One Of The Best Spots For Scenic Camping Outside NYC Is This State Park With Trails And A Lake For Fishing

Though New York City is famous for many things, camping certainly isn't one of them. You have to leave the bright lights of America's busiest city behind to sleep in the solitude of nature, but you don't actually have to travel very far to do so. Fahnestock State Park is a camping paradise less than an hour's drive away from the Big Apple, with a lake for fishing and plenty of hiking trails, too.

This pristine landscape in Carmel Hamlet, a beautiful, under-the-radar lakeside town, was once the site of a coal and iron company, reports The Highlands Current. At the turn of the 20th century, a nature-loving physician named Major Clarence Fahnestock bought the property, as well as deserted dairy farms around it. After Major Fahnestock died during World War I, his brother donated those 2,400 acres to the state of New York, and the land was developed into the Clarence Fahnestock Memorial State Park in 1929. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) then added a lake, pond, campground, and picnic areas to the state park, transforming it into a recreation oasis in the Hudson Valley. 

Since then, Fahnestock State Park has expanded to cover more than 15,000 acres of protected wilderness in Putnam and Dutchess Counties. There are more than 50 miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding in the summer, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. It also has one of the best campsites near New York City to escape the hustle and bustle.

Fahnestock State Park's hiking trails extend for over 50 miles, according to CNY Hiking. If you don't know where to begin, start on the popular Pelton Pond loop. It passes the Nature Center, picnic pavilion, and campground in the span of a mile. For a gorgeous viewpoint, follow the Candlewood Hill Trail. The moderate, 2-mile loop climbs to its namesake summit, offering panoramic views that extend to the Hudson River.

The state park also connects to the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, a 2,197-mile route that runs between Georgia and Maine, passing through a dozen states along the way. Of the 91.3 miles that cross through the Empire State, 10.24 miles are in Fahnestock State Park. This portion of the trail passes wetlands, crosses a stream, climbs to more than 1,000 feet in elevation, and hugs the western shore of Canopus Lake, per CNY Hiking. White blazes lead the way.

Canopus Lake is a prime fishing spot in Fahnestock State Park. The lake was created by the CCC and is also one of the most popular destinations for swimming in the Hudson Valley. Past anglers have caught bluegill, pumpkinseed, chain pickerel, and largemouth bass in the 100-acre lake, per FishBrain. A hand launch boat ramp sits on the lake's eastern shore, and only electric motor boats are permitted. Alternatively, anglers can fish along the shore, or drop a line in Stillwater Pond and Pelton Pond in the state park.

If one day at Fahnestock State Park isn't enough, consider staying the night. The Fahnestock State Park Campground is a picturesque property on the east side of Pelton Pond. It has 80 campsites tucked into the woods and along rocky ridges, open to both tents and RVs. Each spot features a charcoal grill, fire ring, and picnic table. The campground has a newly built bathhouse and each site is secluded in the trees for extra peace and quiet. The camping season runs from early May to mid-November.

As with most New York state parks, there's a vehicle entrance fee to visit Fahnestock State Park. The park charges $10 per vehicle on weekends and holidays from May 24 to June 20, and daily from June 21 to Labor Day. Anglers aged 16 and older will also need to obtain a New York freshwater fishing license, which can be purchased online.

Visitors arriving from out of state can fly to New York Stewart International Airport (SWF), the closest travel hub to Fahnestock State Park. The small airport, which receives nonstop flights from a handful of East Coast cities, is only about 30 miles across the Hudson River in New Windsor. Or, from New York City, ride Metro-North Railroad's Harlem Line from Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan to Brewster in Putnam County. The drive to Fahnestock from the Brewster train station is roughly 15 miles. While you're in the area, be sure to check out Cold Spring, a walkable village brimming with riverfront cafes and local shops just 8 miles southwest of the state park.