Sometimes the best summer plans involve terrible cell service, smoky campfire clothes, and waking up to the sound of water instead of an alarm clock.
One minute you’re paddling across a glassy lake, spotting bald eagles overhead, and cooling off with a swim. The next, you’re roasting marshmallows around the campfire before falling asleep beneath a sky full of stars—without a single skyscraper in sight.
If that sounds like your kind of getaway, Mongaup Pond Campground belongs on your summer bucket list. Hidden in the Catskills just 2.5 hours from NYC, this peaceful hidden gem delivers the quintessential New York summer–think: spacious waterfront campsites, a sandy swimming beach, boat rentals, scenic hiking trails, and endless ways to enjoy summer outdoors.
If that sounds like your kind of getaway, Mongaup Pond Campground belongs on your summer bucket list. Hidden in the Catskills, this peaceful waterfront escape offers spacious wooded campsites, a sandy swimming beach, boat rentals, scenic hiking trails, and endless ways to enjoy summer outdoors.
The best part? It’s just 2.5 hours from NYC.
If you’re looking for a weekend that feels worlds away from the city, this your kind of place.
Why campers keep coming back to Mongaup Pond every summer
Mongaup Pond Campground is located in northeastern Sullivan County, hidden among the forests and lakes of the western Catskills just outside Livingston Manor, NY.
Situated on a 120 acre lake–the largest natural body of water in Catskill Park outside the NYC reservoirs–the campground combines peaceful forests, spacious wooded campsites, a sandy swimming beach, picnic areas, and boat rentals into one of the Catskills’ most scenic camping destinations.
After setting up camp, here’s what you can look forward to:
- 🌲 Escape into the Catskills: Spread across 680 wooded acres, Mongaup Pond feels completely removed from city life despite being just a few hours from NYC. Towering trees, quiet campsites, and abundant wildlife make it easy to unplug for a weekend
- 🏖️ Spend all day at the lake: The campground’s biggest draw is its beautiful 120-acre lake, complete with a sandy swimming beach, observation deck, picnic tables, accessible showers, and plenty of room to relax by the water
- 🚣 Paddle, fish, hike, or simply unwind: Whether you want to rent a canoe or rowboat, launch your own kayak, cast a line for brook trout, smallmouth bass, yellow perch, and pickerel, or explore nearby hiking trails, there’s no shortage of ways to spend the day outdoors
- ⛺ Everything you need for a comfortable camping trip: Mongaup Pond features 163 tent and trailer campsites, along with hot showers, flush toilets, picnic tables, grills, a picnic pavilion, boat launch, trailer dump station, recycling center, and more
Summer is also one of the best times to visit thanks to the campground’s seasonal environmental and recreational programs, which run from July through September.
Things to do near Mongaup Pond Campground
If you’re looking to venture beyond the campground, there are plenty of nearby attractions worth adding to your itinerary.
Just three miles away is the Catskill Fish Hatchery, one of New York’s largest trout hatcheries. Located along the famed Beaver Kill and Willowemoc Creek, the facility raises roughly 115,000 pounds of brown trout each year and welcomes visitors daily.
You can also spend an afternoon exploring Livingston Manor, a charming Catskills town known for its local shops, breweries, restaurants, and fly-fishing culture.
If you’re craving even more outdoor adventure, the Upper Delaware National Scenic and Recreational River offers kayaking, rafting, tubing, fishing, hiking, and scenic overlooks just a short drive away.
What to Know Before You Go
- 🏕️ Booking: Reservations can be made through ReserveAmerica
- 🗓️ Season: Mongaup Pond Campground is open May 15 through September 7, 2026
- 📍 Location: 231 Mongaup Pond Road, Livingston Manor, NY 12758
- 💰 Nightly rates: Campsites start at $22 per night, with an additional $5 nightly surcharge for out-of-state residents
- ⏳ Book early: Summer weekends are especially popular, so campsites often fill well in advance