Camping near NYC gives a whole new meaning to sightseeing.
Pack your sleeping bagâyes, even for the city that never sleeps. Look beyond the busy streets of Manhattan, Staten Island, and Brooklyn, and let NYC camping surprise you. Across the boroughs, hiking trails and camping sites abound. Tent sites at Floyd Bennett Field make for a unique camping experience, while Fort Wardsworth more than accommodates all kinds of campers. Once youâve explored the actual city, try a camping set up in New York State, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania. Check into your lake campgrounds or pitch your tent in a state park. Youâll quickly realize thereâs more to NYCâs great outdoors than Central Park.
For a camping trip like no other, choose a park via The Gateway National Recreation Area. These NYC-area parks run the gamut, from Queensâ Breezy Point to New Jerseyâs Sandy Hook. Check-in to your Sandy Hook tent site and savor your view of the Manhattan skyline. While you can certainly camp all over NYC, some of the best campgrounds are just a bridge away.
If youâd rather go all-in on NYCâs beaches, look no longer than Long Island, which has long been a summer oasis for New York campers. Take your pick of beachfront tent sites, family-friendly RV campsites, and spacious state park campgrounds. Just donât miss Hither Hills State Park, which is a relaxing place to spend your nights ⌠and stretch out your days.
For campers who prefer lush forests to sandy shorelines, drive north of NYC, where youâll have your pick of quaint towns, gorgeous trails, and verdant trees. The Catskills are a popular getaway, as is New Yorkâs other, major green space: the Adirondacks. If youâd rather stay on the other side of the Hudson River, explore Fahnestock State Park and Canopus Lake.
A NYC summer canât be beat, when the cityâs best outdoor spacesâweâre looking at you, Governors Islandâbecome a picnickerâs playground. During the warmest months, tent sites, as well as lake campgrounds, are at their most accessible, though the shoulder seasons shouldnât be overlooked. New York stuns during the fall, when campsites transform into their most colorful selves. It may be too chilly to swim, but what better time to roast sâmores around your campsiteâs fire ring?