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DEC Announces 2025 First-Time Camper Program Lottery
Open Until July 3rd
Published: June 29, 2025 at
04:00 p.m.
By: Press Release
from NYS DEC
DEC Announces 2025 First-time Camper Program
Popular Free Program Returns for 7th Year to Help
More New Yorkers Experience the Outdoors through
Camping
Interested Campers Encouraged to Enter Lottery by
July 3
New York State
Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Amanda Lefton has
announced the return of the free First-Time Camper Program for the 2025
season. Through the First-Time Camper Program, New Yorkers who have never
experienced camping have the opportunity to try
camping and other recreational activities in the great outdoors by
registering for a fully stocked campsite at a select DEC-operated
campground for a designated weekend this summer
“DEC is excited
to once again welcome first-time campers into our great campgrounds in the
Adirondacks and Catskills,” Commissioner Lefton said. “The
First-Time Camper program gives New Yorkers who have never camped before
the opportunity to experience outdoor activities like camping, fishing,
hiking, boating, and birding at no cost. It is a great opportunity to get
outdoors with DEC’s Camping Ambassadors who are available to help
first-time campers with all the basics and provide a safe learning
experience for participants.”
The public may
enter the First-Time Camper lottery until July 3. Those
entering the lottery must choose one facility from the participating
locations in the Adirondacks and Catskills:
Luzerne
Campground (Adirondacks) – July 11-13
Mongaup Pond Campground (Catskills) – July
18-20
Cranberry
Lake Campground (Adirondacks) – July 25-27
Kenneth
L. Wilson Campground (Catskills) – August 1-3
North
South Lake Campground (Catskills) – August 8-10
Meacham
Lake Campground (Adirondacks) – August 15-17
Northampton
Beach Campground (Adirondacks) – August 22-24
Participants will
be randomly selected to fill camper slots. More information about the
First-Time Camper Program can be found on the DEC website.
Long-time campers
know the enjoyment and rewards of camping, but for those who have never
slept in a tent before, spending the night outdoors can be an unfamiliar
and challenging adventure. New York State’s First-Time Camper Program makes
trying camping for the first time easy, by providing a turnkey camping
experience for participants, especially those from underserved communities
who have never camped before.
Participating
campers will be provided with a tent for their camping party, sleeping
bags, sleeping pads, camp chairs, a lantern, and even firewood. A Camping
Ambassador will meet participants at the campsite and help them get their
camp set up with a camping 101 lesson. Bathrooms and hot showers are a
short walk from the campsites. To make the weekend getaway even more
enjoyable, campers will have an opportunity to learn from experts how to
fish, hike, bird watch, paddle, and more, all while having fun and making
memories that last forever.
For more information on DEC-operated campgrounds, including a list of
campgrounds and schedules, visit DEC's website or
call DEC's Bureau of Recreation at 518-457-2500. To make reservations at
any of these camping facilities, call ReserveAmerica
at 1-800-456-CAMP (2267) or visit https://newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com.
To hear from some
previous first-time campers, watch these videos on DEC’s YouTube
channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TG2ZBriErs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axCtzjxD1x8
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