Fall camping can be special
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If you have not ever done it, there is something special about waking up in the woods on a crisp autumn morning. The air is cooler. The bugs are fewer. Leaves are beginning to turn, and a trail that may have felt hot, stuffy, and crowded during summer takes on an entirely different character right now.
For those looking to experience New York’s outdoors away from it all, perhaps in a more primitive setting, fall can be a "best time" to try backcountry camping. Before heading into the Adirondacks, Catskills or a state forest, a little preparation will make a positive difference between simply spending a night outdoors and making memories to keep for all time.
Primitive camping means leaving many of the conveniences of a developed campground behind. Turn your phone off. Your laptop will get lonely. Not a bad thing. There may be no running water, electricity, picnic tables or restrooms. Campers need to carry in everything they will need -- food, clothing, toiletries, a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad -- and pack it all back out.
Fortunately for us, the NYSDEC offers many sites for primitive camping. These include forest preserve lands in the Adirondacks and Catskills and many state forests outside the forest preserve. However, camping isn’t permitted on every state property, so checking the regulations for the specific destination before leaving home is essential.
The easiest option is a designated primitive tent site. These sites are generally selected to minimize impacts on the surrounding environment and may have nearby pit privies and established fire rings. Look for the yellow-and-black "Camp Here" marker at those sites. Designated tent sites and lean-tos are available on a first-come, first-served basis, but go prepared. If you’re camping outside a designated site, your tent must be at least 150 feet from a water body, road or trail. Avoid any areas posted "Camping Prohibited." Common sense is not always common.
Wildlife awareness is a big important part of the experience. Black bears are found throughout the Adirondacks and Catskills, in Western New York too, so food, garbage and toiletries need to be properly secured. Bear-resistant canisters are required in the Eastern High Peaks Wilderness. Remember that some primitive camping trips in the mountain areas for more than three nights or with 10 or more people requires a permit from a Forest Ranger. Find those online.
The goal isn’t to make backcountry camping complicated. It’s to help visitors arrive prepared, protect the places they came to enjoy and return home safely.
Before heading out, check the DEC website for destination-specific regulations, trail and land information and educational resources. DEC’s "Know Before You Go" videos are a useful educational tool for learning the basics of responsible outdoor recreation.
For more information, visit dec.ny.gov/things-to-do/camping/primitive, review DEC’s state land camping and hiking rules, or contact the DEC regional office serving your destination.
With thoughtful preparation, responsible camping practices and a willingness to carry what you bring, autumn offers a wonderful opportunity to slow down, explore New York’s wild places and experience the outdoors from a different perspective. Especially now, just ahead, if you are an early season big game bowhunter.
Plan ahead. Pack it in. Pack it out. Enjoy the adventure.
Gotta love the outdoors.
CALENDAR
Sept. 30: 3-D Archery, Evans Rod & Gun Club, 4 p.m. start, $10 fee, 15 targets, free instruction 4-6 p.m.; Info: call Jerry Gorski, 716-698-3008.
Oct. 1: Opening Day for New York State Early Big Game Archery Season -- deer and bear.
Oct. 1: Opening Day for small game ruffed grouse and cottontail rabbit in the Southern Zone.
Oct. 6: Children in the Stream Youth Fly Fishing/4H Program, Fly tying/fly fishing classes, 7-8:30 p.m., free, Costello Room, Rockefeller Art Center at SUNY Fredonia, For info: email Alberto@albertorey.com.