Camping trip planning questions, sorted before anything at a gorge is reserved
These are the camping trip planning questions worth settling before choosing a gorge, a way to sleep, or a weekend. If yours is missing, call or write and it may end up here.
Do the campgrounds welcome children?
Most do, when children travel with their parents and share the tent, cabin or room. Every campground on the site is a lodging business for adults and families, with its own rules about ages and quiet hours, and the quote repeats them.
Is there a charge from the office itself?
No. The campground or inn you choose pays the office a commission out of its own rate. You pay the campground directly; no card number is requested through the site.
Why do the figures assume two people sharing?
Tents, cabins and rooms are priced by the unit, and most are sized for two. The per-person figure next to it is simply half. A third or fourth person usually adds a smaller charge, which the quote shows.
Which taxes are added?
In New York, sales tax and the county occupancy tax; in Pennsylvania, the hotel occupancy tax and the county hotel tax, at the rates the campground or inn charges. They are the only mandatory addition for two people; an extra guest, a dog or gate entry is shown separately in the quote.
How deep is deep, and how did you measure it?
We drew a straight line across each stream, read ground heights along it from the USGS 3DEP elevation survey, and took the depth from the lower rim down to the stream. A measurement at another spot on the same gorge would give a different number; ours is the one drawn on each page.
Can a dog come along?
Often, in cabins and some inns, rarely in tents, and usually for an extra charge. Say so on the form and the quote lists only campgrounds that accept dogs.
Are there accessible cabins or rooms?
Some campgrounds have a cabin with a ramp and a wider door, and some inns have a ground-floor room. Gorge trails themselves are mostly steps and uneven rock. Tell us what you need and we ask each campground directly.
Can I have a campfire?
Where the campground has a fire ring and allows it, yes. Fires are the campground's to permit and can be stopped during dry spells.
Are gorge hikes part of the planning?
The office sends each gorge's current trail notes before arrival, and the campgrounds know the local outfitters; a guide is arranged directly with the guide.
Is the gorge entry included?
No. Where a gate charges entry or parking, you pay it on arrival. Several of the eight have free access.
Is coverage for trip costs or travel documents part of the service?
No. Coverage for trip costs and any entry requirements are yours to arrange. Every stay on this site is inside the United States.
Rain from Friday to Sunday: then what?
The campground's cancellation terms apply as they are; rain is rarely a reason for a refund. Inns are the drier choice for April and November, and the quote will say how sheltered each tent is.
Is Thursday too late for Saturday?
Sometimes. Send the request by 6 p.m. on Wednesday to get options by noon on Thursday. After that, call; on a busy weekend the campgrounds may be full.
October color weekends: when to ask?
July or August for Pine Creek and Watkins Glen; for Castile, Cazenovia and Ithaca, early September is usually enough.
Can the office put two gorges in one trip?
Yes. Watkins and Trumansburg are under an hour apart, and Castile and Dansville are about an hour apart. Choose one on the form and name the second in the note.
Do the tents have electricity?
Most have light and a charging outlet; some have only a lantern. The quote says which.
And if a campground calls off my stay?
The campground refunds you under its own terms, and the office looks for another campground at the same gorge at no cost.
Can I visit the office?
Yes, by appointment during calling hours, at 3000 Mount Read Blvd, Suite 203, Rochester, NY 14616. Call or write first.
Is calling a campground before choosing allowed?
Every option in the quote names the campground, its town and its own website and phone. You can call it yourself before choosing; many people do.
Still undecided? See the eight gorges by depth or call or write the office.