Starmer Aaron - New York State The Best in Tent Camping

W E HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TENT CAMPERS. From summer nights in the backyard, to family odysseys through the wilds of the Northeast, to trips abroad with pounds of gear strapped to our backs, tent camping has been an essential part of our lives. Did we ever expect to write a book about tent camping? Admittedly, no. But as we loaded up our cars, preparing to take on the task of deciding which 50 places in New York are the best to pitch a tent, we knew we were shouldering a certain responsibility. Choosing a campground can be a frustrating endeavor, a game of dice where you hope your roll wont put you in a glorified parking lot, breathing in exhaust fumes and inserting earplugs to make it through the night. We had to do a good job, because this is a book we ourselves would want to use, many times over.

But New York is a deceptively large state. And there are plenty of campgrounds to go around. Quite early in the project, we discovered we wouldnt have a problem finding worthy candidates. Like coaches, we were faced with the unenviable duty of making cuts. In the Adirondack and Catskill mountains alone, there are 52 state-run campgrounds, to say nothing of privately run facilities and innumerable hike-in sites. We crisscrossed the state, burning up gas, jotting down pages of notes, and, of course, pitching our tents. To our surprise, each campground we visited was quite distinct, and therefore this wouldnt be just a matter of flipping coins.

So we set up a system. We divided the state into seven regions, divisions native New Yorkers will find familiar. We made it a point to provide an even distribution of camping choices. If there were a handful of campgrounds within a few miles of each other, we would choose only the best of the bunch. We favored campgrounds near lakes, rivers, or oceans; and surroundings that were either brimming with recreational opportunities or reproduced the quiet thrill of backcountry camping, albeit with the occasional comfort station. Unless the settings were truly spectacular, we shunned campgrounds where RVs were in the majority and reservations were as hard to obtain as those at a fancy restaurant. In short, we chose the campgrounds where we, at different stages in our lives, might find ourselves enjoying a night under the stars.

Maybe you wont find your favorite childhood campground in this book. Hopefully, what you will find are some overlooked campgrounds, located in vibrant (historically, culturally, and naturally) corners of New York. And ideally, youll get out there to explore as many as possible. Weve seen them all, and we cant wait for the next camping season to begin.

Catharine Wells, Aaron Starmer, and Timothy Starmer