NEW YORK MAY be an iconic metropolis known for its expensive hotels, but it’s also possible to camp out under the stars there too.
A camping spot at Floyd Bennett Field, a former airstrip run by the US National Parks Service in Brooklyn, allows you to explore what it calls the “urban outback”.
And it’s fun too. One weekend a month the NPS runs a free family camping programme, showing you how to pitch a tent, build a fire and cook out like a pioneer.
If you know all that stuff, just reserve yourself a regular pitch at just $20 a day, for a maximum of 14 days.
Each campsite (bring your own tent) has a picnic table, grill and fire ring. There are portable loos and a limited shower facility. Six sites are reserved for camper vans.
From the campsite, the Q35 bus takes you north to the station for the No 2 and No 5 trains at Flatbush and Nostrand Avenues, a trip that takes around 15 minutes. From there, you can transfer to the subway system to get you right through to downtown Manhattan.
Activities organised throughout the year include campfire talks, kayaking and guided nature explorations. There is fishing and hiking plus cycle paths, while the beach is just a short drive away. The campsite is open year round and you can make a reservation up to six months in advance.
Where else can you sleep under the stars, tour the Statue of Liberty in the morning, kayak in one of the world’s premier migration sanctuaries in the afternoon, and see your favourite Broadway musical that night? Only in New York.
recreation.gov