Premier Camping Spots Near Thousand Islands, New York

Upstate New York has some breathtaking natural beauty, and the Thousand Islands region in particular is a perfect vacation destination for getting away from the busy life. Here are some of the very best camping spots.

Seaway Island Resort - http://rvdestinations.com/seawayisland/

Located on Wellesley Island at the main channel of the St. Lawrence Seaway, the Seaway Island Resort is definitely one of, if not the best camping resorts in all of the 1000 Islands chain.

Hosting a total of 150 sites, 60 of them with full hookup and 45 tent sites, this place is huge. All the amenities you could ever ask for on a campground are here - restrooms with showers, a laundromat, a general store, recreation hall, swimming pool, marina with boat launch and dock, boat rentals, children's playground, and more. There is also a bunch of activities, such as horseshoes, badminton, volleyball, basketball, mini-golf, and river swimming.

If you ever do happen to have enough of the campground itself, there happen to be plenty of local attractions such as a restaurant, Boldt Castle, hiking trail, horse back riding, boat cruises, and more.

Also offered at Seaway Island Resort are group facilities, with a special camping area with cooking facilities, a meeting room, and entertainment/dancing areas.

Rates: RV sites are $30/night; Tent sites are $25/night.

The campground is open from May 15 - October 15, and as it's a very popular resort, reservations are recommended!

Riverside Campground - http://www.riversidecampgroundny.com/

The Riverside Campground is a great gem amidst the Brasher Falls area, offering 56 campsites (accommodating RVs up to 40 feet in length) along the beautiful St. Regis river. 40 sites include full hookups, and a select amount also provide cable TV, a phone line and fire box!

If you don't happen to have an RV, this campground also offers three different cabins, each housing up to four people. Their specialty cabin, The Clifton, features a full bathroom and kitchen and has a perfect view of the river, along with being just outside the Irish restaurant and pub that also happens to be right on the grounds.

Facilities included are 3 bathrooms with showers (two with washer and dryer), a recreation center with a pool table, piano and dart board, a shaded children's play area, horseshoe pits and rental canoes and paddle boats. Fishing and swimming are allowed, along with having the lush Brasher State Forest nearby.

There are also many local attractions, such as views of the old St. Regis Dam and ruins of the old mills. Also there is a "downtown" area with a cafe, market place and liquor store. A short drive will also take you to the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino, many golf courses, and shopping.

Rates: RV sites are $25/day, $150/week, $375 monthly, and $750 for the season. Cabins are $40/day, but The Clifton is $90/day.

Black Bay Campground - http://www.backbaycamping.com/

This RV and tent campground, which also provides cabins for rent, resides on Black Lake (the Alexandria Bay area) and boasts to have the best fishing and boating in New York's north country.

Facilities include bathrooms with showers, a laundromat, general store, and boat docks (which you are allowed to fish from), all of which are handicap accessible. There is also a playground for children.

There is much to do at the Black Bay campground, fishing for many different types of fish being just one of them. Boating is allowed, whether you bring your own or rent one, and swimming and hiking are right at your door.

Local attractions include the St. Lawrence River, historic castles such as Boldt and Singer, boat tours, ATV trails, and much more.

Rates: RV sites $30-35/day and $160-180/week; tent sites $18-25/day and $105-135/week.

Yellow Rose Campground - http://www.yellowrosecamp.com/

The Yellow Rose Campground, located in Mexico, New York, is a quainter kind of campground than those listed above, but nestled amongst the serenity of nature and perfect if simplicity is all you want.

Fun things to do such as basketball, horseshoes and a playing field for soccer or baseball are available, with sport equipment provided. Hiking trails and Little Salmon River (which you can fish on) are nearby, but unfortunately there is no swimming at this campground. However, swimming is available at Mexico Point Park on Lake Ontario is just 2 miles away, and the Mexico Point boat launch 3 miles.

Rates: Campers are $30/night; Tents are $20/night. If you stay 6 nights in a row, the 7th is free!

This campground runs seasonally, from May 1 - October 31.