By:
Submission
Backbone Horse Campground is a small, semi-primitive campground designed for campers or picnickers with horses. Horse users only are allowed from Memorial Day weekend through Columbus Day weekend. There is a pond available for watering livestock.
From the South: Take State Route 14 North (Exit 52 off State Route 17) to Watkins Glen, NY. In Watkins Glen, turn right at the Fourth St intersec-tion onto State Route 414 North. Go approxi-mately 9 miles north, past the Hector Ranger Sta-tion of the Finger Lakes National Forest. 0.5 miles past the Ranger Station, turn right on Schuyler County Route 2. Travel for 3.5 miles east. Back-bone Campground is on the left, opposite the in-tersection with Burnt Hill Road.
From the North: Take State Route 414 South to Hector, NY (Exit 41 off I-90). In Hector, 1 mile past the Dandy Mini Mart, turn left onto County Route 2, the second asphalt road on the left. Travel for 3.5 miles east. Backbone Campground is on the left, opposite the intersection with Burnt Hill Road.
There is no fee for camping but a free use permit must be completed upon entering the campground.
The campground is open year round and sites are available on a first come first serve basis.
We were here without horses just looking for a quiet place to camp with our small camper. We’re usually hard core boondockers but we gladly paid the mere $15 for this quiet little gem after a long day in Watkins Glen. Absolute solitude - we were the only ones here on a Monday night. Usable cell service varying from 1 to 2 bars. Vault toilets were spotlessly clean and odour free. Even surprisingly few bugs, although we were running our thermacell.
Would absolutely return!
I dont like that despite the fact that it's in NY, it's not very Forested, and there's not a lot of coverage between sites. But I get that it's because it's for people with horses. I did not stay with a horse, I car camped.
There are no showers, though the bathroom, a vault toilet, is clean and has no unpleasant odors!
There is cell signal, if you use AT&T or Straight Talk.
During the week or on off seasons you likely won't notice the fact that there's not a lot of spaces between sites. It is $15 a night, not terrible, especially given that there is not too many boondocking/cheap camping in NY.
I've gone on more than one occasion, and I'm happy with the camping. I prefer it to the State Campgrounds, I'd never stay in a privately owned campground. Unless I need to shower.
