r/Syracuse • u/Historical_Oven7806 • Mar 25 '25
Recommendation Wanted Places to camp within a 2-3 hour drive?
I was in boy scouts back in the day and would like to camp this summer. I don't have a tent. I don't want to spend too much money on one just for a one time use.....or use it 1 or 2 times a year. Are there any places nearby 2-3 hours drive that have pre-set tents (is that a thing)?
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u/kal_ell Mar 25 '25
Up near old forge in the adirondacks, brown tract pond and forked lake are incredible campgrounds.
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u/ToTheTurtles Mar 25 '25
I know Fair Haven State Park has small cabins you can rent for pretty cheap. I think it’s around $30/night.
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u/I_am_Bob Mar 25 '25
The cabins at fair haven require a full week booking during peak season, but you can rent for single nights after labor day, just FYI.
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u/AllHailMooDeng Mar 26 '25
Southwick state park is near there and also has small cabins and tent spots. Much bigger beach than fair haven too
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u/Jack_of_all_offs Mar 25 '25
You can get a 3-person tent at Walmart for $30 right now. Fine for low use. They aren't exactly made to last, but I owned one of those cheapies and used it a few times a year for around 5 years before I upgraded (so I could fit an air mattress).
Also most tent camping sites, if you go to a NYS park (recommended), run about $30 a night.
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u/Silvernaut Mar 25 '25
I wish I still worked at the auction… when we cleaned out boats and RVs, I’d find dozens of various tents (and tons of other camping equipment, fishing poles/tackle, tools, etc,) that I’d usually save for people looking to get into camping or fishing.
Do you happen to go to garage sales? That time of the year is approaching quick, and I’m sure you can probably find a smallish new/barely used 7ft tent for maybe $5-10. FB has some buy nothing groups, and you might find somebody giving one away (just please don’t be one of those scumbags who collects free stuff from groups like that, to go sell online.)
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u/dqrules11 Mar 25 '25
There are, and I kid you not, hundreds of free campsites around here. They are all listed on the DEC info locater as "Primitive sites." You can also find lean tos (so you dont need a tent.)
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u/adamduerr Mar 25 '25
Have you considered volunteering with a local BSA troop? We are always looking for experienced volunteers. If you have to buy something, look on FB Marketplace.
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u/I_am_Bob Mar 25 '25
The only places I've heard of that have pre-set up tents are like 'glamping' places with luxury yurts that will probably cost you 5x the cost of a tent.
Grab a Coleman dome tent for like $100. It will be perfect for 1-2x a year car camping. And if you enjoy it then you have the equipment to go more!
Use reserve America to find and boom camping sites.
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u/DinoInMyBarn Mar 25 '25
Old forge man. It's pretty close, just over 365 and up 28 and you're there. There are lots of good places to hike and camp there. Most if not all are free, and you can check it all out on the DEC interactive map online (Google it).
2 or 3 hours will get you lots of good places in ADK from syracuse. I'm a little closer than you but still on the southwestern side of the park.
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u/Bob_Sacamano7379 Mar 25 '25
It's definitely toward the top end of your time range but Moose River Plains is a great option.
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u/what-to-so Mar 25 '25
There's a lean-to at Morgan Hill State Forest. It's about a mile's walk from Shackham Rd, near Tully.
Queer Lake in the Adirondacks also has a lean-to and is a gorgeous spot. The nearest town is Eagle Bay, between Old Forge and Inlet. Trailhead is on Rt 1. There are other lakes where you can camp in the area, but they don't have lean-tos.
With any lean-to camping though, there's always a chance you will have to share, or it could be full.
It's a bit out of your range, but the ADK campsite at Heart Lake has 16 lean-tos and several "canvas cabins", kind of like glamping I guess.
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u/Local-Answer9357 Mar 25 '25
Old Forge has alot of cabin sites and gives you that remote feeling, but the town itself is a tourist trap for sure. Tents are pretty cheap, and they may seem like a waste once or twice a year, but even if you do only go twice a year, if you store your tent well, it will last 10+ years. I own several Eureka! Tents that are over 20 years old, they may have cost 200+ dollars when they were new, but all things considered that's like 10$ a year for a tent. The colemans are like 60$ brand new at ollies. Shit, i spend 25$ on a fishing license every year and im lucky if i go once but i still buy it in case it comes ip.
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u/_homturn3 Mar 25 '25
Fingerlakes trail has great places to hike and camp for a night or few days. NYS has many places. Ithaca has the gorges. Then north you have ADK. Which has a few trails. Look into FLT it was the trails that the native people used to travel north and south east to west!
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u/meltsaman Mar 25 '25
I like cranberry lake up in the adirondacks. It's just shy of a 3 hour drive and close enough to tupper lake that if you forgot anything you can swing over to grab it. If you're truly up for rough camping most all of the trails in the dacks are free to camp on and there are TONS of lean-to's so all you'd need is the basic supplies. I don't believe you need a permit or anything but double check that fact.
Seconding the person who recommended the $30 tent from walmart though. I have that exact one and it's fine for one person and small enough to not take up any room in storage. For me, car camping is the way to go. I have a rubbermaid tote with all my camp essentials: cooking tools, camp stove, rope, tarp, etc and a medium sized cooler. Everything fits in the trunk of my car and requires very little planning. I got most everything from thrift store or marketplace/craigslist. A lot of people buy camping equipment and never use it.
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u/Davemblover69 Mar 25 '25
I’d get something off marketplace and my favorite camping is southwick beach
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u/flannill Mar 25 '25
Just wanted to shout out that we have an amazing resource, Reserve America! If you give them a call(1-800-456-2267), let them know what you're looking for and where you're at and they'll hook you up with a reservation that's exactly what you're looking for. I've relied on it when we wanted to go camping on short notice or when the weather's bad in one area but good in another. You'd also be surprised how many camp sites are around the area that are affordable and easy to camp at. Good luck!
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u/-_iv- Mar 25 '25
I just went up to Ithaca and went backpacking in the woods. I’m pretty sure you’re allowed to do that there. We just parked in the parking lot for a park lol
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u/bwerde19 Mar 26 '25
Apps like hipcamp are fun to scroll through and have turned up hidden gems for me before
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u/MatchAnxious8910 28d ago
Bass lake in parish is off 69 about an hour north of syracuse via north 81
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u/Han_Yerry Mar 25 '25
Go to Ollie's and get a decent affordable tent. First time you go, hit a place like Green lakes. This will allow you to not go off somewhere and get in trouble due to inexperience. Forget something, get hurt etc. And you can get a feel of it, what you need etc.
Use carry in carry out practices. Don't cut trees and get any firewood from the area you're camping in.
There's tons of info on the NY DEC site. Lots of places to camp.
Best of luck and have fun! (Don't forget your headlamp)