Centrally Located State Campground in the Catskill Mountains - Woodland Valley Campground
Written: Oct 12 '05 (Updated Feb 02 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Centrally located, Clean & well-maintained, Good-sized sites
Cons: Bears, Can get crowded, No organized activities
The Bottom Line: Woodland Valley Campground is an excellent base camp for further exploring both the natural and man-made attractions of the Catskills
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| jps246's Full Review: Woodland Valley State Campground |
If you’re considering a trip to the Catskills and you’re looking for a basic, no-frills campground that is located in the heart of the Catskill’s high country, then you might want to consider spending a night at the State run Woodland Valley Campground.
The Campground is located in Ulster County and sits near the base of Slide Mountain, which at 4,180 feet is the highest peak in the Catskill Mountains. Other nearby mountains include the peaks of Wittenberg and Cornell and Panther Mountain. Woodland Valley Stream flows through the campground and just to the south is the Esopus River, which provides white-water rafting and tubing opportunities. Further out from the campground are several different attractions including the village of Phoenicia, ski areas at Hunter Mountain and Bellayare Mountain and the village of Arkville where you can catch a ride on the Ulster and Delaware Rail Ride.
Where is Woodland Valley?
Woodland Valley Campground is located about 15 minutes off of Route 28 and about 20 minutes from the village of Phoenicia. The easiest way to approach the campground is via Route 28, which intersects the New York State Thruway about 20 or so miles south of Phoenicia.
Once you get to Phoenicia on Route 28, you’ll continue slightly past the village crossing a bridge across the Esopus River. From there you’ll take a left onto Woodland Valley Road (which is well signed, the road has a street sign and there’s a sign for the Woodland Valley Campground). You’ll go up along the Esopus River and then turn off and follow Woodland Valley Creek a few miles up the valley to the Campground, which is at the end of the road.
What do you get at the campground?
There are just over 70 sites at Woodland Valley Campground and you will almost always need reservations to get a site. These sites can accommodate 2 mid-sized tents or a small camper trailer. Personally I’ve never seen a large motor home at the campground and I don’t think it would fit because most of the sites are fairly compact and designed more with a camping trailer or a tent in mind.
The sites themselves are simply camp sites with a fireplace, a picnic table and water is available at certain points throughout the campground. There are no connections to water, electricity or septic at the individual sites. However for campers there is a dump station available to empty the tank on your camper trailer.
Beyond the camp sites, the campground offers a large picnic area that has both picnic tables and grills for cooking. This can be used both by day-users and by people staying at the campground.
There is no store in the campground, though firewood is available (you are not allowed to scavenge the campground for firewood) for a small fee. There are also bathhouses that include flush toilets and showers, but make sure to bring some change since the showers do require that you pay for them.
When’s it open and how do I get a site?
The campground is generally open from mid-May through mid-October and is busiest on holiday weekends and during the foliage season. Reservations are almost always required, especially if you wish to have a site for multiple nights.
The registration booth for the campground is open from 8am to 9pm each day and is the only time when you can register for your site. Otherwise there are no time curfews in the campground and you can come and go as you please in the morning and at night.
Reservations are most easily made through the Reserve America website at http://www.reserveamerica.com/jsp/commonpage.jsp?goto=/usa/ny/wood/newindex.html or through the same company on the telephone at 1-800-456-CAMP. There have been times that I’ve lucked out by calling ahead and finding a spot available, but if you want to make sure that you’ll have site, reserving the site ahead of time is the way to go. Plus if you go through the reservation system, you can choose which site you would like to reserve instead of just getting the luck of the draw.
Camping
Overall Woodland Valley Campground is a basic campground that has the luck of being in a very beautiful and recreationally rich area. This is its real draw, as it acts as a great base for people to explore this portion of the Catskills.
The majority of the sites are fairly well shaded, though there are some that are in the open. If you are making reservations, this is the kind of choice you can make when choosing your site.
I’ve always gone tent camping at this campground and at the sites I’ve had, we have always had plenty of space for two medium sized tents and a car (or SUV in our case). You’re allowed up to 6 people at each site and it’s easy to fit that many people into the site.
Most of the sites are well leveled and drained – so you should have little trouble in finding a good area to set up your tent or level up your camping trailer.
Sites are fairly close together – so you will see and hear your neighbors and they will see and hear you.
Bears
Bears are an issue at this campground. When I was an Assistant Forest Ranger in the area, we constantly heard calls about bears in this campground (in addition to others throughout the Catskills). The bears are attracted to the food and the garbage brought in by the campers and it’s very important for you to follow all the bear guidelines. Otherwise you might just wake up with a bear in your tent or climbing on your car.
All three of the times that I’ve stayed at this campground, I’ve seen a bear – and like I said, I hear numerous calls for help regarding bears when I was working in the area.
Take some common sense precautions – put your trash in airtight bags and keep it in your car with the windows up. Don’t store any food in your tent and make sure that there’s nothing that would attract a bear left in the open at your site.
Activities
Woodland Valley, unlike some of the other larger state campgrounds in the Catskills does not offer programs or activities in the campground. Campers must come up with their own and fortunately there are so many opportunities surrounding the campground, no one should be left without something to do.
Hiking
The campground serves double-duty as the trailhead for the Slide-Wittenberg Trail and the Denning Trail, which provides access to Giant Ledge-Panther Mountain Trail. From here several different hikes can be made including trips to the summit of Slide Mountain and to the top of Giant Ledge, which offers some of the most stunning views in the Catskills.
With a bit of driving trailheads for Mount Tremper (which has an observation tower on it), the Devil’s Path, Hunter Mountain, Belleayre Mountain and more are all within a 20 to 30 minute drive.
Watersports
The Esopus River, just south of the campground is home to a commercial white-water tubing business. Based out of Phoenicia, you can rent a tube and ride the water-water of the river. The company provides you with transportation to the put-in point and then you ride the river back down. There’s also a “tube-train” that runs along a portion of the river to bring people tubing back up the river for more.
You can also canoe and kayak the Esopus, or raft it. Most rapids along this 6 or so mile section are fairly tame, but there are portions with Class III rapids that can be challenging. The level of the Esopus is regulated by releases from the aqueduct that runs between the Schoharie Reservoir and the river and therefore, even in the height of summertime, there is enough water in the river to make running it enjoyable.
Various kayak and canoe races are run along sections of the river throughout the year. These occur mostly along the section of river that follows Woodland Valley Road – and are a great way to spend an afternoon. Get yourself a picnic lunch and watch the kayakers weave their way down the river.
Fishing
Not being a fisherman, I can’t vouch for it – but I am told that the Catskills are home to some of the best areas for fly-fishing and fishing in general. Many people fish the Esopus River and when the water is high enough, you can fish in Woodland Valley Stream.
Attractions
In addition to the nearby village of Phoenicia, several other attractions are within a 20 to 30 minutes drive of the campground. This includes Emerson Place, which is home to the world’s largest kaleidoscope, the Ulster and Delaware Rail ride in Arkville, the Catskill Mountain Railroad and museum in Phoenicia, chairlift rides and various festivals throughout the year at Belleayre Mountain and Hunter Mountain and the villages of Pine Hill, Fleischmanns and a bit further out, Woodstock.
There are opportunities for shopping, antique hunting, train rides, museum tours, dining, picnicking and more – all within a short drive of the campground.
Experiences
I’ve stayed at Woodland Valley Campground three different times – and all of the times with several of my friends. That’s even though I have a cabin about 40 minutes away in the northeastern Catskills.
I consider Woodland Valley when friends or family are looking for an authentic camping experience. The campground is significantly less crowded then the larger North and South Lake State Campground near Hunter Mountain and overall there is a lot more to see and do around Woodland Valley than other campgrounds in the Catskills.
The sites have always been clean and well maintained and the park staff has always been polite and helpful and beyond seeing a bear or two come charging through, I’ve never had a problem when staying at Woodland Valley.
Getting reservations is simple enough and the check-in and check-out process once your there is easy. The campground is laid back and overall is a nice place to stay if you’re not looking for all the amenities at your campsite.
I could do without the pay showers, which just seem like stinginess on the part of the State, but in general I’ve always been happy with the facilities and left the campground feeling like I had a good experience.
Final Thoughts
A smaller campground that’s nestled near the base of the Catskill’s highest peak, the Woodland Valley Campground is an excellent base camp for further exploring both the natural and man-made attractions of the Catskills.
From the Campground you can go hiking in the high peaks of the Catskills, explore Catskill villages, tube down the Esopus River, visit the largest kaleidoscope in the world and there’s still more to do after that.
If you’re looking to find a campground central to almost all the major Catskill attractions, you can’t do much better than Woodland Valley Campground.
Catskill Resources
The Catskills
Woodstock
Hunter, Tannersville and Haines Falls
Phoenicia
Hunter Mountain Wild Forest
Westkill Mountain Wilderness Area
Tremper Mountain Fire Tower
Hunter Mountain Fire Tower
Devil's Tombstone Campground and Day-Use Area
Hunter Mountain Ski Resort
Ski Windham Ski Resort
Belleayre Mountain Ski Resort
Emerson Place
Catskill Trails Map Set
Recommended:
Yes
Best Time to Travel Here: Jun - Aug
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