By Sue Freeman
Camping is a rather useless term. It encompasses a wide range of activities whose only connection is that you leave your home and sleep in a mobile abode. Some people “camp” in extravagant buses where they take along all the comforts of home, including satellite TV and microwave ovens. Others opt for smaller camping vans or trailers, but still place solid walls between themselves and the outdoors. Continuing down the camping scale, we have tent campers who camp in official campgrounds, still having the
Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes
luxury of taking along anything they can fit in their car, and enjoying showers and flush toilets. At the far end of the spectrum are primitive campers who commune more closely with nature. They carry all their gear in a backpack or stowed in a paddle craft and opt for sleeping in a three-sided, open lean-to, or in a tent wherever it’s legally permissible – but rarely in an official campground. Of course, all manner of variations between these extremes exist.
Where do your camping preferences lie on this spectrum? It doesn’t matter. Whatever your camping style, there’s probably a camping adventure awaiting you this summer within an hour’s drive from home. If camping in a campground is your cup of tea, I challenge you to use the campground as a home base to explore activities in the region. Or, eschew campgrounds altogether and camp throughout your adventure.
Take Your Bike - Rochester
Let’s start with the camping opportunities at state parks. They’re loaded with activities for families and often are close to activities such as swimming, trails, or waterfalls. These include Letchworth State Park in Castile (hiking & biking trails, waterfalls), Lakeside Beach State Park in Waterport (paddle Johnson Creek, hiking/biking trails), Hamlin Beach State Park in Hamlin (hiking/biking trails), Darien Lake State Park in Darien (hiking trails), Keuka Lake State Park in Bluff Point, Stony Brook State Park in Dansville (hiking trails, waterfalls), Fair Haven Beach State Park in Fair Haven (swimming, biking Fair Haven-Cato Trail), Sampson State Park in Romulus (hiking/biking trails, swimming), plus others. Visit http://nysparks.state.ny.us/parks/ for details on each specific park.
If you’d like a paddling/camping trip, some private campgrounds offer good options: Kanakadea Park on Almond Lake in Hornell, Evergreen Trails Campground near Alma
Take A Paddle - Western NY
Pond in Angelica, and Harbor Resort Campground near Eighteenmile Creek in Olcott. For paddling the Genesee River, check out these campgrounds: Riverside Park Campground in Wellsville, Park Meadow Campground in Belmont, and Six-S Campground in Belfast. In the southern reaches of the Genesee River, it’s possible to do a multi-day paddle and primitive camp on the gravel bars along the way.
200 Waterfalls in Central & Western NY
For a unique family adventure, try creekwalking up waterfalls. Sugar Creek Glen Campground in Dansville provides access to the gorgeous tiers of small waterfalls lining Sugar Creek.
Primitive campers can camp at a lock along the Erie Canal and hike or bike the Erie Canalway Trail or paddle the Erie Canal. Particularly good spots are at Lock 30 Canal Park in Macedon and the Village of Holley campsite along Erie Canal.
Paddlers along the Clyde River can primitive camp at Galen Marsh
Take A Paddle - Finger Lakes
Wildlife Management Area in Clyde. Hikers can camp at Palmers Pond State Forest in West Almond where they’ll find lots of trails.
Hikers can also enjoy Finger Lakes National Forest where there’s a lean-to as well as trail-side camping allowed. Lean-tos are also located along a blue side trail off the Finger Lakes Trail in Hi Tor Wildlife Management Area in Naples. And, of course you can
Take A Hike - Finger Lakes
primitive camp along the Finger Lakes Trail and its other side trails such as the Bristol Hills Branch. Visit www.fingerlakestrail.org for maps and details on hiking the Finger Lakes Trail.
Whatever your style, enjoy a summer filled with camping adventures without having to venture far from home. Explore Footprint Press guidebooks for all sorts of fun activities to enjoy while camping.
