SP Campground Review – Four Mile Creek State Park, Youngstown, NY

July 26, 2017 by libertatemamo 11 Comments

A nice lake-side campground only ~20 minutes from Niagara Falls, NY

Link to campground here: Four Mile Creek State Park, NY
Link to map location here: Four Mile Creek State Park, NY

1. Site Quality = 2.5/5
   Sites are definitely a bit of a mixed bag here. All sites are back-in only, on mostly grassy ground (a few sites have some gravel) with a mix of 50A, 30A and primitive (no hookup) sites. All sites have good-sized grassy “sitting areas” with picnic table and fire pit. Main ding is the huge variation in levelness and size. Some sites are very small and extremely unlevel, whereas others are practically palatial rivaling some of the nicest we’ve ever seen. Also some sites have gravel bottoms (which are quite firm) whereas others are just on open grass which can get very soft in rain (*site selection for big rigs is key!). Lastly privacy can vary from none at all to very decent, depending on vegetation. The loops do vary a bit too:
   • Sites 1-154 -> This is the first (northernmost) loop in the campground directly behind the check-in area and probably has the flattest sites. The first half of the loop is electric-only (including the 1o ONLY 50A sites in the campground = odd-numbered sites 47-65), while the last half of the loop is primitive (no hookup). Mostly open sites here (not much privacy), but some of the northern-most sites (odd-numbered sites #79-163) do back-up to a large grassy field & get lake views out the back. If you’re a big rig and worried about site site/access, you can’t go wrong choosing a 50A site or one of the water-front sites.
   • Sites 200-285 -> This is the loop on the northeast side of the campground and it’s where we stayed. All sites here are 30A electric only and there is a real mix of nicely large flat sites (including the most amazing site in the campground #240!), and some really uneven sites that are soft and look like we would sink in. Also several of the sites on the northern edge of the loop (especially even-numbered sites 240-224) are very large and have excellent lake views. Slightly better privacy in this loop with more trees and vegetation.
   • Sites 300-359 -> This is the loop on the southeast side of the campground and it is primitive only (no hookups). These sites are some of the softest/most unlevel in the campground and are best suited for smaller rigs and tenters. Some nice privacy in some of these sites through.
   • *NOTE/ Site Selection – Campsitephotos.com has a photo of each and every campsite at this campground. I highly recommend using that resource to help narrow down your site selection. Also I recommend avoiding the few sites with water spigots in them, otherwise you’ll have folks walking thro’ your campsite to fill water all day.
   • Yurts -> There are also 5 yurts for rent in the northern loop which look quite nice. NO pets allowed in the yurts however.
2.  Facilities = 3.5/5
   Decent facilities here. Each loop has a facilities building with flush toilets and individual walk-in showers. Showers have bench for clothing and good water pressure & temp, but have those annoying spray heads. Also each facilities building has a laundry area with 2 washers and dryers ($2.25 each). Several on-site dump stations. There is no potable water at the dump, but there are several threaded potable water spigots around the camp loops.
3. Location = 5/5
   Location is really what this park is all about. It’s right on lake Ontario with large grassy fields and an lovely, open view area (north side) for sunset. There is also an on-site camp store, a small on-site nature trail (no real hiking trails however) and several playgrounds. For sightseeing Fort Niagara** and Youngstown are only ~2 miles away, and Niagara Falls** is only 20 minutes away (you can access the Niagara Scenic Parkway right outside the campground). For exploring Niagara Falls this is really an excellent location!
   • **PRO $ TIP/ During your stay at Four Mile Creek State Park, you’ll get FREE access (free parking) at all other NY State Parks, including Fort Niagara and Niagara Falls State Park. Just show them your camping pass and you’re good to go!
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Good place for doggie***. Lots of space to walk around camp and a nice, grassy field area near the water (northern part of the campground) for sniffing around in the grass. We also walked Polly regularly in the primitive loop (sites 300-359) since it was almost empty practically the entire time we were here. Only minor dings? No real hiking trails outside the (very) short nature trail and no on-site poo bags.
   • ***RABIES Certificate is REQUIRED for all pets and will be asked for upon check-in, so make sure you have that with you when you arrive. 

Overall Rating = 4
BONUS ALERT = Camp on Lake Ontario only 20 mins from Niagara Falls!

Video Overview: Sorry, NO video this time (we got rained out) 🙁

Summary: We chose this park as our base to explore Niagara Falls and it worked out perfectly. This is a large 240-acre green park with over 250 campsites right on the shores of Lake Ontario. The sites are grassy back-ins with a mix of electric (mostly 30A, a few 50A) and primitive (no hookup) sites. Mostly good separation and nice “sitting areas” throughout, but they do vary a lot in how flat they are and also whether they have a firm (gravel) base or are mostly grass (which can get soft in rain = beware bigger/heavier rigs). Also, some sites have excellent water views (especially odd-numbered sites #79-163, and even-numbered sites 240-224) while others do not have any views. We had a good, flat, firm site with decent privacy and a slice of water view (#227), but if we had to chose again we’d try for one of the water-front sites or more specifically, site #240 (wow!). For exploring Niagara Falls it was perfect! The campground is only ~2 miles from Fort Niagara and only ~15 miles (20 mins) from Niagara Falls. Plus there is easy access to both US and Canadian side of the falls. We enjoyed our site and the lake views and loved the location for exploring the area. For re-visiting Niagara Falls, we would certainly return.

Extra Info: Variable cell signal (a booster was definitely needed!). Verizon was the most stable and offered 1-2 bars of LTE (stable enough to work with a booster), ATT was poor and varied between 1 bar LTE to nothing at all. T-Mobile did not work for all. Total 258 sites including 50A (10 sites = $31/night), 30A ($29/night = 122 sites) and the rest are primitive ($23/night). Waterfront sites are premium at $35/night and NY residents get a $5/night discount. Several on-site dump stations and several potable water spigots around the camp loops.

Extra, Extra Info: OTHER Camping or BOONDOCKING? There are several other campgrounds around the Niagara Falls area if you prefer full hookups. Plus there’s even a short-term FREE option too (as long as your RV is not over 13′):

• KOA Niagara Falls -> It’s not cheap ($70-$100/night), but it rates well and it’s just about as close as you can get to the Falls and have full hookups. See reviews HERE and HERE
• Daisy Barn Campground -> It’s a teeny little place right on Lake Ontario, but it’s reasonably-priced ($40/night), it’s quiet, it’s got a nice large green field (great for doggies) and full hookups. See reviews HERE.
• Seneca Niagara Casino -> FREE place to park and visit walking distance to Niagara Falls, but apparently there is a 13′ max clearance coming in. Read more HERE.

*NOTE/ Campsitephotos.com has a photo of each and every campsite at this campground. I highly recommend using that resource to help narrow down your site selection.