Trails are open for spring 2024. Camping is currently paused.
01.
Hudson Valley Private Camping
Hudson Valley River Camp offers a unique primitive camping experience. Imagine a short hike to your private 20-acre waterfront campsite! Enjoy easy access with no noisy neighbors.
Your camping fee helps support an 80-acre private bird sanctuary, the Boria Sax Sanctuary in Ulster County, New York. Our low-impact camping philosophy allows us to share the beauty of this enchanting forest with nature lovers while protecting it from development.
LESS IS MORE
Restore and refresh in nature
Roam 80 acres of private forest. Dip in the protected waters of the Shawangunk Kill . Support a natural habitat with minimal impact camping.
CHOOSE YOUR VIEW
WATERFRONT CAMPSITES
02.
WATER VIEW
HEMLOCK RIDGE
This campsite sits at the highest point of the property and is surrounded by hemlock trees. Enjoy the view and private access to the Dwaar Kill below. Each campsite includes a stone fire pit, a supply of firewood for a nominal fee and portable camp toilet.
WATERFRONT
HERON COVE
This campsite sits 20 feet from the crystal clear water of the Shawangunk Kill and is surrounded by undeveloped forest. Each campsite includes a stone fire pit, firewood for a nominal fee, and portable camp toilet.
WATERFRONT
EAGLE RIDGE
This campsite sits above the Shawangunk River with a sweeping vista of the water. Each campsite includes a stone fire pit, firewood for a nominal fee, and portable camp toilet.
Rediscover the healing power of nature
Hiking
Explore the forest and streams of the Boria Sax Sanctuary, home to wildlife and birds. You have 80 acres to roam but you're never too far from civilization.
Day Camping
Don't like camping? Or at least not yet? Try day camping. Hike a few hours then sit by a fire and roast your marshmallows and bratwurst. Hang a hammock. Take a swim and a nap. And then go home to your hot shower.
Tent Camping
Don't love a crowded campground. But also aren't ready for hard-core primitive camping? We have the perfection option for you - secluded campsites that only require a 15-minute hike. Civilization is out of sight, but not too far if you need it. (Overnight camping currently paused.)
TESTIMONIALS
"It's awesome. Don't change anything."
BRANDON O. / Hemlock Ridge
TESTIMONIALS
"An unbelievable experience. . . I've been camping all down the East Coast and this one has been my favorite by far."
KEVIN R. / Heron Cove
TESTIMONIALS
"This camping trip was everything for which I had hoped: serene, beautiful, at once easy to access and yet delightfully secluded. "
KATARINA L. / Heron Cove
TESTIMONIALS
"The campsite is beautiful! There are a few other sites on the property but you wouldn't know anyone else is there. "
JASON M. / Heron Cove
TESTIMONIALS
"The land was pristine and the surrounding rivers were magical to explore. Perfectly remote and private. "
MARISSA P. / HEMLOCK RIDGE
TESTIMONIALS
"Easily the prettiest site I've ever stayed at. "
JUDE S. / HEMLOCK RIDGE
What is primitive or minimal impact camping?
Primitive camping means no running water, flush toilets or picnic tables. The idea is to keep the campsite as natural as possible and to cause minimal impact to the environment. Carry in what you need and carry out when you leave.
HIGHLIGHTS
Private campsites
Our 80-acre property has only four regular campsites - that's about 20 acres of wooded and waterfront property per site. Each campsite has a stone fire ring. Firewood is available onsite for a nominal fee, which helps support a local farm.
Hiking and bird
watching
Hike an 80-acre private forest where you can observe the pileated woodpecker, bluebird, song sparrow, American goldfinch, downy woodpecker, black-capped chickadee, red-tailed hawk, merganser duck, dark-eyed junco, kingfisher, cedar waxwing, heron and bald eagle.
Clean swimming holes
The Shawangunk Kill is one of the cleanest rivers in the Hudson Valley. In contrast, the nearby Wallkill River is highly polluted and often unsafe for swimming.
Frequently Asked Questions
Find out if we are the right nature experience for you.
What kind of camper would enjoy this campground?
This campground is designed for campers who don't want to travel to a campsite only to be surrounded by other people. In our experience when living in New York City, that kind of isolation in nature normally takes several hours of driving and several hours of hiking to reach. With Hudson Valley River Camp, you can enjoy privacy without the extended travel time.
This campground is also ideal for those with some mobility issues. Hiking deep in the Catskills or Adirondacks may be off limits for those who need to be near cell service, a pharmacy or whose knees just can't take a four-hour rock scramble.
Do you have showers, hot water, vending machines and so forth?
Sorry, no. This is a primitive campsite. The idea behind this kind of camping is to enjoy the outdoors in its natural state. We do provide portable camp toilets. And the hike to the campsite is only about 15 to 20 minutes from your car. So it's not hard to carry in food. We also offer firewood on site for a nominal fee, and each site has a stone fire ring, which can be used to heat water and cook food.
Can I buy out the entire property?
Yes. You can rent an 80-acre bird sanctuary, roam freely and camp in a different site every night if you want. Please contact us at 1 845-670-5001 to discuss options.
What rules do you have?
We ask for common sense. Those who choose this property do so because they value peace and quiet and undisturbed nature. Therefore, this is not a good place for noise, music or partying. We also don't allow motorized vehicles or bikes on the property. And we ask that you carry out whatever you carried in.
Are the campsites safe for small children?
Two creeks run through the property. While the water is usually only a few feet deep, it could be hazardous to small children.
However, Hudson Valley River Camp is a great way to introduce older children to camping, and in particular to primitive camping. Since the hike to each campsite is short and relatively easy, younger kids can handle it. And if you find out that you need to quickly return to civilization, it's not hard to get back to your car.
Do you allow pets?
We love pets but we prefer that they stay at home in order to avoid disturbing the wildlife. The only exception would be service animals.
Our forest in literature
The 80-acre property that hosts Hudson Valley River Camp is the subject of the first chapter of Boria Sax's new book Enchanted Forests: The Poetic Construction of a World Before Time.
Dr. Sax is the author of numerous books and articles exploring animal themes in myth and folklore and is a lecturer at Mercy College, New York. He and his wife Linda also own the Boria Sax Sanctuary, which hosts the Hudson Valley River Camp.
"For me as a child, those woods seemed to go back endlessly. After
a few steps amid the trees, time and distance seemed to lose meaning. . . Poachers, lovers and neighbours out for a stroll passed through the woods, but, in about fifty years, I may have been the only one who even tried to explore them repeatedly. A portion of that land, a little over 80 acres, has come down to me, and it is as lovely and unprofitable as ever."
Excerpted from Enchanted Forests: The Poetic Construction of a World Before Time
Boria Sax
