1. Herkimer Diamond KOA Resort

    1. Herkimer Diamond KOA Resort

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    Herkimer, NY

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    Herkimer Diamond KOA Resort

    4.1 (71 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 5:00 pm

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    Camping Cabin and rental cart
    Denise J.

    Back for the 3rd time and we enjoyed our stay! The deluxe cabins were well appointed but the stairs are definitely rickety with a large unexpected step down from the door itself that nearly took everyone out a number of times. I noticed lots of updates in the last 2 years. Camp store staff was very friendly and helpful. I can't speak to the camp area bathrooms this time but the mine bathrooms were as bad as an outhouse, no toilet paper or towels, toilets backed up, whole thing smells and the floors are wet with? Could be water, could be urine no idea. This was a busy Thursday with a school bus of children attending AFTER I walked into that. The staff up at the mine is very unapproachable so I didn't even bother bringing it to their attention. I also think a mine guide who goes over the rules at the entrance would be more effective than the constant loudspeaker announcements by what sounds like an annoyed teenage staff member. Overall still a very worthwhile adventure and we shall return!

    Brittany C.

    Came here for our anniversary weekend getaway. We rented the glamping pod and it was so cute! We had a fire pit and a swing that overlooked the river. There are a few games, including 2 big connect four games, a playground, and cornhole. There is also a sluice area for gem mining, an area for activities and games as well as various walking areas around camp. A lot of the activities are priced from $3-$15. Daily activities stop after Labor Day so we were lucky on a Saturday to partake in rock wire wrapping and a tie dye making class. The garden area has a cute little ice cream stand, and place to grab a bite to eat. I would stay clear of the food by all means...we tried it and let's just say we will be better prepared next time. We got a burger, that's was okay. The beef gyro tasted stale and to replace that, we ended up getting a cold hot dog. We saw another person go back up for incorrect doneness. The diamond mining is $20 a person a day with $1 off if you are camping. Kind of a rip off compared to other mining areas. They have rental equipment or tools to purchase for all of your mining needs. A hammer and bags are free for the day with an ID Overall, it was a good stay but I wouldn't do it again. This place is a money pit

    Gift store items
    Danica F.

    Really fun experience! You have all the tools available for rent. The staff is friendly and in case you don't find much, like we did as first timers with bad luck lol-- there's a gift store on site.

    Jack G.

    What a wonderful little way to get some energy out of the kids. Herkimer Diamond mine sounds like a ton of bull but I can tell you we had a blast. They give you a hammer and a few bags for your treasures, you keep what you find. After a short video on what your looking for it's off to the quarry! Herkimer diamonds are not actual diamonds, they are double terminated quartz crystals found inside exposed outcrops of dolomite in and around Herkimer County, New York. We found a few smaller ones, our friends little girl found a large one value at over $800, pretty cool. You can also make jewelry with your finds there. We had a blast and will be back! Ps wear safety glasses, bring gloves and avoid really hot days.

    herkimer diamonds
    tatum l.

    fun! i found a bunch of these sized diamonds and a few larger, didnt have as much luck cracking them open as other people around me, these were found in the dirt or pre-exposed in the matrix. food & lodging on site would be super fun with kids i think!! great first rockhounding destination for anyone who's new to it!! also.. whoever was on aux today, the vibes were immaculate

    Sluicing.
    Dawn M.

    The staff here went above and beyond to be friendly and welcoming! The facilities were clean and easy to access. There was a lot of fun things to do for the entire family. The pool, and garden area was amazing! Every member of our party was able to relax and have a great time.

    In front of our Glamping pod!
    Emily G.

    Wow! This place is a hidden gem! Stopped here for a couple nights before heading to the ADK. April went above and beyond to help us when we first arrived! She gave us a tour of the glamming pods- which we quickly upgraded to. She was so sweet and welcoming! She even let me niece pick the nightly movie. Tons of kid stuff, tubing down the river and a beautiful diamond shaped pool. Everyone at the resort and mine are so helpful! We found plenty of herkimer diamonds and had a wonderful stay!

    Going into the mining area

    We took our 6 year old son and had a blast. We mined the entire afternoon and my son hung in the entire time. We found beautiful diamond totaling 200.00. Before we left we had the jeweler make our stones into a necklace and earrings. We will definitely be back. Also our cabin was located right next to the mine. It was small but perfect for us 3. It was also clean and the bathroom was nice.

    Dale F.

    What a blast everybody in our family had so much fun here. My daughter is really into Gem mining and does a lot of sluicing. She could actually take hammers and chisels and break rocks open and find Herkimer diamonds she had a great time her and her brother jumped right in and everybody had a great time. Place is well organized, reasonable pricing. They have a room set up with a movie room on how to do the rock smashing and stay safe. Staff was real friendly and helpful I had a chance to check out their little Cantina for a cold drink and a bite to eat it'll do absolutely. Again this place was a blast look forward to another time.

    Herkimer gem mining

    Nice campground-beautiful grounds by the River. Lots of cabins; across the street from the Diamond mine, which was lots of fun. Ice cream and food trucks with many options. They provided a great outdoor concert on Saturday night, and the camp store and checkin staff were very friendly and helpful. Pets were welcome and walking the grounds was enjoyable. They are much more expensive than most KOAs, and still the mines cost extra.

    Herkimer diamond mine.

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    Page 2 of 2

    Ask the Community - Herkimer Diamond KOA Resort

    Cabin pricing and availability?

    Your best bet is to go on the website as they range from mid $50 for a basic camp site and upwards to accommodate a luxury cabin .

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    Review Highlights - Herkimer Diamond KOA Resort

    He is a rock and gem fanatic and the closest place we could do our actual on mining was five hours upstate.

    Mentioned in 12 reviews

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    Crystal Grove Campsite - Hello friend!

    Crystal Grove Campsite

    3.9(16 reviews)
    18.0 mi

    Second time mining, but first at this location. You can mine here until sunset unlike other…read morelocations that have a set time to close. Earlier in the year gives you a longer opportunity to mine! $28 per person to enter. There is equipment to rent or buy, I suggest renting compared to the prices of buying, or bring your own! Compared to another mines, this one is smaller with three different areas, we chose the black diamond mine. Being newly excavated, we had a chance at unearthing more diamonds in this location versus cracking open the stones. Unfortunately, we stopped in during a mining competition so one mine was pretty much off-limits but we were still able to find a lot of cool diamonds and rocks

    Knowledgeable and welcoming staff, cabin was clean, bathrooms were clean, camp showers were hot…read more Cabins have windows and an overhead fan, but if you are going during the hot season, bring an extra to help move air through. We went at a rough time with a brutal heat index but came back with a decent collection of stones. My son wandered and found a few stones loose in the dirt of the mine. Definitely suggest bringing a pop up canopy for shade while mining. The sluicing option (buy a bag, pour in sieve, rinse) produced some great stones and fossils that we can't wait to tumble and polish. Most of the lot is gravel, which makes for difficult terrain for wheelchair users. The beds in the cabin are rough sleeping, especially after a day spent mining. If you can, pack extra padding for a better sleep. Overall, a good experience. We'll be back when the temps aren't so cruel and see what we can get when we aren't risking heat exhaustion to pound rocks.

    Photos
    Crystal Grove Campsite
    Crystal Grove Campsite
    Crystal Grove Campsite

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    Ace of Diamonds Mine & Campground - A Herkimer Diamond I Found

    Ace of Diamonds Mine & Campground

    4.1(27 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    The folks here are not friendly and welcoming. There was very little to see or do but smash rocks.read more

    This review is on our trip in July 2023…read more Our first trip to New York to dig for Herkimer Diamonds was back in 2010. We dug at the Ace of Diamonds mine. Great time & loads of herks to be had. Smashed rocks, sifted through dirt amongst the piles, and walked around plucking them off the ground. We returned multiple times until suddenly the landscape changed and the rock pile was not the same. All there was were rocks from the cliff that the claims people had sheered off to hopefully find pockets in the walls. We find out in our 2021 trip that the Ace of Diamonds is in a lawsuit and it cannot dig up new material/loads of rock and earth from deep in the mine areas to dump for all of the daily customers to prospect. The place is a waste of time and money now. Fast forward to today July 2023 and we see they post that they are able to now dig new material and bring it to the piles. We have high hopes that we will get to enjoy this place once again and head out from mid Ohio to see. Upon arrival the pile does not lie...it tells us that nothing has changed. We buy our wrist bands and ask if they have done as they suggested on their website and added new material. They hedge in their answer and claim that they just cant get any of the machines working...I would suggest that you do not post a promise of new material until you are actually able to do this. Another absolutely sad trip to Ace of Diamonds Mine. I am not sure why anyone would donate to the gofundme. Lesson learned that they are just looking to have people give them money.

    Photos
    Ace of Diamonds Mine & Campground - The rock smashing area.

    The rock smashing area.

    Ace of Diamonds Mine & Campground - Ace of Diamonds Mine Office

    Ace of Diamonds Mine Office

    Ace of Diamonds Mine & Campground - The ONLY Place on Earth where Authentic Herkimer Diamonds are Found!

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    The ONLY Place on Earth where Authentic Herkimer Diamonds are Found!

    Lake Chalet Motel & Campground

    Lake Chalet Motel & Campground

    5.0(3 reviews)
    21.3 mi
    $$

    From 10/9 and 10/10 2015…read more I came here to officiate my best friend's wedding at the Lake Chalet over the weekend, and I have to say- I'm very impressed by this place. First, this place is breathtaking, the lake itself is just amazing to look at with its blue-green color. There are acres of trails to walk, and because of the time of year it's so nice to be in nature. Secondly, the cabins are made of cedar, so they keep an okay amount of isolation in the cold, but these are not heated cabins so bundle up when you go to bed. The cabins are really nice on the outside as well as the inside; you do have to bring your own bedding for them considering this is a campground after all. Thirdly, there is a section here for RV's if you don't prefer pitching a tent or using the cabins. Also, they have a bunch of nice rooms in the hotel sections, which are neat, and spacious. Lastly, I was impressed with the staff here; they were super friendly and accommodating. I really appreciate their helpfulness, if I every get the chance to I would come back here because it's a pretty spectacular place

    Accomodating, Fantastic, Perfect are all words I usually reserve for Michelin-rated restaurants,…read morebut Lake Chalet went so above-and-beyond that there really are no words to describe my latest visit in over 25yrs As I stated in the opening sentence, it's been 25 years since I had last been to Lake Chalet, but that's due to life imposing it's will, and family circumstance. Living in Atlanta definitely has a lot to do with the gap in visiting, but in modern times, that's no real excuse. The reason for my latest visit was the death of my Mom. Her wishes were to be buried nearby in Utica, and that all of our family was to have a celebration of her life at The Chalet. Well, as anyone that deals with family knows, that often things go awry that make circumstances like a "funeral party" tough. The owners Mike and Christine went the extra ten miles to make sure our Mom's party went off without a hitch. There are no words of thanks enough to cover what they did for us in such a short amount of time. The property is spotless, well-thought-out and quaint, but perfect for a small outing with perfect backdrop. The lake is picturesque, and the camping spots are shaded with a very family-oriented feel to the overall property which make the perfect setting for our visit this go'round. Yeah, they can't control the weather, but whomever made the call to the man upstairs, made one helluva perfect scene for my Mother's life celebration. I'm sure that my only visits to Lake Chalet will involve visiting my Mom's burial site in Utica in the future, but it's nice to know that places like this exist. With people like Mike and Christine around, it's safe to say that anyone that visits here will be well taken care of in the best way possible. 10/10.

    Photos
    Lake Chalet Motel & Campground
    Lake Chalet Motel & Campground
    Lake Chalet Motel & Campground - Another pic of that beautiful blue-green lake!

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    Another pic of that beautiful blue-green lake!

    Cooperstown Shadow Brook Campground

    Cooperstown Shadow Brook Campground

    4.0(33 reviews)
    22.6 mi

    Cooperstown Shadow Brook Campground is located in a great area. So close to a lot of nice small…read moretowns with lots to do. The Baseball Hall of Fame being so close was a big reason we stayed here . Everything in this area is so scenic. Ellen was just so friendly and helpful from the initial phone call to checking out to leave. We stayed in the Deluxe Cabin #5. It was so close to the store, rec room, pool, playground and arcade. It was just the best cabin. All new with a large bathroom. Plenty of room for all. The arcade- reasonably priced was a hit with our grandson. The best though was the fishing. He absolutely loved it. Well stocked you get bites from fish on almost every cast. There are some big ones in there as well and have photos to prove it. They carry small fishing rods for sale and tackle too. Bait - yes they have that also. We had a great time at this family friendly campground and we are already making plans to return next year.

    This is a family friendly campground that has all the amenities you need for a wonderful camping…read moreexperience. From RV sites to well maintained cabins to rent. The restrooms are also nicely maintained. There is a nice swimming pool , camp store, rec room and arcade room. For you fisherman out there this camp site has a nice no license fishing pond to enjoy. So come make Shadow Brook your.next destination stop when camping. You won't be disappointed.

    Photos
    Cooperstown Shadow Brook Campground
    Cooperstown Shadow Brook Campground - Another picture of the fishing pond

    Another picture of the fishing pond

    Cooperstown Shadow Brook Campground - Fishing pond

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    Fishing pond

    Gilbert Lake State PK

    Gilbert Lake State PK

    4.6(9 reviews)
    39.8 mi

    I mean it's ok...!? If your going there to fish, good luck. The main lake is not great fishing…read more However if you venture up to twin fawn and ice pond they are ok. It's a nice walk around the main lake. Amazing pictures to be taken of foliage and lake. I would say avoid Summer crowd as it can bring in some riff raff campers. Not great hiking unless your looking for flat dirt road hiking. If you don't plan on camping you can rent a Log cabin. The log cabin rentals are....eh? Do your homework prior to going to be sure you know what your renting. Has beach on end of the lake but can sometimes be mud and not sand. They do have row boat and kayak rentals that are pretty nice. Food stand is good with decent food stand food. All in all it's not a bad place but very low adventure but pretty.

    What an incredible place to just breathe in the fresh air! Amazing campground with many tables for…read morea picnic. The tables are a good distance from each other and perfect for the 6 ft social distancing amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. This park was not crowded, had a few families and dogs- but just the perfect amount this past Saturday. I really enjoyed being here and was so grateful for the views. They have a nice hiking trail and it's a wide open space. I am thankful for the lake where you can canoe and kayak. Everyone is very respectful to each other. The park also has two lovely playgrounds for children to play on- after the pandemic. I can't say enough good things about this park because it's just perfect. If you ever have a chance to get outside and explore this is the place to be. Early mornings in the summer - I cannot wait to go back- but friends don't forget your masks! Stay safe!

    Photos
    Gilbert Lake State PK
    Gilbert Lake State PK
    Gilbert Lake State PK

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    Pratts Falls Park - Stairs up from the falls

    Pratts Falls Park

    4.7(19 reviews)
    53.0 mi

    This is a beautiful Onondaga County Park. There are several well marked trails of different…read morelengths. The two we walked were nice and shady, 1.2 and.6 miles, but because of the stairs and inclines, it ended up being a vigorous workout. The lower waterfall observation area was shady and beautiful with several benches to rest before the climb back up the stairs. The bathrooms were clean and it was a beautiful day.

    I visited a couple of weeks ago, back when we had warm-but-not-yet-sweltering weather. This park is…read morea bit of a distance from Syracuse, but worth the drive. It's not too far off from Heritage Hill Brewery, so you can do a two-for and visit both-- however the park is lovely and worth a visit on its own. There's an overlook near the entrance where you can get a glimpse of the waterfall. However, the falls are also within walking distance of the start of the trail. The hill is on a slant and there are steep stairs, so the view may not be accessible for those who have difficulty walking. However, it was so calming just to sit and watch and listening to the waterfall. The day I went, there were others out but the paths didn't feel claustrophobic. I took some time and walked through the woods. The trail I took was relatively short, I think about a half mile total. I appreciated that there was a marker at the start that let you know how long it was. I am by no means a regular hiker (hoping to change that one day!) but this trail wasn't exhausting and was quite serene. This is a great park with a great waterfall and is definitely worth checking out!

    Photos
    Pratts Falls Park - Clean and large restrooms

    Clean and large restrooms

    Pratts Falls Park - Top of the falls

    Top of the falls

    Pratts Falls Park - Trails, dog friendly on leash

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    Trails, dog friendly on leash

    Adventure Bound Cooperstown - Fish

    Adventure Bound Cooperstown

    2.0(3 reviews)
    34.8 mi

    First off, staying here was fun.. We stayed over Labor Day, when it was very busy, and we made fun…read morememories. The kids highlights were biking all around, the wagon rides, the golf cart parade, and fishing. The good outweighed the bad, but I like reading detailed reviews so I know what I'm getting into- so I hope this review will give a clear picture of what to expect here. First with the good: - the WiFi is great, 5 bars.. as it's a total dead zone for cell towers. This was great all throughout the park. -The "lake" I say this lightly as it's not the size of a lake I'd consider.. it is pretty, you can rent boats for $5 per .5hr or you can bring your own. -swimming pool on grounds (which looked nice) -The campground tries to have fun activities. They have a huge blowup water slide and also a smaller one for littler kids (check to make the schedule (as I believe it changes) -Our cabin was clean and had NICE amenities considering it was just a rustic cabin. (Cable TV, A/C, Heat, Microwave, covered porch and mattress was nice.) This was awesome!! -Staff was friendly, attentive and I'd say like others reviews they make the place as nice as they can, eager to help. The store they have is nice too. Our Bad: (these are things I think the AB owner should address (have they visited lately or ever?) - the bath house nearest us was UP a steep hill... not accessible to everyone. no lights near it at night making it hard to see. There was no door knob on the women's room - you had to grip the padlock to even open the door as the knob was totally gone.. It was grungy. I get it, that it's camping but each bathroom we visited here was the same way. Run down. (Clean as it could be - but run down) (I saw many different staff cleaning while here, and I will commend them on that. The trash was picked up timely, the stalls had toilet paper, and things were cleaned regularly.) -A common theme here is that we felt like the whole place needed a face lift. Freshen up the playground, fill in the potholes, update the bath-houses, the pedal carts are old (the kid that unlocked it for us even said these like 20 years old) -The loud noises during the quiet hours was HARD. The drunkenness, hollaring, cussing, romping on golf carts all throughout the night was very difficult for our family with kids. We witnessed a golf cart crash into a ditch with drunk adults. The campground tried to control the noise I believe with a whistle - but the troublemakers were still there in the morning.. This alone forced us to leave a night early because we needed better sleep than the night before) - *biggest thing that surprised us was the lack of privacy. We felt like the sites were TOO close together that there was little to no privacy. If you are thinking you'll be tucked in and have some relaxing time, sorry you won't find that. Golf carts running by constantly, everyone could see what you were doing and vise versa. I felt like I was sitting on a front porch in a busy town. We were not tucked in amongst trees like we pictured in our mind. One of my pics show this and how tight the rentals are. Things would be way better with every other site being there and the others gone. We felt like we were packed in there.

    Booked 4 nights to spend with extended family, our two families spending about 2k total. In less…read morethan 24 hours, our 6 kids and other passersby were yelled at by a vulgar and belligerent drunk who wouldn't leave the campsite, a family moved into the site next door and promptly instructed us to move all of our things that were up against our deck because they needed the space. "Enjoyed" our morning coffee overlooking the algae covered pond (see: NOT A LAKE) to the scents of the septic pump truck making its rounds. An hour later was blessed with a spray from the facility's speeding airboat which appeared to be spraying some unknown substance around the water- hope it wasn't toxic, because it got in my drink. There isn't enough room to light a fire and gather around it at the campsites (think garbage can fires in back alleys) Inflatable activities that are advertised are only open on the weekends apparently, even though it is peak season. You have to pay extra for any and everything. There is no value here, not even in the typical camaraderie you get with other outdoorsy folks. Will never ever ever return.

    Photos
    Adventure Bound Cooperstown - Inside Rustic 1 room cabin

    Inside Rustic 1 room cabin

    Adventure Bound Cooperstown - Bathroom

    Bathroom

    Adventure Bound Cooperstown - 2 room efficiency cabin (these are more private than most)

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    2 room efficiency cabin (these are more private than most)

    Herkimer Diamond KOA Resort - campgrounds - Updated September 2026

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