DEC Announces 2025 First-Time Camper Program I

 

Popular Free Program Returns for 7^th 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 to 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 (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FTC25lottery) 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.