What follows is a guest essay contributed by the Adirondack Forest Preserve Education Partnership, a coalition of Adirondack organizations building on the Leave No Trace philosophy:

Picture this… the weather forecast is for a beautiful weekend, spring camping has begun and you have a reservation for your favorite site at the campground you camped at as a child. Your grandparents have reserved the site next to you and they will have their boat in the water and the fishing poles put together before you arrive. Your kids are excited about getting to the perch hole they fished last year.

When school is out for the summer, you’ll spend even more time camping and your kids will earn the newest patch in the Junior Naturalist Program. In the past they have had so much fun completing the activities and the bonus is how much they have learned about conservation and the environment. Someday they’ll be bringing their children camping and you will be the grandparent.

In the Adirondack Park there are 42 public campgrounds administered by the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. These 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. There are no utility hook-ups at these campgrounds.

For more information about DEC operated campgrounds call (518) 457-2500 or www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/camping.html. To make a reservation call Reserve America, at 1-800-456-CAMP (1-800-456-2267), or reserveamerica.com

More than 100 private campgrounds are also available in the Adirondacks. They generally offer a wider variety of services, including utility hook-ups. For a listing of private campgrounds contact the Adirondack Regional Tourism Council at (518) 846-8016 or www.VisitAdirondacks.com and click on the camping link.

This guest essay was contributed by the Adirondack Forest Preserve Education Partnership, a coalition of Adirondack organizations building on the Leave No Trace philosophy. Their goal is to provide public education about the Forest Preserve and Conservation Easements with an emphasis on how to safely enjoy, share, and protect these unique lands. To learn more about AFPEP visit www.adirondackoutdoors.org.