Review of camp sites at Woodland Valley Campground
UPDATE: Please review the comments on this posting before booking a campsite based on these recommendations. Hurricane Irene apparently caused major damage, and many of the sites have changed.
Previously, I wrote about how choosing a campsite online is a bit like taking a shot in the dark. A good campsite is scenic and private—but how can you tell online whether a site is either of these? How useful it would be, I thought, if a website offered reviews on each site in a campground?
So when we stayed at Woodland Valley Campground in Phoenicia, located in the Catskills, we jotted down some impressions for each site. Such a reference is too late to be of use to me—and, with 300+ campgrounds in New York state alone, it's a drop in the bucket—but if at least one person finds it useful, then this blog posting was worth the time. (Please post a comment if you find this site and use this info to select a site.)
Download the Woodland Valley Campground map, and then compare the notes below with the sites listed on the map. Happy camping!
1, 2, 3 - Tiny, near road
4 - Next to road, but decent size
5, 6 - Small, close to each other, no privacy, but grassy
7 - Somewhat secluded
8 - Big and shady, nice view of stream, possibly nicest site in campground
9, 10 - Shady, nice, on stream, but right next to each other
11, 12 - Small, no privacy
13, 14, 15 - Lacking privacy
16, 17, 18, 19 - All good sized, but lacking privacy from each other
20 - Private, shaded, near stream
21 - Grassy, some shade, on the small side
22 - Small, across from bathroom
23 - Small, no shade, across from bathroom
24 - Pretty good
25 - Secluded, shady
26 - Nice site
27 - Shady
28 - Shady but close to road
29 - Big, partly shaded
30 - Big but no privacy
31 - Good size, shady
32 - Big but no privacy
33 - Big and shady but right next to road
34 - Pretty good
35 - Small
36 - No privacy
37 - Pretty big but next to road
38 - Nice, shady
39 - Partly shady but small, next to bathroom and road
40 - Next to road but nice
41 - Partly shady, nice, private
42 - Small
43 - Small but next to stream, pretty shady
44, 45 - Lacks shade but private and next to creek
46 - A bit small, lacks shade
47 - Small but shady, next to trailhead
48 - Very small and mere feet from road
49 - Tiny!
50, 51 - Small, lacks shade, on road
52 - Very small
53 - No grass, small
54 - Shady, woodsy, flat
55 - Small but shady
56 - Very small, right at entrance
57 - Grassy, nice trees
58 - Small, next to road
59 - No privacy, lacks shade
60, 61 - Next to road but very shady and good size
62 - Next to road but shady, good size, woodsy
63 - Small, next to road and recycling station
64 - Very small but woodsy
65 - Secluded, woodsy, very nice
66, 67 - Secluded, woodsy, very nice but not private from each other
68 - Good size, shady
69 - Good shade but next to road and ranger residence, lacks privacy
Previously, I wrote about how choosing a campsite online is a bit like taking a shot in the dark. A good campsite is scenic and private—but how can you tell online whether a site is either of these? How useful it would be, I thought, if a website offered reviews on each site in a campground?
So when we stayed at Woodland Valley Campground in Phoenicia, located in the Catskills, we jotted down some impressions for each site. Such a reference is too late to be of use to me—and, with 300+ campgrounds in New York state alone, it's a drop in the bucket—but if at least one person finds it useful, then this blog posting was worth the time. (Please post a comment if you find this site and use this info to select a site.)
Download the Woodland Valley Campground map, and then compare the notes below with the sites listed on the map. Happy camping!
1, 2, 3 - Tiny, near road
4 - Next to road, but decent size
5, 6 - Small, close to each other, no privacy, but grassy
7 - Somewhat secluded
8 - Big and shady, nice view of stream, possibly nicest site in campground
9, 10 - Shady, nice, on stream, but right next to each other
11, 12 - Small, no privacy
13, 14, 15 - Lacking privacy
16, 17, 18, 19 - All good sized, but lacking privacy from each other
20 - Private, shaded, near stream
21 - Grassy, some shade, on the small side
22 - Small, across from bathroom
23 - Small, no shade, across from bathroom
24 - Pretty good
25 - Secluded, shady
26 - Nice site
27 - Shady
28 - Shady but close to road
29 - Big, partly shaded
30 - Big but no privacy
31 - Good size, shady
32 - Big but no privacy
33 - Big and shady but right next to road
34 - Pretty good
35 - Small
36 - No privacy
37 - Pretty big but next to road
38 - Nice, shady
39 - Partly shady but small, next to bathroom and road
40 - Next to road but nice
41 - Partly shady, nice, private
42 - Small
43 - Small but next to stream, pretty shady
44, 45 - Lacks shade but private and next to creek
46 - A bit small, lacks shade
47 - Small but shady, next to trailhead
48 - Very small and mere feet from road
49 - Tiny!
50, 51 - Small, lacks shade, on road
52 - Very small
53 - No grass, small
54 - Shady, woodsy, flat
55 - Small but shady
56 - Very small, right at entrance
57 - Grassy, nice trees
58 - Small, next to road
59 - No privacy, lacks shade
60, 61 - Next to road but very shady and good size
62 - Next to road but shady, good size, woodsy
63 - Small, next to road and recycling station
64 - Very small but woodsy
65 - Secluded, woodsy, very nice
66, 67 - Secluded, woodsy, very nice but not private from each other
68 - Good size, shady
69 - Good shade but next to road and ranger residence, lacks privacy
posted by Michael Strickland | permalink
34 Comments:
Hi! While I've never camped at this particular campsite, I did find this information very useful. I am in agreement with you when it comes to the whole "Which site do I choose?" issue. I've been camping since before I can remember and I still have a problem when I go online to Reserve America. I mainly camp at Mongaup Pond but as there are 165 sites its still hard to figure out which site was the one I fell in love with when I was there! And as there a ton of really bad sites there (ie: too small, no privacy, right on the road, or all of the above) I was looking for a possible detailed review online for this campground and could not find one. Very dissapointing. However, I am now intrigued and will probabbly be visiting Woodland Valley soon based on your info! Thanks!
Just booked campsite 8 for a weekend later this summer based on your recommendation. We'll see if it is as good as promised. Thanks!
PG, enjoy! When we went back another time, after I posted this listing, we reserved #8, and it was great. We live on the west coast now, and we miss the Catskills!
Thanks. Very helpful.
This was an absolute GOLD MINE for me, thanks so much Michael. I couldn't decide between here and Kenneth L. Wilson state park, but this comprehensive guide really quelled my privacy fears about Woodland Valley. Thanks again, you definitely helped this person.
One note about sites being "next to the road": the campground is at the end of the road, so the only comings/goings on the road are people from the campground (though that could still cause some noise issue). And while I note some sites as "woodsy," the whole campground in general (like the Catskills as a whole) is very woodsy. Really a great campground!
My family and I just spent this past Memorial Day weekend camping at Woodland Valley.(normally we choose North South Lake but they were booked solid) It was our first time here and we had a wonderfull time, no rude Rangers dispite abundent poor reviews via internet, and we saw more wildlife here and on hikes then we ever encountered @ North South Lake (black bears, timber rattle snakes, NOT IN THE CAMPGROUND THANKFULLY!). Sadly to say, site eight while still pleasent is no longer what it used to be. Hurricane Irene wiped it off the map along with site seven. The campground had to rearrange the map a bit removing site nine completly. Even still we plan to return very soon, a real nice place to camp!
Heading up there in a few weeks. Usually camp at North South Lake but its all booked up. Landed site #7 at Woodland Valley. Thanks for the information.
very helpful... thanks for posting this. I wish more campgrounds had descriptions/reviews of each individual site
thank you. just booked #8!
8/3-8/5/12 stayed at site 34 and 36. Excellent sites unfortunately creek was dry. We were visited by a bear but the rangers were very responsive and helpful the next day reminding all sites not to leave out food. Bathrooms and showers very very clean. Unfortunately rain prevailed on 8/6 and we had to leave. The region needed the rain.
Thanks for posting. It was the only info I could find online regarding this campground.
WARNING! This blog is outdated. Don't go by these recommendations. After Hurricane Irene in 2011 the campsite is completely different and the reviews of some of the sites have changed. Several spots were combined, some are no more, many trees were taken out by floodwaters. For instance, Site 8 is probably the worst site now. The creek overflowed and all the trees were washed away. The map on ReserveAmerica is WRONG. At the end of the road are now 3 gravel sites in a row, 6,7,8. The only trees are the ones that separate the spots and they are about 8 feet apart. These spots are good for RVs only and you are right on top of your neighbor. There is also a house right across from these 3 sites so your view is ruined. The most desirable parts of the campground are on the opposite side of the caretakers cabin. Spot 26 and 25 are deep in the woods. Spot 25 sits right on the water. Go with anything that has a higher number but call the caretaker first as some spot are night on the road and tiny. Spot 45washed away during Irene and doesn't even exist anymore. This is an iffy campground. Some spots are tiny and right on the road and some are magnificant. Best bet is to call the caretaker, tell her what you are looking for, and let her make suggestions. Don't go by these reviews anymore, prior to Aug 2011 they were accurate, but not anymore.
Just used this to book our campsite! Thank you so much!
Im looking into sites and as you've said its a stab in the dark there web sties lack information..i may be reserving a site here thanks to your descriptions...so thanks a lot! well see how it turns out!
Thanks for this!
Thank you for taking the time to post this, we used your info to select our campsite! Thanks!
We're using your advice when we stay there this summer, thank you for taking the time!
Sites 61 and 63 are nice and shady, good spots for Hammocks! Site 39 is gigantic, and conveniently located near the bathrooms and sinks/recycling station, but far enough away that you don't hear anything from those buildings.
This is great! I took photos of every site there the last time I was there, then lost them all when phone died, going to repeat next time and can send to you if you want to add to your descriptions.
Thanks for the site reviews. There's a new site, #71. I booked that one since the ones available were not given great reviews (very last minute trip). I'll let you know how that site is and you can update the list :)
Thanks a lot, very useful. I reserved a sopt based on the reviews but then I read the comment that the campground changed a lot lately. I hope I still got a good site... I'll let you know
Just to let everybody know this review is no longer accurate since Hurricane Irene.
This post is VERY useful! Thank you so much for taking the time to research the sites at Woodland Valley. We stayed at #65, which was as you described: secluded (at least relative to other sites), woodsy, and nice.
I actually used this website to pick our first campsite at Woodland Valley. This site is very helpful and I just used it again to pick our site for our second visit to woodland valley. I love this place.
Thank you for doing this! What a great service. I just booked site 65--so excited to have found this inside information. I am going to do this for other people for every park I camp in from now on!
Years after writing it, your blog is still helping people. Your write-up and notes were very helpful in my choosing our site. Thank you!
Thank you for this!
Thanks a lot. Very helpful :)
we just booked site 8 thank you for the heads up!!
Wow! I just stumbled across your page while looking for reviews of campgrounds. I love the information and organization! Thanks for this valuable resource.
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Thanks for this info - I was too quick and booked site #8 after reading the post, but changed it to site #65 after reading the comments about the hurricane changes. I'll try to post another comment after my August trip and let you know how the site was.
This is really helpful information as I am looking for booking a site at Woodland Valley Campground. It was hard to find site specific information but I'm glad I came across this!
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