Camping in the Catskills

Hi all - I am new to the area and still trying to figure out the dispersed camping situation.  I am used to Arizona where you can car camp almost anywhere.

If we drive through the Catskills will it be easy to find a dispersed car camping site?  Does dispersed car camping exist in the Catskills or only at "official" campgrounds?

There are paid campsites like North/South lake or Devil's Tombstone, etc. I am pretty sure that the gates are down out of season so it won't be possible to car camp for free because the DEC and reserve america would prefer to waste the space.

Primitive camping is welcome on dec / state forest land 150 feet from a road/trail/water or by a designated campsite / lean-to.

A little research through New York's DEC websites and you will find quite a bit of information on dispersed camping there is a website for most parka and management areas.
  

STAY HOME!  '

just kidding

beensandbagged wrote: A little research through New York's DEC websites and you will find quite a bit of information on dispersed camping there is a website for most parka and management areas.
  

Beensandbagged is right on. 

Here's the DEC area map (pdf). Use that to figure out the name of the particular bit of state land you want to camp in. Then go here: https://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/34531.html and take a look at the camping regulations. Most places dispersed camping is fine.

Reserve America is sort of a giant PITA and gets expensive if you camp a lot so it can be nice to have some go-to dispersed spots.

Edit: there's also a nice clickable map here: dec.ny.gov/outdoor/96031.html

There's many established car camping spots on the road with Peekamoose Mountain's trailhead.  I've live here so I've never used it, can't attest to the vibe.  

DL

lucander wrote: There's many established car camping spots on the road with Peekamoose Mountain's trailhead.  I've live here so I've never used it, can't attest to the vibe.  

DL

Is it legal if the cops tap at the glass? I'm genuinely curious because this car camping stuff doesn't seem to be within the rules I was taught.

Last I heard there were a lot of new no parking signs by Peekamoose, too. 

If you wanted to pass the NYS guides test, the answer was legal camping is available in state parks by any designated campsite, 150' away from the things I mentioned, and not above 3500 feet in the summer (and no fires above that elevation).

Please, please do not go up there right now.  

Or if you do, do not go to the hospital.  The area hospitals are already beyond their original capacity for ICU.

There are COVID-19 patients being treated currently.

Don't go anywhere!!!    Even your local hospital doesn't want you.  

Since I know you aren't going to go now I won't jump on that train...

What you are asking for basically doesn't exist in the Catskills.  Too much population density to have enough open space for that along roads and so on.  It's not like dispersed camping out west where you can drive forest roads or through desert and find somewhere to set-up shop on public land in the middle of nowhere.  Catskills have plenty of free dispersed camping but nothing really "car camping" and it's more backpacking...

With that said there are some free options that will closely fit your question but they aren't all that remote.  Some also aren't true drive up car camping but under .5 mile from the car and legal.

shoot me a pm if you want some leads.  I don't want to blow up places on the internet in an already way too crowded area.