Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds

This camp ground is awesome, we started coming here 7 years ago and loved it so much we ended up as seasonals. Large wooded sites, great playgrounds and heated pool, with a great staff. The owners are hands on and willing to help with any problems. Highly recommended.

First time here and my boyfriend, my dog, and myself love it! New go to place to go camping. We’re from westchester, the drive is not bad. The sites are big, but I noticed very close together. If it’s a busy night with loud people I could see how it would be a problem… but we came here on a Monday night and it was very empty (for the tent sections) I love how they seemed to be a sense of community there between people there for the summer in RV’s. It gave it a very homey feel

Had a great one night stay at Rip Van Winkle Campgrounds. We stayed at site 104. It was mostly great except for people who were having loud conversations at 6 am on their way to the bathrooms.
The bathrooms are constantly being serviced, but I would have love it if the water stayed on without having to hold the faucet.
If you plan on showering, make sure to bring quarters. I think they said it was 25 cents for an 8 – 10 minute shower. Since we only camped for one night, we didn’t try out the showers.

Very pleased. Rented cabin #100 for two nights midweek, just me (mom) and my two young kids ages 6 & 3. Cleanest campsite I’ve ever experienced both in NY and CA. Excellent staff, thoughtful amenities, extremely clean bathrooms, beautiful grounds. Only need for improvement is the game arcade. It needs updating.

I love coming to this camp ground.
Friendly staff, super clean facilities and all around relaxing environment!
I look forward to camping here every year.

Our family stayed here when we came up to the area for an event recently. We had a tent site with water and electric. It’s a nice campground — the staff was nice and there were adequate facilities. Our site was a pretty good size, and a fairly short walk to the far-​off restroom. I didn’t dig that bathroom, as it was teeny and not totally level (kind of like being in a trailer on uneven ground), but it was clean.
The showers were a haul, all the way at the front of the facility while our site was way on the other end, maybe a mile walk? Coordinating showers with two parents plus kids was a pain. I don’t mind paying for the shower, but it means there was no control over flow and temp, and you can’t turn it off if you’re done before 8 minutes. So you can either sneak out and try really hard not to spray water all over your clothing, or stay in the shower until it stops.
Paddle boats are free to use. The lake/​pond is not that big, but sufficient for me and three young kids. The RC track is awesome! It probably gets kind of crowded at other times, but it was pretty open when we were there. The rec room was nice (and warm! we were there in the fall), and we enjoyed playing inexpensive bingo one night. The kids liked the playgrounds, but the other «fun areas» (volleyball net?) seemed kind of run-​down and unused. There is a little pond with a gazebo and a model train going around it that the kids loved.
We did quick drive around one day to see what the place was like, and overall it was really pretty and pleasant. Mostly trailers and RVs and such that time of year, and I think their sites were mixed in with tents (as opposed to having separate sections for each). The entry card thing can either be returned for your $ 5 deposit back, or if you want to come back you can keep it and use it for a discount — I think it was 20% — on future visits. Also cool for us — they provided a free shuttle to and from the event we were going to, which was super-​convenient.

We travel in a 38 ft fifth wheel, not full timers but we go often. I called this campsite about 2 hours out and Brian helped me with the reservation. Not thinking we’d make it in before closing he left our info for us to pick up and when I asked about pets he said «absolutely». This alone had a hint of a positive nature. As expected, we drove in after dark, as I walked alone from truck I found a well lit office area and even music playing, the song «play me some mountain music» was going and it made me smile. I office in Atlanta but was raised on a farm, so my soul craves a simpler life and simple touches. Our information was easily located and our site was an easy pull thru, much appreciated. The next morning we took the pups and went exploring the campground. ***Please note it’s roomy. We are coming into this area definately off season in addition of thru the week so there weren’t activities which was perfect really. This camp site is great for a really nice long walk to exercise dogs if you do leave yours to go into town.
We also dealt with Brian’s wife. Who will try to find any answer for you about the area if she doesn’t already have it. Nice, nice welcoming nature to her. Love those gate cards to get in and out. You can show them thru the window and they work well. We drove into Woodstock for a organic breakfast at a veggie market on the far end of the main drag (Sunfrost Farms) then off to drive & explore. Go see Mohonk, our sunset there provided the hottest pink it looked like volcanic lava. I’ve watched sunsets in many, many places but this one was over-​whelming.
**Great, roomy, woodsy campground with a sweet family heritage. rare and a pleasure to find! Catskill mountains

It’s unfortunate that such a beautiful place is owned and managed by an arrogant person. We spend last weekend at Rip Van Winkle Campground, we rented their cabin for $ 125.00 per night. Upon check in, they charged us a $ 100 deposit. After four days after checkout, I noticed that no refund had been issued for my deposit. I called the place; Debbie answered and told me they would give me my refund that day but only for $ 80. I asked why that was so, it was our second time there, we left the place in perfect shape, it did not seem right. She puts me on hold for a while; then the owner, Brian, picks up. In a very condescending tone he tells me that he was charging me $ 20 for a milk spill underneath their mini refrigerator. In a respectful tone I stated my disagreement for such fee (first I thought it was excessive to clean a milk spill, second, $ 250 should cover cleaning a spill, we left the place spotless, we never saw such spill, he stated it was underneath the fridge); His response, «fine, I’ll give you your money back but I’ll flag you so you can’t rent this cabin again.» I was shocked, my wife loved the place and we planned building many years of memories there with my two young daughters. At that point I stated that I did not think that answer was good customer service, his response «My grandfather, who owned this place for over 30 years, would kick someone out for pushing a rock out of place, this is the way we do business.» I am a business owner, and I am grateful for anyone that walks into my doors, for an incident such as this, I would never treat my customers in this way.
In summary, this place is owned by a person who has no regards for his customers. He takes pride in the fact that he owns this place and that he can write anyone off as he pleases. He did not treat my family and me with the appreciation and respect you would expect from a business owner. I have never written a bad review in my life, this guy motivated me to do so for the first time. Neither our friends, nor family, will be visiting Rip Van Winkle again.

My husband & I along with our 3 chihuahuas were in search of a dog friendly campground not too far from NYC. We found the perfect spot at Rip Van Winkle Campground. The name evokes a story book feeling and it lives up to the name. We arrived around 6pm without reservations on
a Friday in August and were able to book a campsite next to the creek for only $ 47. This place is huge! They are very welcoming to dogs and gave our chihuahuas dog treats when we arrived :) The drive from NYC was about 2 hours and it mostly highways until you reach Saugerties. My favorite part is the creek where you can relax when it’s hot. There’s even a swimming hole where you can jump into the water. There are a lot of RVs and it looks like people stay there for the whole season. They are a bunch of cabins which include electricity and running water. We will definitely be back!

Nice clean, family oriented, dog friendly park, with a friendly staff, and heated pool.
We just camped here this past weekend. While they nickle and dime you a bit, its really a nice place. Showers cost $, you must buy wood there– $ 6 for a small bundle (we prob could’ve brought our own wood, they don’t check) — $ 5 for a gate pass which I think they hope you will forget to return for your $ 5 back, $ 15/​night if you want a second tent on site.
These are little annoyances, but well worth it for a site with electric and water, which is cheating a bit, but makes camping with kids so much easier.
The watering hole is a 14′ deep pit in the middle of an otherwise shallow creek, so we opted for the pool, but that was short lived because of a pickup truck that pulled up with a bed full of pre-​teen squealing girls that proceeded to take over the pool. A quiet retreat this is not, except at night when all the kids and dogs a re asleep.
The bathrooms by the watering hole are a bit small, — prob a shed 8’x8’ which includes both ladies and gents, so it’s tight, and awkward– you can hear them, and I assume they can hear you. But that aside they were cleaned every morning.
There are a lot of long term RV/​trailer residents here — tons of them. I think there are more RV/​trailer sites than tent sites, which didn’t bother me, but some in our group were bummed — claiming it changed the vibe.
and did I mention the dogs? it seemed like everyone but us brought their dog, and although they weren’t constantly barking, it was a little annoying.
The place gets super quiet at night, maybe b/​c they were all in their RV’s/trailers, so that was nice.
Plenty of swing sets for kids which were well maintained.
All in all I really liked this place.

This is the fifth family campground I have been to in recent years, and I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a place to camp with your family in the Catskills. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and super clean. I have personally found the staff to be very friendly on all three visits there – once in the autumn, once in the spring, and once in the summer. The bathrooms and showers are super clean. The pool is a nice size with plenty of lounge chairs around it. We have always been given a site within walking distance of the showers and main restrooms, which is very convenient. If you are at one of the further campsites, there is ample parking by the shower block. Like other family campgrounds, there are theme weekends during the summer and planned activities; not as much as other campgrounds I’ve been too, but still plenty, including a hayride and bingo on Saturdays. There are a variety of playgrounds throughout the site, including one featuring giant truck tires. A giant T-​Rex sculpture made of recycled pieces overlooks the fishing pond, and paddleboats are available. But maybe the best thing about is that you are minutes from downtown Saugerties and Woodstock, and not far from tubing in Phoenicia.

I love this campground so much I need to disagree with rosy y. First of all the staff goes out f their way to make you feel like family. It is far from run down and one of its lovely traits is the fact that you really feel as if you are in the woods. Each site is very spacious! Many campgrounds have rules and that is for the patrons benefit as well as the owner of the campground. It is a business after all. I love bringing my kids here! There is no barbed wire anywhere on the property. I have been here enough and check out the creek many times, from many sites as there s no barbed wire. There is no 20 foot ravine either. There are some high banks to the creek but it is not man made! Mother Nature has cut this path for the creek and that is the beauty of it. There is a wonderful access point where there is a great swimming hole or fishing access. This access point is very easily accessible. All in all this is a great campground. We have gone for many years and plan to keep coming! It is a great campground, with a great staff!

This campground was really about as lousy as a campground can get.
Not only do we travel extensively, but we go camping a lot, too. I’m certainly NOT one of those primadonnas who cannot survive a night in the outdoors without their hot showers, flush toilets, running water, etc. Quite the contrary. And yet, I found this run-​down place to be an absolute mud hole!
First off, the staff promised us a «creekside» campsite. They also rattled off an entire laundry-​list of included activities that were supposedly scheduled to take place there during the 4-​day weekend that we chose to visit there. All this, of course, took place before we plunked down our money (which, at $ 65/​night, was ridiculous to begin with). Ok, but it sounded like a lotta fun included for the price, and since The Hub & I are good sports, we booked. Here’s where it all comes undone:
The day we got there and pulled in, I honestly thought we made a wrong turn and ended up on some garbage-​strewn trailer park. Had it not been for the well-​worn, barely legible sign proving otherwise, we’d have pulled out and continued looking for this purported ‘Shangri-​La’ of campsites, but to our dismay, this was it.
Checking in, the staff — rather than welcoming us — simply rattled off a long list of strict rules and regulations more appropriate for a pair of inmates arriving at a new jailhouse than a vacationing couple preparing for a fun weekend. And forget about all those included activities. They merely pointed to a shelf with brochures for local attraction$ available nearby. They weren’t the slightest bit helpful with anything other than their draconian rules! We spent our entire first day there just wandering about trying to find their semi-​functioning facilities and orienting ourselves to this poorly laid out, rocky, muddy mess of a campground.
Our site was yet another disappointment (why is the word ‘fraud’ ringing in my head as I write this?). We were promised a creekside spot — and, by golly, we were given one, too! Too bad they forgot to mention that, although our site WAS technically on the ‘side’ of a creek, the creek was set in a ravine about 20 feet below! So, no fishing, no splashing in it, nothing but just looking down longingly at it, and that was only when we carefully approached the precarious edge of the cliff to peer in at it. Oh, but the staff was so very thoughtful, though — they added a convenient barbed-​wire fence all along the entire length of it to cover their asses and prevent accidents! How lovely that looked smack dab in the middle of all that woodland! And it went so well with that prison ambiance we encountered earlier!
After one miserable night, we packed everything up at the crack of dawn and left. Needless to say, no refund was given. With a great sigh of relief, however, we pulled in to one of the many lovely State campgrounds in the area, sans reservation, and had an absolutely lovely time for the remainder of our weekend.
Anyone with half a brain will avoid this slop hole like the plague!

This is a delayed review given that we went camping on weekend of July 21^st. I would definitely go again and I highly recommend this campsite.
We stayed in site #84 (part of the River Edge — lake view), this site was close to water and bathroom, showers are a bit further but a 3 minute drive (20 min walk), no electric outlet for this site. Unfortunately, I could not get cell phone reception (I have T-​mobile). Facilities are quite clean, showers are coin operated (25 cents for about 8 minutes). General store has plenty of supplies and wide selection of items (fire bundles special 3 bundles for $ 20 — pretty good deal compared to some other campgrounds).
Staff are friendly and helpful and will recommend some great places to hike.
Additional tips: Rather than lugging all of our food supplies from NYC to location, we stopped at Price Chopper to gather our food supplies and ice (Price Chopper, 138 Ulster Avenue, Saugerties, NY 12 477).

Just got back from this beautiful campground located just minutes from Woodstock. We had a wonderful site on the river. The property was well maintained, clean and the staff was very accomodating and helpful. The sites are large and well set back from the road. Will definitely be back. Don’t miss this campground if you’re in the area.

Friendly staff. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. It was quiet, easy to find and central to great site seeing. The showers and bathrooms were clean and easy to find.
We will definitely return!

WONDERFUL camp grounds. I’d never actually been camping before so I don’t have anything to compare it to, but my friends who have camped many times before really love the place too. We’ve visited summer 2009 and now summer 2010 for weekend escape-​nyc trips.
Both times we were given the same two campsites… which is strange because two different people reserved each time. Maybe theyre special sites for larger groups that arent large enough for the group site? Anyway, very secluded spot for us, near the creek (not on the creek though), a bathroom (omg bathrooms with running water and toilet paper and soap!), and we were never bothered by other campers on either trip. The camp owners are very nice. We got firewood and had some awesome fires and grilled hotdogs. The creek was small and kind of low, but we hung out by it one night and it was nice. The showers are awesome as well — 25 cents for 8 minutes. Clean stalls and hot water! Mmmm.
And yeah it has all these nice perks, but it’s still camping. Still in tents on hard ground, still flicking daddy-​long-​leg spiders off of everything, battling mosquitos, listening to strange cracklings and hoots in the night, still roughing it. And you’re also close to all kinds of awesome hiking and adventures! Rip Van Winkle Rocks!