Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228941] (Shandaken Wild Forest)

FREE roadside primitive camping at the ALLABEN campsites, along a short state-land access road just off NY Route 28 in the hamlet of Allaben (town of Shandaken), in the Shandaken Wild Forest of New York's CATSKILL Forest Preserve (DEC Region 3, Ulster County). This is a DEC-designated primitive campsite ('Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228941]'), and New York provides it at NO CHARGE: the DEC Shandaken Wild Forest page lists the fee as 'Free' and the unit as open year-round, first-come first-served, and community listings confirm 'nine campsites' here with no fee to stay. This site is a roadside drive-up: turn off NY Route 28 at Allaben (a hamlet in the town of Shandaken) onto the short DEC access road -- community sources say the only marker is a small 'State Land Access' sign -- and the designated sites sit just off that access road (measured a few dozen to a couple hundred feet, 74-174 ft), so you drive right in and park at the site rather than hiking to it. It is one of a cluster of nine designated sites (two of them listed by DEC as accessible); the Esopus Creek -- a noted Catskill trout stream -- runs nearby (about 1207 feet away, across toward Route 28), though these sites are NOT on the water. This is free, first-come Catskill Forest Preserve ROADSIDE camping (the Allaben sites in Shandaken Wild Forest) -- do NOT confuse it with a reservable fee campground; the nearest paid DEC campgrounds (Woodland Valley near Phoenicia, Kenneth L. Wilson near Mt Tremper) are a separate, paid system several miles away. SEASON / ACCESS: DEC lists Shandaken Wild Forest as open YEAR-ROUND and free, but the Allaben access road and sites are unplowed primitive infrastructure -- confirm current road, gate and site status with the DEC Region 3 New Paltz office (845-256-3076) before you go, especially in winter or mud season. RULES: these are designated, first-come first-served free sites -- no reservation and no fee. Look for the round yellow DEC 'Camp Here' marker and camp only at a designated site; standard NY State Land camping rules apply (keep 150 feet from water/trails/roads unless the marked site itself is closer), and a free Forest Ranger permit is required only if you stay more than 3 nights or camp with a group of 10 or more (arrange it through the DEC Region 3 New Paltz Office at (845) 256-3076 (Forest Rangers via 911 or DEC dispatch 1-833-NYS-RANGERS)). DEC lists two of the Allaben sites as accessible; the ATV / MAPPWD (accessible motorized access) permit DEC mentions applies ONLY to Rochester Hollow Road, a separate parcel -- it is NOT needed for these Allaben roadside sites. Every one of these sites sits around 1,050 feet, well below the 3,500-foot line, so the March 21-December 21 Catskill high-elevation camping ban does not apply here; confirm current fire rules on site. These are primitive sites: expect at most a fire ring, picnic table and grill (reported) -- no hookups, no showers and no potable water, so bring water or treat what you take from the creek. Pack out all trash, follow Leave No Trace and the DEC fire rules, and store food from bears (this is black-bear country). Confirm current rules, road status and this site's status on the DEC page (dec.ny.gov/places/shandaken-wild-forest) or with the New Paltz office (845-256-3076) before you go; we have not visited.

USGS topo — contours & terrain

Aerial — USGS / NAIP

EV charging — from Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228941] (Shandaken Wild Forest) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — nearest public DC fast & Level 2 (US DOE station data)

• Nearest public DC fast charger12.7 mi straight-line NE — Thorpe's GMC, TANNERSVILLE, NY · EV Connect · CCS · 1 fast port listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily · directions
• Public DC fast stations within reach19 within 25 mi · 107 within 50 · 758 within 100 · 1437 within 150
• Nearest listing NACS (Tesla)19.1 mi — Ulster Service Plaza, Ruby
• Nearest listing CHAdeMO14.3 mi — NYC FLEET DEP_ARKVLE_1_L3, Arkville
• Nearest public Level 2 (J1772)3.2 mi — SI - STATION 1 STATION 1, Shandaken, NY · ChargePoint Network · J1772 · 2 Level 2 ports listed · listed open, last confirmed by AFDC 2026-09-16 · hours: 24 hours daily
• Pricing at the fast chargernot listed
• Power (kW)not listed by AFDC — “DC fast” spans roughly 24 to 350 kW, so ask the network.
• Read this honestlyStraight-line miles, like every distance on this site. Roads run longer than this, and you have to get back. We know where a charger is listed. We don’t know if it works today, how fast it is, or the road miles. Check the network before you commit.
  Snapshot 2026-09-16 · AFDC record 254289 · US DOE Alternative Fuels Data Center

Nearby restrooms — around Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228941] (Shandaken Wild Forest) · New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation · NY — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)

• Highway rest areaUlster Travel Plaza · ~19.0 mi E
• Highway rest areaParking/Rest Area · ~19.1 mi E
• Highway rest areaParking/Rest Area · ~20.0 mi E
• Highway rest areaMalden Travel Plaza · ~20.2 mi E

Open Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228941] (Shandaken Wild Forest) elsewhere

Other camps near Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228941] (Shandaken Wild Forest)

If this one is full, gated or washed out.

• Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228940] (Shandaken Wild Forest)~0.0 mi
• Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228942] (Shandaken Wild Forest)~0.0 mi
• Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228943] (Shandaken Wild Forest)~0.1 mi
• Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228939] (Shandaken Wild Forest)~0.1 mi

How we know this — Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228941] (Shandaken Wild Forest)

What we don’t know about Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228941] (Shandaken Wild Forest)

A land record can put you within a few meters of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.

• Road surface & last-mile access
• How many rigs actually fit
• Cell coverage by carrier
• Current fire restrictions
• Whether any water here is drinkable
• Shade & wind exposure
• Noise and who else shows up
• Whether a listed EV charger works today, or the road miles to it

Before you go — Allaben Roadside Campsite [DEC #228941] (Shandaken Wild Forest)