You Can Camp Where The Legendary Woodstock Festival Happened (And It's More Luxurious Than You'd Expect)

To say that 1969's Woodstock Music and Art Fair holds a permanent place in culture would be an understatement. It epitomized good music, free love, and groovy vibes, thanks to the performances of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, the Grateful Dead, Joan Baez, and more. The three-day festival captured a historic moment of time, and Woodstock has since become the symbol of peace, love, and counterculture. What may be news to many, however, is that it didn't actually take place in Woodstock, New York. While what is arguably the world's most legendary festival was named after the quirky, artsy town of Woodstock — where organizers originally hoped to build a recording studio – it was ultimately held in Bethel in the Catskills, a little over 100 miles or two hours from New York City. Another thing that people may not be privy of? You can camp there yourself.

Since the mid-2000s, the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts has carried on the Woodstock tradition by hosting live music acts by artists like Smokey Robinson, Lady Gaga, and Ringo Starr in its Pavilion amphitheater. In 2024, it opened a 528-site campground, allowing visitors to camp either on the historic grounds where Woodstock festivalgoers once slept or next to the modern stage where today's biggest names in music perform. Whether you prefer car or RV camping, pitching a simple tent, or relaxing at a luxurious site, Bethel Woods is an ideal place to visit to combine nature, history, and culture, and tap into the energy that made the original Woodstock such a powerful milestone event. 

While organizers expected about 50,000 attendees, roughly 400,000 people showed up for the Woodstock Festival in 1969, setting up tents across the 600-acre land of dairy farmer Max Yasgur. A camping advertisement at the time claimed that you could "walk around ... without seeing a skyscraper or a traffic light. Fly a kite, sun yourself." But as we all know, the reality was starkly different. Unforeseen challenges — hundreds of thousands of attendees, constant rain, and poor planning — rendered this false advertising, as festivalgoers found themselves slipping through the mud under cloudy skies with little access to food, water, or bathrooms.

Despite the adverse conditions, however, there were no incidents of violence on the muddy fields, the festival's chief medical officer told Spokane Daily Chronicle — a remarkable feat considering the massive size of the crowd. That's part of what made Woodstock such a lightning-in-a-bottle moment, even if memories of attendees were mixed. As Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane recalled in an interview with CBC, "Woodstock was fun. If you're 18 and you don't care about sitting in the mud, it's fun ... For us, it wasn't quite as marvelous."

The good news is those who want to sleep at the original Woodstock site may now do so without worrying about not having access to all the essentials one may need for a successful camping trip or experiencing the same level of discomfort folks faced in August 1969. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts offers a camping option on the same fields where festivalgoers slept in between historic sets by Jimi Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, and Creedence Clearwater Revival. This site includes space for RVs, cars, and basic tents, allowing visitors to combine modern amenities with a legendary location and feel like they're part of the Woodstock legacy.

For those who want to sleep in style, several glamping options are available next to the Pavilion Stage at Bethel Woods, making it a fantastic addition to New York's lush glamping spots. The Pavilion amphitheater was inaugurated in 2006, so while it's not the same stage where Jimi Hendrix played his seminal rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner," it has hosted its fair share of legends, including Heart, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Alanis Morissette. Woodstock performers like Carlos Santana and Neil Young have also returned to perform here, creating a continuous thread back to the original festival. 

The Pavilion Camping options offer easy access and a comfortable stay just five minutes from the stage, making them ideal for anyone hoping to have their own mini-Woodstock experience without the discomforts of the original event. Amenities in the Luxury Glamping structures include private bathrooms, Wi-Fi, full kitchens, and outdoor decks. The Basic Glamping tier features a bell tent with bedding, electrical outlets, and access to shared restrooms and shower facilities. For those wanting a simple stay setup with VIP convenience, a Premier Tent-Only Camping package allows guests to pitch their tents just steps away from the stage. At the time of writing, the rates to camp at Bethel Woods range from $57 to $93 for car or RV camping, and $102 to $557 for Premier Tent-Only Camping and Luxury Glamping options. Reservations can be made online. It's worth noting, however, that camping tickets are separate from concert tickets for shows.