Campgrounds and RV parks near Thiells, NY

Harriman is the main draw. The park has more than 200 miles of trails that range from easy to strenuous, 31 lakes, two beaches, and lake activities such as swimming, fishing, paddling, boating, ice fishing, and ice skating. Lake Welch Beach, within walking distance of Beaver Pond Campground, is the go-to family swim spot when lifeguards are on duty. At Clarence Fahnestock, Canopus Lake with its sandy shore and nearby picnic area is the jewel of the park, and fishing in Stillwater and Canopus Lakes and the park's four ponds is excellent in all seasons for anglers seeking bass, pickerel, perch, or brook and rainbow trout, with rowboats and kayaks available for rental. A section of the Appalachian Trail passes through the park. Wawayanda State Park consists of over 60 miles of well-marked trails in addition to a 19.6 mile section of the Appalachian Trail. Bear Mountain, West Point, and the Hudson River towns are all within a short drive.

The camping calendar in the Lower Hudson Valley is short and busy. Beaver Pond Campground typically opens in mid-April for walk-in camping and runs a regular reservation season from early May through mid-October. Camp Wyanokie typically opens the first weekend in April and closes the last weekend in November. Black Bear Campground in Florida, NY stays open year-round, and Wawayanda's group sites are available through the New Jersey state reservation system during the warmer months. Summer is peak. Harriman is a favored weekend getaway for New Yorkers, which means that weekend bookings should be made as far in advance as possible. Spring and fall bring cooler nights, quieter sites, and strong foliage color through October, but campers should pack for chilly evenings and mud on trails. Winter shuts most public campgrounds. The Fahnestock campground closed as of September 2, 2025 and will remain closed for the 2026 season for a new bathhouse construction project, so trip planners should verify status on ReserveAmerica before booking. The region does support cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at Fahnestock Winter Park and Wawayanda when snow cover allows.

Beaver Pond has 125 campsites designed to accommodate up to two tents and six people per site, with select sites able to accommodate trailers or RVs up to 30 feet in length, each with a picnic table and fire ring with a flip-top grill, plus full-service bathrooms with showers, laundry facilities, and a dump station for RVs, though there are no electrical hookups available. Pets are not permitted in Beaver Pond Campground or Lake Welch. Pelton Pond is similar in feel: wooded, ridge-formed sites. Each of the 80 campsites has a picnic table, charcoal grill, and fire ring, and there is an area for RV camping, although there are no hookups available or dump station, but restroom and shower facilities are centrally located. Camp Wyanokie is a rustic camping area that cannot accommodate RVs and does not offer any campsites with running water, toilets, electricity or WiFi, though there are two latrines, fire pits and charcoal grills. Black Bear Campground sits at the other end of the spectrum: 160 RV-only sites accepting big rigs, with 10 pull-thrus, 154 full hookups, 20/30/50 amp service, tables, laundry, dump station, and a pool and playground, open all year. Bear activity is common region-wide, so campers should store food properly at every site.