20 DEC Campgrounds, Day Use Areas Open Friday

20 of New York State’s DEC campgrounds in the Adirondack and Catskill parks will open on June 19 for the 2020 season.

Three additional campgrounds are slated to open June 26, and additional DEC campgrounds and day use areas are expected to open in the coming weeks.

To maintain social distancing and reduce the density of facilities and protect visitors, DEC is not accepting additional reservations or walk-in camping for the 2020 season at this time.

Existing reservations will be honored for the DEC campgrounds listed below.

DEC Campgrounds to Open June 19:

Adirondack Park Campgrounds and Day Use Areas

• Alger Island Campground
• Buck Pond Campground and Day Use Area
• Cranberry Lake Campground and Day Use Area
• Eagle Point Campground and Day Use Area
• Fourth Lake Day Use Area
• Glen Island, Lake George Islands Campgrounds and Day Use Areas
• Lake Durant
• Lake George Battleground Campground
• Lake George Battlefield Day Use Area
• Lake Harris Campground and Day Use Area
• Lewey Lake Campground and Day Use Area
• Long Island, Lake George Islands Campgrounds and Day Use Areas
• Meadowbrook Campground and Day Use Area
• Narrow Island, Lake George Islands Campgrounds and Day Use Areas
• Putnam Pond Campground and Day Use Area
• Scaroon Manor Campground and Day Use Area

Catskill Park Campgrounds and Day Use Areas

• Bear Spring Mountain Campground and Day Use Area
• Little Pond Campground and Day Use Area
• North-South Lake Campground and Day Use Area
• Woodland Valley Campground

Campgrounds to Open June 26:

• Limekiln Lake Campground and Day Use Area
• Luzerne Campground and Day Use Area
• Nicks Lake Campground & Day Use Area

For information about campgrounds operated by the State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation visit NYS Parks camping webpage.

According to the NYForward guidance for the reopening of New York State, campgrounds must take precautions to ensure campers maintain appropriate social distancing and adhere to proper cleaning and disinfecting protocols, including maintaining six feet of distance between campers unless wearing an acceptable face covering and excluding persons from the same household who are camping together.

DEC has temporarily stopped issuing permits for backcountry camping for groups of 10 or more. As of June 11, DEC resumed issuing permits for groups of fewer than 10 people who would like to stay for more than three nights at one location on state lands.

DEC is also temporarily restricting lean-to use to members of a single household at a time.

You can learn about the latest Adirondack trail conditions in John Warren’s weekly conditions report on North Country Public Radio each Friday morning here.