Watkins Glen State Park has a great campground that is perfect for families. It is a nice wooded campground with most sites that are far enough apart to have privacy. Watkins Glen State Park is one of those campgrounds that you must book early in the spring to find a site for the summer as it is very popular and therefore almost guaranteed to be full.
The Reserve America website (http://www.reserveamerica.com) is the reservation site for all the New York State campgrounds. It is also a good idea to check the Watkins Glen International website (http://www.theglen.com) as to when there is a race on, the campground is packed and there is not a site to be had. If you can schedule your camping trip for Spring (before school lets out) and late Summer (after school is back in session) and early Fall, you will experience a much less crowded and much more pleasant trip.
Camping Area
There are some amazing campsites at Watkins Glen State Park. There are six loops (villages) named after the six Iroquois Nations – Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscarora. My favorite is the Tuscarora Village because there are some truly nice sites that are mostly private and wooded. There is a really nice, very modern playground. 3 of the 6 villages have playgrounds (Seneca, Mohawk, and Tuscarora Villages). The bathroom facilities are wonderful. A secret tip: the best site in the Tuscarora Village for new campers or individuals who want to be near the bathroom without feeling like they are right on top of the bathroom – opt for sites 291 and 293. They have tiny trails through a small wooded area that lead to the bathroom. The sites are very private and really all-around nice sites.
Choosing a Campsite
I found a website, New York State Campsite Photos, that has a number of the New York State Campgrounds listed with pictures of every site available. This is a great tool when you have to make reservations online. It has helped me pick some really great sites.
Hiking and Swimming
Nature trails run through the Watkins Glen State Park campground that leads to very scenic locations. There is a trail in the Onondaga Village that leads to the Gorge Trail. Also, the pool area is located near the campground. There are 2 pools one is an Olympic size pool and another is a one-foot wading pool.
Firewood
Firewood can purchase at the Ranger Station, where you check in, or in the town of Watkins Glen. There is a Tops in town (turn right onto Franklin Street when leaving the campground), where any supplies that you have forgotten can be purchased.
Helpful Links: http://www.nysparks.com/
Address:1009 N Franklin St
Watkins Glen, NY 14891