Tag Archive for "camping" - The Adirondack Almanack

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Additional DEC Campground Openings to be Announced Soon for Summer 2020 Season
The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that 20 of DEC’s 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 will open in the coming weeks as DEC works to safely reopen these facilities to meet guidelines in place to protect staff and visitors from the spread of COVID-19.

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.

Saturday, May 30, 2020

Ode to an outhouse, and gatherings with old friends

by Guest Contributor

By Susan Hennessey

There are many things that bring joy to my life; the majesty of the Adirondacks, the deep cold lakes nestled in those mountains, the endless trails for hiking, the smoke that unfurls from the chimneys of the sweet cabins that dot the woods, and believe it or not my girlfriend Margie’s outhouse.

Yes, her outhouse is like no other. Located at the foot of Whiteface Mountain on the outskirts of Margie’s summer campsite sits the most darling outhouse. It was built from love and a whole lot of hard work.

My high school girlfriend Margie and her husband Brian were fortunate enough to have inherited a plot of land near Whiteface that they have been developing for 30 something years into the most efficient, adorable, campsite. LL Bean and Campmore would rival to have its photograph on the cover of their yearly catalogues. Blood sweat and tears have driven this project.

Friday, May 15, 2020

Adirondack Outdoor Conditions (5/14): Beaches will open; campgrounds remain closed

by Melissa Hart

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Per NYS Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s daily news briefing:

“As a region we have established a joint agreement on beaches in NY, NJ, CT and DE. State beaches will open Friday of Memorial Day weekend with strict precautions. Beaches will be at 50 percent capacity & masks will be required when social distance not possible. Staff will enforce.”

That re-opening applies to NYS-run beaches.

Saturday, March 21, 2020

Eagle Island Welcoming Overnight Campers

Eagle Island, Inc.has announced that registration is open for Girls’ Overnight Camp on its private 30-acre island on Upper Saranac Lake. This program is for girls entering 5th through 9th grades. Programs are built on the mission to inspire and empower girls and young women to be confident, collaborative, and courageous. » Continue Reading.

Thursday, March 12, 2020

Current Adirondack Outdoor Conditions (March 12)

March 12th, 2020 – SPECIAL NOTICES » Continue Reading.

This weekly report of outdoor recreation conditions in the Adirondacks is compiled each Thursday afternoon and updated on Friday.

Contribute Your Knowledge: Add a comment below, or send your observations, corrections, updates, and suggestions to adkalmanack@gmail.com.

Learn and practice the seven Leave No Trace principles. Plan ahead and prepare. Carry out what you have carried in. Do not leave gear, food, or other items at lean-tos and campsites. Take the free online Leave No Trace course here.

BE PREPARED! Start slow, gain experience. Carry proper safety equipment and weather protection and bring plenty of water and lights, and a map. When on the trail, stay together, monitor the time, and be prepared to turn back. Be prepared to spend an unplanned night in the woods in cold temperatures. Accidents happen to the most experienced people. Always carry food, a space blanket, emergency whistle, first aid kit, fire making tools, extra clothing layers and socks, a map and compass, and the knowledge to use them. Inform someone of your itinerary and before entering the backcountry or launching a boat check the National Weather Service watches, warnings, and advisories here. Follow Adirondack weather forecasts at Burlington and Albany and consult the High Elevation, Recreation, or Lake Champlain forecasts.

Thursday, February 27, 2020

Current Adirondack Outdoor Conditions (2/27)

February 27th, 2020 – SPECIAL NOTICES » Continue Reading.

This weekly report of outdoor recreation conditions in the Adirondacks is compiled each Thursday afternoon and updated on Friday.

Contribute Your Knowledge: Add a comment below, or send your observations, corrections, updates, and suggestions to adkalmanack@gmail.com.

Sunday, February 23, 2020

DEC Proposes More Recreation Access In Croghan Tract

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced the release of a draft Recreation Management Plan (RMP) for the Croghan Tract Conservation Easement in Lewis County in the Western Adirondacks.

DEC is now inviting the public to share comments and ask questions about the draft plan at a public meeting and/or to submit comments on the draft RMP during the 30-day public comment period. » Continue Reading.

Monday, February 3, 2020

DEC Ends Lottery For Rogers Rock Campground Group Sites

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has announced that campers and day-users will now make online reservations for group camp sites at the Rogers Rock Campground and Day Use Area, located in Warren County in the Adirondacks.

Groups sites had previously been reserved by a lottery system. » Continue Reading.

Thursday, January 30, 2020

DEC Issues Final Plans for Sentinel Range Wilderness

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The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has finalized the Unit Management Plan (UMP) for the Sentinel Range Wilderness.

The Sentinel Range Wilderness is comprised of 23,874 acres of Forest Preserve lands in the towns of Keene, Jay, Wilmington, and North Elba, Essex County. The lands consist primarily of rugged, mountainous forest land with relatively few ponds and wetlands. Mountain views are one of the Wilderness Area’s main attractions, although a portion of the Jackrabbit Ski Trail also runs through the wilderness. The area borders the north side of Route 73 through Cascade Pass and includes a number of popular climbing areas. » Continue Reading.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Early Results On Overuse, Visitors Still Surging

by Willie Janeway

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While the total number of visitors is still rising, the state’s initial actions to curb overuse of the Adirondack Park’s High Peaks Wilderness Area have started to show results, according to data collected by the Adirondack Council in 2017 and 2019.

The highest weekend peak visitor traffic numbers decreased across the top three destinations in the High Peaks by 3.5 percent. That is progress. We can celebrate that while recognizing that there is still much to do to ensure Wilderness and access are preserved. » Continue Reading.

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

DEC Summer Camps Nearly Fill in 24 Hrs

Online registration opened Sunday, January 26th, for the State’s 2020 Summer Camp season and in less than 24 hours, 90 percent of spaces were filled with 22 weeks for boys and 13 for girls already booked.

DEC’s Summer Camp program began in 1947 and today operates four residential camps for children ages 11 to 17: Camp Colby in Saranac Lake; Camp DeBruce in Livingston Manor (Sullivan County); Camp Rushford in Caneadea (Allegany County), and Pack Forest in Warrensburg.

Friday, January 17, 2020

Reservations Open for Eighth Lake Campground

Reservations have re-opened for the May 15th start of the camping season at DEC’s Adirondack Park Eighth Lake Campground, Inlet, Hamilton County.

Earlier this year, DEC posted alerts in the camping reservation system to notify campers that the facility would open later in 2020, to accommodate planned improvements. DEC can now accommodate reservations for the first half of the season at Eighth Lake campground. » Continue Reading.

Sunday, December 29, 2019

When is it Winter Camping?

by Jim Muller

3 Comments

Winter is associated with migration, hibernation, changes in animal behavior, plants becoming dormant, and humans experiencing special health concerns ranging from hypothermia to seasonal depression. Winter even invokes its own special vocabularies to describe the conditions (e.g. black ice, whiteouts, and corn snow).

Descriptions of winter camping depend on geographic location, opportunities to go camping and desire to impress your friends and relatives. There are groups from northern Canada to the Ozarks that claim winter camping experience; although I am sure their conditions and experiences are greatly different.

How you define winter camping might depend on your definition of ‘winter’. » Continue Reading.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

4-H Adirondack Guide Program Begins Soon

Warren County 4-H has announced they are accepting registrations for their 2020 Adirondack Guides program.

The program features camping, fire starting, map and compass skills, outdoor cooking, wildlife identification, hiking, and more, and is open to all youth between the ages of 12-19. » Continue Reading.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

DEC Campground Ambassador Program Expanding

The 2020 application period for the Department of Environmental Conservation’s (DEC) Campground Ambassador program has begun.

“In 2019, its second year, DEC’s Campground Ambassador Program more than doubled its applicants and grew to offer more than 300 fun, educational, and meaningful programs at nine participating facilities,” DEC Commissioner Basil Seggos said in an announcement sent to the press.