Introduction:
While we loved the customer service here, we thought the sites and the site spacing could have been better.
Click here to read about our criteria for campground reviews.
The Basics:
Overall Rating: 3.6/5
Price per night / Discounts: $24.8 / Passport America - In September, PA is available Sunday through Wednesday nights up to a max of 10 days. Check the fine print because the discount is not always available and there are other limitations.
Campground website: Sned Acres Campground
Our Site #: 11 FHU
Privacy Rating (how spacious and private do the sites feel):
2/5: There are two different sections of this campground, a large, mostly seasonal section and then a smaller transient section. The transient sites are all parallel and built on a hill. There is some space between the campers, but no trees or other vegetation to create a sense of privacy. You're pretty much looking at your neighbor's rig. What was frustrating to us was, during our visit, there were very few RVs in the short term section. Yet, for unknown reasons, the owners kept placing people in the spots at the top of the hill, and the bottom of the hill, while leaving all the center spots open. Had they placed people in every other spot, everyone would have had more space and more privacy. As we were pulling out our last day, someone was already waiting to pull into our spot, sandwiched between two other rigs, while 6 or 7 spaces sat vacant in the middle of the campground.
Location Rating (accessibility to points of interest or to major highways):
4/5: The campground is located in Ovid, New York which is on western side of Cayuga Lake. You can actually walk to a couple wineries right from the campground, and numerous others are within a short drive. Watkins Glen State Park is about a 30 minute drive, as is the town of Seneca Falls. Ithaca, New York is south of Ovid, also about 30 minutes away. Overall, it's a central location, but we found ourselves getting tired of driving. If we had it to do again, we might stay closer to Watkins Glen since that town not only had the beautiful state park, but also a decent sized town center with restaurants and shops. On the other hand, if you're just looking to see as much of wine country as possible, this is a good central location.
Site Quality and Big Rig Accessibility Rating (utilities and accessibility of campground hook ups):
2/5: Our site quality was not great. We had to use levelers on the front wheels to get level and the sewer hookup was placed in such a way that we had to use our extender hose to reach the drain and the hose was going uphill. This required us to use levelers and wood blocks to get our sewer hose lined up with the drain. The sites could easily be leveled because they are gravel, but I'm not sure about the other issues. Big rig access was fine with wide roads and easy turns. Because everything is built on a hill, you have to be careful when sitting at the picnic tables; they can easily topple over if you're not careful.
Technology and Customer Service Rating (online resources, reservations, and staff):
5/5: This is where this campground shines and what makes it hard to leave a critical review. The owners could not have been nicer or more welcoming. They present each guest with a loaf of Amish "friendship bread," which is a type of cake, at check-in and they really go out of their way to provide helpful information. Whenever we saw them during our stay they always stopped to ask us how we were doing and offer advice about where to go and what to see.. They are simply lovely people. Their website has the information you need, but you do need to call for a reservation.
Internet Availability Rating (Verizon coverage or campground wifi):
5/5: Wifi worked, as did our Verizon hotspot.
Summary:
We wanted to love this place because the owners were so incredibly friendly and welcoming, however, it was hard to look by the fact they consistently placed rigs on top of each other rather than spacing people out, and the site we had was unlevel with utilities placed in such a way that our waste water was constantly fighting gravity. Additionally, while the location was "central" between the lakes, it was also a good 30 minute drive to many of the the things we wanted to see and do. Unfortunately, it all became a bit exhausting after a while. On the flip side, with our Passport America discount, it was a cheap place to stay and a good value for what it was.
