Always amazing times there!! Lots of scenic views right from camp and friendly folks abound.

Well let's see first. No WIFI. ONLY IN HIS OFFICE! 2. You can only buy wood from him. He watches u. 3 the place was dead and he put us and another side by side next to his house. 4. COLD SHOWERS! No hot water. 5 the place is filthy! Rusty areas. Showers you have to hold a rope to keep the cold water on. Good LUCK!! Cash only!! Watch out Uncle Sam!! I just saw my Credit card! He charged me $5.00 to hold the site til I paid him cash. Even tho he had my card number!! Watch out people! B read more

My group has been coming here for years. We most recently stayed the weekend of August 14-17 ,2025. We had an awesome time as usual. We met someone great people next to our site, who also have been coming for years. The campsite was filled with people who were all having fun enjoying the campground and the river . I totally recommend Black Bear. Thanks again to George and Linda for making ours and everyone's weekend fun . read more

we have been going for the past five years, only skipped one the Bears can be scary, but with your family you laugh at it later is great although the bathrooms may be dirty you could talk for hours about the experience with your family. It was so fun we went this past August, there wasn't many bears, but I have a couple videos shared. read more

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Went during the week and had the place to ourselves. Site was next to the creek. The owners are so nice. I can't wait to go back

#Awesome. One of the best times of our lives, with the family growing up. So serene. Who could ask for anything more.

The worst. Office was closed when we got there, evidently it's rarely open. A note on the door of the office said to pick any site so we set up on one but the next day the owner left a note on our door saying we had to move to another site even thought the place was half empty. Then that night he pounded on our door demanding to be paid in cash, saying "I want my money!" Why he only wants cash is curious. The bathrooms were atrociously nasty and not cleaned for days, there are no amenities, and the place is half full with run down RVs that hadn't been moved or cleaned in years. The electric boxes are all loose and look outright dangerous, water pressure is weak at best, the road through the campground is narrow and the trees and bushes have not been trimmed back so expect scratches on your trailer and tow vehicle. The campground itself is right in the village and the sites are very close to each other, so no real outdoor experience here. Absolutely no effort is being made to maintain this place to a decent standard. For all this they charge $65 in cash per night with no receipt. Shady rundown place, rude slumlord owner, no one on duty if you have a question or problem. Definitely not recommended. read more

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I had such a great time staying at Black bear. Before this, I only ever camped primitive. Out along the trails. This is a different experience entirely. You can eat at a restaurant a stone's throw away. Mountain air is so therapeutic .i got along quite well with George and Linda. Entirely professional. I read some of the bad reviews and I'm shaking my head.I personally witnessed George being very attentive to maintaining the amenities-and that's no small task. I'm grateful to have somewhere I can jump on a bus from N.Y.C. And in a coupla hours pitch a tent next to a blue-ribbon trout stream. I hope to go back for many years to come.Phoenicia is such a lovely town. Population 389-someday I may make it 390. read more

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I've been coming to this campground for 7 years and every time it has been wonderful!!! I'm so thankful to be able to camp here !! George and linda are amazing. George always tries to accommodate me/us (depending how big the group is) the best way possible. It takes me 2.5 hours to get the but The location couldn't get any better!!! Besides being next to a creek with a bunch of trees around us. I also have the option to go anywhere from here if I really wanted to. If I want to go deep into nature I can go another 2.5 hours out and come back here instead of a 10 hour ride. But over all I love the ambiance of the place, the people are always nice and happy to be here. I always recommend this spot to a bunch of friends and family. It's a really nice get away from home!!! read more

We have been going here for 13 years. This campground is situated on the Espous Creek. We always have a nice spot on the water and the views are beautiful. If you're looking for a place to relax and unwind and enjoy a great camping experience, I highly recommend it. My kids love it here and so has everyone we've ever brought with us. read more

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Location on river was beautiful. We had fun overall but was not stress free. I love the Catskills and camping. But I would camp elsewhere next time. I thought the vibe was very rustic and was pumped to have a river front Mountain View site. But night time brought some issues. Issues: Lack of bear prevention measures or precautions. Other campers left out food and bags of trash overnight. We did not and had stored all food garbage and toiletries in our car. Unfortunately at 330 am I was by the campfire when I looked up and saw a 5-6 foot male black bear 5 feet from me. Thankfully I had time to grab bear spray and a bright headlamp and alert my family in tents nearby who watched in terror as a black bear ransacked other lazy careless people campsites for their left out food and garbage for this bear to eat. I watched him attempt to enter a tent, rip up a garbage bag, rip up and thrown around a plastic tote of food from a picnic table, and smash into beer bottles cans left out by drunks. He was so bold that he walked right back through my campsite passing by/brushing the tents my family was in. Even with yelling, he seemed to not care about any noise and kept looking for human food. He left my family alone but I don't want to know how close he could have gotten to me if I hadn't looked up. This is a habituated bear, and apparently the owner says it's normal to see "one bear" come though. How about you tell people to lock up their food and garbage and clean up your overflowing dumpster before this bear starts attacking people! DEC needs to do something!! Also there were rats and mice in the bushes near our camp. Also camp was littered with what looked like grey polyester pillow stuffing in the wood chips, and booze bottles left behind by other campers. Perhaps from a bear ripping up a pillow? Not ideal. Also bathrooms were nasty, and women shower is wide open no door with stalls that don't lock. Not great for safety as a young woman showering at night - disaster waiting to happen there. Just swim in the creek instead read more

PROS: The Location. It is right next to the majestic creek. If you are able to get a site next to the creek, and look toward the creek with your chair facing directly towards it, its lovely. CONS: Where do I begin. 1) Management - The sites are so close to each other, the idea of "solitude in nature" either on your own or with a few friends is non-existent. There is no privacy. Instead of feeling like you are part of nature and its surroundings, it feels like you are camping in your grandparents' backyard. The sites are not only close together separated only by a few trees that you can look right through to other sites around you, the sites are incredibly small as compared to other, less expensive (cost comes next) state or private campgrounds. As it is the set-up, you are painfully aware of the lights, conversations, and other quirks of your neighbors. - The RULES of MANAGEMENT - are entirely up to the whims of the owners. There are no quiet times, so, last time my friends and I were there, 80s hairband music was blasting with occasional screams throughout the night. This past weekend, Bachata and bacchanalian reveries were heard throughout the night, not to mention the bright white light of our neighbors, and constant yelling from the group sites that has at least 50 cars, and 100+ people on it. It looked like a a cluster of tents in a dystopian wasteland. But.... what does the owner care about preserving the general experience and joy of camping in nature? They charge by the person, and car.. and pet.. etc... so, I am sure it was Christmas in May for them that weekend. 2) Facilities and site on the campground: Not only are the sites close together, the campground is divided into 3 sections. First section is the RVs, which due to its proximity, resemble a trailer park home with more than the usual trees. Second section is the smaller sites, which is are very close together and behind the actual large home of the owners who lords over the campground (hence the feeling that you are in your parents backyard, rather than the majesty of nature. Third section is the "group sites" which are really the size of regular sites compared to most other campgrounds, and the owner have no limit as to the amount of people on these sites, thus, most times, it looks like a refugee camp filled with cars in the road as well as tents littered close to each other. The proximity of tents in these sites are of no concern to the owners, because next.. we will discuss the cost. 3. As opposed to charging PER SITE, as most campgrounds do, this owner charges PER PERSON, and PER CAR, and PER PET. So, in the space of ONE site, and you have a group of 4 people staying for 3 nights, with 2 cars, the total cost would be over $200. as compared to the near-by public campgrounds, it would be $50. 4. Now, most might be thinking, with the increased cost, the amenities must be superior - with the hundreds of people on a busy weekend, there are only THREE toilets for Females, and THREE toilets for males for the ENTIRE campsite, they are NOT well maintained, there are never any soap, and never enough toilet paper. Trash bins around the campground are non existent. Also, with every visit, there is always at least one toilet that does not flush. Showers are disgusting - For an entire campsite with sometimes over 200+ people for any given weekend, there are only THREE showers per sex. The showers get cleaned maybe, hopefully once a day? 5. The People: The owners and many of the RV campers smell strongly of the red MAGA hat wearing, NRA card carrying crew. There is always a group of the owner's family, or friends out in the main office. The smaller site clientele are mostly hipsters from Brooklyn who would bring $15 travel size bottles of Aesop soap to camping, and are only there because this campsite is not usually filled up compared to other better ones in the area during warmer weekends, and they miss their grandparent's backyard growing up in PA or CT. The group site people are usually party groups who look forward to getting piss drunk on Buds or Coronas and blasting their music till the sun comes up. So overall, in summary - No. There are many other gems in the area for you to explore. This is not camping, this is "camping-esque" in the backyard of your conservative grandpa who looks a little like a Fox News supporter version of Sean Connery's backyard, who is greedy, and does not much care about his customers, nor love the art of camping or being in nature. (BTW, he does NOT recycle, and does not much care or do much about the wildlife population of bears nor any other animals in the area ) read more

Terrible people, small sites, over priced nights. Bathrooms were horrible, not well kept, and dirty. The owners were horrendous. They were rude and called us names all because of a mistake on their part. There wasn't quite hours (even though it says there is) They let a large group of people have their music blasting until 6 in the morning. I'd give this -5 stars if I could. I will, and numerous other people will never be coming back here. read more

Looking for the perfect nyc getaway? Then don't stay here. The campsites are all on top of each other. You'll have to be lucky to get some quiet neighbors because you feel like your in sleeping bags in someone's backyard or living room. No privacy. You can hear the next site's conversations, "I think we need a mixed drink before heading out", well in that case if they are sharing... The website and photos are quite misleading. Our site was directly in front the camp owners house- so close that we could hear their house phone ringing! The bathrooms were close, and the showers were warm. We felt safe in the area. The owners were friendly enough and because we lucked out on the neighbors it was nice during the night time -when you can't see anyone and everyone's kids were asleep. We were just blown away by how small the site was and unfortunately can't say we would ever be back. Next time we can just get lost off of a hiking trail and cuddle with some bears. read more

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Linda & George are nice folks. I can't wait to come back!!!! Excellent amenities and camp store.

I had an excellent weekend camping here. I wanted to post because I had an opposite experience of many of the poor reviews here. George was friendly and nice and accommodating. The sites are rather close together but we didn't have anyone on either side the first night and one camper the second night. Everyone was quiet. We chatted at the campfire until around 11:30-12 each night and were the last people awake in the campground. I never heard another person at night, nor did I hear noise from the highway. It really felt like a getaway from the city and so nice that you can walk to town. I found the bathrooms to be totally fine. read more

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One of the only places I go to when I stay in the Catskills. The owners George and Linda are absolutely amazing. Super friend and they treat you like family. Very knowledgeable about the area and where the best spots are. This campground is right on the river which makes for an amazing stay. Can't wait To go back and have another amazing trip!! read more

I came here last year for a weekend of camping before Warrior Dash at Windham Mountain. It's a little campground and the owners live in a house on premise. It's kind of like camping in their big backyard. Despite claims from others that they are difficult to deal with, I saw no problem with them. There is a nice creek that wraps around the back of the property. Sites are average sized and we had 10 people. And yes, this place does have bears. I remember waking up around 6:30AM on Sunday and wanting to get a head start on personal hygiene. Approaching the restroom building, a woman peered timidly out the door, noticeably startled. She said she saw a bear moments ago and was hiding from it in the bathroom. I laughed and said there are no bears. She dashed back to her site. It was only on my way back to my site that I noticed a bear eating hamburger buns out of the tailgate of a pickup truck, ~75ft away. I continued walking, just a little faster. In retrospect, I guess I shouldn't have laughed at the woman in the bathroom read more

Phoenicia Black Bear Campground - Creek - Campgrounds Near Me - Phoenicia, New York

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This place is disappointing to say the least. The town is lovely and the river is beautiful but the campground is cramped and dirty. The owners are very rude and racist. First of all, they have absolutely no adherence to mask rules or social distancing. When you step foot on this place it's as if COVID no longer exists. You have to go check in in the little cabin in front where you're 2-3 feet across from Linda or George and they do not wear masks. In fact, hardly anyone in the whole place wears masks and the owners couldn't care less. When you go in the bathroom cramped with people not one of them is wearing one. It's insane! Just a breeding ground for COVID. Some of my friends and I walked to the front after we were settled in to purchase wood and I had an anti-Trump mask on and Linda very rudely declared "So uneducated!" and walked away from me. Meanwhile I have no interest in her politics and didn't even respond but my friends and I were pretty flabbergasted by how rude she was especially as a business owner. I also own a business and would never make such a comment to my client (or anyone for that matter.) The real topper for this place is that they basically try to live up to their name by by all but sending out personal invitations to the bears. Their "dumpster" is an old cart of some sort with windows that are wide open for the bears to eat from. We walked by in the late afternoon when it was still light out and there was a momma and several cubs just eating out of the dumpster. Then there were a bunch of people with children just standing around taking pictures from probably 15 feet away! Like seeing bears was the attraction of this place. And no one cared to tell them that a momma bear might attack them if she feels threatened. (except me but they couldn't care less what I said) As the night went on we had multiple bear encounters on our camp site! First a bear came and flipped over our table (which had no food on it) then went around to all the sites around us where people went to sleep with their coolers left outside. Bears came by at least 5 times that night like within feet of us because George and Linda don't care to give people specific instructions and warn them that they MUST put their food away. So now the bears are completely used to going there for food, they're not even scared of people and it's a disgrace. We saw some bear poop just filled with plastic since George and Linda basically encourage the bears to eat there so they can be the main attraction for their campers. It's dangerous for people and it's really unfair to treat wildlife like that exploiting them for their own gain and it's essentially animal cruelty. It's quite obvious that Linda and George could care less about their customers, their property or wildlife. They care about making money and this place is a disgrace. My friends and I will definitely NOT be going back to this place and absolutely don't recommend it. read more

Phoenicia Black Bear Campground - This is their dumpster which is basically wide open at all times for the bears to feast on. Very irresponsible. - Campgrounds Near Me - Phoenicia, New York

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It's really unfortunate to read reviews from Brooklyn hipsters who clearly aren't used to camping, or used to business owners who don't bend over backwards to put up with bull shit. REAL people -- people who work for a living, raise families, provide, etc. -- go to places like Black Bear Campground because its owners, George and Linda, are solid, straight up, kind, understanding people. My experiences with George and Linda have been nothing short of phenomenal. In fact, we routinely drive/ride 3 hours up to the Catskills from Philadelphia JUST to visit our friends at Black Bear Campground, stay a few nights and enjoy the peace and quiet we can't find where we live. In one instance, Linda practically moved mountains to accommodate a group of friends and myself so that we could enjoy a much-needed weekend away from the city. They went above and beyond for us, and I'll always be proud to be one of their patrons. That said, if you don't like the rates -- which are clearly posted on the website -- then don't f*cking go. It's nobody's fault you and your a*s hole friends pay $3,000 a month for a tuna can studio apartment in Brooklyn and can't afford some decent recreation every once in a while. It's hilarious reading salty reviews from people who LIVE in cities where everyone is on top of each other complaining about paying pennies for a campsite that has more square footage than their apartment. F*ck outta here with that lame sh*t. And if you don't want to follow the campground's rules, which include NOT bringing outside wood on the premises, which is ALSO noted very clearly on the campground's website, then find somewhere else to stay. There are PLENTY of rinky-dink bull sh*t parks that cost 15 dollars a night for tent camping, don't offer bathroom facilities, and don't even offer firewood to buy (but rather insist that you find a way to obtain your own) for you and your broke a*s friends to go to. Those of us who go to Black Bear Campground know why we go there -- George and Linda are the best in the business, their property is absolutely breathtaking, and the bars and local businesses down the street are also fantastic. If you're the kind of person that goes to a Michelin restaurant and runs to Yelp to complain that the free water your broke a*s got with dinner was tap water and not Pellegrino (After you didn't leave a tip, of course), then stay the f*ck in the city where people give a sh*t what people like you think. If you're looking for an EXCELLENT camping experience on a beautiful property with humble, down-to-earth, extremely friendly and accommodating owners, and fantastic accommodations, then go to Black Bear Campground. If you go once, you'll be back again. Trust me. read more

Beautiful campground. Small and private. On the river. Mountain View's. Many bear sightings were reported. I suggest going off peak since the camp sites are close to one another and can become noisy if crowded-from what I've read. The owner is a nice guy, friendly and accommodating. read more

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Extremely unprofessional place. DO NOT GO HERE. Upon arrival, the owners were very vulgar. They were very prideful and offensive. When we first saw them they realized that we were Asian and he remarked "what's for dinner tonight? Chinese food?" How offensive can you be? This is the 21st century Secondly, the place is a DREADFUL camping experience. All the camping sites were so close to one another and could hear the conversations right next to us. The bathrooms are so dirty and poorly kept. I could see mold growing in the sink and rust everywhere. To add to this bad experience, they forced us to buy their wood which is overpriced. They won't allow any outside wood. They just want to make money off you, they don't care about you having a good time. I would rate this place negative reviews if I could but I can't. The place is $35 a night per person which is pretty expensive for staying in someone's backyard... I recommend just renting an AirBnB near the place and camping in their backyard. That would've probably been a better experience than the one I had here. Go somewhere else, save yourself the headache. read more

My ideas of camping? Not here. This place is just out to make money. They force you to buy their firewood which is expensive. Also the cram all the camping places together so you don't really get a feel of nature. Everyone is on top of each other. There's hidden fees everywhere. Ugh, wouldn't ever come back. read more

Not a good camping area. Place is very tight, dirty bathrooms that never have toiletries and right next to highway. -Hidden fees -bad/racist/rude owners -cramped space -excessive noise from highway -unsanitary wash/restrooms read more

WONDERFUL campsite! The place is right by the river and is so beautiful. My group of 15 of us all had an amazing time. The owners are incredibly nice and accommodating and the camp store has everything!! It rained so we needed to buy tarps and rope, plus graham crackers for smores! :) And the prices are super reasonable too as some camp stores jack up the prices. We will be back! read more

A visitor's guide to camping at Phoenicia Black Bear Campground Years ago when we first started our monthly pilgrimages; George the owner gave us three rules: First, Be kind and good to your neighbors, we're packed in tight here. Second, Don't burn down my Campground. That says it all. Third, Buy and burn only Catskill preserve, NY-DEP approved wood from the office, We will not loose our license or our trees from bugs that foreign wood brings in. If the first thing you do after setting up camp is NOT walking over to say, "Howdy neighbor! how are you guys doing?" This might not be the campground for you. If sharing food and beers around the fire with neighbored camps that you have just met, is not your thing. This might not be the campground for you. If taking a shower when you get home and meeting friends that you will see visiting again years later and sharing great stories and hiking and fishing and never moving your car for the whole trip; this may be the campground for you. The owners George and Linda treat their visitors to this private gem, will ALWAYS treat you like an adult, IF you act like an adult. If you run out of ice or beer or it's raining and you're walking to town for pizza this is the campground for you. Just as fantastic is hooking up a trout on a fly, while still watching your food cook on the fire pit. Step one manage your expectations You ARE camping! This is not a cabin rental on Air BnB, in the woods by yourself. You will camping within the city confines of the town of Phoenicia, New York. You will see cars. There is no Camp store for ice or food because the supermarket is a five-minute walk away. This is laid out as a very social Campground. Expect to meet and know your neighbors well. You are walking distance to three bars and restaurants, supermarkets, Gas Station, Cafe, hiking trail and some of the best fly-fishing you'll ever come across. This will not, nor ever will be wilderness camping. sitting so close to the confines of the town allows for very little area for your tent but allows for something very special and Quite different. That's why people come up year after year. week after week; to get away. To know this is important, because, as I said earlier; it's a very social Campground. Linda the other owner and wife to George; will ask you when booking about your camping experience and intent. This is a real and truthful question, as many people will come up in groups of 20 or more to party all night since there are NO fixed quiet hours in parts of the campground. The campground is broken down into three distinct parts: 1. Nearer to the entrance is all of the seasonal/yearly rentals and family camping. this is a very "quiet Zone" surrounding the owners Lodge-like house that sits in the center of the camp. 2. The far extremities of the campground are basically made for group sites of young Partiers. you may encounter groups of twenty or more out from the city to get together with friends especially on the MASSIVELY packed holiday weekends. In-between these two distinct areas, lie a buffer zone. (Usually sites #5-#22 on holiday weekends) for campers who want a quiet getaway but may want to spend a late evening around the fire. Again, manage expectations. Spring, Fall and late winter camping provides almost no opportunity to see another camper. It'll be you the Owners and a select few seasonals. Summer holiday weekends you should expect lines of people walking to-and-fro, sharing beers and food or queded up; waiting for a shower with their neighbors in a very friendly fashion. This is a gem of the Catskill region, if you know what you're getting into; this is both a Wilderness and a city experience at the same time. Bears will walk through camp nighyly. Catching brown or rainbow trout is easy right on the campground's grounds with a full 1000 ft of private river access. But make no mistake there may be some people sitting on the Rocks while you're casting your fly-line, drinking a beer. asking: "where you from, what site are you on, do you want to come over and have a beer later." That's about all we can say about our favorite campground. If we're there, we'll be on site 22 or abouts; come over share a story, borrow a hiking map and crack a beer with us and enjoy this Gem of the Catskills. Truly, stop by. -Kristopher & Corinne read more

For about the past 7 years, my friends and I have been camping here. There are many campgrounds closer to home we could visit but nothing compares to Phoenicia Black Bear Campground. First off, the location is perfect! It's a short walk into town if you need to stock up on supplies or if you want to grab a bite to eat. I especially appreciate the fact I can get a hot cup of coffee in the morning instead of waiting for my percolator over the camp fire. Also, many of the sites are right on the creek, which is perfect for taking a dip, or just hanging out and sunbathing. The thing we like most is the freedom we are given to enjoy ourselves. Every other campground I have stayed at always has rules about what time the fire needs to be out, or a "quiet time." My friends and I are not "partiers" or big drinkers, but it's nice knowing we can enjoy each other's company around a camp fire without constantly checking our watches, waiting for the "fun police" to show up. George and Linda are welcoming hosts and trust their guests to be respectful. If you follow the rules and respect their property, they won't bother you at all. I have been reading all the recent negative reviews and would like to add a few things since I was actually a few sites over from the group that had to be escorted out by the police. I don't know the particulars of what occurred but it seems pretty straight forward to me. The group was asked not to bring in outside wood, but they did anyway. They were then asked not to burn outside wood, but they did anyway. As a result, they were asked to leave and refused, which led to the police being called. George and Linda had a whole campground full of guests they needed to keep safe, so calling the cops to handle a potential risky situation seems like the most responsible decision they could have made as business owners. Also, the issue with the wood is not about making money, but the parasites and insects unapproved wood coming in from other places may carry. These things have the potential to kill trees and other plant life, which in turn would kill the campground. It's really quite simple. If you don't act like an a-hole then you'll have an amazing camping experience and George and Linda will take great care of you. Oh, and also, please stop complaining about the bathrooms.... it's camping, not the Four Seasons. read more

Phoenicia Black Bear Campground - Campgrounds Near Me - Phoenicia, New York

Dirty and noisy place. No able to sleep before 2am because of people screaming and partying. You will sleep at 15ft of your neighbors. No privacy at all. We left after one night. read more

There are good and bad things about this "campground." Good: -Right next to a lovely creek. -Good location in walking distance to Phoenicia (really it is right in the downtown). -The Catskills around are BEAUTIFUL -Right by the river, Bad: -Overpriced (especially for being someone's yard) -Definitely not worth the $35 per night. -The bathrooms were not clean. -Cannot pay with credit card....must pay in cash... and the deposit you pay online does not count toward your payment and has a one day delay in getting refunded. We had to pay an ATM fee since our bank is not represented in Phoenicia and since we were not aware of the need to pay in cash. We stayed here three nights and at another campground nearby for two nights. The other campground was MUCH nicer, bigger, and about $13/night cheaper and is where we will stay from now on. read more

Black Bear Campground is centrally located in Phoenicia, NY right next to the bridge over the Esopus Creek. Most of the sites are pretty small and not necessarily conducive to groups. We had a group of 6 and it was pretty tight. Prices are reasonable at $15/night/person. If you want to do some car camping and are opposed to getting a cabin or rental home in the area, this is a really affordable option. Centrally located to tubing places, fishing holes, restaurants, and small grocery shops. I didn't really feel like I was roughing it until I went to the bathroom (which was overflowing and really, really dirty - ew). I'd spend some more time up here, but if I really wanted to go camping, I'd probably try somewhere else. read more

Phoenicia Black Bear Campground - Black Bear Campground in Phoenicia, NY - Campgrounds Near Me - Phoenicia, New York

In the quaint hamlet of Phoenicia by a bucolic stream is this gem of a campground... Until you meet the rude owner! Prior to arrival, my party of two was told over the phone it was going to be $10.00 for us to visit friend who had been staying there for the weekend. We were only going to stay for a few hours. When we got there, we were charged $20.00 to visit. Cash only. Allegedly, it was a miscommunication and the price was $10.00 a person. I let it go thinking I might have misunderstood. Later in the evening, my partner and I decided to look into staying the night. I spoke with the owner who said it would be an additional $5.00 a person to stay the night. I then walked to the convenience store to go to the ATM and walked back to the office. Within the 5 minutes that it took me to come back with the money, I was told it was now $10.00 a person to stay the night. He saw that I had a $20.00 bill from the ATM, refused to give me change, said he was wrong about the price and I l decided not to fight over $10.00. I reluctantly paid the $20.00. When I returned to the campsite, I told our friends about the experience. Every single person at that campsite paid a different rate! The owner just sets prices as he goes. I will never visit here ever again and will make it my mission to warn other people of this poorly run business and the rude owner. Also, I couldn't help but to wonder... if I was a man, would he have still bullied me into paying more? Aside from the frequent price changes, the campground is very crowded with little privacy between camp sites and the owners actively patrol the campground. I felt like he was watching us which made the experience uncomfortable though it was supposed to be a relaxing, peaceful weekend. read more

Wow. First of all, George the owner - is a total gem. Truly helpful, full of great tips, and sincerely wants each of his guests to have a great time. The setting is beautiful, and a property owner that actually cares - always makes a difference. The location is great - not too far in the wilderness, just close enough to the gorgeous creek, and a 5 minute walk to the town center. We had an excellent time, drove around Phoenicia and surrounding areas, hiked, went fishing, ate locally and enjoyed our time spent 'round the campfire at the Black Bear Phoenicia Campground. Highly recommend! read more

I really liked this place because of the proximity to the touristy areas which were all within walking distance including restaurants, shopping and tubing. But as is it's namesake there ARE black bears there. I was walking to the bathroom in the morning to get down on my hygiene only to see a black bear snacking out of the back of a truck. It freaked me out I ran back to my site and made my SO accompany me. He didn't believe me until he saw the poor girl crying the bathroom because she was so freaked out. We brought her back on the journey to her site/ I saw many more black bears that weekend but all from a safe distance. We were a large group... girl we were with didn't like the drunk kids next door although they were just singing and making music. They let us change our site much to my disapproval. Although, they accommodate. Met some awesome young kids there that took me back to their keg tent. Good for having a good time but please be tolerant. They do have a more quiet section. If you're a family I suggest taking advantage. read more

No frills camground right at the edge of the village. There's random scattered trash and some guests stay up late to party. This is not camping in nature...except for the fact that there are BEARS. To avoid bears just stay at a site towards the front near other people...or have a rave like our neighbors did. You cannot bring in firewood. You HAVE to buy it from them. read more

Phoenicia Black Bear Campground - The river - Campgrounds Near Me - Phoenicia, New York

We had a wonderful weekend here! We just got our first camper and decided to use it before winter. George was very helpful and we got a creekside site (I highly recommend). He knew it was my husbands first time backing into a site so he gave us one that was easy to back into. Don't listen to the negative reviews. It's pretty clear most are from the same group of people who got kicked out for breaking rules and causing a scene. I do wish the bathroom was a bit better in upkeep. The hand dryer was broken and there were no paper towels to dry hands. But honestly looks and cleanliness wise it's much nicer than other campgrounds I've been to and it had a very cool sink lol. We will definitely be returning here!! read more

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Great place Quiet Organized Firewood is readily available Drive car to campsite The river is amazing- tubing- fishing- looking toward and doing everything. Relax and enjoy. Much Thanks to all the staff!! read more

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What an amazing 4 day weekend. my wife and I were totally amazed with our stay at the Phoenicia Black Bear campground. we were amazed at how friendly all the other campers were. The owners were extremely nice and always avaialable. If not in the office he was traveling around the grounds from sunrise to midnight. What a wonderful place read more

I had a grand old time at Black Bear Campground. George was very nice and helpful and got us a great spot. We had a spot right by the river but the ones that are inland look nice as well. The spots are pretty close to each other, there isn't too much privacy, but our neighbors were friendly and respectful for the most part. There is definitely more of a party atmosphere here, but I also saw families with young children. The campgrounds are within walking distance to the town of Phoenicia. There are flush toilets and showers- we're used to backcountry camping so this was quite a luxury for us. The bathroom and shower facilities are definitely no frills but they're clean enough for a campground bathroom. I enjoyed my time at Black Bear and I would definitely return! read more

Phoenicia Black Bear Campground - Our site! (21) - Campgrounds Near Me - Phoenicia, New York

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Great place to camp!!! My friends & I have been coming to this campground for the past few years & enjoy it every year. When you first check in you are greeted by the owner George and Linda, who are amazing people. They make you feel like apart of the family! The campsites are close together, but I don't mind that we always make friends with everyone around us which makes the experience that much better. The bathrooms can be messy but we are camping not at a 5 star resort. Most of the campsites are right along the river which is amazing! Waking up to the sound of the river is exactly what camping is all about. The campground is a short walk to the town which makes it convenient when you need a few supplies. We actually walked over to the bar one night to watch a ranger game. We always stop at the diner for breakfast (which is amazing) before we drive home. I have also read some of the negative reviews stated below, please don't let that discourage you from coming here. If you are respectful towards the rules (which are not many) of the campsite you will never run into any issues. Overall, great place to camp with friends and family! read more

This is a terrible camping ground. Dirty, filthy bathrooms with a owner that is extremely rude, no manner or even care to deal with customers, terrible attitude. It 's actually not a camping ground for families. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY. NOT A SAFE PLACE! read more