Sunset Bay Vacation Resort rests on the southern shore of the Great Sacandaga Lake in the town of Mayfield, NY.
The resort is at the center of a big local debate after state regulators recently authorized a permit that would allow the campground to more than double in size.
The Adirondack Park Agency (APA) approved a permit a few days ago to add roughly 357 RV sites adjacent to the existing campground. Sunset Bay RV Park currently hosts about 299 seasonal sites.
Sunset Bay Vacation Resort secured the land for expansion from private companies tied to the campground’s applicant and owner.
The APA’s permit decision clears a major regulatory hurdle. However, it still leaves implementation, detailed engineering, and groundwork to follow. The permit includes specific conditions the agency attached before approving the expansion. You can read about the specifics in this PowerPoint presentation.
The owner’s plans for the expansion call for several guest-focused amenities aimed at modern campground life. In the works are multiple bathhouses, a community building, a pool house and splash pad, sports courts, and an outdoor amphitheater. The developer also proposes relocating an existing entrance and adding a new main access from NYS Route 30.
Welcome or not?
Many RVers enjoy visiting upper New York’s Adirondack Park. The Great Sacandaga Lake is the main draw with about 41.7 square miles of surface area and a length of about 29 miles. This man-made reservoir boasts sandy beaches and lake-centered activities like swimming, boating, fishing, water sports, and more.
In addition, the park contains an estimated 200,000 acres of old hardwood forest, numerous trails, mountain peaks, and 30,000 miles of rivers and streams. The park’s beauty and cooler summer temperatures consistently call campers back year after year. Sunset Bay’s expansion is welcome news for RVers amid the shortage of available camping spaces.
Not everyone is happy to see Sunset Bay’s recently approved expansion, however. Local residents turned in dozens of written objections during the public review. Their comments reveal their core worries: increased boat and vehicle traffic on and around the lake, potential overuse of local well water, added noise and smoke, more trash, pressure on emergency access routes, and degradation of the natural character of shoreline neighborhoods. Many commenters urged the agency to reject or substantially shrink the project.
Some APA board members also voiced reservations during deliberations. They cited water supply concerns and light pollution as issues the agency should weigh when evaluating a project of this scale near a busy lake shoreline.
The agency’s permit attempts to address several of those problems through conditions such as vegetation restrictions, lighting controls, and requirements tied to stormwater management.
Both sides in the conflict offer viable arguments. Many RVers (and the campground owner) favor the expansion of campsites and amenities. Our parks belong to everyone, right?
Opponents also raise important points. There are approximately 4,500 private lakeside homes and cottages around Great Sacandaga Lake. Folks who purchased their land, some decades ago, worry that increased traffic and congestion will rob the area of its serene atmosphere. They understand the need for tourism but chafe at the potential consequences.
Expansion time frame
RVers should know that there’s no fixed timeline for the expansion. While the APA approved the permit on October 9, 2025, the project can only move forward after several other approvals and conditions are met.
The permit itself requires the developer to have the project “in existence” within five years of recording the signed permit, so the work must begin within that window.
Keep in mind
If you’re an RVer thinking about Sunset Bay, either as a future guest or a seasonal site-holder, here are practical points to keep in mind:
- Know whether the sites you book are on the original campground or the expansion parcel;
- Ask the campground operator about boat-slip availability and parking for trailers;
- Confirm where graywater and sewage will be handled;
- Check for any new rules the park adopts about campfires, generators, and lights.
These steps help you plan and show basic respect for an area where neighbors are sensitive to change.
Sunset Bay’s situation is not unique. Campground owners and private citizens throughout the country look to find ways to boost their local economies while still protecting the rights of property owners.
The Adirondack Park’s situation is a reminder of how campground growth can raise both opportunity and local tension.
What’s next?
The recent permit authorization gives this project a clear regulatory pathway. However, final outcomes will depend on construction permits, utility hookups, any legal challenges or appeals, and how strictly permit conditions are enforced.
How about you?
Where do you stand on Sunset Bay’s proposed expansion? Tell us using the comments below.
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RVT1231b
I think the residents better consider just what else may happen to the land already purchased if the campground is not able to expand.
They may end up with a huge Solar Farm, Data Center or warehouse distribution center;
In northeast Pa they want to build around six or more Data Centers. One large one they want to put near a vacation home development with over 1000 vacation homes and a very large park model campground. The Data center may eventually have mini nuclear reactors.