID slip/fall on some of the rocks at one point, but that's on me since I willingly came over here knowing what the forecast was. Wasn't impressed by the Rainbow Falls themselves, and neither were the other hikers who were there at the time. Maybe it was just not an ideal situation for them, but it's been rainy the last few days so unclear when you should take advantage of the optics there. The trail blazes were EXCELLENT, easily some of the best I've ever encountered. Each official trail had an accompanying sign that not only gave you the name of the trail, but a map of the nearby area, the grade profile so you can see what types of inclines/declines you'll experience on that trail and tons of basic facts. Really well done stuff. The bathroom situation was pretty good as well, with ample restroom options in the parking lot albeit without plumbing. You get what you get, but I'll take a clean bathroom situation in a heartbeat, regardless. Okay wildlife sightings. The rain I'm sure kept some of the good quality shizzle away, but I got a cool shot of a black vulture and saw an edgy newt. Worth the trek and will return for further investigation shortly.

Very disappointed. Photos and descriptions on website are innacurate. No pool. Miniature golf…read morecourse unusable. Activity room locked. Only place to get rid of garbage is 1 u-haul truck by playground. No one in front office. Had to call a number to ask for assistance or questions. Picnic tables disgusting. Seasonal campsites need to be cleaned up and made presentable. Could be a very nice place if someone actually took the time and cared enough to do the upgrades needed.

If you are looking for a RUSTIC quiet friendly wooded campground look no further…read more This campground is great for those that just enjoy the outdoors and want to entertain themselves and friends/company. They have many options all for Tent Campers (that includes this wonderful little wash/dish/ bathroom/ shower hut) include a charcoal grill The main building has a HUGE CLEAN bathroom, several stall toilets and several open/separate roomed showers Pop ups fit wonderfully where ever you are comfortable, some of the tent sites even include an electric outlet, if you want to rough it with an outlet. Great easy pull in, or back in sites for bigger RVs with water/ electric/ and sewer hook ups This campground is new to this owner for a few years now, and 2020 has not been nice with a couple fires. But they are working hard, and really go out of their way to make your stay wonderful. They had to make some 2020 adjustments and move the store to the front in an older camper and it is ADORABLE! I love the idea of a little mini check in office ( I think you should keep it) Wood available on site for 5$ a bundle Bags of ice for 3$ And ice creams for the kids Thank you for a wonderful stay