Sugar Creeps-me-out Glen Campground

Sugar Creek Glen Campground is described as "One of the most beautiful campgrounds in NY State".

Really? Seriously??

Becky and I drove through there on Sunday, and, well . . . if your idea of "beautiful" or even "camping" is gaudy trailers, one after another, wedged into dirt-floor campsites with their plastic cabana lights, striped awnings, lawn ornaments, fenced-in "young-un yards", outdoor carpeted patios littered with plastic recliners, Bud cases at-the-ready stacked next to the bar-b-q, and screaming children running in circles flinging candy wrappers into the woods . . . well then, it's paradise!!

I should have known when we pulled in, since the entrance had all the welcome appeal of an abandoned back-country gas station.

The campground has the potential to be extraordinary, since the glen features five waterfalls. Unfortunately, it's populated by semi-permanent (and some permanent) residents who have no appreciation whatsoever for unadulterated nature. "It ain't purty unless it's got lawn ornamnents".

We drove around a while, looking for an unlikely, but exquisite little tent site, away from the trailers and near the stream. The closest thing we found was a mud-pit littered with crap left there by the previous tenants, including a dirty dishrag, a dirty pair of socks, a tampon applicator, and -- no lie-- a pile of human feces. Niiiiice.

Not sure we're in a hurry to make reservations anytime soon.

Beyond the "campsites", the glen itself is likely well worth exploring.
We saw the first waterfall, which is lit up at night ("'cause it ain't purty without colored lights"). Waterfalls are always nice, and this one, though small, was no exception. I found a water snake there sunning itself on a slab of limestone. I wanted to bring it home, because I'm fairly certain that if one of the residents spies it, they'll flatten its head with another slab of limestone.

The other four falls in the glen are accessible by a hike along the rim. There are no proper trails, which may be a good thing, since the likelihood of Bud bottle litter diminishes in inverse proportion to an increase in required physical effort.

Maybe I'll drop by if I'm ever in the vicinity and take that hike to the top of the glen.