Located 5 miles southwest of Woodstock in New York, Kenneth L. Wilson Campground is a picturesque destination for campers. The area is surrounded by beautiful mountains and offers stunning views all around. The campground is in a heavily wooded area, has large campsites available with a trailer dump station, flushing toilets, hot showers, payphones, and a recycling center.
Campervans, RVs, and trailers are very welcome and plenty of the campsites in Loop A can accommodate vehicles up to 40 feet in length. There are no hookups available, although generators are allowed during designated hours of the day. The campsites are mostly back in, but the road provides plenty of space for turning around.
Kenneth L. Wilson campground is a beloved destination for boating, fishing, hiking, biking, and inner tubing along Little Beaver Kill. There are no motor boats allowed on the lake, however you can enjoy the summer time water with canoes, kayaks, or row boats. There are kayak rentals available for visitors if you do not have your own boat. There are opportunities to swim, picnic, and simply relax in beautiful nature away from city life.
The Kenneth L. Wilson Campground is located a short drive from Boiceville where you can buy all your necessary supplies. There are large parking lots located near Little Beaverkill where you can leave your trailer near the boat launch area. The campground itself is located a short distance off of the paved roads, however the compacted dirt remains firm for easy driving and access with your camping rig. Trailers, campers, and RVs up to 40 feet in length can be driven into the campground and easily maneuvered around. The campground was built after the land was purchased from farms in the 1960's and since then has been regularly maintained with the roads and parking spaces kept in good condition.
The stunning location, spacious campsites and proximity to fantastic hiking and biking trails makes Kenneth L. Wilson the perfect campground for new and veteran campers. There are 71 campsites which are all dog-friendly. All of the sites are spacious and some provide ample room for RVs, campervans, and trailers up to 40 feet in length. Make sure to check the sizes of the campsites online since some are only big enough for tents.
There are no hookups available, however there are hot showers, flushing toilets, and a bath house available for visitors to use. There are three toilet blocks interspersed among the three camping loops. There is also a telephone booth available and dumping station located on the way towards the shower block from the campsites. The picnic area is located near the upper pond which is where the picnic pavilion and boat launch are.
All you need is a good pair of binoculars in your RV and some patience to enjoy the beauty of native birds. The large array of habitats in New York means the state is bustling with diverse bird species. It is estimated that over 450 different species call this area home. Bird watching is a fantastic activity for people of all ages and can be turned into a fun game for the children. Grab yourself a bird book and see how many of the native species you can identify singing or flying overhead.
Some of the species you can expect include blue birds, northern cardinal, blue jays, red-bellied woodpeckers, cedar waxwing, tree swallow, downy woodpecker, house finch, or wrens. Occasionally you will be able to see impressive birds of prey including the bald eagle, coopers hawk, golden eagles, and american kestrels.
There are picnic tables scattered through the wooded campground which give you an opportunity to sit and eat in the middle of the forest. The pond and boating area can provide a welcome view. There are firepits available where you can barbecue your favorite meals and enjoy the smokey, fire taste which defines good camping food.
If you are bringing your mountain bike in your rig to Kenneth L. Wilson Campground you are in luck. The trails are ideal for advanced riders and will feature beautiful nature in the dense forests. Some of the trails include Onteora Lake which is a 1.4-mile trail near the Onteora Lake. The Wintergreen Road trail is a 1.2-mile loop and the young quarry Trail is a two-mile loop. All these trails are clearly signed with colors and you can get maps in the nearby shops showing the designated difficulties of each trail. The trails range from moderate to hard difficulty levels, so having experience might be worth while before heading over to adventure through the forest.
Whether you wish to start your nature exploration directly from the campground or drive a short distance west, you will find an abundance of hiking trails. The Slide Mountain Wilderness covers 47,500 acres and has some of the astonishing views. There are 35 miles of trails in the area which are reserved for hikers alone. The Slide Mountain Rail network is particularly popular and one of the most visited wilderness trail systems. If you head up into the mountain forests during the week you will encounter few people, and be able to enjoy the quiet solitude.
The Kenneth Campground Nature Trail is a small nature trail perfect for families. It is a loop which rises 100 feet in elevation and takes 40 minutes to complete at a leisurely pace. This is probably the best walk to take children and dogs on.
If you wish to see some truly breath taking views, you can hike the 11-mile Phoenicia East Branch Trail up to the Slide Mountain. This hike ascends over 2,800 feet and requires a moderate level of fitness.
Whether you decide you want to fish from the comfort of your kayak or off the shore, Little Beaverkill is home to many species of fish. The pond by the Kenneth Wilson Campground is a fantastic destination for warm water fish.
You can expect to catch large mouth bass, small mouth bass, chain pickerel, bull heads, white sucker, shiners, and sunfish. There is also a fishing pier where you can try your luck without stepping onto a boat. Visitors report that sun fish are particularly plentiful, while bass is a little harder to come by. Either way, spending a day fishing in this gorgeous park will surely be a day well spent. Before you start fishing, make sure to purchase your fishing license online or over the phone.
No motorboats are allowed on the lake, however canoes, kayaks, and rowboats are permitted. There is a boat launch with plenty of parking space available where you can lower your personal boat. If you do not have your own boat, you can use the campground boat launch facilities.
Boating is a great opportunity to cool off from the summertime sun, get a chance to fish, and explore the beautiful waterside. The edge of the lake and river are lined with tall trees which provide shade and stunning views while paddling up and down Little Beaverkill. You can explore the little streams, the bigger lakes, and keep paddling east towards Cold Brook Road.
