Catskills Camping

[Gstvsn]

Hello Everyone!

My first post here at PUT! I have grown up camping with my parents and brothers. We have been camping at the same campground in Bridgton Maine for almost 40 years - Lakeside Pines. We absolutely love it there! We have been camping next to the same families for years. It is like old home day when we go.  I am not quite 40 yet so my parents were going there before I was born.

Earlier this summer my wife and I purchased a new to us 2008 Starcraft 2409 after 15 years of tent camping with my family (DW, DS, and DD). It had been used only 3 times by the previous owner before he wanted a bigger TT.

Anyway, we are going on our maiden voyage with it back to Lakeside Pines campground in Maine in a week and a half and I am completely excited.  

We want to get out somewhere closer to home after that trip and we are thinking of a weekend trip in September. We live in NJ now and wanted to get up to the Catskills.  

I have done a ton of searches for a campground and I am having trouble picking one out b/c I want to make sure it compares to Lakeside Pines.  

Here is what I am looking for....wooded spacious campsites, electric, water, and possibly sewer, but a dumping station is fine too.  I am not looking for an RV type of park and I am not into pools at campgrounds. Somehow to me that doesn't seem like camping. I know some people like it and I don't mean to say campgrounds with pools aren't great, just not right for me. A lake and a beach  is perfect - we have a 10 and a 4 year old that love to play in the water.

Somewhere where the people are friendly and quiet time means quiet time.

Is that asking too much?  

We are hoping to find a CG in the Catskills that we love as much as Lakeside Pines.

Thanks for your recommendations!

[jaytee2274]

Hi there!  We live just east of the Catskills so I thought I would respond!  The only CG's I have ever stayed in were all state campgrounds, therefore - no elecrtic, no water.  If you are still game -  Our two favorites are North/South Lake Campground,  (I can even recommend sites there if you like) and Mongaup Pond State Campground - which we are actually booked for this weekend.   Both have nice beaches, canoe rentals, and have some very nice, wooded sites.  Good Luck!!

[Gstvsn]

JayTee,

Thanks so much for the info. It seems a lot of people here enjoy North/South Lake. We will be looking into that one for sure.  

Do you have any experience with Rip Van Winkle CG?

http://www.ripvanwinklecampgrounds.com/index.htm

[Gabe]

JayTee,

Thanks so much for the info. It seems a lot of people here enjoy North/South Lake. We will be looking into that one for sure.  

Do you have any experience with Rip Van Winkle CG?

http://www.ripvanwinklecampgrounds.com/index.htm

I also have only stayed at state parks and one we liked last year was a small park called little pound there are some nice sites right on the water. The mongaup is a nice park though I never camped in it I have camped on the state land around it, and if you like trout fishing well you'll be right in the middle of the best in the country (my opinon)

[jaytee2274]

HI again

Sorry it took awhile to get back to you.  I had to call my father as the one and only time I was there I was probably 8 years old!!  All he could remember NOT liking about it was the sites were closer together than we like.  Please also consider this was about 17 years ago, and my family was never big on private campgrounds because we prefer the more private sites that state cgs offer.  ALso - hook-ups were never that important unless we were away for a long time.  Sorry that's not much help.  

I also second Gabe's recommendation of Little Pond CG.

Lots of luck....
Jen

JayTee,

Thanks so much for the info. It seems a lot of people here enjoy North/South Lake. We will be looking into that one for sure.  

Do you have any experience with Rip Van Winkle CG?

http://www.ripvanwinklecampgrounds.com/index.htm

[Gstvsn]

Hi there!  We live just east of the Catskills so I thought I would respond!  The only CG's I have ever stayed in were all state campgrounds, therefore - no elecrtic, no water.  If you are still game -  Our two favorites are North/South Lake Campground,  (I can even recommend sites there if you like) and Mongaup Pond State Campground - which we are actually booked for this weekend.   Both have nice beaches, canoe rentals, and have some very nice, wooded sites.  Good Luck!!

Jen,

We are going to Rip Van Winkles over Labor Day. Thanks for the heads up on the sites. I will let everyone know what we think.

In the post above you said you could recommend some sites at North/South Lake, which sites have you enjoyed?

Thanks,

Scott

[dandreas]

Hey Gstvsn,  
I agree with jaytee2274 on N/S Lake and Mongaup.  We just went to Mongaup for the first time 2 weeks ago and there are a ton of sites right on the water.  I would highly recommend sites 80,82 and 84 at that campground.  Not only are they on the water and shaded, but there is an area just behind those sites before the water that is perfect for the kids(or grown-ups) to play in.  We were able to set up "ladder ball" and play whiffle ball with the kids in our own private "field"  behind our site.

[jaytee2274]

let's see.....

loops 5 and 6 are close to the lake
in loop 5 - sites 147,148 and 149 are great lake sites but very little shade
in loop 6 - sites 177,178,179 are shady...the lake is below
as you can imagine - those spots fill up very quickly so here's some more....

loop 4 is nice and quiet..sites 101,105,116,117 are big and private

MAKE SURE you take the very short but very rewarding hike up to the site of the Catskill Mountain House.  Perfect for a picnic if it's a decent day.

[Gstvsn]

Well we stayed at Rip Van Winkles this labor day weekend. Overall...not bad.  The trip up was easy. The CG is about 2 - 3 miles off the highway. We couldn't hear any road noise in the CG. The owners were friendly and helpful.  We had 2 sites as we camped with my BIL and his family.  His site was right on the creek number 88. Good size site, no hook ups, steep down to the creek so watch the little ones. Little privacy with the campsite on the right side. But it was a good size.

We were on site 149. Full hook ups. The sites with full hook ups have a crushed shale/stone covering on them. This site was large, easy to get the pop up into, and very private. Surrounded by good sized woods on 3 sides.  It was also close to the bathrooms. The bathrooms near us were small and cramped. There was only a urinal and a stall on the mens side. If you were in the stall and someone was using the urinal, you couldn't open the stall door with out hitting the poor guy using the urinal. And if you didn't know someone had walked in, you would usually hit them pretty good with the door. Overall the condition of the bathroom was ok. The floor could use a mop, but the sink and facilities were clean. We didn't use their showers as our pop up has one so I can't comment on them.

As I stated above the owners and staff were friendly and helpful. They provided hay rides a couple of times of day which the kids loved. They also had a play area which the kids liked quite a bit too. Quiet time was also well observed through out the camp ground - 10pm - 8am.

The creek was clear and cold. There is a swimming hole with out much of a beach. The shore is more of gravel texture. If you're not into the beach thing it worked out fine.

The only real negative I saw was the mosquitoes. Bring the bug spray and screen house and you should be ok.

Overall, not a bad experience at all and would consider going back.

[copcarguy]

Hey all!
 
I have several pics of North/South on my webshots page, just click the link under my profile. By far my favorite CG anywhere... I've been going there my whole life, and my parents and grandparents before me. I also have a site map posted there too. Be sure to take a hike to the top of Kaaterskill Falls. Park at the end of Schutt Road (near the CG entrance) and follow the trail. Most tourists to the area park on Rt. 23A and have to walk on the side of the road - dangerous!
 
Believe it or not, Newburgh KOA has some wooded nice sites with full hookups. Of course near the pool it is "KOA-ey" but sites 44, 46, etc. around those are actually wooded, nice and not too parking lotty.
 
I hope this helped!