Rockcrusher Heaven

Mike has a long, narrow stretch of property, with high and low portions and a sizable cliff in between. My criteria were having a place to plop down near Little Falls, and to be able to watch trains from my campsite. Mike's property borders the CSX main line across central New York, and there are easily 50+ trains through Little Falls daily. For me, that's a plus. There is a small, narrow lake in the lower section, and going up the old railroad grade (which required some bushwhacking) to the old rock crusher was interesting. Lock 17, the greatest lift lock on the Erie Canal, is nearby and a fun place to check out, especially if boats are locking through. The Erie Canalway Trail across New York state runs through Little Falls; I took the opportunity to explore this east to Canajoharie. For those people interested in rock climbing, Moss Island has some nice routes, as well as a few sites on Mike's land.

As far as camping, it's exactly zero frills, which was fine with me. It can take some time to find a good spot to pitch a tent as the woods were rather thick in most areas. A small tent (backpacking tent) was OK, but I didn't see a spot suitable for a larger tent with area to spread out. There are no established campsites yet, but it wasn't too tough to find a spot. For those who want a drive-up site, or a larger site, this probably isn't the spot for you. If you're solo, and happen to like trains, it fits the bill. Town (and grocery store / restaurants) is two minutes away.

Clearing a couple of established sites would be a big improvement, and the old railroad grade to the rock crusher (very cool) could be kept up. Granted, this was in the middle of summer when greenery goes crazy - other seasons may be better. The Little Falls water treatment plant is nearby, but there weren't really any unpleasant notes in the breeze during my stay.

All in all, if you don't mind a no-frills, primitive campsite where you can watch the trains go by all day, this can work for you.