HAMLIN, N.Y. — If you’ve tried to book a spot at one of New York’s campsites, you probably learned pretty quickly that you have to plan ahead. Campgrounds at most New York State Parks have been packed since the pandemic, as more families trade expensive vacations for stays closer to home to save a buck or two on gas.
You don’t have to drive hundreds of miles to get away anymore. Sometimes all it takes is a 45-minute drive. That’s how far Joe Machia and his family traveled to find the perfect spot to spend the week at Hamlin Beach State Park.
“We go up the Adirondacks sometimes, but mostly around here. We go to Watkins Glen and Sampson State Park. It’s just easier, and the gas prices are up there now, and it is not cheap to tow one of these,” said Machia, from Macedon. “It’s a great time and it gets you out in nature.”…