Camp Rockaway: Beachside Camping in NYC

Did you know that you can go camping by the beach in NYC? I didn’t either, until I heard about Camp Rockaway!

Disclosure: Camp Rockaway hosted me for a complimentary stay but all opinions are my own.

WHAT IS CAMP ROCKAWAY?

Camp Rockaway is a campsite that offers beachside camping in New York City. I didn’t know this until I visited Camp Rockaway, but recreational beach camping became popular in the Rockaways in the early 1900s. The Camp Rockaway team showed us copies of amazing vintage postcards and photos from the early days of the Rockaways. The owners of Camp Rockaway envision it as a modern continuation of the tradition of  beachside camping  in the area.

WHERE IS CAMP ROCKAWAY?

Camp Rockaway is located at the Jacob Riis Bathhouse in Queens, one of NYC’s five boroughs. The Jacob Riis Bathhouse is a 1930’s art deco bathhouse located at Jacob Riis beach, which is one of my favorite New York City beaches. The Jacob Riis Bathhouse opened in 1932 and was a place to get away from the sun and sand during the heat of summer before it fell into disrepair. It was virtually abandoned until summer 2018.

Camp Rockaway is tucked away in the courtyard of the restored Jacob Riis Bathhouse, which makes it feel like a private refuge for its guests. Even though you are just steps from a popular public beach! I’ve walked by the bathhouse dozens of times, and had no idea there was a secret campground in its courtyard.

Camp Rockaway is reachable by car (with ample parking), public transportation and by bike. Camp Rockaway has detailed directions available on their website. 

CHECKING IN

My husband and I checked into Camp Rockaway just after sunset on a Friday evening. I would definitely recommend arriving earlier if you can, but we had a crazy day and just couldn’t get there earlier. We followed the signs from the street, down the boardwalk and into Camp Rockaway and found ourselves at Camp Rockaway’s hidden campsite. The big canvas safari tents scattered around the campsite reminded me of glamping in the desert in Morocco. Since we arrived in the evening, a campfire had already been set and Sophie from the Camp Rockaway team was waiting to greet us and show us to our tent. Sophie is super friendly and an absolute gem – tell her I say hi if you visit Camp Rockaway before the end of the season!

Sophie explained that Camp Rockaway is a mix between camping and glamping. All guests stay in safari tents and sleep on comfy queen-sized beds with a mattress, there are bathrooms and showers on site, Camp Rockaway provides towels for your use, and they use solar power so you can charge your phone during your stay. Each tent has a lockbox for your valuables.  Camp Rockaway also has a wifi hotspot in the common area, which is great because I find that cell service can be a bit iffy in the Rockaways. The ground at the campsite is sand, so you really feel like you’re by the beach!

DINNER IN THE ROCKAWAYS

We didn’t bring food with us, since we were only staying for one night. We opted to use a ride sharing app and grab a car to Whit’s End, a local institution in the Rockaways, for some thin crust pizza. I didn’t know that you could use Uber and Lyft in the Rockaways, so was impressed at how easy it was to get a car to and from dinner. It was about a 10 minute drive  from Camp Rockaway to the restaurant.

Another option is to bring food that you can cook over a campfire and that doesn’t require much cleanup, since Camp Rockaway doesn’t have kitchen facilities. As a heads up, Camp Rockaway is part of the Gateway National Recreation Area, so alcohol isn’t permitted on site. You’ll be so happy and chilled out, you won’t even miss it.

It doesn’t feel like camping without s’mores, so luckily Camp Rockaway provided us with s’mores kits for dessert when we came back from dinner.

WAKING UP AT THE BEACH

Camp Rockaway has coffee and tea available in the morning, so before doing anything I had two cups of coffee so I could start feeling human again. I’m a bit of a discerning coffee drinker, and the coffee at Camp Rockaway was good coffee (it’s not the sad watery kind).  There was also a small cafe right next to Camp Rockaway that was open for breakfast. During the summer, there are more food options since Camp Rockaway is located near the Riis Park Beach Bazaar. Since we visited after Labor Day, a smaller number of vendors were open in the area.

My favorite thing about our stay at Camp Rockaway was waking up at Jacob Riis beach. Before checking out, we went for a long walk along the beach. It was after Labor Day, so we practically had the beach to ourselves. I was  surprised – for some reason I figured it would be more bustling since the weather hasn’t really cooled down yet. 

Camp Rockaway is open through the end of October and I would encourage you to go and experience the Rockaways in early fall. Without the bustling summer crowds, you can really appreciate the beauty of Jacob Riis beach.

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I absolutely loved our stay with Camp Rockaway and hope to stay with them again next year! They are open until the end of October, so there’s still time to book your tent!

If you’ve ever been camping in NYC, I’d love to hear about it!

xx

Vicki 

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