Seven High-End Campsites Within a Stone’s Throw of NYC

Your king-sized bed in the forest awaits

May 16, 2017 9:00 am

No matter what your friend who wears Tevas in public says, there’s no shame in “glamping.”

And the Tri-State Area is flush with places where you can find that out firsthand.

Below: seven destinations within a hop, skip and jump of NYC that wed the great outdoors with the comforts of home.

Nature, meet nurture.

Camp Orenda
Johnsburg, NY
Trés cozy. These canvas cabins nestled in the Adirondacks are packing wood-burning stoves, queen beds and more. Some 40 acres of private land along a creek (and a lack of cell service) should deliver all the peace and quiet a fella could ask for. Activities include yoga, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, archery, swimming and fishing. Eats include homemade breakfast, lunch and dinner, with highlights like rosemary pork chops cooked over an open flame and served with apple chutney.

Firelight Camps
Ithaca, NY
Hello, luxury. These tents come with hardwood floors, king or queen beds with 300-thread count linens, a mesh screen for gazing and a patio with two rocking chairs. Did we mention there are a sauna, steamroom and spa a couple minutes away? There is. Activities include communal campfires, bocce ball and hiking at Buttermilk Falls. And on the table? A full breakfast, wine hour and gourmet s’mores kits with artisanal flavored chocolates like sea salt caramel and lemon rosemary.

Loomis Lair
Waterville, NY
This one is a little spooky, we’ll admit. But get into it. It’s a rustic but thoroughly appointed yurt situated on the Nine Mile Swamp. It’s named for the infamous Loomis Gang’s hideout, the largest organized crime family in 19th-century U.S. of A.

Harmony Hill Retreat
East Meredith, NY
These elevated Catskills yurts come with a king-sized bed, bath and shower, and full kitchen. A skylight above lets the morning sunlight through, but there’s also a ceiling fan for keeping things cool. Plots are equipped with a charcoal grill, but campers can also order a farm-to-table dinner from Stone & Thistle Farm. The eats are delivered for $50 a person and that includes a bottle of wine. A good locale for tapping your inner hippy. 


Posh Primitive
Chestertown, NY
Log-embellished canvas wall tents house timber bed platforms with queen-sized mattresses. Warm up with Pendleton wool blankets and a roaring wood stove replete with freshly chopped firewood. There’s also a large bathhouse with three outdoor showers just a stone’s throw away, as well as an on-site Adirondacks guide should you want to raft, fish or bike. After that, you’ll return to a communal farm-to-table meal created with produce grown right on the grounds.

The Woods at Bear Creek
Ellicottville, NY
These glamping cabins are all two-bedroom digs with full bathrooms, heat, air, leather furniture, TVs and a golf cart. When you’re not watching Netflix, enjoy some zip-lining, paddle boating, kayaking, canoeing, a heated pool, hiking, basketball, tennis and fishing. Dining will be had at the Woods at Bear Creek Restaurant that overlooks the lake. All in all, it’s like a hotel — but with more trees.

Blue Hills Farm
Narrowsburg, NY
Rustic and darling. Blue Hill’s canvas tents have queen beds and a two-person shower with spa jets. Ooh-la-la. Artsy Narrowsburg is just a breath away with its art deco theater, galleries and plentiful restaurants. But save breakfast for the grounds, as it is served in a log cabin-esque treehouse.

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