We arrived at Brown Tract Pond Campground early Friday afternoon. We had actually reserved a campsite this time, unsure of availability of walk-in sites. Incredibly, the site we reserved online (the only one left with a pond view) was perhaps one of the best sites in the campground! We had site #24. It's on a hill overlooking Brown Tract Pond (not a clear view, there are pines in the way but not many). Coming from an oppressive 90+ degree/humid Syracuse, the campground was a literal breath of fresh air. The breeze coming off the pond was wonderful and it was at least twenty degrees cooler than in the city.
The sites in our area were a little close together, but some are located farther down the hill and there's still a decent amount of privacy. The ground is really sandy here. While that's great for pounding tent stakes, it sure makes a mess! The sites are nicely wooded and shady and have a nice fire pit with a movable grate. There's a flush toilet restroom directly across the road from where we were. Some of the more remote sites have only an outhouse. The restrooms are fairly clean but there are NO showers in the campground! The shower facilities are about four miles down the road at another campground! Eek! There is also no electricity at the campground, including inside the restrooms. That means...no lights! Bring your flashlights, kids!
There is a lot of wildlife in the area. I befriended a young buck on the road to the campground. He actually let me get within ten feet of him before he started getting nervous, switching his tail and snorting a bit. I thought it best to back off at that point! LOTS of deer in the area, and the deer in town are completely unafraid of people. An army of DUCKS invaded our campsite! Obviously used to people, they took food right from my hand. There must have been twenty of them milling around the campsite at one point, quacking up a storm and begging for food. I actually CAUGHT three of them with my hands! I put one on my lap, much to his disgust. Apparently, ducks do not care to be lap animals!
Our site was on a hill overlooking the pond, but there are a plethora of other sites at this campground. I think there's close to ninety sites here. Some are on the other side of the pond, up in the woods and VERY secluded! You probably won't see the Charge of the Duck Brigade, but I bet there will be more deer and you might even spot a bear or two at these sites! Sites 51 and 67 look really private and we're going to try one of those for next time. There will definitely be a next time at this campground...we LOVE it!
We spent Saturday canoeing down the Moose River. We rented a canoe from Mountainman Outdoor Supply Company (http://www.mountainmanoutdoors.com/) in Old Forge. They have an incredible assortment of canoes and kayaks for rent! They packed our canoe onto a trailer and hauled us up to Rondaxe Road to put into the river. The people there are great for giving information, and especially patient with newbies like us! The driver was wonderful! Turns out he's a math geek just like us and shared some funny stories with us. He carried the canoe down to the river for us and just let us go...awesome!
The canoe trip was wonderful! MUCH more than we expected from it! The Moose River is FULL of twists, turns and trees down in the river that you have to maneuver around and between. It's not a lazy paddle down the river...you really need to pay attention or you'll end up stuck on a log or in the trees along the shore! What was really unexpected was the array of sandy beaches along the river! We stopped four or five times, once for lunch, at one of the tiny beaches. The water is crystal clear and refreshingly cool to swim in! It provided much-needed breaks along the way. If you do this canoe trip, you HAVE to stop for a swim! The trip down the river took us six hours, but we took our time and took a lot of breaks. You could do it in much less time if you were so inclined, but we were not. It's about a twelve-mile trip altogether. Worth every minute! Bring sunscreen, though!
We didn't see any bears at the campground, even though there were supposedly a few mothers with cubs around. Lots of deer, though, and the ducks of course. One single frog showed up as we were breaking camp.
You can buy firewood at the camp office, or from various residents on the road to the campground. If you go to the campground via Uncas Road, I would recommend buying wood from the woman with the baked goods shack. You'll see a sign that says, "Dammit, Slow Down!" Her firewood is only $4 per bundle and it's nice and dry. She's also a really nice person and we had a lovely chat. There were SWARMS, yes, SWARMS of hummingbirds at her house. I've never seen a swarm of hummingbirds before! It was a really amazing sight!
Enjoy your stay at Brown Tract Pond Campground...we sure did! :o)
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Bowman Lake State Park - Oxford, New York
While New York campers are very familiar with parks in the Adirondacks and the Finger Lakes, the state is also home to some hidden treasures. Bowman Lake State Park is one of those treasures. It’s located about halfway between Syracuse and Binghamton but it feels like a whole other world. It’s a beautiful drive just getting here…all lush green hills and sprawling farms. Gorgeous views all the way! Online directions are a little wonky…best to use GPS.
The park itself is very clean and well-maintained. There are 198 campsites on 653 acres (40 are tent sites). Getting a site without a reservation hasn’t been an issue any of the times we’ve been here. There are some sites which are apparently “reservation only” which we found out when we drove in and chose a really prime site (#58). Nope, it’s for reservation only. This was on Friday. Sunday came and there was still nobody in the site. That sucked. But that’s really the only complaint we’ve had about this campground. Sites start at $19 per night. The sites themselves don’t have electricity but the restrooms do. There’s always a water spigot nearby, wherever your site. It’s really best to drive around and look for a site that suits your needs, as some are really exposed and have heavy traffic past them. Some sites get a little swampy after it rains. Our site, 131, had a tiny stream that ran down past the tent. You could hear the sound of the water once it was really quiet at night. It put us to sleep in no time!
The campground is really quiet at night! The sites are far enough apart to afford a lot of privacy and people do respect the “quiet hours” of 10 pm until 8 am. The fire pits are concrete block, raised off the ground and have a grate attached that you can use for grilling. There are also standing charcoal grills at the sites. You can buy firewood at the office. It’s a dollar for four pieces and you choose your own from a stack out front. There’s also a lot of downed wood in the forest if you’re ambitious!
The restrooms are old but VERY clean! The older restrooms look like they have the original wooden stalls and fixtures but they’re in excellent condition. The shower houses are more modern and also very clean. The shower stalls have mosaic tile floors and tiled walls and are immaculate. The showers are the kind you have to keep pushing the button to keep the water going (ugh!) but the water is hot and plentiful.
Wildlife seems to be limited to raccoons, hummingbirds and slugs. There are bushes of little orange flowers that attract the hummingbirds and you can watch them flitting around, collecting nectar. We had a platoon of slugs that invaded the site during the night. At least they’re harmless! Bowman Lake’s brochure warns that there’s a large and active raccoon population in the park but we have yet to spot one. We saw a lot of deer on the roads outside the park, though.
The lake spans about 35 acres and has a wonderful sandy beach. Beach hours are from 11 am to 7 pm and there are lifeguards on duty. There are three swimming areas, each deeper than the one before it. You can rent paddleboats, rowboats and kayaks here. We got a paddle boat and traveled the whole length of the lake, in just about a half hour. Total cost: three dollars! It was a beautiful day, sunny and 85 degrees. Paddling the lake then swimming afterward was just what we needed!
If you like blueberries, you’ll want to make a trip to Stone Hill Blueberry Farm in Afton. It’s about a half hour from Bowman Lake but SO worth the trip! It’s a U-Pick farm, organic, and loaded with many different varieties of berries. We spent about an hour there and came back with nine quarts of the most delicious blueberries you’ll ever taste. I made a ton of jam from the berries I picked last year and it was fabulous! If you don’t have GPS, get directions online before you leave. Otherwise, set your GPS for Afton and follow the signs from there.
http://www.stone-hill-blueberry-farm.com/
The park itself is very clean and well-maintained. There are 198 campsites on 653 acres (40 are tent sites). Getting a site without a reservation hasn’t been an issue any of the times we’ve been here. There are some sites which are apparently “reservation only” which we found out when we drove in and chose a really prime site (#58). Nope, it’s for reservation only. This was on Friday. Sunday came and there was still nobody in the site. That sucked. But that’s really the only complaint we’ve had about this campground. Sites start at $19 per night. The sites themselves don’t have electricity but the restrooms do. There’s always a water spigot nearby, wherever your site. It’s really best to drive around and look for a site that suits your needs, as some are really exposed and have heavy traffic past them. Some sites get a little swampy after it rains. Our site, 131, had a tiny stream that ran down past the tent. You could hear the sound of the water once it was really quiet at night. It put us to sleep in no time!
The campground is really quiet at night! The sites are far enough apart to afford a lot of privacy and people do respect the “quiet hours” of 10 pm until 8 am. The fire pits are concrete block, raised off the ground and have a grate attached that you can use for grilling. There are also standing charcoal grills at the sites. You can buy firewood at the office. It’s a dollar for four pieces and you choose your own from a stack out front. There’s also a lot of downed wood in the forest if you’re ambitious!
The restrooms are old but VERY clean! The older restrooms look like they have the original wooden stalls and fixtures but they’re in excellent condition. The shower houses are more modern and also very clean. The shower stalls have mosaic tile floors and tiled walls and are immaculate. The showers are the kind you have to keep pushing the button to keep the water going (ugh!) but the water is hot and plentiful.
Wildlife seems to be limited to raccoons, hummingbirds and slugs. There are bushes of little orange flowers that attract the hummingbirds and you can watch them flitting around, collecting nectar. We had a platoon of slugs that invaded the site during the night. At least they’re harmless! Bowman Lake’s brochure warns that there’s a large and active raccoon population in the park but we have yet to spot one. We saw a lot of deer on the roads outside the park, though.
The lake spans about 35 acres and has a wonderful sandy beach. Beach hours are from 11 am to 7 pm and there are lifeguards on duty. There are three swimming areas, each deeper than the one before it. You can rent paddleboats, rowboats and kayaks here. We got a paddle boat and traveled the whole length of the lake, in just about a half hour. Total cost: three dollars! It was a beautiful day, sunny and 85 degrees. Paddling the lake then swimming afterward was just what we needed!
If you like blueberries, you’ll want to make a trip to Stone Hill Blueberry Farm in Afton. It’s about a half hour from Bowman Lake but SO worth the trip! It’s a U-Pick farm, organic, and loaded with many different varieties of berries. We spent about an hour there and came back with nine quarts of the most delicious blueberries you’ll ever taste. I made a ton of jam from the berries I picked last year and it was fabulous! If you don’t have GPS, get directions online before you leave. Otherwise, set your GPS for Afton and follow the signs from there.
http://www.stone-hill-blueberry-farm.com/
Friday, July 31, 2009
Cooper's Rock State Forest - Bruceton Mills, WV
Cooper's Rock State Forest is located in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, about ten miles from Morgantown. The campground has only 25 sites but they're spaced far enough apart so you have a lot of privacy. We've stayed here on several occasions and have always had a wonderful time. The campground is situated deep in the forest and is absolutely beautiful. It's very well-kept, clean and quiet with lots of trees and wildlife. The office is usually manned, but if they're out you can self-register by using the cards on the wall outside the office. Just make sure there's not a reservation card on a site already!
Each site has a fire ring, a post for hanging a lantern, a trash can and electric service. That's REALLY nice when your cell phone battery dies! Cell service is spotty here, better out on the road. The trash cans are hanging on posts but you'll probably still be awakened by a raccoon knocking the lid off! The chipmunks are pretty bold here and will come pretty close to you, hoping for a little treat.
You can buy firewood at the office, or if you're ambitious, there's a lot of dead wood lying around at the edges of the campground. Please, please don't cut anything down! There's enough wood on the ground...use that or buy some at the office. The restrooms and showers are really clean here. I think elves may clean them during the night. You never actually see anyone cleaning but they're always immaculate!
Cooper's Rock is just a short distance from the campground. There's a stone path that leads out to the rock itself. You MUST experience the lookout! The views are breathtaking! You can see for miles around, even when it's foggy or misty out. You can see the river below, snaking between the mountains. In the spring the mountains are covered with lush green trees and in the fall, the colors are incredible. You can see all the way to Morgantown from here. There are also miles of trails through the forest...if you like hiking you'll love the trails here. Scroll down to the bottom of this page for a photo taken from Cooper's Rock.
This campground fills up really quickly on WVU game weekends, so it's good to have a reservation. The only "con" to CRSF campground is the curfew. There's a gate at the camp entrance, and one out on the main road into the forest. These gates are closed and locked at sundown. That's not too much of an inconvenience in June, but if you're here in the fall, sundown comes pretty early! I wish they'd discontinue this practice but it's probably meant to stop people from partying out at the Rock and falling off. Even with the curfew, this is our favorite camping spot in the area.
http://www.coopersrockstateforest.com/
Each site has a fire ring, a post for hanging a lantern, a trash can and electric service. That's REALLY nice when your cell phone battery dies! Cell service is spotty here, better out on the road. The trash cans are hanging on posts but you'll probably still be awakened by a raccoon knocking the lid off! The chipmunks are pretty bold here and will come pretty close to you, hoping for a little treat.
You can buy firewood at the office, or if you're ambitious, there's a lot of dead wood lying around at the edges of the campground. Please, please don't cut anything down! There's enough wood on the ground...use that or buy some at the office. The restrooms and showers are really clean here. I think elves may clean them during the night. You never actually see anyone cleaning but they're always immaculate!
Cooper's Rock is just a short distance from the campground. There's a stone path that leads out to the rock itself. You MUST experience the lookout! The views are breathtaking! You can see for miles around, even when it's foggy or misty out. You can see the river below, snaking between the mountains. In the spring the mountains are covered with lush green trees and in the fall, the colors are incredible. You can see all the way to Morgantown from here. There are also miles of trails through the forest...if you like hiking you'll love the trails here. Scroll down to the bottom of this page for a photo taken from Cooper's Rock.
This campground fills up really quickly on WVU game weekends, so it's good to have a reservation. The only "con" to CRSF campground is the curfew. There's a gate at the camp entrance, and one out on the main road into the forest. These gates are closed and locked at sundown. That's not too much of an inconvenience in June, but if you're here in the fall, sundown comes pretty early! I wish they'd discontinue this practice but it's probably meant to stop people from partying out at the Rock and falling off. Even with the curfew, this is our favorite camping spot in the area.
http://www.coopersrockstateforest.com/
Chestnut Ridge Campground - Bruceton Mills, WV
Chestnut Ridge Campground is located in Bruceton Mills, West Virginia, about ten minutes from Morgantown. It's right down the road from Cooper's Rock. We stayed three nights here, from Thursday to Sunday. This was our first time camping here. We usually stay at Cooper's Rock State Forest but didn't want to deal with their curfew (see my review). I had made a reservation over the phone based on info from their website. We wanted a campground with a lake for swimming, not too far from Morgantown, and with nice private tent sites.
Upon arrival, I started getting an uneasy feeling. From the road, the sites looked like they were pretty close together. The whole campground has a run-down look to it. When we pulled into the office parking lot to check in, the uneasy feeling got worse. The "lake", one of the main reasons we chose CR, was scummy and about six inches deep in the roped-off swimming area. The swimming area was also VERY small! We checked in and went to our site, which was #1 in Tent Area A.
The roads through CR are dirt/rock and are very rutted with a lot of washouts. Our site had a steep road leading up to it and was also in poor condition. Some of the sites (16-19) are VERY difficult to access, even with our 4x4. The sites have tent pads on them, which are timbers nailed into a square with dirt/sand in the middle. Not all the pads are the same size! The camp office has a list of tent pad sizes at each site...if you have a large tent, it's best to check with them ahead of time. We knew immediately that our 12x11 tent wasn't going to fit on the tent pad. Having it hang over one side wouldn't be a problem, but the side that would have to hang over would hang downhill, as right outside the tent pad is the hillside! I tripped on a tree root setting up the tent and nearly fell down the hill.
Each site has a fire ring surrounded by large rocks. The rings are a little small but adequate. You can't take firewood from the forest, since it's a WVU research forest. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop some jerks from doing it anyway. There were a few people with saws cutting down trees while we were there. You can buy firewood at the office--$6.00 for 12 pieces or $11 for 24 pieces. They even have a wheelbarrow to cart it to your vehicle. It's good wood and it burns a long time, not the cheap stuff some campgrounds sell. You can't bring in your own wood since there's a problem with emerald ash-borers.
The sites are nicely wooded with very tall trees. It rained a bit while we were there and the trees do a great job of blocking most of the rain. We were still able to enjoy the campfire while it was raining. Wildlife is plentiful at CR. We were visited by a raccoon the first night. We left out some equipment totes, forgetting that one held a bottle of popcorn oil. The raccoon took the top off the bottle, spilled some on the picnic table and ran off into the forest HOLDING THE BOTTLE! Don't be as stupid as we were! Lots of very tiny birds running around at the sites, as well as chipmunks. I saw two deer in the campground on the way to the restroom late at night. Beautiful!
Ahhh, the restrooms. There are some outhouses scattered around the campground and also some restrooms with flush toilets and sinks. Avoid the outhouses if you can! Disgusting! The other restrooms were pretty dirty though. Not very pleasant. The shower house isn't much better, although the shower stalls (2) are large and the hot water is plentiful. The shower heads aren't the kind you have to keep pushing the button to stay on, either. They're the "shower massage" type! There are rubber mats on the shower floor but watch out for spiders!
The campground is pretty quiet. We were there during Mountain Fest, which is a motorcycle rally, mostly Harleys. There were a number of Harleys in the campground but the bikers behaved fairly well. Alcohol is prohibited, even at your campsite, but the dumpsters were full of empty beer cases. There was a band performing on Saturday night, playing bluegrass and hillbilly music. It's free to attend. The stage is near the office and everyone sits on the hillside to listen to the band. Apparently they do this often at Chestnut Ridge. The band wasn't terribly loud and they didn't play very late.
If you plan on tent camping here, check out Tent Area B first. The terrain looked more tent-friendly but still not very private.
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