Camping
DEC operates 52 campgrounds located in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks. DEC campgrounds provide a wide variety of experiences, including island camping, tent and trailer camping, boat launching facilities, hiking trails, beaches and day use areas with picnic tables and grills. Fishing licenses are no longer being sold at any of our campground facilities.
For information about back country camping in a specific area, please call the regional Lands & Forests office responsible for that county. State campgrounds outside the Forest Preserve are operated by the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. For more information call (518) 474-0456.
Important Notice about Firewood: To help protect our forests from invasive species new firewood regulations are now in effect. Please see Firewood and Invasive Insects for more information.
New Camping Guide Available
The 2009 NYS Camping Guide (6.5 Mb PDF- large file) has lots of information and beautiful pictures of New York's state campgrounds. To order a copy, email us or call 518-457-2500. Check it out and plan your trip of a lifetime!
More about Camping:
- DEC Campgrounds - Camping in New York State - Department of Environmental Conservation facilities
- 2009 Campground Schedule - A table that shows all DEC campground schedules.
- Campground Reservations - Making reservations to camp at DEC campgrounds.
- Campground Rules and Regulations - Rules and Regulations on Camping in New York State - Department of Environmental Conservation facilities.
- Campground FAQs - Frequently asked questions about DEC campgrounds.
- State Land Camping Rules - Rules for camping on DEC managed public lands.
- Back Country Camping - Back country camping, also known as primitive camping, a self-dependent experience in which campers carry in and out their supplies and tents in order to reach more remote or secluded forest areas and where a leave-no-trace philosophy is expected.
- Fire Safety Outdoors - Safety tips when burning outdoors



