If waterfalls, hiking, and camping are some of your favorite activities, Stony Brook State Park may be perfect for your next RV vacation. This park in Dansville, New York in Steuben County provides visitors with scenic natural features that include a gorge, waterfalls, rolling hills, and plenty of plant life. The Upper, Middle, and Lower Falls that lead through Stony Brook Creek provide the visitor’s eyes and ears with something to savor. Be sure to take advantage of what you find during your camping trip to this New York State Park.
Campers can enjoy care-free days hiking, enjoying group sports, or observing wildlife, and then retire for the evening at their campsite. Group sports, playground fun, and picnic lunches all get thrown into the events that families choose here. Bring your creative side and have the kids make up a new family favorite tradition on the trail or in the natural pool. Yes, a natural pool. Hikers can take in the beauty of nature as their steps bring them to a pool for seasonal swimming. Winter nature lovers can enjoy cross-country skiing, try some hunting, and play in the snow. Bring your crew to Stony Brook for an up-close view of what our natural environment offers.
Located just outside of Dansville, NY, you can reach Stony Brook State Park by taking I-390 or I-86 to NY-36. Rochester is just 53 miles to the north where you can visit the Genesee River’s High Falls or the Strong National Museum of Play. Or take a side trip to Buffalo, 77 miles to the northwest where you can visit Buffalo Harbor State Park.
Being just off of NY-36 and major interstates, getting to the park is easy no matter what you are driving. However, you will have to be careful once you get into the park itself. The South Entrance may be closed during some months of the year. Be prepared to enter through the North Entrance if needed. Since the park is closed to camping much of the winter, day-use visitors will also need to enter through the North Entrance.
Campsites are back-in oriented. Remember to check length limits for the site that you choose as many sites are only equipped to accommodate small or medium RV and trailer setups. Bicycles are only permitted on paved roads throughout the park. Due to quarantine regulations in the State of New York, transporting firewood must be done under specified parameters issued by the state. Remember to check current regulations if you desire to transport wood in any manner.
Stony Brook State Park’s large campground boasts 88 campsites in three different loops. Although electric and water hookups are not available at individual campsites, comfort stations with showers and restrooms can be found in each looped camping area. A dumping station is also located near the camp office for your convenience.
The park offers gravel, back-in campsites that can accommodate RVs and trailers from 20 to 40 feet in length. Six people and two vehicles are allowed per campsite. One tent is permitted if an RV or trailer is present. No more than two pets per site are allowed. Current rabies inoculations must be present with pets and they must be leashed or otherwise restrained at all times.
Campsites for RV and trailer usage are scattered throughout a wooded area of the park. Some campsites are positioned along Stony Brook Creek where the water can be heard. A playground is available nearby for the kids. Reservations may be made nine months in advance but must be made at least one day prior to the start of your stay.
Picnic tables and fire rings are provided at each campsite as well. Remember to check firewood regulations and ensure that individual campfires are not under a ban shortly before you plan to arrive. The campground is generally open May through October. New York State Parks encourage campers to be familiar with tick and poisonous plant health considerations.
Planning a family reunion or get-together? If your friends and family enjoy nature as much as you do, reserve the group campground at Rogersville Camp at Stony Brook State Park. Open from May until Columbus Day, this huge wooded site in the forest can accommodate up to 60 people including 10 vehicles. Motorhomes are not recommended but not against the rules so if you have a teardrop or other small camper, feel free to bring it along. Picnic tables, grills, and campfire rings are also provided at the campsite.
During your stay, you and your party can enjoy all the amenities of the family campgrounds including the comfort stations with showers, an RV dumping site, and modern restrooms. There is even a cute playground for the kids right over the bridge. Located in a secluded area on the south side of the creek, you won’t have to worry about disturbing anyone with your large group. The East Rim Trail can also be accessed from the campground. Reservations can be made by phone or in person at the park office.
Bring your binoculars and get to exploring the creatures of the ground and air at Stony Brook. Wear bright colors and see if you can score a visit of the Grey Petaltail Dragonfly on your arm. Hit the trails with a quiet heart or land yourself near the water’s edge and see what settles near you. Have the kids count how many different creatures they find in the fields. Encourage your crew to take journals or art supplies and create some new favorite masterpieces straight from the source of nature’s color palette.
The Gorge Trail brings hikers past three significant waterfalls that feed into a pool area near the North Entrance. The Gorge Trail is slightly easier than the Rim Trails but offers plenty of spectacular scenery. The Rim Trails gain quite a bit of elevation as hikers come to an overlook that provides views of the park’s rock formations and various waterfalls. Note: Trails are generally closed in the winter and are not wheelchair or stroller accessible. Remember to check the current road and trail conditions. You may need to access your trail from the north end unless you depart from your campsite.
Looking to relax in nature’s most abundant resource? At Stony Brook State Park, you can settle into the natural pool area that is fed by streams near the trails you hiked to get there. A mini dam is situated at one end of the pool, creating a unique setting for park visitors. Swimming is generally available mid-June through the first week in September. Guards are on duty to ensure the safety of all water participants when the pool area is open. Come and cool off in the waters that nature uses to replenish itself. Remember to check for swimming alerts - as the park works to maintain the quality and safety of the water, it may post temporary pool closures.
Why not reserve one of Stony Brook State Park’s cozy cabins for a change on your next trip? You will have to leave the RV in the lot, but your pooch can join you and three others in one of the eight cabins near the southern end of Stony Brook Creek. Although there is no electricity, water, or heat, the cabin can sleep four people and two pets. Each cabin has one bunk with a full and twin bed as well as another twin bed with mattresses and a nightstand. No bedding is provided.
The cute wooded porch is covered to keep you out of the sun and other bad weather. You’ll also find a picnic table and campfire ring outside. Two vehicles are allowed in the gravel lot and it is just a short walk to the shower house and restrooms with running water. Reservations can be made online or by phone up to nine months in advance.
Bring your bat, ball, gloves and lots of friends and enjoy the baseball diamond as a crowd. Or throw your tennis rackets and some balls in with your camping gear and see who can actually get the ball across the net. The tennis courts, baseball diamond, and a playground invite you to expand your stay and enjoy the fresh air together at Stony Brook. Group pavilions make a great place to embark on a group scavenger hunt during your next birthday camping adventure.
Three miles of cross-country trails welcome skiers at Stony Brook State Park in the winter months. Bring your gear and a lunch and make a day of it. Bring your snowman building supplies and leave something fun for the next crew to find as they pass along the trails. Remember to include sunglasses and sunblock when you enjoy these gorgeous trails. Some trails may be geared more for hiking in the winter than for skiing. Be sure to inquire before you head out on your chosen trail. Snow variances will affect what trails are available for visitor use each year.
Deer hunting is only permitted by bow during hunting season. Stony Brook State Park is an archery-only hunting area. Permit regulations must be adhered to according to the state of New York. Remember to contact the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation to ensure that you have the proper permit and regulation information for the time you plan to hunt in Stony Brook State Park. The park offers a wooded environment that is perfect for finding your next big family meal.
