Phoenicia Black Bear Campground

Ive been coming to Phoenicia for over a decade, from the first time i came to Phoenicia Black Bear campground i felt i was in the right place. The owner George and his wife are extremely cool and laid back they make your stay as humble as possible. Campgrounds offer RV, Overland, Tent camping availability with great locations right on the Esopus creek. The convenience that the office / camp store offers ( firewood, ice, tarps, any last min emergency supplies etc.) they have it all. The main town of Phoenicia is a football fields walk from the campground which holds good restaurants, country store, ice cream shop etc. i will be coming back year after year (phoenicia is my escape from NYC).

I don't think I would really call this camping. Sites are so close to each other, you're basically camping with all your immediate neighbors. Zero privacy at all. Many sites don't even have trees or any sort of divisions between sites. Clearly just trying to pack as much people into as much space as they have to make as much money as they can. I'm sure this business model works due to proximity to NYC and the clientele you get from there. They also don't allow outside firewood and make you buy theirs for $8 a bundle. A bundle is 1-2 logs split into about 8-10 small pieces if you're lucky, so yeah if it's cold or you would like a decent fire plan on buying many of these. Our firepit also was only about 12 inches wide which was filled right full of ashes and rocks. You're also in the middle of a town so not too wild of an area you're at as well. Lastly there was stuff left from the last campers on our site scattered amongst the ground(shoes, towels, clothing) so clearly not much, if any maintenance, was even done to our site beforehand. Kind of expect a clean site and firepit if you're going to charge $35 a night. Also the owner only refunded me $50 of my $53 deposit. If you are going to require a deposit then maybe give back the full amount to your customer.

We spent a weekend here, and had a campsite next to the river. The river is beautiful, and the owners are very friendly and helpful. However, the campsites are small and close together. Before coming I had read reviews saying the place is a parking lot, which I didn’t understand—but now I do. There are a lot of RVs, and the spaces are so close together that it does look like an RV dealership. The bathrooms and showers were quite dirty, even for a campsite. Whenever I went, there was either no toilet paper or no soap. For the price, I was expecting better facilities, and a bit more space between sites.

This is our favorite campground. The owners are fantastic, friendly and extremely helpful. If you want a natural camping experience next to a great rafting river, this is your spot. Within walking distance to all the local cute shops and really good restaurants. Expect bears which makes the experience even greater, and remember you’re staying at Black Bear after all. We will be staying here all the time next camping season!

Love this campground The owners are the best people and are so kind and nice. We know when we are there we find the peace we are looking for. The sites on the water are breathtaking. Everyone is always so friendly. We park and can walk into town, so convenient. Rustic campground that makes you enjoy the outdoors the way camping should be.

Owners are fantastic. I was a new camper owner last year and learned everything from either George or the other folks in the area. Everyone is friendly, it’s always clean. Right off the Esopus river, you can spend a whole day just taking in the scenery. Quick walk to the local grocery store, restaurant and liquor store if you forgot anything don’t fret!! Nearby is Woodstock brewery and the famous Phoenicia diner. Less than an hour from Kingston and Woodstock if you want to take a day trip and Mt. Tremper is a moderate challenge 2 hours to the top. I came up once and pretty much it has been my destination every time since.

We really enjoyed camping at this place — it was clean, well-maintained, and had a great view. The staff was friendly, and I’ll definitely come back again. I’m giving it 5 stars, but the only downside was that the men’s restrooms didn’t have locks on the doors — in fact, there were no locks at all.

Great campground. Sites were clean and being on the creek was awesome. Having the town of Phonecia steps away was a fun convenience also. My new go to campground for this area.

We have been coming every summer for 5 years and love the place. George and Linda are always available to answer any questions. The campsites are nestled in the trees, which is exactly what I want and the proximity to town is walking distance. There are great restaurants and a wonderful ice-cream parlor. There is also a small supermarket which caters to the camping crowd. I high recommend this place and plan on coming back for many years!

My family and I have been coming to Blackbear for over 8 years now and it feels like our home away from home. From the beautiful environment to the amazing people we’ve come across over the years, it’s always an amazing time. It’s clean, well kept and a family friendly environment!! The owners George and Linda have always been there to greet us with a smile and help us out with anything including local spots to visit!! My kids have grown to love this place as much as I have. Definitely recommend to anyone who is just looking to camp out for a night, a few days or set up their RV!!