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.

Back country, or primitive camping, is permitted on most lands managed by DEC.

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.

Camping Guide Available

Click image to access an interactive
version of the camping guide.
(Note: this leaves DEC's website.)

You can see an interactive version of the guide (Leaving DEC's Website)
You can download the camping guide (PDF) (9.5 mB) * Please note this is a large file.

For easier download, we have broken up the file into 4 smaller sections:

Part 1 (PDF) - Campgrounds in the Adirondacks, Allegany Region, the Catskills and Central Region (3.2 mB)
Part 2 (PDF) - Campgrounds in the Finger Lakes Region, Genesee Region, Long Island, Niagara Region, the Palisades, Saratoga, Taconic, and Thousand Islands (3.3 mB)
New York State Camping Map (PDF) (1.2 mB)
Rental, Reservation and other Information (PDF) (1.8 mB)

To order a paper copy, email us or call 518-457-2500. Check it out and plan your trip of a lifetime!

Visit DEC Campgrounds on Facebook!

Watch a clip about backwoods camping and check out other camping clips on DEC TV.

Click image to subscribe
to the Conservationist magazine

State Campgrounds Outside the Forest Preserve

State campgrounds outside the Forest Preserve are operated by the NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP) (Leaving DEC's Website). For more information call (518) 474-0456.

More about Camping:

DEC Campgrounds - Camping in New York State - Department of Environmental Conservation facilities
2012 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 and Hiking 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.
Firewood Source Area Maps - According to State and federal regulations, it is illegal to transport untreated firewood more than 50 miles from its source and into New York State. The purpose of these regulations is to prevent the spread of invasive pests and diseases.

Fire Safety Outdoors - Safety tips when burning outdoors