Pocono Mountains, PA
91 miles from Queens — about 1 hour and 40 minutes, traffic depending.
One of our first camping trips was in my cousin’s backyard in the Poconos. If you live in NYC, chances are you’ve got a friend or relative with a house up there!
We pitched our tent in their yard and had access to a real bathroom, which made it a perfect beginner setup. Only issue? We didn’t realize the ground wasn’t level, and all four of us woke up crammed into one corner of the tent like sardines.
Other than that? Five stars. Backyard camping with a bathroom was hard to beat!
