The Adirondacks are one breathtaking van camping destination. Plus there are a whole lot of activities to keep you busy while you are there camping. I can tell you this is one region that you will want to include on your van camping bucket list.
Where are the 11 awesome van camping destinations in the Adirondacks?
- Meacham Lake Campground
- Ausable Point Campground
- Hearthstone Point Campground
- Moffitt Beach Campground
- Nicks Lake Campground
- Northampton Beach Campground
- Cranberry Lake Campground
- Brown Tract Pond Campground
- Rogers Rock Campground
- Lewey Lake Campground
- Meadowbrook Campground
Where are the Adirondacks? The Adirondacks are in the northern section of upstate New York. All or parts of Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Oneida, Saratoga, St. Lawrence, Warren and Washington counties make up the Adirondack region.
The Adirondack mountain region is the largest protected area in the contiguous United States. It covers more than 6 million acres and contains over 100 vibrant communities. The region has diverse landscapes with forests, lakes, gorges, mountains, beaches, rivers, wetlands, old growth forests and valleys. This diversity makes it a year round destination for those who love the outdoors.
In this post I want to share the information with you that you will need to help you select a place to camp when you get there.
Campgrounds to van camp at in the Adirondacks
Meacham Lake Campground has over 200 sites. The campground is at 119 State Camp Road, Duane, NY. The latitude and longitude coordinates are 44°34’42″N, 74°17’10″W. The campground is located in a beautiful area north and west of Meacham Lake.
Meacham Lake Campground has bathrooms, a boat launch & ramp, dump station, hot showers, picnic area and a playground.
You can enjoy fishing, biking, hiking, swimming, boating, volleyball, horseshoes, interpretive programs, wildlife watching and more while at the campground.
Camping fees start at $20 a night. Firewood & ice are available for sale.
For a map of Meacham Lake Campground go here. You can contact the office at (518) 483-5116 for further information.
Ausable Point Campground has over 100 sites. The campground is at 3346 Lakeshore Drive, Peru, NY. The latitude and longitude coordinates are 44°34’14″N, 73°25’50″W.
The campground is on the shore of Lake Champlain. There is a fantastic view of the lake and you can see Valcour Island and Garden Island from there.
For those of you who love the water this is one place that you won’t want to miss. You can enjoy motor boating, sail boating, canoeing, jet skiing, water skiing, kite surfing, swimming, relaxing on the beach and more at Lake Champlain.
Fishermen will want to spend the afternoon on the lake fishing. Largemouth & smallmouth bass, northern pike, lake & brown trout, salmon, bullhead perch, walleye, and bluegill will test your fishing prowess. There is a boat launch about 3 miles from the campground at Peru Docks.
Camping fees start at $22 per night. Amenities include hot showers, bathrooms, a dump station, water fill up station and picnic area. For a map of Ausable Point Campground go here. For more information about the campground call 518-561-7080.
You can enjoy canoeing, boating, sailing, jet skiing, water skiing, power boating, biking, hiking, volleyball, basketball, wild life watching and more from this fantastic campground.
Hearthstone Point Campground is on scenic Lake George. It is about 2 miles north of the town of Lake George, NY at 3298 Lakeshore Drive. The latitude and longitude coordinates are 43°27’19″N, 73°41’50″W.
The campground has 250 sites and is a high use campground. Amenities include a dump station, hot showers, bathrooms and recycling.
There is a sand beach for swimming, motor boating on the lake (but there is no boat launch at the campground), canoeing and more. There are many species of fish in Lake George including rainbow and lake trout, salmon, small and largemouth bass and northern pike so be sure to bring along your fishing equipment!
Camping fees start at $22 a night. For a map of Hearthstone Point Campground go here. For further information you can call 518-668-5193.
Moffitt Beach Campground is at 205 Page Street, Lake Pleasant, NY and is next to Sacandaga Lake. The latitude and longitude coordinates are 43°29’24″N, 74°24’37″W.
There are over 250 sites at this campground and a lot of them are right near the water. Amenities include a dump station, hot showers, flush toilets, picnic area, recycling, boat launch, sand beach, bathhouse, swimming area plus more.
While camping you can enjoy boating, sailing, water skiing, swimming, fishing, canoeing, biking and a variety of other outdoor activities.
Camping fees start at $22 per night. For a map of Moffitt Beach Campground go here. If you would like further information you can contact the campground at 518-548-7102.
Nicks Lake Campground is at 278 Bisby Road, Old Forge, NY in the Black River Wild Forest. The latitude and longitude coordinates are 43°41’6″N, 74°58’46″W.
The campground has over 100 sites and sits next to the 205 acre lake. Amenities include a dump station, hot showers, flush toilets, picnic area with tables and fireplaces.
While camping you can enjoy biking or jogging on 3 miles of paved roads, wildlife watching, swimming, fishing, volleyball, basketball, horseshoes and kayaking or canoeing on the lake (motorized boating is not allowed.) There is also a playground for the kids.
Camping fees start at $22 per night. For a map of Nicks Lake Campground go here. For more information about the campground call 315-369-3314.
Northampton Beach Campground is at 328 Houseman Street, Mayfield, NY or at latitude and longitude coordinates 43°11’2″N, 74°10’36″W.
The campground has over 220 sites and is on the northwest side of Great Sacandaga Lake. Camping sites vary with some on the shore and others in the hardwoods and pines.
There is a boat launch, dump station, bathrooms, picnic tables and showers. Firewood is available for sale and you can rent kayaks and canoes.
The reservoir offers boating and fishing for small & largemouth bass, yellow perch, northern pike, walleye, chain pickerel, rock bass and others.
While there camping you can enjoy power boating, biking, sail boarding, swimming, jet skiing, water skiing, bird watching plus more.
Camping fees begin at $22 per night. For a map of Northampton Beach Campground go here. You can call 518-863-6000 if you need more information.
Cranberry Lake Campground is at 243 Lone Pine Road, Cranberry Lake, NY and has over 170 campsites. The latitude and longitude coordinates are 44°11’45″N, 74°49’35″W. A lot of the sites have trees to provide shade on hot summer days.
Amenities include a dump station, hot showers, picnic tables, fire places, grills and spigots are convenient. You can also buy firewood.
Cranberry Lake is one of the largest out-of-the-way lakes in the Adirondacks and fishing for trout and bass is very popular. You can use power boats, kayaks, rowboats and canoes.
Besides boating and fishing you can hike, bike, jet ski, play volleyball, swim, play basketball, hunt, water ski and a lot more.
Camping fees start at $20 per night. For a map of Cranberry Lake Campground go here. Call 315-848-2315 if you need further information.
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Brown Tract Pond Campground has 90 sites and is a serene, beautiful camping location. Campsites are large and treed. It is at Uncas Road, Raquette Lake, NY or at latitude and longitude coordinates 43°48’33″N, 74°42’4″W.
The campground is east of the 146 acre Brown Tract Pond which offers swimming, fishing, canoeing and row boating. Motorized boats are not allowed. You can rent canoes and rowboats at the campground.
Campground amenities include a dump station, water fill up station, flush toilets, boat launch and picnic area.
Camping fees start at $18 per night. For a map of Brown Tract Pond Campground go here. You can contact the campground at 315-354-4412 if you need more information.
Rogers Rock Campground has over 300 campsites. It is located at 9894 Lake Shore Drive, Hague, NY on the northern end of Lake George. Latitude and longitude coordinates are 43°47’57″N, 73°28’32″W. This campground is very popular. Be sure to make a reservation to ensure you have a space when you arrive.
Amenities include a dump station, flush toilets, hot showers, a boat launch, picnic area, swimming, boat pump-out station, sand beach and bathhouse. Firewood is available for sale.
Activities available include hiking, fishing, tubing, biking, sailing & power boating, water skiing, jet skiing, canoeing, kayaking, volleyball, bird watching and a whole lot more!
Camping fees start at $22 per night. For a map of Rogers Rock Campground go here. You can call the campground at 518-585-6746 if you need more information.
Lewey Lake Campground is at 4155 Route 30N Lake Pleasant, NY or latitude and longitude coordinates 43°38’52″N, 74°23’17″W.
The campground has over 200 sites and is next to a shallow 90 acre lake. You can canoe, rowboat and use small motor boats on the lake. You can also fish on the lake for smallmouth bass, lake trout, northern pike, yellow perch and other species.
Amenities at the campground include a dump station, flush toilets, hot showers, water fill-up, picnic area, recycling and a boat launch. Ice and firewood are available for sale.
You can enjoy swimming, biking, sail boating, hiking and many other outdoor activities at this campground.
Camping fees start at $20 per night. For a map of Lewey Lake Campground go here. For further information call 518-648-5266.
Meadowbrook Campground is at 1174 NYS Route 86, Ray Brook, NY or at latitude and longitude coordinates 44°17’47″N, 74°4’52″W.
Meadowbrook is conveniently located about 4 miles away from the town of Lake Placid, where the 1980 winter Olympics took place. You can visit the training venues, golf, spend the afternoon shopping and enjoy a delicious meal at one of the restaurants while you are there.
The campground has over 50 sites and amenities include a dump station, flush toilets, hot showers, water fill-up and picnic area. Firewood is available for sale.
Camping fees start at $18 per night. For a map of Meadowbrook Campground go here. For more information you can call 518-891-4351.
Quiet time at the campgrounds is from 10 pm until 7 am. Check in is from noon until 9 pm. Check out is before 11 am.
Where you can have pets you must keep them on a leash no more than 6 foot long and you must have proof of rabies vaccination. You must clean up your pet’s waste and dispose of it.
In this post I have highlighted only a few of the campgrounds that you can stay at in the Adirondacks. To see a map of campgrounds in Adirondack Park you can go here.
You can make a reservation to camp at any of the above campgrounds by visiting here.
Places to visit while van camping in the Adirondack region
The Wild Center is located on 115 acres and features the Wild Walk through the treetops giving you a different perspective to look at nature. This is really cool!
Wild Walk features a full-sized eagle’s nest that you can sit in and take selfies, a spider web to crawl around on, bridges that swing, stairs through a tree snag and a four story tree house.
The center has hiking trails, stand up paddleboard tours, canoe tours and The Pines wild play area. There are also indoor exhibits, the Flammer Theater shows films daily and there are many other things to see and do.
The Wild Center is at 45 Museum Drive, Tupper Lake, NY. It is open 7 days a week from 10 am to 5 pm until mid-October then it is open Friday through Sunday 10 am to 5 pm.
Admissions costs are as follows:
- Adults (18-64) $22
- Adults 65+ and military $20
- Children 5-17 $15
- Children 4 and under free
For more information about The Wild Center call 518-359-7800.
High Falls Gorge is a nature park on 22 acres of privately held land. Walking trails will take you to four waterfalls. Sometimes on the trail you feel like you are hanging onto the side of the gorge, oh I guess you are!
The trail is maintained and makes for easy walking. The waterfall trail takes about 45 minutes to complete and they even have a couple glass platforms.
If you want to see the falls at their most spectacular visit in the spring when the Ausable River is running the fullest from the snow melt.
There is an additional nature trail, a café to get a bite to eat and a gift shop. It is a people park only, no pets are allowed.
The summer season runs May through October. Admission for adults is $12.50 and children ages 4 to 12 is $9.50. They are open daily through the summer season, but the hours vary. The winter season runs November through April and hours and the days they are open vary.
High Falls Gorge is at 4761 NYS Route 86 Wilmington, NY. If you have any questions you can call 518-946-2278.
Ausable Chasm is one awesome experience. The trail will lead you past Rainbow Falls, Elephant’s Head, Column Rock, Hyde’s Cave and Mystic Gorge. They keep the trails maintained and the hikes are self-guided with signs pointing out things of interest. The shortest section of trail is 1 mile, so be prepared to walk.
Trail lengths are as follows: Inner Sanctum Trail (1 mile) – Rim Walk Trail (2 miles) – Dry Chasm Trail (1.5 miles) – Rainbow Falls/Elephant’s Head Vista (1/2 mile)
You can also float through the chasm in a raft or on a tube. The Adventure Trail lets you strap on a harness and cross the Ausable River for an even more thrilling view.
To kick it up even further you can do some rock climbing and rappelling on the walls of the chasm. You will need reservations for both of these activities.
Ausable Chasm is at 2144 Route 9, Ausable Chasm, NY. Spring hours are 9:00-4:00. Summer hours are 9:00-5:00. Fall hours are 9:00-4:00. Winter hours are 9:00-4:00.
Basic admission is required and then different activities are an extra cost. Adults $17.95 – Children ages 5 to 12 $9.95 – Local Residents $9.00 – Children under 5 Free. For further information to plan your visit call 518-834-7454.
Six Flags Great Escape and Hurricane Harbor features over 135 exciting rides and attractions for the whole family. There is a 90 foot Ferris wheel, carousel, bumper cars, train, roller coasters, go-karts, kiddie rides and a whole lot of wet fun on the water park rides.
In case you get hungry you can buy pizza, burgers, made-to-order sandwiches, chicken tenders, salads and even dessert.
You can pick up souvenirs, apparel, candy, toys and a lot more at one of the many shops on the grounds. There are also special events held at the park throughout the season and live entertainment.
Admission prices for the day are as follows: General Admission is $64.99 – Children under 48″ $48.99 – Children 2 & under get in for free. You can save money on tickets by watching for special ticket deals printed on products or get a discount by buying your ticket online. You can get season passes and memberships too that offer special benefits.
The park is located at 1172 State Route 9, Queensbury, NY. Call 518-792-3500 if you need further help.
Fort Ticonderoga is a French built fort that sits on 2,000 acres. It allows you to step back in time to learn about and experience early North American history. There are weapon demonstrations, exhibits, trade demonstrations, and a fife and drum concert. You can visit Carillion Battlefield and they have hands-on activities for the kids. They hold special events throughout the year.
Fort Ticonderoga houses the King’s Garden which contains 6-acres for you to explore and to show you garden history at the fort. If you are visiting the fort in late summer and fall you can lose yourself in their corn maze as you look for clues among the corn stalks.
While at the fort you can grab a bite to eat at the Fort Café and enjoy the scenic views of Lake Champlain and Mount Defiance. There is also a museum store to buy souvenirs from your visit.
Admission prices are Adults $24.00 – Children 5 to 15 $12.00 – Children under 5 Free – Seniors $22.00
The fort is open daily May through October from 9:30 am until 5 pm. They are also open November through April but the hours vary so if you are planning a visit then make sure you call for hours.
Fort Ticonderoga is at 102 Fort Ti Road, Ticonderoga, NY. Their phone number is 518-585-2821.
The Adirondack region is truly one beautiful area to van camp in with a multitude of outdoor activities to enjoy, places to visit and quality restaurants where you can enjoy a relaxing dinner. When planning your next van camping adventure head to the Adirondacks.
If you are considering a camping trip to New York State check out our post about the Finger Lakes region here.
