Rip Van Winkle Campground Catskills NY 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. read more

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

Horrible customer experience!! Rude people keeping Saugerties trashy with their trashy business. No wonder they are losing so much money, they are snakes. Don't come and camp here, there are many better campgrounds like Brookside which is worlds better than this dusty dirty campground. Rip Van Winkle campground set up shop in paradise and made the place a dump, keeping the creek dirty, garbage everywhere, and can't take care of their property. Not the beauty you go upstate for. Pathetic owners! read more

We only live 20 minutes away, but wanted to be close to home because we were taking a new-to-us pop up, a 3 year old and a 5 month old puppy camping for the first time - brilliant, I know! This campground came highly recommended because of all the stuff for kids to do - not a lie!! There's at least a half dozen playgrounds of various "skill levels," a movie screen, RC track, bouncy slide, paddleboats, pool, sluice, creek to explore & swim/fish in, a rec room.... I'm sure I'm forgetting! Plus a dog park! The night we set up it was hot, but by the time we were done we couldn't take our little guy swimming - the pool looked nice and always had folks in it. The snack shack was (shockingly) reasonably priced! We got coffee and it was HOT. The campstore was well stocked and also not excessively overpriced! We liked that they texted us reminders - events, check out time. The rest of our stay it rained and was chilly, so we didn't get to play too much on the playgrounds, but my son loved what he did see. Additionally, there are many toilets - they're tiny, but if you want to pee inside with TP and lights and running water, they definitely do the job. There were also several trash areas, and many of the trash had a dog waste area with bags provided. This place was CLEAN. We didn't see any dog poop or trash anywhere. After the very hot day, the bathroom was a little buggy, but that's not the campgrounds fault - the bathrooms were VERY clean. Our ONLY complaints, the wood was a little expensive and you can't bring in outside wood (that said, it is kiln dried so it lights practically instantly and you only need a little bit if you're just cooking a quick meal) and there was no grate/rack on the fire pit! Thankfully, since we're close by, we ran home and grabbed a spare smoker rack. There were a lot of "perma-campers," people that clearly come for every weekend or all summer, and they were SO nice. Everyone was friendly - the campground wasn't loud and I never worried about our safety. I can see why people stay there for extended times, we've already decided we may make it our inaugural trip every year. read more

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We have had so much rain this season thought this weekend would be buggy as our site was in amongst the pines. Initially setting up we had a few bugs then the rest of the long weekend was just great! It is located just outside of the town of Saugerties, yes the boyhood home of Jimmy Fallon, which offered many restaurants if you don't feel like cooking at camp. The well kept campground is centrally located to many scenic areas Woodstock, Poughkeepsie and Rhinebeck NY. This is our third time staying here and truly enjoyed our long weekend. read more

Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds - Campgrounds Near Me - Saugerties, New York

Terribly rude staff!!! Gave them close to 20k for 5 yearly trips for a large group in their Rally site. This year we went and first night we had 8 adults sitting around a fire late at night chatting no music nothing just talk and we were in so many words told we had to go to bed. The next night when our kids went to sleep we were playing a beer drinking game at 11pm and laughing and having a good time so they called the police on us. They then came the following morning and told us we had 2 hours to leave or we were trespassing. We had to pack up 55 people 25 who were kids crying and get RVs picked for people who rented theirs. It was an absolute nightmare! They just wanted our money and cut our trip in half. No one was damaging anything or hurting anyone everyone was safe and the owner even admitted there were zero noise complaints. Even the other rally site neighbors next to us came to us to say they were shocked because they couldn't hear us. They also watched us the entire time on golf carts it was an incredibly bizarre experience. Again we had rented this same site 4 previous times. Always left the place better than we got there and always hung out at night. This time was no different. Staff has always been incredibly rude but we sucked it up for a rally site. If you are looking to have fun don't go there! Kind of wild to have a rally site for large parties but aren't allowed to have fun on it! read more

Such a hidden gem! We stayed on the group site with some friends and we're blown away with how nice everything was! The sites are mostly wooded, and truly feels like camping in the wilderness without having to "rough it". We will defiantly be back! read more

Great campsite! Fantastic location, clean cabins, friendly staff. Have stayed here twice and definitely will again.

Always a great trip. Family friendly with plenty to enjoy! Warm pool, beautiful streams, and fishing. Multiple play areas and ,FUN ZONES!

Just completed our 6th Memorial Day holiday at Rip Van Winkle where we tent camp with a group of friends. It is always an absolute joy to be a guest here. The place is well maintained and has every amenity you would want when camping with a young family. It's clear in every detail that the staff takes enormous pride in what they do. Can't recommend this place enough. read more

This place is beautiful. My husband and I stayed on lovers Lane which is a little cul-de-sac for adults that don't want to be around children lol. they make fresh breakfast and it's pretty darn good. Fried egg sandwich with ham and cheese. Runny yolk I mean no frozen junk. Nice pool area. they are right on the river. We had a blast. read more

Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds - Campgrounds Near Me - Saugerties, New York

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Great large wooded private campsites. Full hookup sites that feel like you are in a secluded wooded state campground. Very quiet, beautiful setting along the Plattekill Creek. Lots for kids to do when fully open (pool, paddle boats, outdoor movie theater, race track for carts of some sort). We loved it for a weekend and reasonably priced. read more

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Our first time camping here. This group of friends has been campaigning together for over 28 years. We are so coming back next year. We had a beautiful group site. The staff keeps everything immaculate. In addition they take all the neccessary precautions to keep people safe during Covid Pandemic. Many of us have had a rough year as the rest of our fellow Americans have. Some of us have lost people we love from Covid. We appreciate the staffs efforts and concern with keeping people safe. The staff is super friendly and accommodatin. They go out of their way to keep our smiles going. Great experience! I highly recommend. Thank you RIP Van Winkle Campground! read more

Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds - Campgrounds Near Me - Saugerties, New York

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This was our first stay at the Rip Van Winkle Campground, but we hope it won't be our last. The sites are clean/well-maintained (we were in a motorhome in site #5) and there are SO many amenities. If you have kids (we don't), there are multiple playgrounds, a swimming/fishing pond, and of course "Pickle" the giant dinosaur. They also have a dog park, and nice-looking cabins. The staff in the office (where they also sell great ice cream) was friendly and helpful. Fantastic! read more

This campground is super beautiful in the wooded outdoors but what made this awesome was the SERVICE!!!!! Eric fixed our step on our motor home (it was stuck down and therefore undriveable!!!) He did it quickly and wouldn't even take any money. THANK YOU ERIC!!!!! You saved our trip read more

This is a delayed review given that we went camping on weekend of July 21st. I would definitely go again and I highly recommend this campsite. We stayed in site #84 (part of the River Edge - lake view), this site was close to water and bathroom, showers are a bit further but a 3 minute drive (20 min walk), no electric outlet for this site. Unfortunately, I could not get cell phone reception (I have T-mobile). Facilities are quite clean, showers are coin operated (25 cents for about 8 minutes). General store has plenty of supplies and wide selection of items (fire bundles special 3 bundles for $20 - pretty good deal compared to some other campgrounds). Staff are friendly and helpful and will recommend some great places to hike. Additional tips: Rather than lugging all of our food supplies from NYC to location, we stopped at Price Chopper to gather our food supplies and ice (Price Chopper, 138 Ulster Avenue, Saugerties, NY 12477). read more

Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds - Lake view from site #84 - Campgrounds Near Me - Saugerties, New York

My husband & I along with our 3 chihuahuas were in search of a dog friendly campground not too far from NYC. We found the perfect spot at Rip Van Winkle Campground. The name evokes a story book feeling and it lives up to the name. We arrived around 6pm without reservations on a Friday in August and were able to book a campsite next to the creek for only $47. This place is huge! They are very welcoming to dogs and gave our chihuahuas dog treats when we arrived :) The drive from NYC was about 2 hours and it mostly highways until you reach Saugerties. My favorite part is the creek where you can relax when it's hot. There's even a swimming hole where you can jump into the water. There are a lot of RVs and it looks like people stay there for the whole season. They are a bunch of cabins which include electricity and running water. We will definitely be back! read more

Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds - The view from our campsite - Campgrounds Near Me - Saugerties, New York

I love coming to this camp ground. Friendly staff, super clean facilities and all around relaxing environment! I look forward to camping here every year. read more

Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds - Lover's Lane camp site. - Campgrounds Near Me - Saugerties, New York

Beautiful campground in the Catskills region! The grounds and facility are well-kept and the staff was very helpful and friendly. I tent camped in a group of 4 in the Riverside section and while our neighbors were quiet, the campsites seemed very close together. The additional fees for extra tents & adults was also a bit high. But I guess that's the price you pay for beautiful scenery. ***Free coffee between 8am-11am! read more

Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds - Follow the riverside trail for a better view of the creek. - Campgrounds Near Me - Saugerties, New York

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Assholes. We are Good Sam members, just passing through the area and needed to dump. We called ahead and they said "Sure! We are closing up today anyway, c'mon and you can dump here!" We drove 20 miles immediately and when we got there, they said "nah, we don't dump here." We explained that we had just called and asked who answered the phone. They said they didn't know and told us again that they don't dump there. Liars. And rude. Cause they DO dump there. We saw it on their website and we spoke to a woman who answered the phone and invited us. J read more

This was the WORST campgrounds we ever been to! Please BEWARE!!!! New owners who don't know how to run a business! Definitely not a place for families. Terrible customer service! Staff was very disrespectful and we had to call the police to make a report against them! We are definitely taking legal actions against them! There are many different campsites around that can't even compare to this one ! read more

Had a great one night stay at Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds. We stayed at site 104. It was mostly great except for people who were having loud conversations at 6 am on their way to the bathrooms. The bathrooms are constantly being serviced, but I would have love it if the water stayed on without having to hold the faucet. If you plan on showering, make sure to bring quarters. I think they said it was 25 cents for an 8-10 minute shower. Since we only camped for one night, we didn't try out the showers. read more

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We did stayed in a tent for a weekend and it was nice. Friendly staff, clean facilities, and the site was spacious. Everyone is very friendly and waves when they pass. We will definitely come back up and spend more time in the actual campground. read more

This place is great!!!! I actually hate camping but this place made the experience a lot more fun for me. We have been coming here for a few years now and it's never a disappointment. There is a lake on site with paddle boats. There is a bounce park and an arcade for kids. There is a movie screen and bingo some nights as well as the fact that the grounds are large and very clean. The ice cream truck comes around as well as the hay ride. It really is fun for everyone. I highly recommend this place. read more

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Felt like real camping! Awesome place! In the mountains and so much to do with the kids.

Still in shock after what my friends and I had to endure this past weekend. Arrived to campground on Friday and after spending one night was asked to leave the following morning due to loudness. We had two group sites and about 20 something people majority of whom were kids. Quite hour at 10 and we were harassed by the owners repeatedly for a period of 2 hrs. Site next to us played music and yelled until 1:30, but it was us only that the owners send packing home. Kids suffered tremendously and was very emotional and cried, but no tears helped against the ruthless owner. Will seek legal action read more

Camp grounds look clean, tables aren't too worn out, and the fire pits are average size. I do however wish the locks on the bathrooms worked and they weren't scarce around the campgrounds, the closest to our current site is a 2 minute walk which isn't that bad in the daylight but after 9pm it feels like you're stumbling around in the dark with a little flashlight and the showers were NOT mid- fat ppl friendly, I kept hitting my elbow on the wall I can only imagine how my 6'1 partner felt about it. I also wish that there were more stuff to do, especially on week days. The snack shack is only open on Saturday and 4 hours on Sunday (closes at 12pm) Feeding the ducks were nice, they come right up to you (about 10 ducks) and the lake they're living in has lots of duck eggs , but it's labeled as a fishing pond ( I wish it had fish in it) if you're looking for a tent site make sure you bring some sort of tarp because half the sites have designated signs where to put the tents qnd theyre mostly on top of rocks. Pool is open all week except for when they take a day and a half to vacuum the bottom of it ( no complaints here though :) ) The store serves soft serve ice cream, slushies, and overpriced forgotten necessities (like plates :( lol ) we rented golf carts for our stay and they were definitely a lifesaver, I LOVED driving though the campgrounds looking for new pathways and the seasonal campers outdoor decorations, if you attend this camp, look for the gnomes :) another downside is that most of the arcade games don't work, and during our stay we had a rainy day and decided to play pool at the recreational area, turns out after we paid another camper who played before us lost the cue ball and the store didn't have a replacement. Not really a kids camp even though there's more than 2 playgrounds here. All of the campsites are wooded and shady, authentic camping :) Overall it was a decent stay, I wouldn't come here again but it's not on the naughty list. read more

If you are a guest good luck getting in without a hassle. Good luck getting in the gate wether you are a guest or you pay for a weekly rental. Half the time your vehicle won't read and your car is stranded at entrance with no one available to help you get in. If you are a guest don't plan on going out of town without a stranded vehicle at entrance and no help after 8pm. They need to get a new entry method. A pin would work but then they would worry about not getting 10$ per guest. My family booked for two in a rush when here is 4 of us. Now the two of us pay 10 $ a day and have an issue getting in the place without going into the office. Office closes at 8. Good luck getting in... read more

This campground was really about as lousy as a campground can get. Not only do we travel extensively, but we go camping a lot, too. I'm certainly NOT one of those primadonnas who cannot survive a night in the outdoors without their hot showers, flush toilets, running water, etc. Quite the contrary. And yet, I found this run-down place to be an absolute mud hole! First off, the staff promised us a "creekside" campsite. They also rattled off an entire laundry-list of included activities that were supposedly scheduled to take place there during the 4-day weekend that we chose to visit there. All this, of course, took place before we plunked down our money (which, at $65/night, was ridiculous to begin with). Ok, but it sounded like a lotta fun included for the price, and since The Hub & I are good sports, we booked. Here's where it all comes undone: The day we got there and pulled in, I honestly thought we made a wrong turn and ended up on some garbage-strewn trailer park. Had it not been for the well-worn, barely legible sign proving otherwise, we'd have pulled out and continued looking for this purported 'Shangri-La' of campsites, but to our dismay, this was it. Checking in, the staff - rather than welcoming us - simply rattled off a long list of strict rules and regulations more appropriate for a pair of inmates arriving at a new jailhouse than a vacationing couple preparing for a fun weekend. And forget about all those included activities. They merely pointed to a shelf with brochures for local attraction$ available nearby. They weren't the slightest bit helpful with anything other than their draconian rules. We spent our entire first day there just wandering about trying to find their semi-functioning facilities and orienting ourselves to this poorly laid out, rocky, muddy mess of a campground. Our site was yet another disappointment: We were promised a creekside spot - and, by golly, we were given one, too! Too bad they forgot to mention that, although our site WAS technically on the 'side' of a creek, the creek was set in a ravine about 20 feet below! So, no fishing, no splashing in it, nothing but just looking down longingly at it, and that was only when we carefully approached the precarious edge of the cliff to peer in at it. Oh, but the staff was so very thoughtful, though - they added a convenient barbed-wire fence all along the length of it to cover their asses and prevent accidents! How lovely that looked smack dab in the middle of all that woodland! And it went so well with that prison ambiance we encountered earlier! After one miserable night, we packed everything up at the crack of dawn and left. Needless to say, no refund was given. With a great sigh of relief, however, we pulled in to one of the many lovely State campgrounds in the area - sans reservation - and had an absolutely lovely time for the remainder of our weekend! Anyone with half a brain will avoid this slop hole like the plague. read more

First of all this is a beautiful campground in the sense that it allows you to share nature with the wildlife that live there. The majority of the people that you meet like other campers are amazing people. All staff MINUS the OWNERS are amazing hard working friendly individuals. In the 2 seasons I spent there with my Best Friend the two brothers that own this place were never very friendly and at times rude. I met many people who felt the same but put up with it because they liked the campground and had made many friends there. Ordered wood and had to wait 9 days. Asked for new stones for the site both seasons did not get them. Problems with elegy, never fixed after promiseimad to do so. The prices are high, playgrounds need updates. Very few programmed activities for kids on weekends. Too many wonderful campgrounds with Happy proprietors too waste anymore $$$ here. read more

The campground is huge but the roads are dirt. The facilities need updating- showers and laundry. I am sure it is fine for many as there seems to be seasonal campers. Too far off the major roads for an overnight. read more

This is so disappointing to see people turning the nature into a place to disrespect people and impose their xenophobic ideas on not only anyone, but on their very own guests. The staff were rude and disrespectful like I have never seen such a behavior before, and I camp a lot. There exist way better places in the area to camp. I do not recommend this place at all, especially for minorities. Also too expensive for nothing that they provide, no place for recycling, and the toilets are clogged. read more

This place was an amazing getaway. We really enjoyed every second being here. The staff are tremendous and very helpful; fellow campers were just as pleasant, offering a helping hand when needed. We were very appreciative. We recommend this site for anyone looking to camp and enjoy the scenery. Definitely plan on making this regular home away from home. read more

Campground itself is quite nice. The staff however leaves a lot to be desired. We needed some assistance with our water hookup. We were blown off completely by one "host" who said he had nothing to do with "that". When we went to the office we were told it could be a long time till anyone would be available. One hour later the camper next door helped us or we could still be waiting! Just very curt and clueless people as the front desk staff which is the first (and most lasting) impression. Just beware if you are at all inexperienced this is probably NOT the place for you. read more

This is our second trip and we had a great time. The family that runs the camp are there to make sure you have a great time. read more

WONDERFUL camp grounds. I'd never actually been camping before so I don't have anything to compare it to, but my friends who have camped many times before really love the place too. We've visited summer 2009 and now summer 2010 for weekend escape-nyc trips. Both times we were given the same two campsites... which is strange because two different people reserved each time. Maybe theyre special sites for larger groups that arent large enough for the group site? Anyway, very secluded spot for us, near the creek (not on the creek though), a bathroom (omg bathrooms with running water and toilet paper and soap!), and we were never bothered by other campers on either trip. The camp owners are very nice. We got firewood and had some awesome fires and grilled hotdogs. The creek was small and kind of low, but we hung out by it one night and it was nice. The showers are awesome as well - 25 cents for 8 minutes. Clean stalls and hot water! Mmmm. And yeah it has all these nice perks, but it's still camping. Still in tents on hard ground, still flicking daddy-long-leg spiders off of everything, battling mosquitos, listening to strange cracklings and hoots in the night, still roughing it. And you're also close to all kinds of awesome hiking and adventures!! Rip Van Winkle Rocks! read more

Friendly staff. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. It was quiet, easy to find and central to great site seeing. The showers and bathrooms were clean and easy to find. We will definitely return! read more

Keep driving. We were going to the KOA but the man answered and was rude. This place for $60.00 was a dump. It looks like it is a trailer park and not an RV park. Lots of trailers that have not been moved in years. Bathrooms were disgusting. read more

After 50-plus years of camping, I can say that this is one of the nicest campgrounds. The sites are spacious and rustic. You never feel as though other campers are too close. There are plenty of things to do for kids: several playgrounds, a large swimming pool, and a nice game room. And added benefit is that the campground is located about 6 mi from the town of Woodstock. read more

The had the most horrible experience at this campground. We rented a group site and had about 20 people, mostly kids. We were supposed to stay here for 5 nights and only stayed one night and were asked to leave the next morning. Quiet hour is 10 pm and after 10 u are supposed to whisper and not laugh and apparently not talk. How do u expect everyone to whisper at a group site when u have 20 people????There were other group sites next to us and they were so loud till 1:30 am. We were asked to leave and all the kids were crying, the owners did not care and called the police. If u want to enjoy yourself DO NOT GO THERE. The site is all gravel, no grass so u can only walk in sneakers. HORRIBLE HORRIBLE CAMPBGROUND. There are much nicer campground near by so don't take chances by going to Rip van wrinkle. read more