May Outdoor Discovery

Camping Season is Around the Corner

Most of DEC's campgrounds open on May 17, so start planning your visit now. DEC 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.

Virtual Campground Tours

Want to get a look at a campground before you book a week sight unseen? DEC's website now offers virtual tours of many of its campgrounds so you can see the amenities available.

Newest Campground Accepting Reservations

Reservations for the new Frontier Town Campground, Equestrian and Day Use Area in the Adirondacks are now open. You can make reservations for this coming summer season - June 28 through Columbus Day weekend. DEC encourages interested campers to book campsites early since we expect demand to be high for the State's newest campground.

First-Time Camper Program Announced for 2019

Have you ever wanted to try camping before but just not sure how to start? New York will once again provide First-Time Camper weekends this summer. Established in 2017 with eight participating parks, this program will include 11 campgrounds over nine weekends from June until after Labor Day with locations across the state. New campers will receive a family tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, camp chairs, lantern, and even firewood. A camping ambassador will meet families upon arrival and help them get set up with a camping 101 lesson. Throughout the weekend, there will be even more opportunities to learn from experts how to fish, hike, paddle, bird watch and more.

To apply, sign up through the online lottery system between May 10 to May 12.

Learn more about the 2019 program. Watch a video, and get inspired to go camping.

Hunt Spring Turkey at Canadaway Creek WMA

Arkwright, Chautauqua County

Among the game birds sought by hunters in New York State, wild turkey are particularly challenging. And Canadaway Creek Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in western NY is one of our State’s most popular turkey hunting locations. The creek cuts scenic ravines through the property’s 2,180 acres. Hardwood and pine forest cover the steep hillsides, and there are a few open fields on hilltop plateaus. Several roads, 10 parking areas and three trails offer good access within and around the property. Spring turkey season runs through the month of May. You may take two bearded turkeys during the entire season, but only one in a single day.

Outdoors Day 2019

Save the date! Saturday June 8, 2019 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Come celebrate National Get Outdoors Day at free DEC events around the State. Try a new activity or introduce your family to old favorites like hiking, archery, paddling, and fishing! Bring the whole family, and spend the day having an outdoor adventure!

Activities planned for Outdoors Day (Note- activities are subject to change, check the website for more information) include:

• Hempstead Lake State Park, Hempstead: Fishing, hiking, birdwatching, camping and paddling demonstrations, nature photography
• Mt. Loretto Unique Area, Staten Island: Saltwater and freshwater fishing, birdwatching, hiking, outdoor safety, ocean kayaking, camping demonstration
• Stony Kill Farm Environmental Education Center, Wappingers Falls: Fishing, archery for kids, beginner bird walk, orienteering, starting seeds and planting a garden
• Maurice D. Hinchey Catskill Visitor Center, Mt. Tremper: Fishing demonstrations, fossil walk, stream exploration, camping/outdoor skills demonstration
• Kenneth L. Wilson Campground, Mt. Tremper: Free paddleboard, kayak and canoe rentals with demonstrations, camping demonstration, container gardening demonstration
• Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar: Hiking, birdwatching, archery, geo-caching
• Lawson Lake County Park, Feura Bush: Fishing, paddling
• Northampton Beach Campground, Mayfield: Fishing, hiking, archery, camping demonstration
• DEC Lowville Office: Fishing, hiking, birdwatching, archery, outdoor safety
• Rogers Environmental Education Center, Sherburne: Fishing, hiking, paddling, and plant, tree and animal identification
• Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center, Depew: Archery, geocaching, nature hikes, nature photography, birdwatching, camping, paddling

Check out our Flickr album to view photos from 2018's event!

I Bird NY

Birding is a fun activity that everyone can enjoy! You don't need a lot to get started bird watching; just a good pair of binoculars, a desire to be outdoors, and a destination. From Montauk to Buffalo, New York is home to a vast array of amazing habitat that supports over 450 different bird species. Bird watching is one of the fastest growing outdoor recreation activities that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and experiences, plus it's a great way to get outdoors. Join the fun! Get out and try bird watching today!

Five Rivers and Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Centers, along with NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, are holding a variety of birdwatching events this spring.

Nature Notes: Wildfire Awareness

Remember, open burning is prohibited between March 16 and May 14.

Historically, open burning of debris is the largest single cause of spring wildfires in New York State. When temperatures are warmer and the past fall's debris, dead grass, and leaves dry out, wildfires can start and spread easily, and be further fueled by winds and a lack of green vegetation.

Upcoming DEC Events

Gardening for Migrating Monarchs, 5/4 at 2:30 p.m., Reinstein Woods EEC

I Bird NY: Birds and Breakfast, 5/11 at 6 a.m., Five Rivers EEC

Winter Raptor Fest, 5/18 & 5/19, Washington County Fairgrounds. Live birds of prey, activities and an all new WILD Encounter with expanded habitats and a new Arctic habitat

Surviving White-Tailed Deer, 5/25 at 10:30 a.m., Reinstein Woods EEC

Sample of Free Fishing Clinics- Check website for full schedule and information.
• Free Family Fishing Day, Norrie Point EEC, Staatsburg, 5/4 at 2 p.m.
• Free Kids Fishing Clinic, Club Terrace, Rochester, 5/18 at 7 a.m.
• Brooklyn Bridge Park Free Fishing Clinic, 5/18 at 11 a.m.
• Free Learn to Catch a Fish, Letchworth State Park, Castile, 5/25 at 11 a.m.

More Upcoming Events

April Conservationist

Check out the latest issue of Conservationist and learn about outdoor activities like worm fishing for stream trout, and hiking in the Adirondacks—including firsthand accounts demonstrating why it’s important to be prepared before you go. Also, read about the invasive spotted lanternfly, and discover how some families took advantage of DEC’s Outdoors Day to learn new skills and enjoy outdoor recreation activities they had never tried before. These and more can be found in the April Conservationist.

Subscribe online or call 1-800-678-6399 to receive the Conservationist year-round.