The best safari tent rentals near Ithaca, New York

This college town in the Finger Lakes region offers gorgeous scenery and some of the liveliest culture in upstate New York. Located on Cayuga Lake, Ithaca's natural beauty is built into the town. Hills rise above the historic downtown, and the Cascadilla Gorge winds through with century-old stone stairs leading down.

Campers don't have to go far to pitch a tent. Right in Ithaca, Buttermilk Falls State Park has stunning views and well-maintained tent sites and cabins. The park's namesake waterfall greets visitors at the entrance, and hiking trails loop the gorge.

For lakeside camping, head to Taughannock Falls State Park in Trumansburg. Located on Cayuga Lake, the campsites and cabins overlook the water. A sandy beach and boat launch provides easy access to the lake. Hiking trails lead the way to Taughannock Falls, a waterfall that drops 215 feet into the gorge below.

To swim under a waterfall, make a beeline for Robert H. Treman State Park. The town's most-loved swimming hole is here at the lower falls, with stone steps leading down to the water. Campsites and cabins are close by, offering an especially scenic camping experience.

Summer is undoubtedly the favorite time for camping. Festival season kicks off in May with the Ithaca Festival and parade. Also, Ithaca College and Cornell both host free concerts throughout the summer. The town's colleges are a significant boost to the local music and arts scene, not to mention great bars and restaurants.

94% (33)

Top-rated campgrounds

This college town in the Finger Lakes region offers gorgeous scenery and some of the liveliest culture in upstate New York. Located on Cayuga Lake, Ithaca's natural beauty is built into the town. Hills rise above the historic downtown, and the Cascadilla Gorge winds through with century-old stone stairs leading down.

Campers don't have to go far to pitch a tent. Right in Ithaca, Buttermilk Falls State Park has stunning views and well-maintained tent sites and cabins. The park's namesake waterfall greets visitors at the entrance, and hiking trails loop the gorge.

For lakeside camping, head to Taughannock Falls State Park in Trumansburg. Located on Cayuga Lake, the campsites and cabins overlook the water. A sandy beach and boat launch provides easy access to the lake. Hiking trails lead the way to Taughannock Falls, a waterfall that drops 215 feet into the gorge below.

To swim under a waterfall, make a beeline for Robert H. Treman State Park. The town's most-loved swimming hole is here at the lower falls, with stone steps leading down to the water. Campsites and cabins are close by, offering an especially scenic camping experience.

Summer is undoubtedly the favorite time for camping. Festival season kicks off in May with the Ithaca Festival and parade. Also, Ithaca College and Cornell both host free concerts throughout the summer. The town's colleges are a significant boost to the local music and arts scene, not to mention great bars and restaurants.

94% (33)

Top-rated campgrounds

1. Water to Wine Glampground

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41mi from Ithaca · 6 sites · Lodging · Rushville, NY

My husband and I bought our camp property when our children were young, and our kids grew up there. Between frog-catching contests, paddle boats, picnics, dirt biking, bonfires, camp outs, and the occasional wedding it was our special getaway. Now that the kids are growing up and going out on adventures of their own, we decided it's time we share our little piece of heaven with others, and so here we are, meeting new people from all over the world, making new connections, and enjoying the opportunity to share this beautiful woodland and pond property that we've been blessed with. We'd love for YOU to come enjoy a stay at this whimsical, delightful, sacred place.

2. Naturalists’ Campfire Collective

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6.5mi from Ithaca · 2 sites · Lodging · Ithaca, NY

Share in our Finger Lakes sanctuary! Set on 6 acres along the Enfield Creek and just a short drive from famous naturalist attractions in every direction, our land is shared with our fun-loving host family and guests at other sites. We’re far enough out of town to enjoy peace and quiet, yet close enough to access local culture, nature, and nightlife. Nearby Highlights & Local Adventures 1/2 mi: Dandy Gas & Dollar General (grab basic groceries or snacks) 8 mi: Ithaca Commons – local art, food, culture, and small shops 9 mi: Cornell University Campus 9 mi: Ithaca College Campus ~10 mi: Start of Seneca & Cayuga Lake Wine, Beer, and Spirits Trails 15 mi: Watkins Glen – charming town, world-famous racetrack, gorge trail 25 mi: Greek Peak Mountain Resort – winter snow sports, summer ropes course, indoor water park year-round Parks & Nature 4 mi: Robert H. Treman State Park – our favorite! Lower Treman for a short waterfall walk and swim; Upper Treman for scenic hikes and the historic Old Grist Mill. 7 mi: Taughannock State Park – flat year-round hike ending at a stunning waterfall; swim in the lake afterward. 8 mi: Buttermilk State Park – perfect stop for a hike or waterfall dip; shallow areas for littles. 10 mi: Finger Lakes National Forest – explore wild trails and forests. 9.3 mi: Cayuga Nature Center – wildlife exhibits and a 6-story treehouse!

3. Seneca Lake Brewing/The Beerocracy

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21mi from Ithaca · 3 sites · Lodging · Rock Stream, NY

Stay with us right in the heart of the Finger Lakes. Seneca Lake Brewing Company & The Beerocracy Pub offers a unique experience, throwing guests back in time at our Turn Of The Century Tudor Style British Pub overlooking picturesque Seneca Lake. Enjoy Fine Cask Ales, Local wines, cocktails & mixed drinks on our deck or lawn area or one of the many events that we host throughout the year. Head out and explore some of the other 70+ wineries, 20+ breweries, distilleries, cheeseries & ice creameries that are on our doorstep. The region is home to countless waterfalls including the Watkins Glen State Park & Gorge along with a host of other available activities.

4. NaturLuxe and Stars

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22mi from Ithaca · 21 sites · Lodging · Watkins Glen, NY

That magical moment of ahh. The sudden connection with nature when you breathe in the fresh air and close your eyes to the warm sun. A closeness with nature and abundance of comfort. At NaturLuxe and Stars, we create unique outdoor resort experiences for our guests: perfectly, luxuriously appointed tents surrounded by nature, and indulgent guest services for a stay that is effortless and welcoming. Luxury outdoor resorts exquisitely, impeccably designed for those who revere both luxury and the outdoors.

Stories from the community

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Melissa

October 2025

Weekend Trip to Seneca Lake Brewing/The Beerocracy

Bradley’s camp was wonderful!!! We arrived and had amazing English pot pies and beer. Then went to the campsite where there was a nice tent with a comfy bed. There were lots of oil lamps (bring oil) and a fire pit (bring wood). It was great!!! I highly recommend!!!! Everyone was very nice, great communication!!!

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Casey

September 2025

Weekend Trip to Naturalists’ Campfire Collective

We absolutely loved our stay at this camp. It had everything we could possibly need, from kitchen utensils, pans, silverware, a cook stove, an outdoor kitchen, a sauna, lights, water, incredibly comfortable beds, a bathroom and all the other creature comforts. We ended up bringing way more than we ended up using, we very easily could have showed up with a cooler and our clothes and not needed anything all weekend. It’s only 15 minutes from downtown Ithaca, so it was very convenient to go out on the town or to any of the surrounding natural beauty in the area. We absolutely loved being visited by the three cats on the property as well. We will be using this camp again and again and again. Aurora and Chris are excellent hosts, making sure we had a heavy duty wagon to get all of our gear to camp, and making sure we had everything we needed. If you’re looking for a relaxing and low stress camp where all you have to do is show up and enjoy, this is the camp for you.

Susie

August 2025

1 night at Seneca Lake Brewing/The Beerocracy

Such a beautiful view of the lake. Camping location is pretty private - however if there was a wedding I definitely would want to know (I’m sure brad would inform you) because I tend to like peace and quiet (which it was!) We ended up choosing to set up our own tent as there was fresh mice activity in the canvas tent, which we just weren’t comfortable with since we had our own setup anyway. We got the beautiful morning sun over the lake outside of our tent door! Very nice people and doggos up at the pub. I’m not a beer lover like my partner is, but even I liked the red sour ale.

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Kelly

August 2025

Weekend Trip to Seneca Lake Brewing/The Beerocracy

Beautiful views! Easy to find. Comfy and cute tent and bed. Owners were very nice.

Brian

July 2025

2 nights at Seneca Lake Brewing/The Beerocracy

We really enjoyed staying at Seneca Lake Brewing/the Beerocracy! The view from our tent was stunning, and the location was amazing. Having a real ale pub on the same location made it truly amazing. Bradley was a great host!

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Farkhodzhon

July 2025

Weekend Trip to Seneca Lake Brewing/The Beerocracy

Great place, great host, great price and a beautiful view 👍🏻

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Sharyn

May 2025

3 nights at Seneca Lake Brewing/The Beerocracy

How many people can say they camped at a brewery! This was a unique camping experience that was so much fun. We stayed 3 nights, and even though we had patches of rainy weather, we stayed dry and warm in our tent..The view of Seneca lake was unmatched! I would absolutely recommend staying here if you are in the area for a few days. Shout out to Bradley for being a great host and being easily available when we needed him.