Stony Brook State Park Campground

- Dansville, NY 14437

Introduction / Overview

For New York residents looking to escape the hustle and immerse themselves in the state’s natural splendor, Stony Brook State Park Campground in Dansville, NY, offers an idyllic and essential outdoor experience. Situated in the picturesque Finger Lakes region, this New York State Park is most famous for its rugged gorge, deep ravines, and captivating waterfalls. The campground itself is perfectly positioned in the hilly woodlands above the gorge, offering a serene and private base camp for all your adventures.

Stony Brook is a haven for hikers and nature lovers. It provides a classic, somewhat rustic camping experience—ideal for those who truly want to unplug and connect with the environment. The park’s unique terrain, featuring fascinating rock formations and three major waterfalls, is what makes it a must-visit destination. Whether you are pitching a tent, bringing your RV, or enjoying the shelter of a rustic cabin, the campground delivers a peaceful, well-maintained setting that is consistently praised by local users for its cleanliness and accessibility to the natural wonders of the park. It represents the best of what the New York State Park system has to offer: beautiful scenery, accessible recreation, and a quiet retreat from the everyday.

Location and Accessibility

The Stony Brook State Park Campground is officially located in Dansville, NY 14437, positioning it squarely in the western part of the Finger Lakes region, in Livingston County. This location is incredibly advantageous for New York campers, as it is easily accessible while feeling worlds away from urban areas.

Access to the park is generally straightforward via New York State Route 36. Its proximity to major thoroughfares makes it an easy weekend trip destination from cities across Western and Central New York. Importantly, Stony Brook serves as an excellent gateway to other major regional attractions. It is often utilized by local campers looking for a quieter, more secluded alternative to the highly popular, but often crowded, Letchworth State Park—the 'Grand Canyon of the East'—which is just a short drive away. Similarly, it is within reasonable driving distance of other Finger Lakes gems like Watkins Glen State Park, making it a perfect hub for exploring the entire Southern Tier and Finger Lakes trail system. The campground itself is located at the South Entrance of the park, offering a sense of seclusion among the wooded camping loops.

Services Offered

The campground is a New York State Park facility, and as such, provides essential, well-maintained services focused on a quality outdoor experience. It is important for local users to note the deliberately rustic nature of the site, which contributes to its quiet, back-to-nature feel.

• Campsites: Offers a generous number of sites, including dedicated spots for tents and sites that can accommodate small-to-large trailers and RVs (up to 40 feet in some cases).
• Rustic Cabins: The park features several rustic, four-person cabins which provide protection from the elements, complete with mattresses, a covered porch, picnic table, and fire ring, though they do not include electricity or running water.
• Comfort Stations: Well-maintained comfort stations are available in each camping loop, offering modern flush toilets and hot showers—a key convenience for any camper.
• Dump Station: An essential service for RV and trailer owners, a sanitary dump station is located near the camp office for convenient use upon arrival and departure.
• Basic Site Amenities: Every campsite, regardless of type, includes a picnic table and a fire ring (for use with locally sourced or approved firewood), allowing for essential outdoor cooking and evening campfires.
• Group Camping Area: The park includes at least one area dedicated to group camping, suitable for larger family or organizational outings.

Features / Highlights

The true allure of Stony Brook State Park Campground lies in its exceptional natural features and recreational offerings, which are readily accessible from the camping area.

• The Gorge Trail and Waterfalls: The park’s premier feature is the stunning Gorge Trail, a relatively easy (less than one-mile) hike that takes visitors past three magnificent waterfalls and through the stone-lined gorge. This is a must-see for all New Yorkers visiting the area.
• Natural Swimming Pool: At the North Entrance, the park features a stream-fed, natural swimming pool, which is guarded by lifeguards during the summer season (typically late June through Labor Day), offering a refreshing and unique way to cool off after a hike.
• Rim Trails and Nature Trails: For the more ambitious hiker, the East and West Rim Trails provide more strenuous climbs, offering high vantage points with breathtaking views of the gorge and rock formations overlooking the waterfalls.
• Recreational Fields and Courts: The day-use area offers a variety of organized recreation facilities, including a modern playground, tennis courts, baseball fields, and volleyball courts, providing non-hiking activities for families and groups.
• Winter Activities: In the off-season, when the main trails are closed for safety, the park remains open for winter sports enthusiasts, providing opportunities for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing on three miles of available trails.
• Proximity to Letchworth: Campers benefit from being less than 20 miles from Letchworth State Park, meaning two of New York’s most spectacular parks can be explored from one centralized camping location.

Contact Information

For reservations, current trail conditions, or detailed inquiries, New York locals should use the following contact information. Note that reservations are highly recommended, especially during the peak summer season, and can often be made up to nine months in advance through the New York State Parks reservation system.

Address: Dansville, NY 14437, USA

Phone: (585) 335-5530

Conclusion: Why this place is suitable for locals

Stony Brook State Park Campground is perfectly suited for New York residents seeking an affordable, authentic, and naturally spectacular camping experience. For those within the state, it offers immediate access to the kind of profound natural beauty—deep gorges, towering cliffs, and mesmerizing waterfalls—that New York is famous for, often without the extreme crowds found at more heavily advertised parks. The campground’s setting in the quiet, wooded hills provides the ideal retreat, offering large, private sites that let you feel genuinely disconnected.

The combination of the unique, stream-fed natural swimming area and the highly-rated Gorge Trail makes it a fantastic family destination. Its location in the Finger Lakes also places local users at the crossroads of wine country, historical sites, and other major recreational areas like Letchworth. For a clean, well-run, and amenity-rich state park camping adventure that centers around one of New York’s most beautiful natural gorges, Stony Brook State Park Campground is an essential choice for a local escape.

Stony Brook State Park Campground

Dansville, NY 14437, USA