When: September 24 - September 26, 2021 Duration: 3 days, 2 nights Location: Bear, DE Cost: $38 per night Miles from SE PA: 68 miles Site#: 26 About Lums Pond State Park Our good friends clued us in to how amazing Lums Pond is a few years ago, and we've been...
Moose Hillock Camping Resort
Fort Ann, NYMoose Hillock Camping Resort - Fort Ann, NY
When: June 25 – June 30, 2021
Duration: 6 days, 5 nights
Location: Fort Ann, NY
Cost: $125 per night
Miles from SE PA: 282 miles
Site#: I don’t remember
About Moose Hillock
People who know me well know that I love a good bargain. I am super practical and get a bit uptight paying more than $70 a night to go camping. In fact, I don’t recall ever spending more than $75 per night, which is why most might find it shocking that I splurged on Moose Hillock. I saw many great pictures and reviews from fellow campers on the Pennsylvania RV Camping Facebook page and decided to see what all the hype was about. With that in mind, be prepared for a review from a stingy cheapskate.
Moose Hillock has two resorts: one located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire and the other in the Lake George area of New York. Many individuals that I spoke with while walking the dog around the loops had visited both resorts and said that they preferred the New Hampshire destination. The Lake George resort is about 15 minutes from the heart of town, with large, private sites and the most amazing pool.
We are generally the type of people who don’t spend a ton of time lounging around a campground. We ordinarily love to explore the surrounding area and sights; however, I think most families who book this campground are more interested in that resort type feeling. Don’t get me wrong, while the pool was absolutely the most spectacular sight that I have ever beheld at a campground, it was not exactly my cup of tea. Having to haul pool gear down to the pool via our bikes (and it was a decently long trek from our campsite) and then deal with the quite boisterous crowd wasn’t what I would refer to as relaxing or camping in nature. But if you were to ask the kids what they thought, they loved every second of it. From the purchasing of insanely high-priced fancy drinks at the pool to the sploosh of their bottoms hitting the water at a decent velocity from the water slide. Even though this isn’t our normal “jam”, I must admit that I did enjoy our splurge but it’s not something I’d like to do every year.
The campground was ginormous! There are more than 700 sites and they are all spacious and private. Normally we go with a crew and commandeer multiple sites with a large yard area for the kids to play in. You definitely can’t do that here as each site has a little wall built around it. We thought it was perfect for just the four of us but would struggle socializing with family and friends across multiple sites.
Our Moose Hillock Crew
It was just the four of us for Moose Hillock. Our normal camping crew asked us to evaluate it and if it was splendid and we went again, they’d join us that trip. We rarely take trips with just the four of us but it was nice to have a small crew and explore the surrounding area.
Amenities
For the price per night, you would expect this campground to sport some nice amenities and Moose Hillock delivered. If you plan to just hang around at the campground, you’ll find plenty of activities to keep you busy.
Pool
I would be crazy not to mention the pool first. When I think of a campground experience, I don’t think that a pirate-themed pool will be an amenity but there it was in all its glory, the moment we entered the campground. Not only were there water slides, but the pool was heated as well. If you were feeling super bougie, you can rent a cabana. I was looking to splurge but that felt a little over the top for me. Everyone knows that when you splash around long enough in a pool with kids, they’re going to need a snack. How convenient of Moose Hillock to have a snack bar with ridiculously overpriced but adorable drinks. I only fell for that trick once. At night, the pool was the place to be with bands playing, a movie theater, and other fun activities in the pool.
Bathhouses
If you don’t have a nice bathroom in your camper, have no fear – the bathhouses were luxurious as well. They were air-conditioned, cleaned frequently, and the nicest bathhouses I’ve seen at a campground. They had many of them scattered throughout the loops.
Playground
The playground is near the pool. The kids had a blast meeting new friends and hanging out. There was something for everyone at the playground. It is also near the pavilion so if the parents want to hang out at the concert and let the kids run around the playground, it is super convenient.
Golf Carts
If you’ve read any of my former posts, you’d know that I’m not a huge fan of golf carts while camping but whoa doggie – the golf carts at Moose Hillock are extravegant! And massive! I must admit that we thoroughy enojoyed watching a guest run their golf cart into the ditch at the golf cart station because they likely forgot to put the thing in reverse. They were embarrassingly stuck and it provided much entertainment watching the teenage workers troubleshoot the situation. If you are located at the far end of the resort, I could see why the golf cart might be necessary. It’s a decent hike from all of the activities. But you better be ready to pay $$$$$$. The kids begged us to splurge but I drew the line at the golf cart.
Activities We Did
Lake George is such an amazing area in the Adirondacks. There are so many sites and excursions to choose from. We chose not to wander too far from Moose Hillock but we did adventure a small bit. The Engineer was most interested in taking a few drives to find good fishing streams for the next time we visit.
We found the town to be quite crowded but really enjoyed the beautiful exploratory drives on backroads. We did check out a campground that is part of our camping timeshare and that we may consider the next time we visit.
1. Lake George Beach
Lake George beach is only about 15 minutes away from the campground. You did have to pay a fee to enter the parking area (and subsequently the beach). Much of the swimming area was roped off so it felt cramped and was a bit disappointing. The kids also found it shocking how cold the lake was as compared to Lake Ontario, which we had visited a few days prior.
The kids did enjoy the very friendly ducks that waddled along the beach and would eat Doritos out of the palm of your hand.
2. Restaurants
We spun into the quaint town of Lake George a few times and ate at two different restaurants. The first was Adirondack Pub and Brewery. I enjoyed a tasty cider while the Engineer sampled some brews. There were plenty of gluten-free options on the menu, which made me quite happy.
We also ate at 163 Taproom. Oh la la – I got a Downeast sangria cider that was mighty tasty, the kids got frosted lemonade, and the Engineer enjoyed an IPA with his favorite animal on it – a squirrel.
3. Other Activities
Because this trip was dedicated to me finding time to unwind and just “be”, I didn’t have a ton of itinerary planned. We did manage to make a trip to the Lake George Outlets, where to the Engineer’s horror, I purchased 2 more camping chairs (chair count is around 10 now – yes, I most definitely have a chair addiction but these were beach chairs so technically, do they even count?).
We were hoping to board one of the Lake George Steam Boats, but The Explorer got sick our second to last day of our stay; therefore, we packed up and left a day early.
I also tried to convince the family to take a tour with me of Fort William Henry but it seems their love of history isn’t quite the same as mine. No biters on the offer and I didn’t want to go by myself. Maybe next time.
Trip Video
Our video highlights some of the amenities around the campground, plus our trips into Lake George.
Recent Travels
I have categorized each of my posts about campgrounds in order to make them easy to spot. Each time we visit a campground, I provide a review at the end of each post. Huge caveat – my taste may be different than yours and that’s quite okay but make sure you read my Rating Criteria to see what we are seeking when making our final judgement.
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When: June 21 - June 25, 2021 Duration: 5 days, 4 nights Location: Parish, NY Cost: $0 per night (with TRA membership) Miles from SE PA: 260 miles Site#: 262 and 263 About Bass Lake Bass Lake is part of our Camping Timeshare that we have through Travel Resorts...
Campground Review
Moose Hillock Camping Resort
$129/night
9.9
Pros
- Lots to do near by
- Pet friendly
- Full hook up sites
- Heated pool
- Snack shack at pool
- Ginormous sites!
- Beautiful fire pit
- Extremely private sites
Cons
- Very pricey
- Private sites make it harder to congregate in groups
- If far from the pool, it's a bit of a hike and not much parking near the pool