Hi Folks! I will try and put as much helpful information in this review as possible!
Firstly, we had a great time, it was our first ‘hike in’ experience! Please note – when packing, your cooler can be no larger than 48 QT’s.
Parking at Beacon train station was easy. It’s an open, one level parking lot and we parked right across from the little bus shelter in space 809, where we waited with our camp gear. The Green Shuttle bus came on time as expected and dropped us off to Hike #2, the 2.5 hour hike. However, it took us 3.5hours because we stopped to take lots of pictures, stopped to eat our packed lunch and then it started to rain! So we took our time, especially because it was wet. We were glad to have our ponchos!
The hike is challenging, there are a lot of steep up and downs, but it was worth the journey into camp. We used the ‘all trails’ app on our phone which helped with the navigation.
We camped at site G2. The site is a lot smaller than we are used to, as our 10x10 tent just about fit! If you are bringing a tent bigger than this size, please check that it will fit on the site you are allocated. Our site was right next to the water spicket, which was nice. The site itself was well maintained, we had our own fire-pit, picnic table and a trash can was provided.
We were one of the closest sites to the very clean and well-kept bathhouse. Be prepared for the steep walk up and down to the bathhouse (this is for all sites), it definitely works those leg muscles!
We purchased firewood twice, we were there for 3 nights. There was also a big blue bucket under the bathhouse where we could help ourselves to some dry kindling, a nice touch. We also purchased beer and used the vending machine for some snacks. We were also able to charge our devices on the communal power strip at the bathhouse. Super convenient!
Watch out for the resident raccoon! Make sure you shut your trash cans tightly and put all items away securely. Our friendly ‘camp neighbors’ Ryan and Mariah, named him Reggie! We had a few visits from Reggie overnight, he even managed to unzip our camping duffle bag with his little claws and was caught in action!
The hikes around the site are challenging for sure, with steep inclines and rocky terrain. There are some nice views at Bald Hill, try look out into the very distance on a clear day, you can just about see an outline of NYC.
Overall we really enjoyed the hikes and our stay at Malouf’s. Everyone is super friendly, helpful and ready to answer any questions. We would recommend coming here for sure!