Long Island campsites you can still reserve into fall
Larry Goldman and his dog Duke are full-time seasonal residents at McCann Campground in Greenport. Credit: Randee Daddona
With fall foliage season peaking across Long Island, camping and leaf peeping go together like firepits and s’mores.
Those Graham cracker, chocolate and marshmallow mashups continue to be toasted and enjoyed — among other traditional camping activities — even as temperatures cool and the gold, red and orange of fall foliage intensifies.
“October is the perfect time to go camping,” says Nancy Greenseich, 57, a supervisor and occasional camper at Indian Island County Park in Riverhead. “It’s cooler, less buggy, and it’s amazing when all the colors pop. It’s nature’s light show,” Greenseich says of offseason camping.
Want to reserve a campsite site before all that fall color turns into leaf piles? “The majority of the Island including the East End peaks around the week before Halloween and the week after,” says Robert Lipper of East Meadow, one of seven volunteer Long Island foliage spotters for the Empire State Development’s I Love New York program. Lipper says foliage around ponds, lakes and shore fronts tends to peak even earlier, in mid-October.
Here are campgrounds where you can still play by day and sleep overnight in one of the state’s last geographic areas to peak with fall color.
Suffolk County Parks campgrounds
Nancy Greenseich at Indian Island County Park in Riverhead on Oct. 8. Credit: James Carbone
Open year-round at Indian Island in Riverhead and Smith Point in Shirley and through Nov. 11 at Southaven in Brookhaven, Cathedral Pines in Middle Island, Montauk County Park in Montauk, Cupsogue Beach County Park in Westhampton, Shinnecock East County Park in Southampton, Cedar Point County Park in East Hampton and Sears Bellows County Park in Hampton Bays.
Cost Campsites $7 to $51
Reserve web1.myvscloud.com
More info 631-854-4949, suffolkcountyny.gov
Looking to spice up your leaf peeping with some healthful fall activities?
At parks such as Indian Island, Sears Bellows, Southaven and Montauk County, you can go horseback riding, picnicking, bicycling and fishing in a river or lake. (See NYS fishing regulations at dec.ny.gov).
Indian Island campers even celebrate Halloween in the open air, displaying jack-o’-lanterns and trick-or-treating while overnighting at 137 campsites and four group areas, Greenseich says.
For a picture postcard view, campers can canoe, kayak or hike around the park’s saltwater lagoon, where the waters reflect the changing colors of maples and other deciduous trees, Greenseich says. “It’s beautiful, especially when the sun’s coming up in the morning or going down in the evening.”
McCann Campground, Greenport
Willie Sargent has lived in his RV for three years at McCann Campground in Greenport. Credit: Randee Daddona
Cost Trailer sites $55/day, tent sites $30/day
Reserve through Dec. 1
More info 631-477-0043, villageofgreenport.org
The Village of Greenport’s 6-acre tent and RV oasis is a lesser-known accommodation than local hotels, motels and B&Bs, but it’s just as scenic, especially at the change of seasons.
“When the color peaks out here, it’s pretty stunning. People want to go camping,” campground manager Lisa Otis says. Camping is being extended this year for an additional month, through Dec. 1, Otis adds.
Post your social media foliage shots, then drive, hike or bike about two miles to downtown streets lined with Victorian homes, restaurants, antique shops and boutiques. Ride the carousel or picnic at dog-friendly Mitchell Park and Marina on the scenic harborfront, or sample the Leaf Pile ale at Greenport Harbor Brewing. (234 Carpenter St., 631-477-1100, greenportharborbrewing.com/greenport).
Battle Row Campground, Old Bethpage
Cost $34/day with Leisure Pass or $64/day
Reserve Open year-round for RV camping. Book a site at secure.rec1.com
More info 516-572-8690, nassaucountyny.gov/2811/Battle-Row-Campground
Although tent camping season at this Nassau County facility ended on Columbus Day, RV camping continues at 52 water-and-electricity-supplied RV sites on Battle Row’s 44 woodsy acres.
The RV sites, for vehicles measuring up to 40 feet long, can be booked for up to 14 days, according to the county website. On-site amenities include a gym, a swing set, playing fields and comfort station with restrooms and private showers.
On a recent fall afternoon, John Truitt, 65, of Hempstead, was camping in a tent equipped with a generator, electronics and other comforts. Truitt, a tech worker, says he planned to continue tent camping with his family through autumn and winter, but at parks along the East Coast.
“When you are out here, there’s nothing you can’t do without appreciating all the nature around you,” Truitt says. Offseason camping, he adds, “allows you to exhale and be in harmony with everything in nature.”
